Truck dealer aims to spike Web traffic with free AK-47s
In this tough economy, forearmed is better than forewarned.
At least that seems to be the view of Mark Muller, owner of Max Motors in Clay County, Mo. Because, in August, he is offering a free AK-47 with every vehicle sold.
You might think this promotion a little on the eccentric side. However, Muller is no lily-livered Collapsenikov.
He believes in standing up for one's right to defend oneself. Indeed, he has a motto for his dealership that expresses his feelings very clearly: "God, Guns, Guts and American Pick-up Trucks."
You might wonder how on earth he came to devise such an outlandish, and perhaps slightly unnerving, promotion.
Well, last year he offered a free handgun. And, in an interview with CNN (embedded here), he said: "It spiked our Web traffic and we sold, we estimate, 35 more cars during the promotion than we normally would have."
So the seductive power of the gun seems to work on those who choose the Web to find the best deals.
This year, Muller said, he is looking to sell 100 extra vehicles, hence the attempt to locate your inner Rambo.
Muller explained to CNN: "Look, there's a bunch of evil in the world and we need to protect ourselves."
He added: "There's a tremendous crime problem around here with people doing meth. These people have lost their souls. They don't care about you. They don't care about me. They care about getting more dope."
Hence the need, according to Muller, for something stronger than a little handgun.
In case you were wondering whether he will have a pile of AKs in his showroom, from the top of which he'll take one and present it to every purchaser, well, it's not quite so glamorous.
He will offer a voucher that the lucky truck-owner can take down to a gun store and go through the proper vetting procedure before he gets his precious free gift. Which, should you suddenly feel the urge to pack extra protection, will set you back a mere $450.
However, Muller is keen to point out that just because he lives in a more rural area, this promotion is not indicative of some sort of uncultured nature on his part.
He was quoted in the Telegraph as explaining: "They think we are all cross-eyed rednecks down here. We are not. Tonight I am going to the theater with my wife to see Anything Goes and we will eat sushi on the way."
I am sure there will be at the very least a handgun tickling his hip as he nibbles on his rainbow roll.
However, I feel confident that Muller's strategy will prove to be a good one.
Next year, when he looks to send his Web traffic soaring in an attempt to sell 200 more vehicles, I feel sure he will offer bazookas, a mortar or two, perhaps even a rocket launcher.
Chris Matyszczyk is an award-winning creative director who advises major corporations on content creation and marketing. He brings an irreverent, sarcastic, and sometimes ironic voice to the tech world. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. 
"If someone steals your car and runs down a pedestrian while fleeing from the cops, do you feel like you are somehow to blame? "If someone steals your stuff and does bad things with it; it is the thief's fault and not your own."
A car is a necessary thing for most people, and yes they sometimes get stolen and bad things happen. As long as the car was securely locked and I had taken all precautions to ensure it wasn't stolen, then I wouldn't feel any blame.
A car, however, is a necessary thing for most people, and yes they sometimes get stolen and sometimes bad things happen. AK-47's are not what I call a necessary item for most people, and yes they sometimes get stolen and bad things definitely happen. So, would I feel some sort of blame if someone was killed with an AK-47 that I unnecessarily added to the population. Yes, I think I would.
No matter what way I look at this I can't get past the point of: How does putting assault rifles on the streets make the place any safer? Answer: It doesn't. It makes it that much more dangerous. Remember, the more guns the more chances they have of falling in the wrong hands.
So if you have a gun you either have to keep it handy where it is potentially able to be stolen or lock it up where it becomes useless in a "protection" situation.
Which brings me back to , Who the hell needs an AK-47 to protect themselves.
"Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!"
Or do you view it as a Bill of "Needs"?
i like this idea.
Anyways, the mix beer and guns is way more dangerous than truck and guns.
I admire this guy.
I respect the need to protect yourself but you can do that with something besides an assault rifle..
well if u take it as a constant then u probably dont need it, but if ur just trying to pass a vehical... then i would really have more speed to reduce chance of hitting on coming traffic
(don't tell me i shouldn't pass the guy driving 10 miles/hour on a 60 zone...)
The AK is single-fire, just like any other rifle, except that it fires an "intermediate" round with 1/3 to 1/2 the energy of a boring old deer rifle.
But it looks scary, so make up terms like "assault weapon" and ban it based on cosmetic features...the Command and Control types love the ignorance that empowers them.
Customers will be breaking down your doors for that one.
;-)
- by alegr July 21, 2009 11:07 AM PDT
- "Guns don't kill people. People kill people"
- Like this Reply to this comment
-
(35 Comments)"Drugs don't kill people. People kill themselves with drugs"
Now, why drugs are illegal and guns are legal? Surely, drugs are safer than guns. You can't kill someone at a distance with a bunch of weed.
"NRA. Protecting your right to have an universal solution for all your life's problems, be it wife, kids, or neighbors".