Deals will undoubtedly be no better than you can get off DTD or C2C, and probably worse.

It's going to clobber those dealerships who rip off their customers by offering minimal discounts. Even then, the internet non-savvy will still not know about the discounts available, and end up paying list price (or close to it)

In a word - yes.

Car manufacturers have gone to great lengths over the years to associate their brand with particular design, performance, status, age etc attributes to increase sales and brand loyalty.

But roads are becoming ever more congested and regulation defines how and where we drive. Real rather than perceived differences are lost as design criteria, manufacturing processes and legislation tends to create largely convergent products. Despite what we read on this forum, cars are more reliable than ever reducing the need for an expensive dealer network.

So for many people cars are close to becoming white goods - no different (albeit more expensive) than washing machines, TVs, fridge/freezers etc. A device that meets a need (personal transport) and is selected on the basis of price, capacity (size), features, etc.

Over the next 10 years the car dealership network may diminish in the same way as electrical retailers in the UK leaving only a few large sheds displaying goods from a wide range of manufacturers + online. Powerhouse, Dixons, Comet, to name but three.

The question is: are they doing so to break into a new market or just using their corporate power to take over the entire 'fleet buy' sector from the brokers and maybe even the car supermarkets?

Will that mean we have to wait until 'Black Friday' or 'deals weeks' to buy cars at fleet prices, rather than when we want to? If all that happens is that a raft of brokers are replaced with Amazon plus one or two (I'm still betting on Tesco or another large firm getting in on this market) other big names, the result being less choice and even larger peaks and troughs in sales than is the case at the moment.

The other issue is that you (apart from a few idiots anyway) should NEVER buy a car without giving it a thorough look over and decent test drive (possibly more than one) - cars aren't like clothing where you could easily send it back if it didn't fit (I never buy clothes for myself that I haven't at least had a hands-on look at some point, especially expensive stuff).

Its all well and good having lower prices generally (which may be the result), however Amazon's rise has been at the cost of our town centres, many of which resemble ghost towns with a smattering of charity and coffee shops, convenience stores (more often from supermarket chains) and take-aways. I think we are adding convenience and lowering prices at the expense of our communities - towns and cities are just dormitories and for having a drink. Round where I live its a constant stream of vans delivering stuff (including food), even on Sundays. What happened to 'quality of life'?