[mikestew]

That's... very hard to believe.

I believe it for models with low production numbers like a Shelby. Quote $40K above list, maybe some sucker will buy it. With the assumption that this is very unlikely, you'll still have a halo model sitting on the floor until you decide to drop it to MSRP and get rid of it. Dealer either gets more than it's worth, or they get a nice-looking marketing write-off for a while.

I'm thinking of the Ferrari 458 sitting on the floor of the local Chevy dealer in central Florida where Mom takes her Corvette. It's been there the last couple of years I've visited. How many $250K Ferraris are sold in central Florida? Doesn't matter, the dealer's got the money to let it sit on that showroom floor, and it sure looks cool.

[EpicEng]

That's kind of what I was getting at. If supply is low then if course you're going to pay more than list price, but that's hardly a typical situation.