It appears unlikely that the federal government will intervene any time soon with Tesla Motors’ desire to adopt a direct-to-consumer sales model on a national scale. In a response to a We the People petition created on June 5, Dan Utech, special assistant to the president for energy and climate change, outlined a few reasons […] [Read More]

Manheim and AutoTrader.com recently presented the first-ever National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD) Innovation Award to a dealer who the companies described as having positively impacted organizations and the industry. The 2014 NAMAD Innovation Award went to Steve Ewing, president and chief executive officer of Wade Ford of Smyrna, Ga. The award was presented […] [Read More]

Owners of eight Garden State franchised dealerships already punished by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs 15 years ago entered into a consent order this week that included a settlement of $1.8 million, plus consumer restitution. New Jersey officials explained the settlement resolves a state investigation into what they described as alleged deceptive sales […] [Read More]

Brake fluid diagnostic purveyor Phoenix Systems announced a new partnership last week to offer the company’s Project Stop Safe system to members of the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association. The goal of the program, which facilitates Phoenix System’s brake fluid safety inspection, is to give NIADA members the opportunity to equip their dealerships with the […] [Read More]

Do the math on this one: Bourne’s Auto Center is stocking less and selling more. Previously, the number of used retail units that the store kept in its inventory was in the high 300s, said general manager Michael Kelley. This year, the Boston-area independent dealer has reduced that number to around 312. However, its used […] [Read More]

The 2015 National Automobile Dealers Association Convention & Expo, which will be hosted in San Francisco from Jan. 22 through Jan. 25, announced a few prominant keynote speakers on Monday, including Jeb Bush, Jay Leno and Beck Weathers. The NADA convention, in its 16th time in San Francisco since 1948, will have its first keynote […] [Read More]

On Monday, Ally Financial and TIME opened the nomination period for the 2015 TIME Dealer of the Year program, which has incorporated a new strategy to determine who will be in the running for the honor. The process kicked off at the annual Automotive Trade Association Executives (ATAE) Summer Conference in Laguna Niguel, Calif. This […] [Read More]

When it comes to the private retail industry — ranging from clothing and specialty foods to grocery stores and gas stations — used-car dealerships lead the pack for sales growth and profitability. That’s according to financial information company Sageworks, who reported sales growth and profitability among used-car dealerships is higher than for all privately held […] [Read More]

FordDirect announced late last week the promotion of three of its employees to senior vice president status. The three former vice presidents — James Casazza, John Gottschalk and Marianne Tappy — have been moved up to their senior-level positions after many collective years working in the automotive industry. Stacey Coopes, the chief executive officer of […] [Read More]

At the halfway mark for 2014, we’ve seen some interesting developments in the vehicle transport industry. Here’s a quick breakdown from both the haulaway (truck) and rail perspectives. Truck Driver Safety In industry language, a “haulaway” is a truck designed for the transportation of automobiles. As safety is of primary importance to transport providers, we […] [Read More]