You don’t have to tell Leandro Dias about the state of car sales these days.
Well-documented issues with the supply chain, a shortage of microchips for new cars and the near flat-lining of auto production in the wake of COVID-19 caused a shortage of new cars. That turned the focus to used cars. And, naturally, the cost of those vehicles shot sky-high – to the point now where some used vehicles are selling for as much as they cost when they were brand-new.
Dias moved his Advanced Auto Sales business from Tewksbury to Dracut in August 2021, taking a site at 1787 Bridge Street that used to contain a house and transforming it into an eye-turning used-car lot.
“Things are backwards,” Leandro says, adding that auctions where used-car salesmen buy their stock have half the inventory they used to have. “New-car dealers are getting less and less inventory. And the auctions that used to have 1,200 to 1,500 cars now have about 700 cars. There’s nothing out there.”
Well, not exactly nothing. Advanced Auto Sales has a lot full of quality used vehicles, including a 2012 Ford Escape XLT with 63,000 miles priced at $10,498; a 2011 BMW 3 Series 328i xDrive with 118,638 miles on the market for $10,498; and a 2011 Chevy Silverado 1500 LT with 136,087 miles going for $18,000.
Advanced Auto Sales is a family-operated business with six employees, including Leandro and his wife.
“We do everything, from bottom to top,” Leandro says, adding that he is the sales manager, the buyer at car auctions – even the resident snowplow operator during last weekend’s blizzard.
“We get the cars into shape for sale, get them detailed,” he says. “We go through the whole process with each car before it’s put on the lot to sell.”
Advanced Auto Sales is open Monday through Friday, 9 to 6, and Saturday, 9 to 4. Visit www.advancedautocenterinc.com or call 978-224-1144.