I think some people here are assuming that because the purchase interface can be digitized, the entire distribution model becomes obsolete. That's not really true. All it means is that the model evolves. In fact, a lot of what we're seeing isn't the disappearance of dealerships, but a transformation of them into delivery/service hubs rather than traditional sales floors.
The whole "it's all just shameless protectionism!!" point isn't totally wrong but it's a bit overstated. Some of it absolutely is protectionism. But some of it is also about controlling how a very regulated, safety-critical product gets sold and supported across thousands of local markets. You can argue those rules are outdated (and many probably are), but lumping it all into corruption ignores that there are still structural challenges unique to the auto industry.