OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - There may be a flurry of excitement in the basketball world in March, but none greater than the activity that heated up the lanes and bolstered sales at Dealers Auto Auction of Oklahoma City (DAA/OKC) in March.

The month of March began with a strong showing by Chrysler Financial, with a 220-plus vehicle sale on March. With so many vehicles being offered, the auction dedicated the C lane exclusively to Chrysler Financial, and served hot pizza and donuts for the run of the sale. In addition, every purchasing dealer received a DAA/Chrysler hoodie.

“They say March comes in like a lion – and we certainly saw strength in the C lane during the Chrysler Financial sale on March 4th,” said General Manager Bruce Beam. “Chrysler Financial offers an exciting new opportunity for our customers to fulfill their inventory requirements. With the enthusiastic support of our buyers, Chrysler Financial ran again on March 18, and we hope to make this account a regular part of our game plan!”

The full court press was on at DAA/OKC on March 18, when the auction introduced “March Madness City,” a dealer bracket contest that offers buyers the chance to win $250 a week in cash cards, in addition to a variety of giveaways from specific consignors. The day started with a pre-sale free-throw shooting contest, where dealers chosen to participate had the opportunity to win up to $200 for sinking two straight shots.

“During March Madness City, each of our lanes represents a basketball conference, and dealers gain chances to win by buying vehicles from each ‘conference,’” explains Beam. “At the end of the promotion, we’ll draw winners from the lanes representing the conferences of the teams that advance to the championship. The grand prizes were 32-inch and 42-inch flat screen TVs!”

Beam noted that in addition to the grand prize drawings, dealers qualify for a number of special prize drawings throughout the month of March.

“Several of our institutional accounts caught their share of the ‘Madness’ and planned special giveaways. Buyers won digital cameras from CitiFinancial, Regional Acceptance and HSBC/Santander; AmeriCredit gave away a flat screen TV on March 11. CitiFinancial also gave away flat screen TV along with two basketballs and $25 Visa Cash cards. At the March 25 sale, Midwest Car Corp gave away a digital camera, and we saw more TV giveaways from GMAC, Santander, and Ford Motor Credit.”

“Combining the excitement of March Madness with the optimism we’re seeing in the lanes as a result of a revitalized Spring market was a slam dunk!” said Beam. “After all the stats were posted, March turned out to be our best month since July of last year, with increased volumes, increased conversion rates and increased sales numbers.”

More than 1,200 vehicles crossed the auction block during the March Madness Sale on March 18th at DAA/OKC, which was attended by 660 dealers in the lanes and 40 online bidders. The following week, the numbers were even higher, with 1,246 vehicles offered, 750 units sold, and 700 bidders in the lane.

“A big thank-you to all our customers for their part in making March a tremendous month at DAA/OKC!” said Beam.