Cold Email Templates

Email Templates for Car Dealerships

Professional emails that follow up on test drives, congratulate new owners, retain service customers, and drive trade-in opportunities.

Car dealerships win by building relationships that outlast a single transaction. The best dealerships turn a test drive into a sale, a sale into a loyal service customer, and a service customer into a repeat buyer. These templates automate the emails that make each of those transitions happen naturally.

Ready-to-Use Templates

Copy these templates and customize them for your needs. Each includes HTML and plain text versions.

Test Drive Follow-Up
Follow up after a customer test drives a vehicle
General use
Subject Line

How did the {{vehicleYear}} {{vehicleMake}} {{vehicleModel}} feel, {{firstName}}?

Preview Text

Great meeting you today. I wanted to follow up on your test drive and answer any questions.

Personalization Variables:
Email Preview
New Purchase Congratulations
Congratulate a new vehicle owner after purchase
General use
Subject Line

Congratulations on your new {{vehicleMake}}, {{firstName}}!

Preview Text

Welcome to the {{companyName}} family. Here's everything you need as a new owner.

Personalization Variables:
Email Preview
Service Reminder
Remind a customer their vehicle is due for maintenance
General use
Subject Line

{{firstName}}, your {{vehicleMake}} is due for {{serviceName}}

Preview Text

Keep your {{vehicleYear}} {{vehicleMake}} running perfectly. Schedule your {{serviceName}} today.

Personalization Variables:
Email Preview
Trade-In Opportunity
Target customers whose vehicles are in the trade-in sweet spot
General use
Subject Line

Your {{vehicleMake}} could be worth more than you think, {{firstName}}

Preview Text

Trade-in values are high for your {{vehicleYear}} {{vehicleMake}}. See what it's worth today.

Personalization Variables:
Email Preview

Best Practices

Follow up on test drives within 2 hours while the experience is fresh

Use the sales rep's name and direct contact info to make emails feel personal, not automated

Include vehicle-specific details (make, model, VIN) in every email for relevance

Pre-schedule the first service appointment in the purchase congratulations email

Target trade-in campaigns to vehicles 3-5 years old when value is still strong

Include estimated monthly payments in upgrade suggestions, not just sticker prices

Common Mistakes

Following up on test drives days later when the buyer has already visited another dealership

Using generic greetings instead of the customer's name and their specific vehicle

Not including the sales rep's direct phone number in follow-up emails

Sending trade-in campaigns too aggressively to recent buyers

Forgetting to connect the sales experience to the service department after purchase

Using high-pressure language that pushes customers away

Subject Line Examples

Timing & Performance

Best Days
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Best Times
9:00 AM, 2:00 PM
Open Rate
25-35%
Click Rate
3-5%

Personalization Tips

Car dealerships that follow up professionally close more deals and keep customers for life. The difference between a sold car and a lost lead is often a well-timed email. The difference between a one-time buyer and a lifetime customer is consistent communication after the sale.

These four templates cover the complete dealership customer lifecycle: converting test drives into purchases with timely follow-ups, welcoming new buyers into the dealership family, retaining them for service with maintenance reminders, and bringing them back for their next vehicle with trade-in campaigns.

Sequenzy automates your entire dealership communication. Connect your CRM, set up these templates, and let automation handle follow-ups, congratulations, service reminders, and trade-in targeting. Start with 1,000 free emails per month and turn every customer into a lifetime relationship.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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