Lithia Motors has expanded its East Coast operations, announcing Tuesday that it acquired the nine-store Carbone Auto Group that operates in New York and Vermont. Carbone generates an estimated $600 million in annual revenues through an exclusive market strategy, Lithia said, noting in the news release that Carbone gives the group a foundation to expand […] [Read More]

CarMax celebrated the grand opening of its first used-car store in Idaho.  The store, located at 4043 E. Elden Gray St. in Meridian, will stock more than 200 used vehicles of nearly every make and model. “The Meridian community has been very welcoming to CarMax,” said Louis Cominiello, location general manager. “We are very excited […] [Read More]

If you’re a dealer looking to move your CPO inventory, take note: Autotrader has come out with its top picks for certified pre-owned deals in September.  “Certified pre-owned vehicles used to be kind of a secret, something only your uncle Ned and car guy neighbor knew about. Today, many people are catching on that it's […] [Read More]

Lithia Motors Inc. announces the grand opening of a Volkswagen franchise in Freehold, N.J. Operating as DCH Volkswagen of Freehold, the store is expected to add $35 million in annual revenues. “We are pleased to expand our partnership with Volkswagen and to increase our presence in New Jersey, as DCH Volkswagen of Freehold is our […] [Read More]

Certified pre-owned vehicle sales have now reached 1.79 million for the year, outpacing year-ago figures by 4.3 percent, according to Autodata Corp. In August, there were 233,238 certified sales, which was 5.8 percent stronger than the same month a year earlier. The daily selling rate for the month was 8,971, versus 8,478 in August 2015. […] [Read More]

The latest Kerrigan Auto Retail Index report raises a question: Did U.S. auto sales peak in 2015? According to the report, new-vehicle retail sales in August are expected to be down 6.5 percent from a year ago, which marks the fourth month in the last six with declining retail auto sales. In contrast to predictions […] [Read More]

The executive director of the Center for Auto Safety has asked the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York to request that the Federal Trade Commission temporarily shelve its proposed consent agreement with General Motors — an agreement that CAS contends would let GM sell certified pre-owned vehicles with outstanding safety recalls. A […] [Read More]

This week, Walser Automotive Group, one of the largest dealer groups in Minnesota, announced that it has completed the acquisition of Wichita Luxury Collection, a luxury automotive retailer in Wichita, Kan. Officials highlighted the award-winning Wichita Luxury Collection (WLC) brings 10 luxury brands — including Acura, Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Porsche […] [Read More]

While the automaker contends there is a heightened public awareness of vehicle recalls, Mazda North American Operations acknowledged recall repairs remain comparatively low. To help both vehicle owners and franchised dealers, the OEM on Tuesday launched the new Mazda Recall Information Center — a website designed to help customers easily confirm if their vehicle is affected […] [Read More]

As CDK Global announced a $10,000 donation to the National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation’s Emergency Relief Fund, NADA continued to chronicle how dealership families have been displaced by the recent flooding in Baton Rouge, La., and surrounding communities. Preston Petersen, dealer partner and general manager of Team Automotive Group in Louisiana’s state capital, said 70 […] [Read More]