As the south braces for another winter storm, adding the recent severe cold and icy conditions in much of the U.S., related car repairs may provide a much needed boost to auto repair shops’ slowing growth. According to Sageworks, a financial information company, privately held auto repair and maintenance shops continue to see sluggish growth […] [Read More]

The 2014 CLA isn’t just giving Mercedes-Benz what appears so far to be greater footing in the entry-luxury segment; this new model is quickly becoming a residual value leader for the automaker, says Kelley Blue Book. Based on the January/February 2014 Kelley Blue Book Residual Value Guide, the 36-month residual value for the CLA-Class is […] [Read More]

Nissan announced Tuesday its new vice president of sales for the U.S. Chosen for the position is Derrick Hatami, effective Jan. 13. Hatami will report to Fred Diaz, senior vice president, sales and marketing and parts and service U.S.A. In his new role, Hatami will lead the Nissan division team with the sales operations, vehicle […] [Read More]

Why are some shoppers dead set on a particular brand, while others can be swayed be a variety of factors including price, fuel efficiency and looks? According to Kelley Blue Book, it might have something to do with where these shoppers call home. KBB announced results of research that focused on the most and least […] [Read More]

During the last quarter of 2013, employees of Primeritus Financial Services stayed busy campaigning for destitute families needing food with their collections on behalf of Feeding America Second Harvest Food Bank, and giving special wishes to children with a life-threatening illness through donations to A Special Wish Foundation. Primeritus chief executive officer Chuck Tapp highlighted […] [Read More]

Paragon, provider of incentives and consumer engagement tools, shared study results this week that show dealers might be bypassing some incentives “consumers really want.” According to the results, consumers may be more interested in leaving with cash in hand than a lower price tag. The study revealed that of the 1,300 shoppers — who were […] [Read More]

National Auto Care Corp. — the administrator of the CarMark Certified program  — and Family First Dealer Services announced Friday the promotion of a key employee to the role of vice president of sales for the company. (As reported by Auto Remarketing here, NAC and FFDS completed their merger in November and now serve as […] [Read More]

Industry-wide lease penetration has never been as strong as it was last month, according to Edmunds.com senior analyst Jessica Caldwell, who said rates for European brands were approaching 50 percent in December. This helped luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Jaguar notch best-ever annual new-vehicle sales. But the tentacles of this leasing surge stretch far […] [Read More]

Cox Enterprises has purchased Providence Equity Partners’ 25-percent equity interest in AutoTrader Group, meaning it now has 98-percent ownership in the group that includes such entities as AutoTrader.com, Kelley Blue Book and vAuto. The definitive agreement was announced this morning. The remaining 2 percent of the AutoTrader Group is held by current and former employees. […] [Read More]

Given the deal announced Wednesday for Fiat to gain 100-percent ownership of Chrysler Group, their collective dealers are likely to enjoy a broader and improved lineup of cars to offer consumers. Not only that, this new-and-improved offering may reach dealer lots in a more timely fashion. Such is the outlook that at least some industry […] [Read More]