FordDirect appointed one of its own executives to be interim general counsel and chief compliance officer for the joint venture between the Blue Oval and its franchise dealers. Chosen for the role was Beth Hill. The company highlighted Hill’s automotive and technology experience spans more than a decade and focuses on how data is transforming […] [Read More]

Jerry Durant, Jerry’s Chevrolet, Weatherford, Texas “We started in 1970 with a Chevrolet dealership located on six acres,” nominee Durant said. “We now have seven brands and more than 60 acres.” But the expansion did not come easy. “At the time we were in the middle of building new buildings and renovating old facilities, the […] [Read More]

Brad Deery, Deery Brothers, West Burlington, Iowa “I have been very fortunate throughout my 28 years in the automobile industry to gain the ability and privilege to provide support to a wide variety of deserving people, schools, religious groups, civic organizations, clubs and teams in several ways,” nominee Deery said. “Whether the assistance is monetary […] [Read More]

Larry Clark, Larry Clark Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac, Amory, Miss. “Most dealers want stores in metro areas and I understand that,” nominee Clark said. “But I enjoy being in a smaller market and knowing the customers on a first-name basis.” And that connection to the local community started when Clark, a 1973 graduate of West […] [Read More]

Taking note of the Eastern country’s growing used-car market, Kelley Blue Book revealed it will be heading East and launching a new Web-based and mobile product in China. KBB announced a joint venture with marketing company Bitauto Holdings Limited and the China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA).  The new product will operate as a Web-based and […] [Read More]

Days after Manheim’s chief economist Tom Webb reported public dealership groups “are growing through acquisitions,” Lithia Motors announced it has bought another Toyota Scion Store. Geweke Toyota Scion in Lodi, Calif., is now part of Lithia’s dealership group, and the store will be named Lodi Toyota Scion. The company said it will add $40 million […] [Read More]

Car Nation Canada revealed it is opening its ninth dealership. The new Oakville, Ontario, store will provide potential buyers with over 60 used cars for sale on-site to browse through, as well as online access to Car Nation inventory of more than 600 pre-owned vehicles and 1,000 new cars. The Oakville Used Car Superstore, located […] [Read More]

Certified pre-owned sales remained consistent with trends seen throughout this year as the European OEMs once again recorded increases across the board, and one OEM has already reached above 2012 full-year sales results. At Audi Canada, the company sold 415 CPO units last month, which marks a 17 percent increase over October 2012. Year-to-date, this […] [Read More]

In the October TradeTracker Used Vehicle Market Report, Toyota Corolla topped the list as the most appraised vehicle in Canada. The Corolla was followed by the popular Ford F-150, which holds the title of the most appraised vehicle year-to-date. These reports are provided monthly to Auto Remarketing Canada and are a result of Dealertrack Technologies' […] [Read More]

Because hammering out an agreeable trade-in value creates negative feelings for potential buyers, AutoTrader.com offered four tips to help dealers ease the pain of the trade-in and increase customer satisfaction. Site officials wanted to create a strategy for stores because they contend satisfaction with the vehicle-buying process decreases significantly once consumers make the transition from […] [Read More]