Honoring six dealerships that it believes exemplify the company’s key core values, used-car extended service contract provider Preferred Warranties Inc. has revealed its third annual Values Awards. Preferred Warranties picked a winning dealer for each of its five core values — integrity, pursuit of excellence, community, service and fun — and also spotlighted an overall […] [Read More]

Volkswagen Credit announced its new president and chief executive officer on Tuesday to replace the retiring Kevin Kelly in January. Promoted to the position is Andrew Stuart, currently the executive vice president and chief financial officer, a position he has held since 2009. Kelly will retire following 34 years of service. His time with Volkswagen […] [Read More]

After recently revealing the winners of this year’s Dream Car Art Contest, Toyota announced Tuesday that it will be holding the contest for the sixth year, as well as expanding the reach of the event to include 80 countries and regions. The automaker will be accepting entries from Oct. 1 to Jan. 31 for the […] [Read More]

According to one of Nissan’s top executives, the biggest problem the automaker faces today is “making enough cars.” In a recent interview, the automaker’s chief performance officer and executive vice president Colin Dodge noted that as of the end of August, production was up 150,00 units when compared to last year. Though that is a […] [Read More]

Used-car sales for September are likely to fall double-digits from August, but even with this large sequential downturn, the used market is still projected to beat year-ago sales by more than 4 percent, according to TrueCar. Specifically, the firm believes September’s used sales total will come in at 3.23 million units once the month wraps […] [Read More]

AutoUSA announced Tuesday the results of this year’s dealer Internet marketing survey which may give dealers some insight into why shoppers aren’t buying. The results revealed a struggling economy is directly affecting consumer’s ability to buy cars. The study also delved into the inner workings of dealerships’ Internet marketing departments and found that staffing issues […] [Read More]

When a shopper visits Cox Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Wilson, N.C, it’s not uncommon for the staff to spot the local newspaper sitting in the front seat of the individual’s car, flipped open to an ad from the store. Sandwiched between two of the state’s larger TV markets in Raleigh and Greenville, the dealership finds that newspaper advertising is the […] [Read More]

During the series of three conferences that constitute the Used Car Week Conferences, three separate awards ceremonies will take place to recognize excellence in a variety of areas. First, during the CPO Forum, which will be held Nov. 14–15, Auto Remarketing will recognize its 2011 CPO Dealer of the Year, Karl Chevrolet of Ankeny, Iowa. […] [Read More]

Dataium’s Automotive Shopper Intensity Index is showing leaves won’t be the only things likely to turn at dealers’ rooftops in September and October. The index — an indicator of vehicle sales 30 to 45 days in advance — continued to show marginal gains for the third consecutive month. Analysts determined these gains indicate sales volumes […] [Read More]

Along with completing an amendment to its senior secured credit facility on Monday, Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group revealed its financial performance expectations for the third quarter. The company projected third-quarter rental review to increase by approximately 2 percent year-over-year. Consistent with the trends experienced during the first half of the year, Dollar Thrifty noted that […] [Read More]