Frank J. DeLuca » DeLuca Toyota

Vindication for Toyota dealers

admin — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:25:10 +0000

For more than 30 years, my dealership, DeLuca Toyota, has provided the Ocala area with sales and service of quality Toyota vehicles. I am proud of this, but recent events and recalls and investigations have been a challenge. I never had any doubt about the quality of our vehicles, and finally, after a thorough investigation, the government has agreed.

Reproduced with permission from the Ocala Star Banner:

By Fred Hiers
Staff writer

Published: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 5:53 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 5:53 p.m.

This time a year ago, Toyota Motor Corp. was well into its second vehicle recall and the company that made its reputation on safety and quality was watching its sales and image sullied with each new headline.

Frank DeLuca, owner of DeLuca Toyota in Ocala, saw sales at his State Road 200 facility drop as much as 15 percent.

“Phones at first were ringing off the hook” as Toyota owners learned of necessary repairs to their cars, DeLuca recalled.

Then came complaints that Toyota’s cars accelerated on their own due to suspected faulty electrical and computer problems.

DeLuca, who started his sales franchise in 1978, said his faith in Toyota didn’t wane.

“Of the 79,000 (vehicles) we’ve sold … we have not had one single sticking accelerator since we’ve been here,” he said.

Now he and all Toyota dealerships are breathing a sigh of relief. Earlier this month, federal transportation investigators and NASA engineers determined that Toyota electronics were not to blame for the acceleration accidents. The determination ruled out a potentially more complex problem for Toyota vehicles than just a mechanical problem easily remedied.

The international company took more than 8 million vehicles off the road last year because of ill-fitting floormats that caught onto accelerators, mechanically sticking gas pedals, and suspected faulty electrical systems. In response, Toyota dealerships across the world attached ties to keep floormats away from accelerators and attached mechanical devices to keep gas pedals from sticking.

DeLuca said his mechanics worked on as many as 6,000 returned cars during the recall.

The vindication from federal investigators was welcome, DeLuca said Wednesday, but the damage was already done.

While Toyota owners weren’t put off by the recalls when buying new Toyotas, DeLuca said his dealership lost people who never owned a Toyota and were on the fence about purchasing one of his new cars. Many of they went to other brands, instead.

DeLuca said sales have now rebounded to levels 17 percent greater than where they were this time in 2010.

He also plans to expand his business: This past summer he bought 15 additional acres next to his dealership; 5 of the acres front SR 200. The land cost DeLuca about $4.5 million.

He plans to demolish his existing showroom and office space and build a larger facility on the same location later this year. The new facility will include as many as 38 service bays for repairs, up from the current 19.

Despite the recovery, the recalls and the publicity they received are still a sore issue for DeLuca.

He blames the media for blowing the problems out of proportion and the federal government for taking sides against Toyota after bailing out General Motors. He said Congress kept the Toyota acceleration problems in the news in order to help General Motors and other U.S. car manufacturers.

Eventually, federal investigators fined Toyota a record $48.8 million for not reporting and acting on its accelerator problems earlier.

Following the most recent conclusion by investigators — that there were no electrical or computer problems with cars that caused unwanted acceleration issues — DeLuca wants car buyers to be more cautious about accusations that cars might have serious operational problems.

“They should study and look at the philosophy of the company. You don’t go and let one incident determine your faith in that company,” DeLuca said.

“I thank God everyday that I’m a Toyota dealer.”

DeLuca Toyota sponsors Season Finale at 2011 HITS Ocala Winter Circuit horse show

admin — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:38:03 +0000

Photograph © ESI Photography.

OCALA, FL (December 21, 2010)–HITS, Inc. is pleased to announce that DeLuca Toyota will be the title sponsor of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit’s 30th Anniversary Season Finale, the $100,000 DeLuca Toyota Tundra Grand Prix, presented by Great American Insurance Group on Sunday, March 20 to close out the 2011 show season.

Since 2008, DeLuca Toyota Tundra has been the proud sponsor of this big-ticket event, which in its 13-year history has seen the likes of Aaron Vale, Laura Linback, Ian Silitch, Mike McCormick and Tracy Fenney take home the coveted win. Perhaps even more exciting, once again the $100,000 DeLuca Toyota Tundra Grand Prix, presented by Great American Insurance Group, will be a crucial qualifier for the 2011 Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix. Last year, Texas’ own Tracy Fenney used her victory in the $100,000 DeLuca Toyota Tundra Grand Prix to propel her to the top of the Pfizer Million Rider Rankings. With a first-place payout of $30,000, it’s safe to say that High-Performance riders looking for their shot at this year’s Pfizer Million will have this event on their radar.

“Deluca Toyota is a proud sponsor of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit’s $100,000 Grand Prix,” said Bill Morrison, New Cars Sales Manager of DeLuca Toyota. “Our involvement in this program has always been about the people of Ocala. HITS is one of the largest events to affect our city each year, and brings a lot of jobs and income to our community. By supporting this program we support many workers in the community from the rider and trainers, all the way to the person who works at that rider’s favorite restaurant. So in 2011, as well as the last four years, Deluca Toyota is proud to be a sponsor and associate of HITS.”

A testament of their commitment to the Ocala community, DeLuca is also providing the winner of the WTRS Radio Station’s “Ocala is a HIT” National Anthem Contest a check for $500.

Are you looking to buy or lease a new car? DeLuca Toyota is the premier dealership of Ocala and offers the most extensive line of Toyota and Scion vehicles in the state. Located at 1719 SW College Road, Highway 200 West in Ocala, DeLuca Toyota offers big savings on preowned and certified preowned vehicles, which are backed with a seven year, 100,000 mile warranty.

DeLuca Toyota has all your vehicle needs to choose from. Striving for 100% customer satisfaction in all their sales and services, DeLuca Toyota offers the best selection on sales, rentals and repairs as your number one vehicle stop while at HITS Ocala. Whether it’s a car, minivan, truck or SUV, DeLuca Toyota can trade-in, get you credit approved and find available rebates for a comfortable and affordable experience.

You won’t have to go far this winter to see what DeLuca Toyota has to offer. A full line of vehicles will be displayed all season on-site at HITS Post Time Farm alongside the berm at Jumper 1 for you to explore, as well as speak to a DeLuca representative for any questions or needs you may have. From 100,000 miles to the $100,000 Grand Prix; Toyota makes the car, DeLuca makes the difference!

For more information on DeLuca Toyota, please visit DeLucaToyota.com.

The 2011 HITS Ocala Winter Circuit begins January 19 for two consecutive weeks of unrated competition at HITS Post Time Farm. Starting February 8, the AA-rated circuit begins for six consecutive weeks and will culminate on Sunday, March 20, as the $100,000 DeLuca Toyota Tundra Grand Prix, presented by Great American Insurance Group, takes the stage as the biggest finale event of the season. The 2011 show season will feature a full exciting lineup of classes and special events, which include 14 Grand Prix qualifiers for the 2011 Pfizer Million and five Devoucoux Hunter Prix qualifiers for the inaugural $500,000 HITS 3’3″ Hunter Prix Final. Both historic events will take place during the Pfizer Million Weekend at HITS-on-the-Hudson on September 10-11.

For more information on the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit, or to request a prize list, please visit HitsShows.com or call 845.246.8833.

HITS, Inc. produces high-quality, international-level hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the village of Saugerties, HITS has been producing shows since 1982 and is now a nationwide company with world-class circuits in California, Florida, Arizona, New York and Virginia. In 2010, HITS took the industry to new heights when it hosted the first-ever Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix. HITS will once again offer the most innovative weekend in show jumping history in 2011 when it hosts the second annual Pfizer Million and the inaugural $500,000 HITS 3’3″ Hunter Prix Final, September 10 -11, at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York.

For more information and a complete schedule of classes and events, visit Media_Info@HitsShows.com.

DeLuca Toyota sponsor’s Marion Technical Institute internships

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:56:39 +0000

May 30, 2008, excerpt from Ocala Style Magazine, by Pete Tesch

Spring is here and graduation time is upon us. Last year, I had the honor of addressing the graduat-ing class at Marion Technical Institute. Bolstered by the optimism of youth and a good chance to get ahead, those students already had a head start on their peers with education and work experience.

Some of Marion County’s finest firms participate in MTI and have sponsored several internships: Lockheed Martin, MASCO Builder Cabinet Group, Taylor, Bean & Whitaker, Emergency-One, DeLuca Toyota, Ford of Ocala, and MRMC, to name a few. In the packed auditorium, there was genuine ex-citement and revelry for the graduates’ participation in MTI and their working experiences. This, in my opinion, is the very core of the classroom-workplace connection.

Reproduced from Ocala Style Magazine: link

DeLuca Toyota sponsors Grand Prix at HITS horse show

admin — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 04:20:19 +0000

For the fourth consecutive year, DeLuca Toyota is sponsor of the largest Grand Prix at HITS Ocala, the $100,000 DeLuca Toyota Tundra Grand Prix.

The 2010 HITS show runs from January 20th to March 21st.

DeLuca Toyota is the main sponsor of HITS

DeLuca Toyota supports 2010 HITS

Further information about the show is available here.