As the wave of second quarter reports ring out from various automotive retailers, several commonalities have emerged. Sales are up. Profits are up. Conditions are ideal, and many are poised for further expansion. However, there was one key limiting factor that has come up in at least two of the groups’ conference calls: finding well-qualified […] [Read More]

As Chrysler announced two recalls covering more than 800,000 units, General Motors made six additional recalls on Wednesday, raising its total for the year to 60 campaigns connected with more than 28 million vehicles worldwide. The newest GM campaigns cover 717,950 recent model vehicles in the U.S. Here is a breakdown of units included in […] [Read More]

Lithia Motors reported its second-quarter results Wednesday, revealing an 11-percent increase in same-store used retail sales. And much of the company’s conference call to discuss Q2 financial results was spent outlining the recent DCH Auto acquisition and what it means for Lithia going forward. And overall used retail sales were up a significant 14.3 percent […] [Read More]

There were plenty of cars available during the second quarter that were nice fits to be sold as certified pre-owned. And there were plenty of high-mileage used cars for the taking. Problem was, says AutoNation executive Mike Maroone, there just wasn’t enough of the middle ground. But the retailer has taken steps to alleviate this […] [Read More]

The Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association has named Robert Vail as its new chairman. Vail, the current president of the Vail Auto Group in Bedford Hill, N.Y., has been a member of the GNYADA board of directors since 1993 as well as holding several positions on both the executive and finance committees for the […] [Read More]

When Sonic Automotive held its conference call to discuss second-quarter results on Tuesday, on top of a record used-sales performance, the focus was on a series of initiatives the dealer group is either rolling out or beginning to reap the benefits of this year. During the call, investor interest circled around Sonic’s True Price strategy, […] [Read More]

Asbury Automotive Group announced across-the-board gross profit increases including a 7-percent increase on the used-car side. The company retailed 18,840 used vehicles in the second quarter, which proved to be 1,137 more used vehicles sold than in the second quarter of 2013, a 6-percent increase. Total used retail gross profit came in at $33.7 million, up […] [Read More]

In recent months, an independent dealer has typically generated an average premium in the neighborhood of $700 when he or she chooses to certify a car with a non-OEM program versus not certifying the vehicle at all.   That’s according to June’s Retail Automotive Summary from CNW Research, which also said that more than four-fifths […] [Read More]

There were 2.11 million certified pre-owned vehicles sold in 2013, up from 1.83 million in 2012, and 2014 is expected to be an even bigger year for certified sales, with Manheim Consulting putting a target on the 4 million mark. Are you making the most of this growing market? To help dealers answer that question […] [Read More]

As the public dealer groups began reporting their second-quarter performances in full force, Sonic Automotive revealed it reached an all-time high for used sales. The company sold a record 28,514 pre-owned units in Q2. Pre-owned units sales per store per month were up, as well, reaching 100 units in May and 93 units for the […] [Read More]