The franchised dealership count remained steady in 2016 and almost set another record for new-vehicle sales throughput. That’s according to the 2016 year-end Automotive Franchise Activity Report from Urban Science released Monday. The 18,170 new-car dealership rooftops on Jan. 1 was up 0.5 percent from the count a year earlier (18,087).  The number of franchises […] [Read More]

When a shopper buys a certified pre-owned vehicle, particularly if it’s a luxury ride, it’s often seen as a way to get that consumer into the brand and potentially buy a new car down the road. In other words, a CPO buyer might be a future new-car buyer for that brand. With that in mind […] [Read More]

Amid a certified pre-owned market that continues to grow, Autotrader has come out with this month’s list of top picks for certified pre-owned deals and incentive offers in February. "Not everyone can spend a fortune for a new car, but the potential repair bills from a modern used car can deter shoppers,” Autotrader executive editor […] [Read More]

Paragon Honda in Woodside, N.Y., has been the No. 1 certified pre-owned dealer in the U.S. every year since American Honda Motors Co. began tracking the data in 2008, according to the company’s remarketing department. It sold 3,012 CPO units in 2016, good enough for a 20-percent gain, says Paragon Honda’s Brian Benstock. And very soon, […] [Read More]

The two used-car standalone store outfits that Penske Automotive Group recently purchased — CarSense in the U.S., CarShop in the U.K. — should pull about $700 million in revenue each year, says the retailer’s chief executive, Roger Penske. Buying these standalone pre-owned outlets, Penske said in a quarterly conference call this week, gives the dealer group a […] [Read More]

The Jim Ellis Automotive Group recently announced that it raised $65,000 for Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta for the between Nov. 25 and Jan. 2 by setting aside a portion of every new or pre-owned vehicle purchase that occurred at one of its 13 locations for the organization. The Boys & Girls Clubs […] [Read More]

Carvana announced on Tuesday it has extended its unique and innovative pick-up experience to more customers in Texas with the launch of its new Austin Car Vending Machine. The used-car buying platform opened its second vending machine in Houston two months ago. “We launched our free car delivery service in Austin in late 2015, and we’ve […] [Read More]

The first two publicly traded groups to share their 2016 financial statements — AutoNation and Group 1 Automotive — posted mixed results within their used-vehicle departments. Group 1 reported that its dealerships retailed 129,131 used vehicles last year, representing a 4.0-percent increase above the 2015 figure. The company also generated a 3.3-percent rise in retail […] [Read More]

On Friday, Holman Automotive announced former BMW executive, Pete Witt has joined the company as Northeast platform vice president. Witt most recently served as executive vice president of operations for BMW North of America where he worked for 17 years prior to joining Holman Automotive. In Witt’s new role, he will be responsible for the […] [Read More]

Larry H. Miller Dealerships announced it acquired Corona Nissan in Corona, Calif. on Wednesday, which marks the dealership group’s second store in the state. “We have several Nissan stores in the group that consistently perform well. Strategically, this store is a great fit with our organization,” Larry H. Miller Dealerships president Dean Fitzpatrick said in […] [Read More]