Turns out, the Grammys aren’t the only awards happening in Los Angeles this week. Santa Monica, Calif.-based Edmunds is recognizing some rock stars in retail automotive. On Monday, the online car-shopping resource announced the winners of the 2026 Edmunds Five Star Dealer Awards, which recognize 79 dealers across the U.S. for their outstanding customer satisfaction […] [Read More]

Penske Automotive Group is all in on Lexus. The international automotive giant said it has signed an agreement to acquire Lexus of Orlando and Lexus of Winter Park in Central Florida, previously owned by Jimmy Bryan Sr., a deal it expects to add $450 million in annualized revenue. “The acquisition of these premier Lexus dealerships […] [Read More]

Rick Case Automotive Group’s latest charitable contribution was a massive one. The South Florida-based dealership group said its president and CEO, Rita Case, has donated $1 million to the region’s Baptist Health Foundation to benefit microsurgery research and technology at Baptist Health Orthopedic Care. Baptist Health recognized Case’s gift by naming its parking facility at […] [Read More]

CDK now has a CDP. The retail automotive software provider has launched its customer data platform, designed to unify fragmented customer information and deliver real-time insights to dealerships. CDK said the Built-In CDP uses the industry’s largest dataset to enrich consumer information throughout the CDK Dealership Xperience to give dealers clean, trusted customer data without […] [Read More]

The car business is both challenging and rewarding. To help anyone trying to move metal nowadays, listen to the valuable insights from some of the Women in Retail honorees, presented by CarGurus, during this panel discussion at Used Car Week 2025 in Las Vegas. The conversation is now available in this episode of the Auto […] [Read More]

A global pandemic. Chip shortages. Production and supply issues. Tariff and trade turmoil. The 2020s have been more rollercoaster than roaring for automakers. With the constraints and challenges of the last half decade-plus, OEMs have had to reconsider their approach to marketing and “really maximize the impact of every dollar they’re spending” on advertising, says […] [Read More]

GoTo has upgraded its artificial intelligence-powered communications platform for auto dealers. The cloud communications and information technology provider said the new features of GoTo Connect for Automotive include enhanced CRM and DMS integrations, 24/7 automatic AI service scheduling and real-time reporting. In a news release, the company said the advances allow every dealership team, from […] [Read More]

A luxury dealership in California is right in the wheelhouse of the Fletcher Jones Automotive Group. So when longtime owner Del Montell put Santa Monica BMW up for sale, Fletcher Jones was all too happy to make the purchase. The Newport Beach, Calif.-based dealership group has acquired the Santa Monica store, according to Haig Partners, […] [Read More]

Dealership acquisitions and ownership changes seem to surface multiple times per week nowadays. How those deals come to fruition was the focus of a Used Car Week 2025 panel discussion led by Cherokee Media Group’s Joe Overby. Sharing their insights about dealership M&A and more were four experts —  Gabe Robleto of Kerrigan Advisors, Brian […] [Read More]

Meredith Motors, a family-owned and operated independent auto sales and repair center in Ballston Spa, N.Y., has been named Dealer of the Year 2025 by R&C Dealer Services, a recognition the company said underscores its rising reputation for integrity. R&C Dealer Services works with 22 independent dealerships in the Capital District surrounding New York’s state […] [Read More]