The automotive industry is changing at an unprecedented pace as consumers demand the industry to embrace the digital-first world. Individuals are beginning their car-shopping process online at an increasing rate, completing most of their research before stepping foot in a dealership. In fact, according to Cox Automotive’s recent "Future of Digital Retail Study," seven in 10 […] [Read More]

Hertz Global Holdings announced Wednesday that Paul Stone will join the company on March 6 to serve as executive vice president and chief retail operations officer, North America. Stone, who began his career at Sam's Club/ Walmart as a store manager before transitioning to Western U.S. divisional senior vice president, brings more than 30 years […] [Read More]

Lithia Motors obviously likes turning metal in the Steel City. On Tuesday, Lithia announced it has acquired Day Automotive Group in Monroeville, Pa., a suburb of Pittsburgh. The Day group is estimated to generate $340 million in steady annual revenue. Day joins Baierl Auto Group as the second acquisition in 10 months in the Pittsburgh […] [Read More]

If the latest projections from Edmunds are any indication, look for an improvement in retail used-car sales this month. Edmunds expects February will end with 3.5 million used-car sales, which would beat January’s 3.1 million pre-owned sales. That would translate to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 39.1 million used cars, up from the 38.9-million […] [Read More]

On Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the creation of a compliance assistance program to help regulated entities, including vehicle and trailer manufacturers,  as well as equipment manufacturers comply with safety regulations as a means to promote safety on our highways.  NHTSA reiterated that regulated entities may not sell vehicles or equipment […] [Read More]

Group 1 Automotive is looking for new-car dealership “opportunities” in the United States, United Kingdom and Brazil markets, the company said during its recent quarterly conference call. And as far as the standalone used-car store concept that has become increasingly popular, Group 1 chief executive officer Earl Hesterberg said his company has looked at the pre-owned stores “quite […] [Read More]

Kelley Blue Book has introduced the CPO Price Advisor, which is a new source for certified pre-owned vehicle pricing that has been added to its Price Advisor product suite. CPO Price Advisor pricing information is based on recent certified vehicle sales transactions and is adjusted for local market conditions and seasonal trends. The KBB CPO […] [Read More]

Volkswagen’s diesel emissions scandal is in the industry’s rearview mirror, and Bob Cockerham is excited about selling repaired certified pre-owned Volkswagen turbo-diesel cars — the only VW CPO vehicles that come with a two-year, unlimited-mile warranty. Cockerham said those emissions modified cars have already proven to be attractive to diesel aficionados and will help him […] [Read More]

Affinity Auto Program, which manages the Costco Auto Program, announced Tuesday that sales in 2017 surpassed two company records. Both total unit sales for the program overall and total unit sales during Costco's annual three-month Holiday Sales Event were record-breaking, the company said. According to calendar year data, in addition to the company’s Holiday Sales Event […] [Read More]

CarMax has once again made the list of "100 Best Companies to Work For" released by FORTUNE magazine. This year, the used-car retailer took spot No. 34 for its 14th consecutive year of making the list. "This award recognition is a direct result of the culture created by our associates,” CarMax chief executive officer Bill Nash said in […] [Read More]