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As auto show opens, suburban car dealers back in drive

It was 2009 and the Big Three automakers were barely surviving.

After accepting an unpopular government bailout, General Motors and Chrysler dealerships closed across the country, including some suburban fixtures such as Saturn of Lake Barrington and Fox Lake Chrysler Dodge.

“There were unfortunately too many dealers ... too many products out there,” recalled Wayne Michor, who previously worked for a Saturn dealership.

But like the auto industry, Michor — general sales manager at Dan Wolf Naperville Chevrolet — has rebounded. “2009 seems a long time ago,” Michor said.

That spirit of resilience is one theme of the Chicago Auto Show, which opens with a charity gala on Thursday and to the public Friday at McCormick Place. The show runs through Feb. 19.

Terry D'Arcy also remembers those tough days just three years ago. As owner of D'Arcy Buick GMC Hyundai Volkswagen in Joliet, he saw the anxiety in his workers' eyes.

“I have 70 employees at that store. My job was to make sure no one panicked,” said D'Arcy, an Illinois tollway board director. “But we've grown back from it. There's been a steady stream of business since 2009.”

So how's business now?

Decent, Michor said, although the mild winter has actually deflated sales slightly.

“People's cars have no problems starting when you don't get temperatures below 0,” he said.

Looking forward, Michor anticipates a steady market for compact cars such as the Chevrolet Cruze or Sonic, the likes of which created a buzz at a 2012 Chicago Auto Show preview Wednesday.

“The small-car market is expected to grow tremendously,” Michor said.

Images: The 104th Chicago Auto Show

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