Auto Remarketing has learned through published reports that CNW Research president Art Spinella has passed away at age 68.

The Bandon Western World indicated that Spinella died Feb. 20 of congestive heart failure.

Spinella was a longtime source of auto industry data, analytics and commentary, including his company’s Retail Automotive Summary, which was often quoted by Auto Remarketing.

“Spinella had a unique view of the industry, and his monthly reports about vehicle buyer preferences and market supply/demand dynamics in new and used vehicles were must-reads for me,” vAuto founder Dale Pollak said in a blog post Monday, where Auto Remarketing first saw the news.

“To the best of my knowledge, Spinella’s business and influence didn’t result from a lot of promotion. Instead, it grew and sustained on the strength of his innate curiosity about the car business and the insights he published every month,” Pollak said. “Not surprisingly, these were also the reasons automotive journalists kept Spinella as an A-list source for their stories.”

Count Auto Remarketing among those.

Always quick, yet thoughtful, in his responses to inquiries, Spinella provided data that was as in-depth as his commentary was insightful.

But as helpful and invaluable as Spinella was to his peers in the media, he was respected just as much by his peers in the car business.

“I met Art in person over 20 years ago when I was just familiarizing myself with his pioneering work on used cars, leasing and other automotive industry topics that were much less covered back then,” said Tom Kontos, executive vice president and chief economist ADESA Analytical Services.

“I have relied on him and the work of CNW Marketing/Research ever since.  He and I have had many conversations over the years, and I valued him as a friend as much as a colleague,” Kontos added. “I will miss him.”

And so will many others.