What Happened To New Car Brochures?
I feel like I have been talking a lot about automotive legacies that have come to an end. Last week, I shared a story about the end of Camaro production in End Of The Line For Camaro? As rumors swirled about 2023 being the last production year for Camaro, I explored the idea of ordering one. I visited a Chevrolet dealer to learn more and discovered a couple of new things:
- While not certain, dealers feel this is the last year for Camaro.
- Most manufacturers no longer provide printed new car brochures.
The news about Camaro production did not surprise me, as car models (especially two door coupes) are dropping in favor of trucks and SUVs. New car brochure availability did surprise me, as this has been my favorite shopping tool for decades.
In the era of online shopping, does the cost and effort to print full color brochures make sense? Evidently, most manufacturers don’t think so. I know for sure that Chevrolet/GM, Ford and Toyota only offer “eBrochures” only available for download on their websites. I get it, but still think it is a shame. Brochures serve many purposes. Only one of which is to inform of features and benefits.
Also, new vehicle inventories are still at historic lows. Dealers and manufacturers are encouraging shoppers to order their new vehicle. In light of this new custom, I think a printed brochure makes perfect sense. It’s hard enough that you can’t look at a new car to learn about its features. A printed brochure is a great tool for absorbing the details of your potential new vehicle.
Car Brochures As Information
Prior to the expansion of digital marketing fifteen years or so, new car brochures were readily available in dealer showrooms and by mail from the manufacturer. Even with the robust websites used by the manufacturers, you still can only view one element at a time. On a small screen.
In a printed brochure, you can quickly flip between pages to review lifestyle pictures as well as specification charts. Even for the 1985 Chevrolet S-10 pickup, the detail in the brochure was valuable.
For the few brands that still offer brochures (like Subaru above), the quality of the pictures and brand messaging reads like a fine magazine (Better Homes & Gardens, anyone?). I also discovered that Nissan still provides print sales brochures.
Not everyone feels the same as me. One new car salesman told me, “you can’t test drive a brochure…all you can get is a paper cut.”
You know what else you can’t get? My sale!
Car Brochures As Art
As a teenager, I posted many brochure pages on my bedroom wall. The centerfolds were usually the most artistic and aspirational elements of the catalog.
Forget the Farrah Fawcett poster…give me a Z28 or Corvette brochure to hang any day!
I’m not saying this is an all or nothing proposition. Online resources are good for providing basic information about a new vehicle, but car manufacturers are overlooking a valuable tool to attract young car enthusiasts. What starts as a dream on your bedroom wall can turn into sale down the road.
Final Thoughts & Questions
Will the lack of a printed sales brochure prevent me from buying my next new car? Not likely, however, it will certainly make me feel better about my decision.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Want to learn more about me? Go to this article: Meet The Vehicle Nanny
I am now not sure the place you are getting your info, but great topic.
I must spend some time studying more or working out more.
Thanks for great information I was looking for this information for
my mission.
Thank you for your comment. This article is based on my personal experience, so I am happy to answer any specific questions you might have.
It’s definitely not the thing to be cutting cost on. A colorful big booklet that you can easily flip through and show people is a lot better. And you have a nice memory of your car when it was new after it is gone.you can’t throw your computer in the back seat to look at options at your convenience
Agree!
They have proven to be invaluable as a restoration reference but I guess manufacturers are more bothered about saving printing and paper costs.Back in the z80s a Ferrari brochure cost them,,, 13 Dollars to produce!,
Are you able to compile a list of manufacturers that still provide printed brochures? I have been collecting since the early 70’s. I only found Subaru brochures at the dealership.
Secondly, I fear the manufacturers online brochures will be lost in time. I dislike the quality of the brochures I print on my home printer, not to mention the high cost of ink. Would you know of a business that would download and print such brochures for hobbyists? Would manufacturers offer such for a fee, as they have already gone through the expense of developing the online brochures?
I don’t have a feel for who still provides print brochures. From my shopping, I only found Subaru to offer them.
As far as printers, I doubt anyone would do that without approval from the manufacturers. If you hear of anything, let me know!
I decided against even considering purchasing a new Hyundai because of the lack of a print brochure and being told by the lazy sales person that I could look up all the specs online – I know that, but I got the distinct “the customer is wrong” impression.
Imagine the after sales service.
The brochure is an important part of the process of buying a new car – it gets picked up and studied by family members when the opportunity arises at random – can’t do the same online
I just went through a new vehicle shopping process and it was hard to find the details I sought online. At least a PDF brochure has the info organized, but even those are disappearing. It’s said that you have to go to Cars.com or Edmunds for info the manufacturer should make easy to use
I still have my brochure from my 2018 Honda CR-V. I just went through the car shopping process. I did NOT buy a Toyota RAV4 this time because the salesman I spoke to on the phone said I could Google it. I wanted to hold the brochure in my hands, flip through the pages, visualize my color choices, then go test drive my selection.
Car buying has lost most of the excitement!
This! I am buying another Subaru precisely because of the glossy, gorgeous, info-packed brochures they had in their showroom. Audi didn’t have them, neither did Mazda. I liked a lot about all three cars we compared, but having tangible materials to compare at home won the prize.
Great article and agree with you 100%. Manufacturers have lost their way of individuality and presentation. At first it was some dealers not providing brochures under the premise of “going green” and then manufacturers are following the same trend. In reality it is because they do not want to spend the money, but while the cost of cars has skyrocketed, they still have their marketing fees embedded in each deal. I refuse to buy from a dealer or a manufacturer who does not provide brochures. The salespeople want to tell you to look online. My response to them is if I am going to shop for a car online, then I do not need to talk to them. Besides I am on the computer all day for work, the last thing I want to do is keep looking at my computer at home trying to shop for a car.
If you are shopping for a new construction home, home builders are now doing the same thing. Imagine spending that kind of money and not being able to get a printed brochure. Sad times.
You said it better than I did. Sadly, even the online info is lacking.