Festooned in red, white and blue, staffed by a number of veterans and armed with a load of American flags offered free of charge for those who take a test drive or contribute to the VFW, George Matick Chevrolet is the picture of war time patriotism, according to the Detroit News.

Matick president Karl Zimmerman says the dealership is using advertising it already bought to help stimulate the market. It has boosted its inventory by 500 vehicles, figuring customers will return after the war and will want a good selection, the News said.

"We took an optimistic approach," said Zimmerman. "We want to be ready when we put this all behind us."

On March 20, the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) estimated the war with Iraq will cost dealers 200,000 sales this year. Automakers and dealers are trying to keep their chins up, especially since so far this year sales are already slumping after three consecutive boom years, according to the News.

"It (the war) could be a 9-11 event where, if we play the right notes, there could be kind of a reverse reaction where sales improve," said Gary Dilts, senior vice president of sales at DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group.