About a year ago, I introduced the idea of “provisioning” inventory as a replacement for the long-held practice of dealers “stocking cars” to feed their used-vehicle operations. The basic concept is that “stocking cars” doesn’t sufficiently capture the more holistic nature and needs of retailing used vehicles to achieve maximum return on investment and profitability […] [Read More]

It was another record month for the certified pre-owned business, which appears to be headed toward heights never reached before, according to Autodata Corp. Last month was the strongest November ever, with certified sales totaling 147,860 units, the firm said. This continues a string of records in the CPO market, including the best October ever […] [Read More]

For the second quarter in a row, Mercedes-Benz Financial posted a year-over-year new-vehicle leasing market share gain of more than 80 percent. According to Experian Automotive’s Q3 State of the Automotive Finance Market Analysis, the German luxury brand’s slice of the leasing market came in at 6.0 percent, an 87.86-percent improvement above the captive’s share […] [Read More]

It is crucial to know exactly what customers are looking for when they are searching the lots and priorities range from dependability and speed to image and technology, to name a few. But according to a recent CarMax survey, the most important element for buyers to consider remains "quality," for the third year running. In […] [Read More]

The 2012 DuPont Automotive Color Popularity Report is in, and it seems dealers may want to stock lots of white vehicles, but cut back on the silver ones. The DuPont report, released this week, has found that for the second consecutive year, white/white pearl dominates customers’ auto color choice, representing 23 percent of the global […] [Read More]

International AutoSource — a service provider that assists foreign expats who are moving to the United States lease or finance vehicles without a U.S. credit history — revealed a new partnership with Enterprise Fleet Management on Wednesday. Because of the relationship, International AutoSource now is able to assist foreign expats who are already located in […] [Read More]

Online resource for female car shoppers AskPatty.com Inc. recently launched a bureau that is designed to give decision-makers in the automotive industry insight into how to effectively market and sell to women car buyers as well as how to attract and retain female employees. The Women’s Automotive Speakers Bureau represents a variety of speakers, whose […] [Read More]

When the combined Ford, Lincoln and Mercury certified pre-owned sales figures are tallied for full-year 2012, the final count is expected to be the second-highest total ever for the automaker, according to national CPO sales manager Todd Fites. What’s more, the Lincoln brand — in just 11 months — has already achieved its strongest CPO […] [Read More]

The Federal Trade Commission is considering changing the Used Car Buyers Guide and is turning to the general public for input. The Buyers Guide is required under the Used Car Rule, which goes by the formal name of the Used Motor Vehicle Trade Regulation Rule. Under this rule — which has been effective since 1985 […] [Read More]

Are Toyota’s most recent recalls affecting consumers’ interest in the nameplate's vehicles? According to data from Jumpstart Automotive Group, it appears that customers are remaining loyal despite two recalls that covered 10.2 million vehicles across the globe. [Read More]