Amy Wilson

For AutoNation's Jackson, Penske sets pace for retirement
AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson's employment contract with the country's largest dealership group is up in September. Jackson will turn 65 next February, but he has no intent ...

Manufacturers could challenge Colo. franchise bill
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers could challenge dealer-backed franchise legislation that passed the Colorado Legislature earlier this month. ...

Retired Texas dealer McCall supports Tesla
Retired Texas auto dealer Sterling McCall surprised fellow dealers in April when he testified in favor of Tesla Motors Inc.'s bid to carve out an exemption to state franc ...

Porsche reassigns 2 execs
Porsche Cars North America is bringing in Joe Lawrence, CEO of Canadian operations, to be its No. 2 executive in the United States, the company's largest market. ...

Tesla falters in Texas; N.C. fight goes on
Elon Musk has two weeks to convince Texas legislators that he deserves an exemption to current state law that would allow him to sell his Tesla electric vehicles directly ...

Colorado franchise bill headed to governor
Dealer-backed legislation introduced last month in Colorado to significant manufacturer opposition has passed the state Legislature and is headed to the governor. ...

AutoNation's Jackson: Oversight of add-ons is head-scratcher
The nation's biggest auto retailer is closely watching to see whether the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will go after finance and insurance products next. ...

Public retail groups: 'We're fighting tooth and nail' for margins
Profit margins on new vehicles are slipping for the nation's largest dealership groups as manufacturers and retailers slug it out for market share. ...

Buy-sell activity is on the rise
A year-end shopping spree by public dealership groups boosted dealership buy-sell activity sharply higher at the end of 2012 -- and the upswing, which is pushing dealersh ...

Connecting with service customers
Soon after employing his first female service adviser, Roger Pipher had an epiphany: He should hire more women. ...

AutoNation's new-vehicle sales rose 10% in April
Driven by a domestic-brand sales surge, AutoNation, the nation's largest dealership group, reported a 10 percent gain in new-vehicle sales in April. ...

Group 1 operating income rises on higher new-vehicle sales
Higher new-vehicle sales and increased gross profits in all business segments drove Group 1 Automotive's operating income higher during the first quarter of 2012, but net ...

Buy-sell activity, dealership values on the rise
Dealership buy-sell activity rose sharply at the end of 2012, and the upswing, which is pushing dealership values higher, is continuing during the first half of 2013. ...

Dealers grouse that stair-step plans are causing more pain than last year
Stair-step programs, the incentive plans that drive many dealers crazy, are causing more grumbling than they were a year ago. ...

Dealers try to strengthen franchise laws
Dealers and automakers are slugging it out in some state legislatures over state franchise laws. Several state dealer associations are trying to beef up existing laws. ...

Asbury profit surges 85% in Q1 after 'best month' in March
A boom in business in March helped Asbury Automotive Group deliver record operating profits during the first quarter of 2013. Net income in the first quarter was $32.5 mi ...

Tesla store license rejected by Virginia
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has rejected Tesla Motors' bid for a dealership license. ...

Sonic gets over Feb. hiccups to see Q1 profit gains
Pricing challenges and a slowdown in California in February put pressure on Sonic Automotive's profit margins during the first quarter. ...

AutoNation gobbles stores
AutoNation Inc. is on its biggest buying binge since its initial rollup in the late 1990s, and executives say they're not done yet. ...

Dislike dealer franchise laws? There's a White House sign-up sheet
Just a day after Monday's Automotive News report that Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk will consider federal options in his fight with dealers over his factory-store sal ...

AutoNation Q1 earnings soar; acquisitions continue
AutoNation said first-quarter net income rose 14 percent to $83 million, up from $73 million a year ago. ...

Musk: Why franchised dealers are wrong retail route for EVs
After testifying last week before Texas legislators, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk talked in depth with Automotive News about his reluctance to use franchised dealers. ...

Tesla's Musk: I'll take store fight federal
If Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk can't win against dealers at the state level, he will make a federal case of his bid to sell electric vehicles directly to the public throug ...

Musk: Franchises are wrong route for electric vehicles
After testifying last week before Texas legislators, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk talked about his reluctance to use franchised dealerships to sell his electric vehicles. ...

Musk: Tesla could build second plant in Texas
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk says he would consider locating a second automotive assembly plant in Texas. ...