b'FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 19, 2023AUTO LOGISTICS 31(COMEBACKcontinuedvehicles to the dealerships, the from page 30) unfinishedmodelswereset something else altogether? aside in nearby lotsawaiting parts. In some cases, the parts-s PinningW heels :shy vehicles were sold to con-f indingC ontext in the sumers and the missing parts a Utoi ndUstry fitted later at the dealership.Throughout2021-2022However, the chip short-there were a number of issuesage has eased, and the acres thatdoggedautomakersasof vehicles are now moving the plants returned to full pro- off the storage lots to dealers duction. From the sales side,and customers. inventory couldnt keep paceWhilesupplychaindis-with the surge in demand. Partruptionsandpartshortages shortages,especiallymicro- havelessened,otheraspects chipshortages,hamstrungof the fourth quarter of 2022 autoproduction,leadingtohave spilled into the new year. long lead times for deliveries,Forexample,J.D.Power& while other supply chain dis- Associates expects the aver-ruptions exacerbated the deal- age new vehicle price for the ers inventory calamity. Thismonth of January 2023 to be combinationledtohigher$46,437 an increase of 4.2% auto prices, In 2022, supplyover January 2022, although constraintshaveledtolongtheconsultantbelievesthe lead times for new vehicles,average transaction price will andintheprocessensuredmoderateasmoreinventory thattransactionpricesarehits car dealers lots. well above historical norms,Other contradictory factors as MarkLine, an auto industrycouldalsoimpactautosales. portalwrotedescribinglastOntheonehand,inflation, years conditions. higher gas prices, a strong US Themicrochipshortagedollarandapotentialreces-wasparticularlydamaging.sion certainly are factors, while To handle the chip (and parts)low unemployment figures and shortage, GM pioneered a strat- new jobs act as an economic egy tagged build-shy or shy- counterbalanceelementsof built which involved assemblingShrinkflationasthecontra-some of its vehiclesgenerallydictory economic indicators are the lower priced modelsjustpopularly tagged. shy of all its parts. So, rather(COMEBACKcontinued thandeliveringcompleteon page 32)'