DealersJIM 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 exclusivityMay 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 »
JIM HENRY GM, Chrysler take opposite tacks on captives 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 1, 2013  Does a car company need to own a captive finance company? While GM and Chrysler Group came off similar experiences of being partners with Ally Financial after their old captives went away during restructuring, they have reached different conclusions.... Read More »
Farley: Lincoln MKZ sales rebound, set record in April 4:21 pm U.S. ET | April 30, 2013  Ford said it sold more Lincoln MKZ sedans in April than in the first three months of the year combined, as the luxury brand began to recover from lengthy production and distribution delays on the car.... Read More »
Buy-sell activity, dealership values on the rise 11:12 am U.S. ET | April 30, 2013 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.... Read More »
Penske Q1 net income jumps 23% on higher new- and used-vehicle sales 11:14 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013  Stronger new- and used-vehicle sales for Penske Automotive Group pushed up net income 23 percent in the first quarter on an 8 percent rise in revenue from the year-earlier period, the company said today.... Read More »
Mercedes chides dealers in China over lackluster salesApril 29, 2013 20:08 CET  Daimler China sales chief Nicholas Speeks accused independent Mercedes dealers in China of laziness. In the first three months, Mercedes sales in China dropped 12 percent.... Read More »
Mercedes USA names new Smart general manager 3:56 pm U.S. ET | April 29, 2013  Mercedes-Benz USA appointed a new general manager of the Smart brand and is transferring the head of the company-owned Mercedes-Benz Manhattan dealership in New York to a corporate position in Montvale, N.J.... Read More »
Mercedes chides dealers in China over lackluster sales 2:08 pm U.S. ET | April 29, 2013  As Daimler AG struggles to keep pace in China with rivals BMW and Audi, the company is picking a fight with its own dealers.... Read More »
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 Ford's Hinrichs: 'We've learned lessons from the last few years'Ford's new Americas boss Joe Hinrichs says the hobbled launch of the Lincoln MKZ has been his biggest... Mon., May 13» Watch the Video |
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