DealerRater revealed the winners this week of its second annual Consumer Satisfaction Awards, which recognize U.S. and Canadian dealerships that have received high marks for outstanding customer service on DealerRater.com and DealerRater.ca. The Consumer Satisfaction Awards — an extension of DealerRater’s Dealer of the Year program — are given annually to the top 10 percent […] [Read More]

Elio Motors — a new auto manufacturer entering the market — announced the launch of its first national television advertising campaign this week. Elio Motors has been on the radar of many watching the ongoing direct-to-consumer sales debate spurred primarily by Tesla Motors’ sales model because of Elio’s similar direct distribution plans. Elio Motors, whose […] [Read More]

Used-car sales should exceed 2.78 million units this month, but they are likely to fall short of January 2015 levels by 6.8 percent, TrueCar said in an analysis on Tuesday. On the new-car side, the company is projecting 1.15 million sales for the month, a figure that includes fleet sales. This would be down 0.3 […] [Read More]

Total Dealer Compliance launched its platform on Tuesday with four offerings billed as a comprehensive solution that can help dealerships mitigate risk faced from proactive regulators and create a compliance culture that can reduce exposure. The solution includes on-site compliance audits and an E-Learning platform offering more than 20 online courses.  Dealership staff completing courses and […] [Read More]

There were 2.55 million certified pre-owned vehicles sold in the U.S during 2015, according to Autodata Corp. Full disclosure: Two of them will be parked in front of my home this evening. I won’t tell you their brands or which dealerships they were purchased from, but I will tell you the biggest selling point for […] [Read More]

The man behind Sonic Automotive and Speedway Motorsports, O. Bruton Smith, was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Saturday, recognized for his decades of dedication to the motorsports world. Smith is currently the executive chairman and director at Sonic Automotive, based in Charlotte, N.C. He founded Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) in 1994, which […] [Read More]

Just before the huge blizzard hit New York City and other major areas along the East Coast this past weekend, the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association coordinated an effort to deliver more than 6,000 winter coats as part of the New York Cares Winter Coat Drive. This past Thursday prior to when close to […] [Read More]

National Automobile Dealers Association chief economist Steven Szakaly pinpointed what he believes are the two key factors that will sustain the new-vehicle sales momentum in 2016. During a recent NADA-TV interview, Szakaly explained the elements that should help new metal roll over the curb are low gasoline prices and rising incentives. “This year, we’ll start […] [Read More]

A new, pre-IPO car manufacturer that looks to compete with automakers such as Tesla Motors has hired two new executives. Mullen Technologies Inc. has promoted Paul Saluzzi as its new chief operating officer, and Gary Rosenzweig as executive vice president. The new California-based electric vehicle manufacturer and distributor aims to provide a variety of affordable electric […] [Read More]

Direct distribution — a direct result of market needs and innovation or a threat to consumers and the country’s franchised dealers? That's just what industry experts were debating during the Federal Trade Commission’s Auto Regulation Workshop held last week in Washington D.C., during a panel discussion, titled, “Auto Distribution: Current Issues & Future Trends." Since […] [Read More]