Swickard Auto Group recently announced that it acquired Brien Ford of Everett, Wash., the company’s second dealership in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle-area Ford dealership has been renamed Epic Ford but will continue to sell and service both new and used Ford cars, trucks and SUVs. “This purchase is an ideal platform for growth in the […] [Read More]

Autotrader recently named its "Must-Shop CPO Cars," a list of the 10 top luxury and 10 non-luxury certified pre-owned vehicles shoppers should consider if looking to purchase a CPO this year. Autotrader said nearly one in four car shoppers are considering purchasing a CPO vehicle, according to its 2016 CPO study. "With a certified pre-owned […] [Read More]

On Thursday, Carfax announced that Sears Auto Center has joined the company's myCarfax Service Shop program, which connects service shop coustomers nationwide to the services offered on myCarfax.com for free. “Through our partnership with Carfax and the myCarfax Service Shop program, we are able to provide our customers with unrivaled information to help them keep their vehicles safe and well-maintained […] [Read More]

As we flipped the calendar into 2017 this month, it was time for New Year’s resolutions once again. Maybe this year you’re planning to finally buy that gym membership or cut out fatty foods. Or maybe you’ve resolved to step up your game at work and improve your close percentage. These are all noble goals […] [Read More]

Al Katz has been with Mercedes-Benz USA for 18 years and served in various managerial roles throughout his nearly two decades with the company. And on Jan. 1, he became the new general manager of pre-owned, remarketing & fleet operations for Mercedes.   That includes the popular certified pre-owned segment, and in an emailed Q&A, […] [Read More]

Given the gains in available inventory — particularly the flood of off-lease units hitting the market — used-car sales are likely to continue rising, says David Lim, vice president and equity analyst at Wells Fargo Securities. In other words, supply begets sales opportunity. And that opportunity is particularly evident, he said, in the standalone used-car […] [Read More]

Orchestrators of the second annual Diversity Volume Leadership Awards (DVL Awards) ceremony highlighted what they said is the tremendous impact that minority vehicle buyers have on the economy and brought awareness to what consider to be the lack of diversity that still remains present in the automotive industry. National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD) Damon […] [Read More]

Takata Corp. and the U.S. Department of Justice have reached a settlement on the issues regarding Takata’s airbag inflator validation testing and reporting. Takata will shell out $1 billion in criminal penalties, according to DOJ, and three Takata executives have been charged with wire fraud and conspiracy.  “Automotive suppliers who sell products that are supposed […] [Read More]

On Thursday, NCM Associates and The Rawls Group, a provider of long-term strategic and succession planning, announced the launch of the NCM-Rawls Dealer Executive Program, their new leadership development educational program for current and future dealers. “Rapid changes in our industry, such as autonomous cars, ride-sharing companies and the electrification of vehicles, mean we need to […] [Read More]

Penske Automotive Group said Wednesday that its purchase of CarSense announced in December has officially closed. CarSense, a standalone used-car retailer whose no-haggle model focuses on late-model units. It has five stores throughout the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia metro areas, including southern New Jersey. “We are pleased to welcome the CarSense team to Penske Automotive Group, […] [Read More]