[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Jun 16 2004, 11:54 PM\'] Too bad you won that Nissan Stanza, huh? [/quote]
It was a Sentra, and yes... if it had no tape player or floor mats and was just a bit cheaper I'd have gotten another day on the show!
Because the question of prizes comes up here regulaly I'll tell you the strange tale of the Sentra that never was. CBS assigned the cash value of the Sentra to the participating local dealer. I had always intended to add some cash of my own to get a spiffier car, but just for fun at the dealership I asked to see what the car I won looked like. Well, there was none!
Between the September 16th taping / September 30th airdate when the car was won, and the weeks needed to process all the paperwork necessary for me to go get my car, the new car model year had started. There wasn't any and there would never be a Sentra available at the "old" price that was in effect when the show taped. The only Sentras on the lot were priced higher reflecting the list prices of the new model year.
With a call from the dealership and another call from me, CBS graciously upped the value to what was necessary for me to take possession of "my" Sentra. I then wrote a smaller check when I upgraded. The dealership also handled Mercedes and Audis and was willing to apply the credit there, but advised me that the 190 "Baby-Cedes" was way overpriced simply for name value, and that the Audi would be in the shop as often as it would be in my garage.
I bought the most tricked-out Maxima they had, and loved it. I've bought Maximas ever since, despite the fact that car afficionado, car collector and all-around gearhead George Gray playfully humiliated me in front of the audience at "Weakest Link" for driving such a non-exotic car. ;-)
Randy
tvrandywest.com
