does anyone know how new cars usually wound up at the dealership? Did the dealership place orders for specific cars, or did they have to take whatever the manufacturer sent them. Does the order no. on the fender tag reflect an order placed by the dealer, or by the manufacturer. If the manufacturer, any idea who decided what combination of color and features cars were made with?

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Yes to both actually. Any dealership could order cars for stock or their clients could order them through the dealership. Cars were also sent out to dealerships by Chrysler.

Most dealerships had some of both.

Some orders were filled by sending the closest matching car that had already been built.

Some of the cars the dealer gets are from the factory with no input from the dealership other than how many, some are ordered by the dealer and some are customer orders. The dealership will always try and sell from stock first. You sometimes have to push to get a car built to your specs. It took me two months to find a dealer that would order my six speed HO diesel the way I wanted it.