European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 23, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday March 23, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 15 cafes new car sales in Europe Goldring controls Market year # of cars average value total m millions of dollars cafes earnings in millions of dollars 1986 10,384 $12,000 $124.6 $1.32 1987 12,797 $12,500 $159.9 $1.73 1988 16,306 $12,750 $207.9 $2.62 1989 15,095 $13,000 $196.2 $2.65 1990 12,469 $13,500 $168.3 $2.18 1991 13,360 $14,850 $198.3 $2.40 source cafes a amps Wes Booher cafes new car sales worldwide year # of cars 1988 1989 1990 1991 21,169 19,472 16,741 16,700 average value $12,750 $13,000 $13,500 $14,850 total in millions of dollars $269.9 $253.1 $226.0 $247.9 cafes earnings in millions of dollars $3.36 $3.35 $2.93 $3.03 source cafes a amps Wes Booher by Luke Britt staff writer Allen Goldring is arguably the worlds greatest car Salesman. His company overseas military sales corp., has quietly become the largest retailer of american made cars in the world Selling More than 14,000 a year to department of defense personnel and their families around the world. That is 70 percent More vehicles than the second leading retailer of Domestic autos according to figures published in automotive news a publication that monitors the Auto Industry. Goldring controls More than 80 percent of the worldwide military car Market. Although he is known for trying to avoid publicity Gold rings group of car dealerships has caught the attention of Industry experts from California to Wall Street. The Dun amp Bradstreet corp. Of new York Best known for its rating of american corporations and business leaders lists Goldring in its million Dollar directory and his company As one of the nations leading private firms. Industry sources estimate that oms solely owned by the Goldring family is Worth nearly $75 million with annual sales exceeding the $210 million Mark. The sales figure is conservative reflecting just his business with the military Exchange services. The company Headquarters is on the third floor of a tidy four Story Brick building in Woodbury n.y., in the Middle of Long Island. Sources say the offices Are As unobtrusive As Goldring himself with less than 20 people working there. A computer search of nearly 1,000 major periodicals including business magazines dating Back to 1986 disclosed not a single reference to Goldring or his company. And the stars and stripes repeated requests for a photograph of the 69-year-old businessman were denied. A i guess he could be described As the shy Type Quot said Eugene cavy executive director of oms. A a he a been approached Many times Over the years about interviews and he just Isnit interested in personal  Goldring followed his father into the car business in 1944 when at age 21, he became part owner of the family s Brooklyn n.y., car business. Goldring motors still operates in Brooklyn Selling vehicles made by Dodge and Volvo. Goldring also owns Auto Exchange a a string of off Post dealerships in Europe that caters to military car buyers. It specializes in German and japanese cars. When cafes began Selling cars on military installations in the Early 1950s, Goldring was one of the first dealers to get involved. When cafes restructured the program in the mid-1960s to eliminate the Competition of Many Independent dealers in favor of the present system Goldring was one of the survivors becoming the sole agent for Chrysler corp. Since then he has moved from Selling Only Chrysler cars to army and air Force people in Europe to Selling both Chrysler and general motors vehicles in Europe and the Pacific. The company also provides a Small number of cars to americans diplomatic corps overseas Goldring told the stars and stripes in december during a Brief Telephone interview. A but we live and die with the military Quot he said adding without elaboration that the military draw Down plan is a certainly of some concern to  oms has been investigated by the new York better business Bureau six times since 1987. But the Bureau reported that in All the cases oms cooperated with the investigations and that All cases were decided in favor of the company. Aviano Deal on dream Van steers pair into Nightmare Thomas Lambert will never again put his Money where his Mouth is. When the air Force senior master sergeant walked into the general motors new car sales office on Aviano a Italy in january 1990, the Salesman told him that if he had the Money he could be driving a new Van in a few months. Two Days later Lambert paid the Salesman nearly $14,000 for a 1990 Gumc safari. A fall they had to do was order it a he said in a Telephone interview from his new Home at Barksdale fab la. Seven months passed and Lambert a a feeling frustrated and cheated a accepted delivery of a completely different vehicle a Plymouth voyager. His mistake he said was paying for his a dream Van Quot in Advance. Lambert said he decided to cancel his Deal with overseas military sales corp. When his new Van failed to show up More than six months after he paid for it. But everyone from a the Salesman to the president of the company resisted his requests for a refund he said. Overseas military sales corp. Is the company that Sells Chrysler and general motors cars to military members in Europe. Jeff Gardner general manager of oms said company employees resisted his requests for a refund because they did not want Lambert to go away  Lambert said he had saved for years to be Able to pay Cash for a new Van. He and his wife studied All the models and decided on the 1990 Gumc safari. They placed their order and paid for the vehicle in january. The Salesman said the Van would be delivered to a port in the United states sometime in april and would arrive in Germany by june. A in May i decided to Check if our Van had made it to the stateside port a Lambert said. A it  that delay meant the safari would not Quot once we have a person s Money it is easy to stall on a refund. Usually they will Wear Down and take what you offer them before demanding a  a Marc Jones former on base Salesman arrive before july which Lambert said was acceptable. A but Why did no to anyone inform me of the delay a he asked. When the Van had not been delivered to the stateside port by june the situation was no longer acceptable. After Lambert threatened to cancel the Deal the Salesman offered a $375 reduction in the Price of the Van if he could wait two More weeks he said. Two weeks became three and three weeks became five. The lamberts a were past the irate stage and were furious a he said. Lambert demanded his Money Back from the Aviano dealer citing what he thought was his right to cancel the Deal if the delivery Date was not met. A Salesman told Lambert that the reason for the delay was that the factory could not meet the delivery Date and that oms was not responsible he said. However Gardner said last december that oms had the Van but company employees at a port in Baltimore had failed to turn it Over to military transportation officials. For Lambert things went from bad to worse. While waiting for his Van to arrive the engine failed on the family car leaving the lamberts with no transportation. Quot the problem was that i had already paid for the Van a Lambert said. A in the for a amps airman 1 St class Dortchie Welch senior master sgt. Thomas Lambert formerly of Aviano a Italy paid in adv acc for a Gumc safari Van but finally ended up accepting this Plymouth voyager. States i would have gotten my Money Back and gone to another  because Lambert elected to use the free transportation offered by the military he had to pay oms the full Price for the vehicle before the company would ship the Van overseas Gardner said. Cars shipped overseas by the military Are considered delivered when they Are signed for by stateside military port officials. The car sales companies Are no longer responsible for what happens to the vehicle. Had Lambert chosen to use commercial transportation he would have had to pay Only a $300 Deposit for the Van. The balance would have been due when it was delivered. It is common practice for salespeople to push customers to pay for a car As soon As financing is approved said Marc Jones a former oms agent working for one of the company a off base competitors. A once we have a persons Money it is easy to stall on a refund. Usually they will Wear Down and tyke what you offer them before demanding a refund a Jones said. Oms would have returned lamberts Money at any time had he insisted Gardner said. A but when we screw up and sometimes it happens we re not just going to walk away from the Deal a Gardner said. A we want to do everything we can to put the customer in a new  in late july with the safari still unaccounted for the Aviano Salesman offered the lamberts a Van the company already had in Stock in Bremerhaven. There were no Gumc safaris in Stock however and the lamberts accepted the Plymouth voyager. A they virtually had us a Lambert said. A a we a been without a car for four  the lamberts took three Days off in August and flew to Bremerhaven to pick up the Van. After a 12-hour wait the couple drove away in the voyager. Lambert said the Plymouth a is of but certainly not our dream  a Luke Britt