Notes54 -- Automotive News

Notes from the NADA Convention and Expo

Heading for the exits

Posted 4:13 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 11

An Optima hybrid leaves the Kia stand after the show closes.

Long way to NADA

Posted 1:07 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 11

Moscow dealers Alexey Isupov (left) and Iurii Semenchuk get a demo at the Mudd Advertising booth.

Tough test

Posted 12:25 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 11

Carroll Winkler of Glenwood Springs (Colo.) Subaru takes a drive in Experian Automotive's racing simulator. "It's tougher than it looks."

Henry Ford and the Model A

Posted 4:24 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 10

(Philip Nussel)

Actor Tom Mahard, 62, of Flint, Mich., plays the role of Henry Ford on the NADA convention floor. He posed in front of an original 1903 Model A purchased by Executive Chairman Bill Ford. The automaker has hired actors to portray Henry Ford at various automotive events to commemorate Henry Ford's 150th birthday this year.

Automotive News Now

Posted 4:12 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 10

Nick Stanutz, left, executive vice president at The Huntington National Bank in Columbus, Ohio, was interviewed today at the Automotive News booth by Dave Versical, editor of Automotive News Online, and Tom Worobec, right, anchor of Automotive News Now. Click here for our latest newscast today.

Facilities focus

Posted 4:03 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 10

(Dave Versical)

While the furor over factory-directed renovations has cooled in the past year, store-renovation concepts are front and center at the Toyota exhibit.

Legroom test

Posted 4:00 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 10

Checking out the back seat of the Buick Encore, on display at the GM exhibit.

Doctor in the house

Posted 2:48 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 10

(Gabe Nelson)

Basketball great "Dr. J," Julius Irving, signed photographs at the Global Lending Services booth as a Philadelphia 76ers theme song played on a loop in the background. 30 people were waiting in line.

'Is this really a pickup?'

Posted 2:09 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 10

Combining the NADA and ATD conventions allows light-vehicle dealers to see what the other half sells. Dealer Anderson Gollop, who sells Nissan, Hyundai and other brands in Lochden, Barbados, ogled this Ford F-650 truck. "Is this really a pickup?" he asked.

Hot Beetle... on ice

Posted 11:10 am U.S. ET, Feb. 10

Volkswagen of America had an ice sculpture of a VW Beetle during a reception for dealers Saturday night. The event was attended by most of the brand’s top U.S. brass, including President Jonathan Browning; Executive Vice President of Sales Frank Trivieri; Chief Product and Marketing Officer Timothy Mahoney; Vice President of Customer Experience Robert Martell, and Marc Trahan, executive vice president of group quality. Sales of the new generation Beetle were hardly cold last year. VW sold 29,174 of the new Beetles in the U.S. in 2012 -- more than quadrupling sales of 6,498 in 2011.

A plug for franchised dealers

Posted 10:47 am U.S. ET, Feb. 10

(JOE WILSSENS)

John Krafcik, CEO of Hyundai Motor America, praised the franchised dealer system during his keynote address Saturday, calling it the "concentrated distillation" of American free enterprise. "The current system works," he said. "Really well."

35 and counting

Posted 3:12 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 9

Wheego Electric Vehicles Inc. is looking for dealers. It has 35 to date.

Mobile-ity

Posted 3:05 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 9

The unofficial show shuffle: the text walk

Where cookies and cars meet

Posted 2:04 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 9

ELEAD1ONE has its roots in selling promotional cookies to car dealers. They now also do lead generation, CRM and more.

The new financier in town

Posted 2:39 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 9

There are always a lot of new companies exhibiting at NADA -- but few as new as this one, which was announced this week. Gerry Quinn of Chrysler Group Financial Services says the booth was put together in two days. Yes, the paint is dry.

Renovation bad news

Posted 12:15 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 9

Glenn Mercer delivered the findings from phase 2 of NADA's facility renovation study: "If there is any benefit to standardization, it's to the OEM, not the dealer."