Used-car inventory levels at dealerships in the major cities most impacted by COVID-19 are, for the most part, climbing — including a big spike to begin April. That’s according to a data analysis from CarStory, which continues to track the auto market effects from the pandemic throughout the country, including the most heavily affected cities […] [Read More]

Based on auto industry analyses, a rough March for used-vehicle sales appears to have spilled over into April, and as PureCars says in its latest COVID-19 report, dealers are “facing obvious headwinds” in pre-owned. But, some silver linings: the dive in used- and new-car sales appear to have hit its trough, according to Cox Automotive. And […] [Read More]

Fitch Ratings offered some sobering assessments of current dealership finances on Monday when revising its dealer floorplan (DFP) asset-backed securities (ABS) performance outlook, mentioning some of the same unprecedented conditions dealer groups and principals now are facing as vAuto founder Dale Pollak did in an open letter posted on Good Friday. Fitch revised this particular […] [Read More]

Cherokee Media Group president Bill Zadeits returns to his broadcasting roots for the latest episode of the Auto Remarketing Pocast, where he talks with Troy Blackwell, chief operating officer of NuVinAir. NuVinAir,  whose services are "more relevant today than ever,"  Blackwell said, has patented technology initially designed to cut vehicle odors, but that has since pivoted […] [Read More]

Kelley Blue Book says Subaru “continues to grow from strength to strength.” The automaker over the past couple of years added a new model, the three-row Ascent SUV, and has established a reputation for brand-specific features like all-wheel drive and safety features such as EyeSight drivers’ assists. Because of all of that, Subaru won the […] [Read More]

On Tuesday, Black Book’s analyst team offered nearly a dozen observations about what’s happening at auctions and dealerships nowadays, recapping the trickle of activities still happening in digital auction lanes and store showrooms. As auctions try to restart more sales, Black Book reported that what wholesale activity has been happening during the coronavirus pandemic resulted […] [Read More]

With millions of Americans working from home due to office and school closures, the Auto Care Association acknowledged many dealerships and other industry participants are wondering about vehicle miles traveled (VMT) statistics. The association explained VMT statistics are correlated with the health of the entire automotive industry — the more miles driven, the more that […] [Read More]

In a report from Friday, J.D. Power Valuation Services indicated that franchised dealers saw close to a 40% week-over-over decline in retail used-vehicle sales the final full week of March. Meanwhile, Cox Automotive estimated that total used-vehicle sales for the month fell 18.4% from March 2019. And similar to what has happened in the overall used-car market […] [Read More]

Carvana’s rush of recent activities continued on Monday with the online used-vehicle retailer making a move to help buyers who just took delivery. The company announced on Monday that it is now giving customers up to 90 days to make their first payment. Customers financing with Carvana are eligible to opt in to the payment […] [Read More]

There is likely to be a shortage of used vehicles some three years down the road, as automakers halt production amid the COVID-19 pandemic, cutting the would-be off-lease volumes hitting the market in 36 months. There could also a supply impact much sooner in the off-rental sector, says Black Book’s Laura Wehunt, who outlined short- and […] [Read More]