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]

With a retail workforce topping 1 million employees and the industry poised for sales growth, the National Automobile Dealers Association believes its members now more than ever need to focus on hiring and keeping talented employees. To help franchised dealerships stay competitive, officials are asking for participation in the NADA Dealership Workforce Study. The project […] [Read More]

The Zeigler Automotive Group announced Tuesday the opening of two new stores — one Nissan and one Infiniti dealership — in Orland Park, Ill. Side-by-side and named Orland Park Nissan and Orland Park Infiniti, the two stores opened on Jan. 7. Zeigler AG cited the strength and growth of the two brands as the reasoning behind […] [Read More]

As the nation celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Toyota Financial Services and the Ford Motor Company Fund joined the festivities with actions that aimed at augmenting principles upheld by the famed civil rights leader. TFS is continuing its support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their communities, by providing $60,000 to five […] [Read More]

Many companies, including dealerships, tend to tout company culture as part of their recipe for success. Not very many, however, tend to survive three generations of familial torch bearing and reap the rewards quite in the same way as Ohio’s Ricart Automotive Group. It started with Paul Ricart on Independence Day in 1953 as a […] [Read More]

Requisite Press reported Wednesday that it expects new-car prices to “stall” this year, perhaps offering price-conscious shoppers another reason to buy a new car. This news comes off a record year for new cars sold in the U.S., with 2015 sales coming in at 17.5 million. Requisite Press’ assertion stems from its December 2015 Auto Buyer's […] [Read More]

You can expect certified pre-owned sales to reach the 3 million mark next year, which would push the string of record years for this growing market to seven — just as off-lease volumes really begin to ramp up. According to data in a Cox Automotive presentation Sunday in Detroit, later shared with Auto Remarketing, CPO […] [Read More]

Penske Automotive Group has bought a 49-percent equity ownership stake in a luxury dealership group in Japan known as the Nicole Group. The multi-franchise retailer operates out of Kanagawa and Tokyo, and it features a Rolls-Royce store, a Ferrari store, four BMW stores and three MINI stores. The Nicole Group also has two standalone service […] [Read More]

During what ended up being another best-ever year for the certified pre-owned business, sales for Big 3, Asian and European brand automakers all increased year-over-year, with domestics notching a double-digit gain. According to Autodata Corp., there were 926,997 CPO sales by Big 3 brands in 2015, which beat year-ago figures by 11.8 percent. Asian brands moved […] [Read More]