Saab Automobile Parts North America announced a new program Thursday that may give owners of 2010 and 2011 model-year Saab vehicles some added peace of mind in the wake of Saab Automobile AB’s bankruptcy in Sweden. Through Saab Secure, owners of these vehicles will be offered a Limited Lifetime Protection Plan on internal engine components […] [Read More]

Just before Christmas, CarMax released results for its third quarter of fiscal year 2013. The company, like many velocity dealers, saw positive results in used vehicles; total unit sales were up 16 percent for the quarter compared to the prior year, an increase that included a 12-percent gain in same-store sales volumes. As I reviewed […] [Read More]

Three brands, in particular, stand out in the minds of luxury buyers and inspire trust, satisfaction and customer loyalty, according to a recent survey. Ranking highest in the 2013 Luxury Consumer Experience survey conducted by the New York-based Luxury Institute were Lexus, Audi and BMW. [Read More]

Swapalease.com highlighted Wednesday that customer credit approvals based on U.S. bank data jumped 27.3 percent in 2012 compared with approval rates from the previous year. Most notably, the site pointed out that the last two months of last year saw significant credit approval rates jump with 55 percent more approvals in December compared with November. […] [Read More]

It’s a new year, but seemingly the same story for wholesale used-vehicle prices: Analysts predict that about 240,000 to 400,000 more off-lease vehicles will re-enter the market in 2013 than in 2012, causing wholesale prices to soften, possibly down 1 to 2 percent on a year-over-year basis. With prices set to drop, dealers this year […] [Read More]

The Federal Trade Commission recently completed its systematic review of the Cooling-Off Rule and determined that no changes to the rule are warranted that would have impacted dealers. In making this determination, the National Automobile Dealers Association indicated the FTC rejected several proposed changes to the rule that would have affected dealers, including a proposal […] [Read More]

PureCars said Tuesday afternoon it has generated $5 million in new equity capital from Gemini Investors and Stage 1 Ventures that can help the company bolster its offering for dealerships. The auto technology company aims to work with dealerships of all sizes to “optimize returns on digital marketing and increase sales.” It debuted in 2007 […] [Read More]

Safe-Guard Products International, an F&I provider in the auto industry, announced recently it has been purchased from H.I.G. Capital by an affiliate of Goldman Sachs, in partnership with management. [Read More]

Showing some softening as the year wound down, the latest RDN Monthly Analytics Update indicated November recovery volumes decreased 4 percentage points from October levels, halting a string of consecutive month-over-month jumps. Furthermore, the November reading came in 1 point below year-earlier levels. Also registering downward movement, RDN indicated November recovery orders ticked 7 percentage […] [Read More]

Fresh off a remarkable 2012 in the certified pre-owned market, four brands have confirmed to Auto Remarketing, as of press time, that they achieved record full-year certified pre-owned sales. According to their respective CPO leaders, 2012 was the best year ever for certified at Volkswagen and for American Honda’s flagship brand, and the year was […] [Read More]