Dealer Issues

FINAL ASSEMBLY

Jackson: Penske sets my retirement pace

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
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 intention of walking out the door any time soon.... Read More »

 

Fiat dealers anxious for broader product lineup

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 11, 2013
Some of the 204 Fiat dealers in the United States are struggling to turn a profit selling several versions of the Fiat 500 subcompact and some dealers said they anxiously await more details from Chrysler and its Italian parent, Fiat S.p.A., on plans to expand products beyond what has been already announced.... Read More »

 

N.J. dealership sues Chrysler to prevent franchise terminations

12:03 pm U.S. ET | May 10, 2013
A Chrysler Group dealership in central New Jersey has filed a lawsuit to halt the automaker's efforts to terminate the dealership's franchises for failing to improve to factory standards.... Read More »

 

Colorado franchise bill headed to governor

3:37 pm U.S. ET | May 10, 2013
Dealer-backed legislation introduced last month in Colorado to significant manufacturer opposition has passed the state Legislature and is headed to the governor.... Read More »

 

Penske raises dividend 7%

3:52 pm U.S. ET | May 10, 2013
Penske Automotive Group increased its quarterly dividend by 7 percent, to 15 cents per share, for the first quarter, the company announced today.... Read More »

 

Infiniti store gets new life with hybrid employees, 12-minute oil changes

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 9, 2013
Jeff Lupient began overhauling his family's automotive group when he took over as interim general manager at a money-losing Infiniti store near Minneapolis in 2007. To trim costs, Lupient started running the 'bloated' dealership like a boutique. He cross-trained employees, and set an example by handling many jobs himself – including F & I and used-car duties. Lupient personally visited the competition to rebuild his oil-change business, which has helped boost service retention.... Read More »

 

CHARLES CHILD

Are car salespeople, journalists all that different?

4:49 pm U.S. ET | May 8, 2013
A strange thing happened to me here at the Digital Dealer Conference. I've concluded I could be a car salesman.... Read More »

 

JIM HENRY

Subprime scrutiny could open a real can of worms

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 8, 2013
Here's a disturbing thought: As much as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has upset auto lenders and dealers, it hasn't even gotten around to the vast category of subprime auto lending.... Read More »

 

Ferrari will reduce supercar sales to maintain brand exclusivity

May 8, 2013 15:49 CET
Ferrari plans to reduce sales to fewer than 7,000 vehicles this year to maintain the exclusivity of the brand. Ferrari plans to boost profitability with high-end, customized version of its vehicles while holding back on their availability.... Read More »

 

BEST PRACTICES

Custom 'werks' loads up Jeeps -- and revenue

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
The staff at Fields Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram noticed that many of the Jeeps they sold looked different when their owners came in for an oil change or other service appointment. The vehicles might have new tires, flashier wheels or modifications such as suspension lift kits. Seeing this sparked a big idea to increase revenue, set the dealership apart from competitors and help local charities in the process.... Read More »

 

AutoTrader's VinSolutions buys Haystak Digital Marketing

5:14 pm U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
VinSolutions, a unit of the AutoTrader Group, has agreed to buy Haystak Digital Marketing.... Read More »

 

Public retail groups: 'We're fighting tooth and nail' for margins

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Profit margins on new vehicles are slipping for the nation's largest dealership groups as manufacturers and retailers slug it out for market share. New-car margins dropped for all the public dealership groups during the first quarter of 2013.... Read More »

 

Chevy courts 'girls' on social media

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Some Chevy local marketing associations are finding prospective customers with Facebook pages tailored to women in specific metro areas, melding marketing messages with local goings-on.... Read More »

 

Affinity sales saved the day for TrueCar

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
TrueCar Inc. owes its survival to the 1,500 associations, including USAA and AAA, that give their members an opportunity to buy vehicles through the online auto-shopping service, TrueCar CEO Scott Painter said last week.... Read More »

 

Dealers

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Dealership in this report: Brandfon Honda in Branford, Conn.... Read More »

 

Buy-sell activity is on the rise

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
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 dealership values higher, is continuing during the first half of 2013.... Read More »

 

FIXED OPERATIONS

Connecting with service customers

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Soon after employing his first female service adviser, Roger Pipher had an epiphany: He should hire more women. "I just watched her and the customers start to develop relationships that I never saw with men before," said Pipher, fixed-operations director of Coleman Buick-GMC-Cadillac in Lawrenceville, N.J.... Read More »

 

FIXED OPERATIONS

Jaguar F-Type training is hands-on

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
On two high-speed race tracks last month, about 1,300 Jaguar sales and service employees were put behind the wheel of the new F-Type convertible, part of the new way Jaguar Land Rover North America is training dealership personnel.... Read More »

 

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

Fiat ad or (Arianna, Pitbull) music video?

7:42 am U.S. ET | May 4, 2013
I present to you Fiat's latest video in North America, "Sexy People." Some things just need to speak for themselves. I am left without words.... Read More »

 

Autobytel posts highest quarterly revenue in 5 years

2:38 pm U.S. ET | May 3, 2013
Lead-generation Web site Autobytel reported its highest quarterly revenues in five years during the first quarter -- growth that reflects the improving automotive market.... Read More »

 

Tesla hikes guaranteed residual value on Model S

4:16 pm U.S. ET | May 3, 2013
Tesla increased the guaranteed residual value of its electric Model S sedan to 50 percent after its lease-to-own period of three years. The car's guaranteed residual value had been tied to that of the Mercedes-Benz S class, which, at 43 percent after 36 months, is relatively low compared with the overall luxury segment.... Read More »

 

AutoNation's new-vehicle sales rose 10% in April

1:37 pm U.S. ET | May 2, 2013
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.... Read More »

 

Group 1 operating income rises on higher new-vehicle sales

10:40 am U.S. ET | May 2, 2013
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 income dropped 4 percent.... Read More »

 

Nissan cuts prices on 7 key models to score in Web searches

10:48 am U.S. ET | May 1, 2013
Jockeying for better position in Internet shopping sites, Nissan will cut the manufacturer's suggested retail prices on seven key models, effective Friday. The price adjustments affect vehicles that represent two-thirds of the brand's sales volume in the United States.... Read More »

 

Lexus prices base 2014 IS at $36,845, up $885

12:10 pm U.S. ET | May 1, 2013
Lexus has set the base price of the 2014 IS compact sport sedan at $36,845, including shipping, an increase of $885 from its predecessor, Lexus said.... Read More »