As the only Olds-only dealers in central Ohio, Howard Shmitz was hit hard when General Motors announced in late 2000 it was phasing out

Oldsmobile. He ended his 36-year-old business ties to GM in April, and opened a new truck dealership last week, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

There are no national statistics showing what the 2,800 Olds dealers nationwide are doing, and

there are "a thousand paths of transition," said Paul Taylor, chief economist at the

National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).

But only 88 of the Olds dealers nationwide were single-line dealers -- less than 4 percent --

and many of them are either closing or finding another franchise to buy, Taylor said.

Other dealers nationally have taken the truck-only route or have showrooms with an outdoors theme. The concept has potential, given that trucks outsold cars for the first time last year, according to Taylor.