Jim Gentry

Area automobile dealers said there should be no debate about whether the nation’s Big Three automakers should get $25 billion in financing to help them stay afloat in the current economic downturn.

Jim Gentry, owner of Gentry Chevrolet, Pontiac and Buick in Kimball, Tenn., said it will be “catastrophic” if American automakers don’t get the loans they are requesting because that likely would lead to bankruptcy.

“We have got to have this loan,” Mr. Gentry said. “If we don’t get it, I believe we are headed for the worst depression this country has ever known.”

But Brent Morgan, general manager of Saturn of Chattanooga, a GM-owned brand, said he is optimistic about the future.

“We still have a very positive outlook that the right thing to do is to assist the American automakers this time because of the effects it has on so many people other than the manufacturers,” he said. “We recognize the importance of that bridge loan. We think that would be a positive move on the part of the government.”

General Motors, Ford and Chrysler presented restructuring plans to Congress on Tuesday in an attempt to convince lawmakers to release $25 billion in government assistance.

Another proposal calls for GM to streamline its business by buying up the Saturn dealerships and blending them into dealerships that carry other GM brands. Mr. Morgan called the proposal “speculation” and said it too early to know how it will take shape.

“Nothing has been released to that effect from any authority figure,” he said. “We believe GM does see definite value in the Saturn brand. The market is challenging, but we have a positive outlook. If we can bridge this gap to work through what everyone is working through with the economy, then we have a very positive outlook to the future.”

Bill Kile, owner of Kile Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep in Cleveland, said he believes if GM was to go bankrupt, it would be only a matter of time before Chrysler and Ford followed suit.

“It is something that is a little bit scary,” he said.

If the automakers don’t get government assistance, it will affect more than just the auto manufacturing workers, it also will affect employees at suppliers, dealerships and paint-and-body shops, Mr. Kile said.

Mr. Gentry agreed.

“If GM went (bankrupt), it would put the whole world in economic distress,” he said. “Years ago, they used to say what is good for GM is good for America. Well, the same is still true today.”

Ford Motor Co. officials announced Tuesday that they are seeking a $9 billion line of credit and expect to break even or become profitable by 2011.

Steve Miles, general manager of Moss Motor Co., a Ford and Chrysler dealer, declined Tuesday to comment.

Tim Kelly, owner of Kelly Cadillac, Saab, Hummer and GMC, said he has mixed emotions about the bailout. He knows the automakers need government assistance to stay afloat, but too much assistance may hide the problems that need addressing, he said.

“It’s an ambivalent time for me and every other dealer because I would love to see them fix these problems, but we have to make sure the medicine doesn’t kill the patient,” he said. “They need some help, and they deserve some help. We just have to make sure they fix the problems.”