After reporting several all-time quarterly and yearly records for 2014, AutoNation has positioned itself to step boldly into the new year. Mike Jackson, the company’s chairman and chief executive officer, fielded several questions during the company’s quarterly earnings conference call on Tuesday, painting a picture of a solid 2015 ahead for his crew, including a […] [Read More]

AutoNation hosted its fourth-quarter earnings conference call for 2014 on Tuesday, revealing several all-time earnings-related records for the company on both a quarterly and yearly basis. But first starting with the used-market results, the company’s retail used vehicle unit sales for the fourth quarter of 2014 increased by 9 percent overall, to 53,534 units. On a same-store […] [Read More]

Sure, there is room for the certified pre-owned segment to continue climbing, but it may take some maneuvering when it comes to consumer education. In a conversation with Auto Remarketing at the recent NADA Convention &  Expo, AutoTrader.com president Jared Rowe said much of this segment’s potential comes down to educating the consumer on just […] [Read More]

There was close to $27 billion in used-vehicle sales last month, as dealers and private individuals combined to move 2.38 million used units, according to CNW Research. The firm reported Sunday that most of the 2-percent year-over-year increase in used unit sales came from franchised dealers, whose numbers were up 4.63 percent.  Private-party sales also […] [Read More]

This month’s used-vehicle sales will likely beat year-ago figures by 1 percent, as the Northeast snowstorm in the latter part of January had little impact on the pre-owned car market, according to CNW Research. The firm is predicting that January will close with more than 2.36 million used sales industry-wide, ahead of the 2.34 million […] [Read More]

At last week’s NADA Convention & Expo, Cars.com revealed a new tool to help franchised dealerships make their service departments stand out from the pack. The site has launched RepairPal Certified, which was developed in partnership with RepairPal. The certification badge is designed to verify trusted service departments for consumers shopping around, and shows consumers […] [Read More]

General Motors is ramping up its environmental sustainability efforts, and its dealers are joining in the movement, as well. The automaker recently launched its “Green Dealer Recognition” program, and certain Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealers are using these environmental credentials to attract customers who value “green” businesses. The participating dealers have made strides in […] [Read More]

Penske Automotive Group announced Monday its acquisition of a Land Rover dealership in what the company considers a key strategic market in the Northeast. The dealership — located in Darien, Conn. — is expected to generate an estimated $50 million in annual revenue. Robert Kurnick, Jr., president of Penske Automotive Group, believes the acquisition is […] [Read More]

Although not expected to be as dramatic (percentage-wise) as the increase in off-lease volumes this year,  the supply of late-model off-rental vehicles will likely show “nice steady growth” in 2015, including what Tom Webb describes as a “diverse mix of vehicles.”  “And — probably very exciting for franchised dealers — in 2015, for the first […] [Read More]

The U.S. is coming off of its fourth straight record year of CPO sales, and the certified market continues to grow in Canada, as well. Automakers such as Audi Canada and Volkswagen Canada tracked record CPO months right and left this past year, while the U.S. market achieved 2.34 million certified sales in 2014, which […] [Read More]