The wave of M&A activity has been one of the biggest storylines in the auto industry this year, particularly among dealers and dealer groups, and that continues as October gets underway. Starting with some news involving CarMax, the retailer has finished divesting its new-car dealership franchises with the sale of CarMax Kenosha Toyota to the Rydell […] [Read More]

Sonic Automotive announced on Monday it has named a chief marketing officer and a chief revenue officer for its EchoPark Automotive standalone used-car store program. Dino Bernacchi is EchoPark's first CMO and will lead the Sonic pre-owned stores'  marketing as nationwide expansion continues. Most recently, Bernacchi served as the senior vice president of marketing for the Cleveland Browns NFL franchise. And […] [Read More]

AutoNation, whose charitable donations have all gone towards fighting cancer since 2013, will host October "Drive Pink" events at DRV PNK Stadium with InterMiami CF and 2021 Indy 500 Winner Hélio Castroneves.  Since launching its Drive Pink initiative in 2015, the dealer group has raised and donated more than $28 million to create awareness and support critical […] [Read More]

Earlier this month, CarLotz made its first foray into Alabama with a move into Mobile. This week, the consignment-to-retail used-vehicle marketplace announced it will open a hub in Huntsville. The hub — to be located at 6561 University Drive — will provide CarLotz’s guests in Huntsville and its surrounding markets with easy access to its unique buying and […] [Read More]

Consumers in the Boise, Idaho area reho were curious about the Carvana towers and/or hard-to-miss delivery trucks now have the option to check out the used auto retailer for themseves. Carvana announced Wednesday that it has launched in Boise, its 308th urban market.  Customers can secure as-soon-as-next-day-delivery, or they can sell their current vehicle to Carvana, […] [Read More]

FordDirect, which is a joint venture between the automaker and its franchised dealers, has partnered with compliance tech company ComplyAuto to help address  the complex regulatory compliance issues dealerships face. And ComplyAuto is no stranger to the privacy, security and other regulatory compliance concerns of auto retail stores. In fact, the company — a compliance and […] [Read More]

Asbury Automotive Group has agreed to buy Larry H. Miller Dealerships and Total Care Auto from the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, the retailer announced Wednesday. The acquisition — which has a $3.2 billion aggregate purchase price that includes roughly $740 million in real estate — would bring one of the country's largest dealership […] [Read More]

Many in the industry are rushing to secure their leadership position on the electric vehicle front, and some are are playing an even longer game, making sure to stay at the top of the pack when it comes to EV charging infrastructure.  That's certainly the case for Capital Volvo Cars of Albany. The upstate New York dealership, […] [Read More]

Starting in October, Repairify will use its asTech remote scanning and diagnostic services to provide comprehensive diagnostic scan reports along with official OEM tool reports.  "We listen to our customers. We are committed to providing excellent service to continually enhance our products and services," said Cris Hollingsworth, president of Repairify, in the press release announcing the news. "The […] [Read More]

Lithia & Driveway, which operates more than 180 auto dealerships in the U.S. and Canada, is teaming up with its hometown in a five-year partnership for naming-rights opportunities for the multi-sports complex. The complex is currently known as U.S. Cellular Community Park.  If the partnership is approved by the Medford city council, the new sponsorship will result in […] [Read More]