The average premium commanded by certified pre-owned vehicles appears to have dipped from its peak this spring, and turn times are a bit slower, but take that with a grain of salt: both metrics are in relatively solid shape. Data from CNW Research going back to 2010 indicates that dealers are still fetching much higher premiums […] [Read More]

Title washing — the process of altering vehicle documents to remove unsavory details about a vehicle’s past from its title — is an increasing threat to the integrity and safety of the used-car industry in the United States. According to a report released this week from researchers at Carfax, an estimated 800,000 used cars in […] [Read More]

SoCal Penske broadened its presence in the southern California retail sales and service market last week by adding a Toyota store to its dealer group. With plans for a complete renovation to operate a state-of-the-art facility, SoCal Penske now has Penske Toyota Scion of West Covina in its store portfolio. Located just off Interstate 10 […] [Read More]

Weakening sales this month have triggered increased lot inventory, according to CNW Research’s monthly Retail Automotive Summary. Despite dealers being able to get a higher-than-average percentage of their asking prices on used cars so far this month, the higher stocks of vehicles have led to the used-car days’ supply going up 3 percent, a trend the […] [Read More]

Urban Science’s 2014 mid-year Automotive Franchise Activity Report was released Thursday, revealing expectations of an all-time record-setting year for dealers by the end of 2014. The report, which estimates that the average number of sales per dealership, based on LMC Automotive’s forecast of 16.2 million vehicles sold by the end of the year, foreshadows a […] [Read More]

KeyBanc Capital Markets likes the used-department outlook not only for the publicly traded dealerships groups its analysts watch closely, but also for the majority of franchised stores — especially the ones that move certified pre-owned vehicles. According to its July Dealer Survey, KeyBanc said its industry observers continue to believe franchised dealers will outperform the […] [Read More]

In a development the National Automobile Dealers Association said will help stores, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration unveiled a new, free, online search tool both dealers and consumers can use to find out if a vehicle is directly impacted by a recall. Also becoming effective on Wednesday under new NHTSA mandate, all major light […] [Read More]

Dealerships from all over New Jersey have raised over $500,000 for The Valerie Fund. Currently 177 different dealerships have come together to collect donations for the fund, whose mission is to raise money to support the comprehensive healthcare of children with cancer and blood disorders. The campaign, titled New Jersey Auto Retailers Unite, began June […] [Read More]

American Honda Motor Co. and Carfax have extended their certified pre-owned partnership, which began 10 years ago. As such, Carfax will continue to be a vehicle history information provider for the Honda and Acura certified pre-owned vehicle programs. Carfax Vehicle History Reports have been a major element in the Honda/Acura CPO programs the past decade, the […] [Read More]

Group 1 Automotive has announced the acquisition of a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Boerne, Texas, which will operate as Mercedez-Benz of Boerne. The dealership, which also includes a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter commercial vehicle franchise, is expected to generate an estimated revenue of $135 million annually. “We are delighted to strengthen our relationship with Mercedes-Benz and further expand our […] [Read More]