We are excited to participate in the campaign to help our veterans get the recognition they deserve when they're home and out of uniform! They may be invisible to many in civilian clothes, but let's all give them something to smile about on Wednesday! Look for our green-lit window!
There's a great thing about living in a small community. We as a group take pride in who we are as a people. We are free, able to move around as we please, able to join groups, protest the government, and worship whatever god or deity we believe in. We are able to buy cars and goods from foreign companies that have established operations here, and have become a livelihood for so many in our country. This is what puts the "US" in USA!
We are a nation of different folks from all over, but we all should be proud to be American. This First Friday occurs a day before we celebrate the 4th, so we will make it a weekend of patriotic celebration here in our small community!
The Downtown Business Council is calling it "Stars, Stripes & Straws" and there are going to be SUMMERTIME DRINKS! All types of lemonades and iced teas will be available for tasting, and you can vote for your favorite! There will also be live music on the square.
We can't wait!
As usual, we will be set up on the square with some new vehicles to check out. We just got a few 2016 Maximas in, so we MIGHT be able to bring one of them if they don't all disappear before then! Come on down and see us, and all the other vendors downtown for some good old fashioned small town revelry, patriotism, and thirst quenching.
It's that time again, already the 2nd First Friday of the season! We'll be down on the square in Chambersburg enjoying speaking with folks that stop by our tent, and enjoying the samplings of our downtown businesses! You really should take a little time to come downtown and enjoy all the fun stuff that's going on!.
The theme for this First Friday is Health & Wellness, so there will be ALL kinds of fun activities going on around the downtown area. We'll be set up on the square where there will be a Zumba class for FREE, and music directly afterwards!
Our health awareness message will focus on texting while driving. SERIOUSLY. We can put the phones down while we drive can't we? It's one thing to eat, watch tv, walk, or even play hopscotch while texting....but operating 2000lbs of metal flying down the road and staring down at a phone while going 50mph IS INSANE! Please just stop doing it! Think if a loved one was hurt or killed by someone that could have avoided it easily by not responding back to their friend with "OK" and had just been paying attention. It's. That. Easy.
Now, on with the festivities!
Here's a breakdown from the Downtown Business Council.
Chambersburg Council for the Arts will host an interactive art project in their gallery from 5-8pm. Participation is organized in 15 minute sessions so that people can join and then leave as they wish.
Chambersburg Ballet Theatre will have open dance classes from 4:30-8pm. There will be a full length intermediate ballet class from 4:30-6pm and a full length elementary ballet class from 6-7pm. There will also be a hip-hop class offered that is organized in 15 minute increments so that people can join and stay or leave when they like. Classes are complimentary. Please dress in appropriate exercise clothing and bring water.
Chambersburg Community Theater will have theater games on the stage from 5-8pm. Exercises are ongoing and participants can join or leave any time they like.
Capitol Theatre Center will offer mini sessions in energy healing, stress management and nutrition from 5-7pm. There will also be an interactive “Dream Wall” where people can write or draw their dreams for the future of wellness and arts in Chambersburg on a large piece of butcher paper hanging from the wall in the lobby.
There will be class calendars and upcoming event calendars for all organizations available in the lobby. Donations are accepted for any and all organizations involved!
In 2 days, we'll be down at the Greencastle-Antrim School District with new cars from all 3 brands we offer! We partnered with the Relay For Life team "Blue/Gold Cancer Crusaders", a team made up of teachers that will walk and raise money during the relay.
We will offer a test drives in the new Nissan, Toyota, or Scion of your choosing! We will have employees along with you to explain all the amazing features these state of the art vehicles have included as standard now!
There's a little something more as well! For EVERY SINGLE test drive, we will donate $15 to the team, up to $4000.00! Let that sink in a little bit... FOUR....THOUSAND....DOLLLLLLARS!
We really want to make sure this event is a success! Look for our signs as to where we will be, and come help us kick cancer to the curb!!!
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There is a limit of 1 test drive per person, and you must be 18, have a valid license and insurance.
Are you itching to get out and do something on Friday evenings?
Do you like to shop, eat, and listen to music, LOCALLY?
Well then get your walkin'-around shoes on and head downtown for the First Friday events in Chambersburg!
On the first Friday of every month, food, shopping, music, and fun are on the menu starting at 5pm!
We are the presenting sponsor for this awesome monthly event, so please bring your friends and experience all things local! We have a beautiful town so come enjoy it!
Find more info here: https://www.facebook.com/DowntownBusinessCouncil
Recently, we received this award from DealerRater and we could not be more proud of our employees! We realize very humbly, that without our customers, we would cease to exist. Thank you all for your allowing us to earn your business!
From our press release:
Fitzgerald Auto Mall of Chambersburg
PA, has been awarded a 2015 DealerRaterÒ Consumer Satisfaction Award, a recognition
that auto dealerships can earn by delivering outstanding customer service as
rated by online consumer reviews. DealerRater, the car dealer review site for
consumers, created the Consumer Satisfaction Awards to enable online car
shoppers to instantly spot car dealerships that provide high-quality customer
service.
Consumer Satisfaction Awards will be
given annually to the top 10 percent of U.S. new-car dealers based on their
PowerScoreÔ, as well as all U.S. used-car and
Canadian (new and used) car dealerships that meet DealerRater’s Dealer of the
Year criteria—receiving at least 25 annual reviews and maintaining an average
PowerScore rating of 4.0 out of 5.0.
Dealers can increase their
PowerScore ratings by getting more reviews, and improving consumer feedback on
the dealership’s customer service, quality of work, friendliness, pricing and
overall experience.
“We’d like to congratulate Fitzgerald Auto
Mall and all of our Consumer Satisfaction Award winners,” said DealerRater CEO
Gary Tucker. “DealerRater is where car shoppers learn from their peers
regarding which dealers offer top-notch customer service, and now they can
quickly identify that Fitzgerald is one of the best in the Mid-Atlantic Region“
Fitzgerald Auto Mall has achieved
consistently high marks on the DealerRater website, placing it among the top
dealerships nationwide. Online shoppers visiting Fitzmall’s dealer review page
on DealerRater.com will find a “2015 Consumer Satisfaction Award winner”
designation.
“Our customers mean everything to
us. They have the choice to buy or service their vehicle anywhere, but they choose
Fitzgerald because of our low no-haggle prices & top-notch customer
service.” said Emily Moore, Operations Manager at Fitzgerald Auto Mall. “Our
staff is dedicated to making sure that we treat everyone fairly with honesty
and respect. As our founder Jack Fitzgerald would say “That’s the Fitzway –
There’s just no better way to go!””
About
DealerRater
DealerRater was founded in 2002 as the first car dealer
review website worldwide. DealerRater is the world’s No. 1 online resource for
anyone seeking trusted, third-party information on automobile dealerships.
DealerRater features nearly 41,000 U.S. and Canadian car dealers, more than 1.7
million consumer reviews and a million-plus cars listed for sale. DealerRater
attracts more than 12 million consumers every year to the site to search for
car dealerships, read reviews, write their own descriptive reviews and find car
deals – all for free.
On a blustery and cold Saturday morning in October...we were invaded by a swarm of turbocharged, all-wheel-drive, fire breathing beasts wearing Nissan badges. There were a few other vehicles that stopped in, from Audi to Studebaker, we had it! The GTR/Skyline cruise & bbq crew was the main event though, these guys didn't disappoint!
Early in the morning, we had set up danishes and coffee from Hot Java here in town. As we were setting them up, the BBQ folks, "CM Pig Out" were pulling in to start cooking some chicken and pulled pork for the hungry masses! A few cars trickled in, but the weather was still very overcast, cold & windy. We were expecting a TON around 11:30. 101.5 Bob Rocks set up and were broadcasting live! The show was on the road so to speak. While we were setting up, and keeping the cold at bay with lots and lots of spiced chai and coffee, we had no idea the amount of cars forming down in Frederick for the cruise up here!
We ate, had fun speaking with some of the other drivers that had brought their cars up. There was a V8 swapped Nissan 240sx from here in Chambersburg, as well as a gorgeous Studebaker.
You can view our album here: CLICK HERE!
You can view the album made by the GTR guys on the cruise up here: RIGHT HERE!
Next year will be even bigger! We're excited to have learned a good bit from this go-round, and will bring an awesome experience next year! See you then!
October 4th! The date is creeping up on us ever so quickly!
We'll have 101.5 Bob Rocks broadcasting from 11am-1pm, CM PIG OUT catering doing lunch, and Hot Java in the morning providing hot drinks in the AM!
ALL vehicles are welcome.
We've got a ton of fun planned that morning! Here's the schedule of events that day!
9:00 AM - Cruise-in begins, BBQ chicken cooking begins 9:30 AM - ?: Hot Java coffeehouse will be on hand with coffee and danishes! 11:00 AM - the GTR/Skyline group that left from Frederick will arrive and park in a designated area for everyone to check out these awesome cars! 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM - lunch is served. Chicken/sides & Pulled Pork/Sides is available to purchase from CM Pig Out catering!!!
1:00 PM - Cruise in winds down
After the cruise-in, feel free to take a short drive down RT 30 W towards chambersburg downtown. Oktoberfest will be going on all day! Enjoy German food, music, & drinks!!!
You've seen the countless videos of people dumping ice-water on themselves on the internet haven't you? Some say it's stupid while others fully embrace it as a fun way to bring awareness to a terrible disease. Everyone has heard of Lou Gehrig's disease right? ALS, the abbreviation for the medical term is a HORRIFYING disease. You can survive it for a long time, but end up a quadriplegic confined to a chair, unable to speak, or even swallow food correctly. I saw a video of a man in that same condition, take the ice bucket challenge. He described it as your body locking itself around a fully functioning brain. Imagine the absolute horror of having full cognitive thought, with NO way to really communicate with the outside world, move, or even feed yourself. It would be excruciating.
Take a look at this video...you'll cry before the end of it I'm sure. To date, it's at $41.8 MILLION dollars donated compared to just over $2 million last year. This is with almost 740,000 new donors thanks to the ice bucket challenge.
This guy might not get help in his lifetime...but maybe we can help the countless others in theirs.
This was an absolutely great event! What started out as something to tie in with the Gettysburg Fest ended up a little bit more than that. Originally, we had 104.7 WAYZ coming in and doing the remote, and were going to utilize some of the artists performing at the Fest. Unfortunately, we weren't able to secure any at the time, so we put out the call and got 3 amazing local Franklin county musicians to come and play! Jamie Negley, Kevin Shannon, and Dean Brocious all agreed to show and play. A few days before, we confirmed Lindsey Erin would also be able to make it. She's a country artist from York and is one of the opening acts for Eric Paslay during the Festival.
We also were able to secure Antietam Dairy to come out and provide ice cream for anyone that stopped by as well! Things looked like they were coming together.
Jamie showed up early to set up sound, within 5 minutes, the music, ice cream, and radio station had all arrived and set up without a hitch! We opted to cook up some hotdogs on the grill too as a free lunch/snack as well, they were a hit.
Dean set up and played first, a mix of covers and originals from his CD.
When he was finished, Jamie played his set. He usually plays with his brother Justin, but he couldn't make it due to a conflict of schedule that day. Kevin decided to get up and play with Jamie instead. They had never done it, had no practice, and knocked out a bunch of good songs! Around 3pm, Lindsey Erin showed up and sang us some beautiful country music! She had to take off quick to another show but wanted to make sure she put on a good show for us. After her, it went to open mic pretty much. Everyone was just
hanging out having fun chatting and eating, so Bart Patterson, another friend of the guys playing, picked up a guitar and did a few songs for us.
After Bart finished up we cleaned and tore down, and are SO grateful to the fine folks at Antietam Dairy, Randy from Gettysburg Fest, the crew at 104.7, and especially to the local guys/gal that came out, jammed, and entertained us with awesome music on a gorgeous day. We gave away $200 worth of gift certificates on Saturday, and 104.7 drew names later for Gettysburg Fest tickets!
Thank you again, everyone! We all had a great time, and we hope you all did too!
This Spring, we are giving away a $25 gift card to a lucky person that submits a photo to our Facebook page! Entering is easy, just message us on Facebook, post it in the events page, or send an email to smiths@fitzgeraldautomall.com! Once we get enough entries, and Spring is here, we'll put all of them up in an album for public voting! We won't post the names until we have a winner!
Please share this with your friends and family!
The first sign of spring is what we are looking for during this contest! Flowers budding, birds coming back, anything that would signify that Spring has sprung!
We look forward to this and many other contests in the future!
WOW....what a blowout that game was huh? There were a TON of people watching, which is exactly why it's the biggest day of the year for commercial advertising. MILLIONS upon MILLIONS are spent by each company with hopes to have the best ad. What was once kind of a neat thing the advertisers did to attract sales, has now turned into an event all its own. People will sit down JUST to watch the commercials during the game. There were many great commercials all night. (Some would say the game was less exciting than the ads!)
Anyway, this was Toyota's big entry, and it hit many top 10 lists for the game.
Using the Muppets was a great idea, as they are a multi-generational platform! Kids like them, and adults have fond memories from their childhoods as well!
There were funny ones, sad ones, and inspiring ones. Each had something you could connect to, and feel...THAT is what a good commercial is meant to do. It doesn't have to necessarily sell the product, but make you feel something...to emote toward that object as well as to the memory it evoked.
Chevy did a great job with a hilarious version of it's popular "A Man....A man and his truck..." commercials, as well as a heart-string tugging commercial for cancer support.
There were 2 really surprising commercials though.
This one from Italian auto maker Maserati. They have not been advertising much in the states for a while, and yet BAM here they were, with a very cool commercial!
And this entry from Audi, was just flat out hilarious in general, not expecting it to be from them, but well played Audi...well played.
Another hilarious ad was VW's Wings...now it's no Darth Vader kid from years past, but it's pretty good still!
KIA surprised everyone with Morpheus doing a cameo.
These are just a few of the offerings this year, so much more to be seen on YouTube still!
At Fitzgerald, we hope you enjoyed the game, all the fun ads, and the ones that made you cry. Bravo to all of the great automakers and their great entries!
I'll leave you with one final ad, voted best during the whole game, that had nothing to do with cars.
It did however, have a puppy...and a horse....and a whole lot of tissues were needed....
Here's a top ten list of sorts. Things that happened in the automotive world in 2013! Some are huge achievements, others are amazing, and a few are firsts!
1. Diesel makes an impression on us.
Diesel powered vehicles are commonplace in Europe. What makes us not want to jump on board here? Many newer cars/trucks are slowly embracing it as engines become cleaner and quieter. 2014 will be the turning point I think! The 2015 Nissan Titan gets a 5.0 Liter V-8 Cummins diesel engine! The Titan marks the first full size 1/2 ton truck from a non-Detroit company to get a Diesel power plant!
Perhaps the worst news in the automotive world was hearing Paul Walker had died. He was beloved by, friends, family, fans of his movies, and so many more. He will be missed by all.
Toyota US sells 2 million hybrid vehicles, contributing to 5 million total worldwide Toyota hybrid vehicles sold. It's a HUGE accomplishment given that most hybrids just don't hold their footing long. Toyota has a hit with the Prius and other vehicles. Toyota hits big hybrid numbers!
5. Ford's assembly line turns 100
Not many people think about the vehicle assembly line anymore, but Henry Ford and his team changed the industry forever. Originally workers went to the vehicles to put them together. Ford and company though it would save time, money, and amount of labor needed if the cars came to the workers. This process not only worked, but it's the same (with a few tweaks) that we use to this day! Assembly line is a century old!
6. Batmobile doesn't lose a wheel, sells for big bucks!
The original Batmobile from Adam West's Batman sold for a healthy sum this year. A businessman ponied up $4.6 MILLION after fees to purchase the classic ride. He plans on keeping it in his living room. Batmobile brings big money!
7. Windshield wipers may get wiped out!
McLaren, as well as the military utilize a new technology to keep debris from attaching to the windshield. Either in F1 cars, or Jets, a sonic barrier keeps anything from sticking to the glass surface. Gov. regulations would keep it from coming to our shores unless they are amended though. Currently windshields are required to have some sort of motorized wiping device with at least 2 speeds. Sound waves blast away wipers!
8. The presidential Cadillac gets topped off!
Whoops....someone made the mistake of the year. Transferred with the president to Israel on a trip, the limo was filled with the wrong fuel. No one knows for certain what kind of engine is in the car, but it's either filled with diesel when it shouldn't be, or gasoline when it shouldn't be. Either way is bad, but it resulted in a giggle from the rest of us. OOPS! Wrong Fuel Fool!
9. First time ever vehicles are available on Amazon.
Amazon doesn't directly sell them, but a partnership with Nissan lets them spread the word about the new Versa Note. It was a first for the online retailer. Don't think it will be the last either! Shop for your car online.
10. Man jumps from space
People remember where they were for the moon landing, the JFK assassination, 9/11, and more. I think that the feat of Felix Baumgartner will also be remembered. He is the only human to go up far enough that you can see the curve of the earth, and jump. It was awe inspiring! There was real fear he might not make it just like the Apollo astronauts coming back from the moon. Read more here: Felix Baumgartner jumps from space...and lives!
All in all, 2013 was a great year. There were ups and downs, but each year more advancement, more technology, and more discovery spur us to keep going. All the things we take for granted today, were totally and completely far fetched at one point.
Take a new year, and try to change the world. If you keep focused on your dreams, NOTHING is impossible! Let's have one great year!!!
2013 is done, and a new year is starting. The new year allows us to sit back and reflect on our past and our future. Sometimes changes need to be made to make life better or easier throughout the coming 365 days of 2014 and beyond. Your car or truck is no doubt the second most important possession aside from a home. Some people will keep a car forever, and spend money over time to fix it and keep it running in top shape, while others will trade every couple years to get a new car. For some, the latter isn't an option.
Many folks rely on their car, but they don't always have the extra money to fix problems with an older vehicle as they age and become an issue. An older vehicle, with a larger engine and not maintained, can easily become more expensive than getting a new car to replace it. Add up the cost of fixing an engine module, a timing belt, transmission, or blown engine, and you are easily putting a hurting on your checkbook.
It might be time to look at a new vehicle. "It's too expensive" you may say, but it is sometimes more affordable than you think. As the new year looms, so do the next year models. What this means is that manufacturers place incentives in the form of low APR, cash back, or just flat out discounts on them to move them. Buying a 2013 at the end of the year doesn't put you behind either. What it does, is puts you ahead of the pack with used car values, so if you decide to sell it later, you have more equity! HOW? You take your car, a 2013 __________. You compare that to someone's 2013 ___________ that bought it in January of 2013. Your vehicles are identical, BUT you have 1 year worth of mileage NOT on it when you both go to sell them in say 2017.
Sure all that might sound good, but where is the payoff? Trade your car that's been nickel and dime-ing you to death, and get a great rate on a leftover 2013 model! You get an affordable monthly payment on a vehicle that's safer, more dependable, and much better on gas than your older car. While it might seem daunting, the confidence in knowing your car won't let you down will definitely be worth it in the long run. You can make a trip to Granny's house over the river and through the woods without getting stuck in the middle of nowhere!
Leasing options have grown over the years, and have also become less stressful, and just as easy as a purchase. The beauty is, you can decide after your lease is up if you'd like to buy it. It's basically a couple year long test drive. You pay less over that time, and can turn it in and be done with it if you'd like! If you've considered getting another car, but think you can't, stop and chat with us at Fitzgerald. Our low Fitzway price is right on the car, so no hassle with negotiating. We are a no pressure, family dealership. No matter what you do in the new year, make it a great one, and enjoy the moments in life that make it worth living!
Charitable giving is one of the best ways to help an individual, a family, or even a lot of families. We have teamed up with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve to be an official drop off location for Toys for Tots. Giving a toy to a child in need can make all the difference to them and the rest of their family.
We aren't just giving gifts, we are giving hope, smiles, and much more to these kids.
Bring your new unwrapped toy in and drop it in the Toys for Tots boxes in our Nissan or Toyota showroom and help Santa deliver this year! As an added benefit for you, we will offer a $100 discount off of the purchase of a new or preowned vehicle. (1 per customer)
We are so proud to be able to do things like this in our community! Please help us rally behind these kids and give them what every child deserves, a happy, and joyous Christmas day.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts,
The staff at Fitzgerald Auto Mall in Chambersburg
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