Axios: Car Shortage Could Change Buying Behavior Forever

Car dealers' annual year-end sell-a-thons have turned into wait-a-thons for many shoppers unable to find the vehicle they want on dealer lots — but that could be about to change as some companies modernize the way they sell their cars.

Why it matters: Supply chain disruptions could have a silver lining for automakers if Americans can be trained to order the exact car they want — color, features, bells and whistles — and then wait a month or so for it to be delivered.

• This is how Europeans have been buying cars since World War II, when money and materials were in short supply and factories were struggling to recover.

• But Americans are accustomed to going to the dealership and driving home in a shiny new car off the lot.

What's happening: Some companies say they plan to capitalize on the inventory crunch to permanently shift to an order-based system, starting with their new lineups of electric vehicles.

• Ford Motor, for example, is trying a build-to-order scheme with its new Mustang Mach-e, which is in high demand.

• And Ford is offering a $1,000 discount to customers who pre-order any vehicle.

What they're saying: "You cannot imagine ... how much money we waste by not -- by guessing what our launch mix is for a new product," Ford CEO Jim Farley told investors and analysts in October.

• A build-to-order model, he says, is a far more efficient way to run the business.

Between the lines: Packing lots with large numbers of cars, trucks and SUVs is a huge drain on profits for both dealers and automakers.

• Dealers have to cover the cost of financing all those cars sitting around, waiting for a buyer.

• And automakers usually wind up producing more cars than they need to, in hopes of satisfying every shopper's desire. That means more parts, more labor and more cost.

• Inevitably, though, they end up spending more on advertising and incentives to clear out the slow sellers.

Yes, but: Automakers have tried before to switch to a build-to-order model, with little success.

• "Americans have no patience. We're too impulsive," said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Cox Automotive.

• "Right now, we’re in an unusual situation, so people are putting their dibs in," says Krebs. That doesn't mean it's a new business model.

Read the full article from Axios here.