[shibbs]

Having been a sales guy, and still being in the automotive industry.... Only making $18 on the car isn't unheard of. End of month.... we've LOST money trying to make a sale on one or two more cars. Most employee sales we lose money. That's looking at the small picture.
The rebates from the mfr are where the real money is made in new cars. Sure, you'll sell a "mini" on the car itself, but that sale just bumped the dealership up in the bracket in sales. That's a bigger (usually at least a few thousand) pat-on-the-back from Chev/Ford/BMW/Hyundai... whatever.

As far as the "eighteeen! 18!!! eighteen dollars! wow!" thing is concerned.... we get people in here buying cars that would get a visible erection at making sure we "only made $18" selling them a car. It's all about making people happy. Some love the super happy bullcrap of constantly reassuring them they're making the right choice.... It's all about appeasing the masses. You'll never truly offend someone by treating them "too nice," but if Jane Happycrap would meet a salesperson that YOU'D prefer to talk to, she'd probably walk out, thinking the salesperson was rude AF.