Students Get Feet Wet In Car Business Club Puts Principles Into Practice For Funds

Their attack was two-pronged - three if you counted the hot dogs.

A group of about a dozen Central Valley High School seniors, their parents, a teacher and some suits from the bank gathered at CV High’s parking lot on Saturday. Their mission: Sell cars. Wash cars. And yes, move frankfurters.

The students were members of the school’s Future Business Leaders of America club. Three of them were getting ready to jet away for a week in Orlando, Fla., site of the FBLA national convention.

But first, they needed $900 apiece to pay for the trip. Whatever they couldn’t raise Saturday would have to be footed by good old Mom and Dad.

Enter the first-annual CV Autorama. For a $10 fee, people could bring their cars to the school’s lot and try and sell them. For a donation, folks could get the future Trumps to wash their cars, too. The franks were for the wait.

The aforementioned suits - actually, they were wearing blue Washington Trust Bank polo shirts - were there to give auto market values. They even brought financing forms.

At 9 a.m., things got under way. About 11 owners left their cars there with dealer-like sticker sheets. There was a Jeep Wagoneer, a few shinedup sedans and several pickup trucks, including a bright red 1971 Chevy modified with a beefy Cadillac engine. Bigger still was a large motor home, with an asking price of $42,500.

Club advisor Jill Enevold said she had envisioned more autos showing up. Still, students saw a definite bright side.

Even if no cars sold, the entrepreneurs earned a quick $110 from the space rentals.

“We’re guaranteed our cut,” said 17-year-old FBLA member Chris Trefry.

Trefry was one of the troopers. He wasn’t going on the trip, but he was putting in his time swabbing down cars. That venture turned out to be the most profitable; students made twice the amount buffing that they did selling. Still, Trefry longed to haggle. One thing held him back.

“I didn’t bring the cheesy ties with me,” he said.

Cheesy ties?

“My dad sold used cars in the ‘70s. He’s still got the cheesy ties.” Clipons, Trefry said. Awful colors.

Sales aside, Dave Johnson, Marissa Sprank and Desiree Lockwood couldn’t be happier. They were the seniors preparing for the trip to Florida.

Johnson is the FBLA vice president for the entire Spokane region. He talks about going into some kind of business, but his peers call him “The Politician.” Sprank is planning to apply her business skills to medicine or science. Lockwood wants to become a stock broker and eventually the owner of an advertising agency.

They’re doing the usual senior things now, though. Like planning on for college.

“I have Harvard dreams, but Wazzu means,” Lockwood said.

Stan Cochran didn’t have any doubts about the teens’ chances for life success. They had this market cornered. For just $3, his red Jeep was getting a 20-minute wash job.

“They do seem like a different caliber of kids,” Cochran said, amazed at the gleaming product of the students’ labor. “You don’t even see that at a real car wash - especially at a real car wash! I’ve never had nine kids working on my car ever before.”

The Autorama closed shop at about 5 p.m. Enevold said the crew raised $300. No cars moved that day, but phone numbers were exchanged for further barter. Next year, she said, would be bigger.

The students did learn something about marketing, though. Trefry decided that it wasn’t wise to schedule an event on Hoopfest weekend. And next time, they’ll advertise more. “We’ll give them a multi-media blitz,” he said.

Nonetheless, it worked out OK. The three students left Spokane for Florida on Wednesday. Today, they’re enjoying their first business trips.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo