AUTOMOBILES

Dwindling Dealerships: In the things-that-should-not-be-overlooked department: Orange County’s recession has not been kind to the automobile retailing industry. There are 116 new-car dealerships in the county today, down from 149 in April, 1991.

That represents the loss of some 2,900 jobs for sales agents, managers, parts specialists, mechanics and other dealership employees whose total wages and benefits would have pumped about $82.5 million a year into the economy, said Kevin Allen, director of the Orange County Motor Car Dealers Assn.

On the bright side, the 116 dealerships that are left each employ an average of 90 people--almost 10,500 jobs--and sell about 2,000 new and used cars a year--232,000 total, Allen estimated.

The dealerships have gross combined annual revenue of almost $3.5 billion, or $30 million each, and their combined payrolls approach $300 million a year.

“It’s a big business,” Allen said.