Factory-owned dealerships increase; Shortage of entrepreneurs forces OEMs to take control of strategic dealerships.(News)

Byline: Sylviane de Saint-Seine

Many carmakers are poised to increase their company-owned sales outlets as more dealers retire without finding a son or daughter to take over the family business.

"There's an absence of new entrepreneurs," said Pietro Gorlier, Fiat's senior vice president for network and company-owned dealerships.

"Network development is becoming an issue for car manufacturers," he said at a conference here this month.

With its sales recovering strongly, Fiat plans to increase company-owned dealerships in Europe to 80 by 2010 from 50 ...