“It used to be (that) the dealer was the first stop, and now I kind of think the dealer is the last stop.” This statement from a car shopper in a video shown at an Autotrader event last week may come as a surprise to some, but it’s one that Mike Roberts wanted to drive […] [Read More]

There’s a story our publisher-emeritus Ron Smith tells that really pinpoints the importance of networking at industry events. After one of the company’s automotive conferences a few years ago, an attendee approached Ron to tell him how much he had enjoyed the event. Ron was certainly thankful to hear this news, but said he was a […] [Read More]

Frank Fuzy has shipped cars as far north as the North Pole and as deep into the Pacific as Tokyo. “I’m advertising to the world,” said Fuzy, who co-owns the predominantly Internet-based Century Motors of South Florida with his wife, Gina. “And we’ve got the shipping routes down pat. It’s so reasonable that it just […] [Read More]

Vendor Transparency Solutions (VTS) recently enhanced relationships with two of the repossession industry’s largest organizations — Allied Finance Adjusters (AFA) and Time Finance Adjusters (TFA) — in order to provide regulatory compliances services for agents. AFA and VTS through its ongoing partnership announced the integration of the Allied Finance Adjusters vetting portal and the VTS […] [Read More]

If you’re in the business of selling cars and trying to make the most out of your mobile strategy, the used-car market may be a good place to start. Edmunds.com conducted an analysis of its own site traffic to determine differences between smartphone and desktop shoppers, and found that used-car shoppers show a particularly strong […] [Read More]

There’s quite a bit of hubbub being made in the consumer-facing media following the recent flooding in Texas and the vehicles that suffered water damage. The National Insurance Crime Bureau, based on estimates from Copart, recently reported that the fallout from the flooding affected between 7,000 and 10,000 insured vehicles in the area. While the […] [Read More]

Edmunds.com announced the winners of its fifth annual Best Retained Value Awards, and earning this year’s top honors for highest projected residuals were Toyota and Acura. The awards spotlight the brands and 2015 models with the strongest projected five-year residual values. This is based on the vehicles’ “average ‘cash’ True Market Value (TMV) price during their first […] [Read More]

Auto Remarketing has launched a new series this year called “Consignor Connection,” in which we catch up with a leading remarketing executive at a different consignor each month. In a Q&A format, we talk about best practices, auction industry trends and more. The latest in this series features Darrin Aiken, assistant vice president of vehicle remarketing at Wheels […] [Read More]

Car buyers are getting their hands on pricier vehicles more easily these days, and according to Edmunds.com, the record-pace leasing numbers are playing a big role, along with cheaper credit and a handful of positive overall economic factors. In a data report shared this week, Edmunds counts economic trends like lower employment, consumer confidence in the economy […] [Read More]

If your franchised dealership showroom is located in Michigan, Texas or Massachusetts, it’s probably not uncommon to see new metal leaving the lot attached to a lease. But if your new-car store sits in New Mexico, West Virginia or Arkansas, the leasing volume likely is considerably less. Experian Automotive analysts broke down the top 10 […] [Read More]