An investor in the 1920s would have improved the odds by buying oil stocks rather than auto stocks: Gasoline doesn't care what make of car burns it.

FORBES: Perspectives

Instead of spending a loathsome afternoon with a salesman, customers of Auto-by-Tel, the leading Internet car-buying service, simply tell the service what kind of car they want, and wait for nearby dealerships to make their best offer.

ECONOMIST: Electronic commerce

What's stopping a faster pace is a collection of state and federal laws that make it difficult for car companies to terminate or relocate a dealer franchise.

FORBES: OutFront