On Monday, Group 1 Automotive announced the acquisition of Joe Marina Honda in Tulsa, Okla., which now will operate as South Pointe Honda. Group officials indicated the dealership is expected to generate $60 million in estimated annual revenues. “We are delighted to further our relationship with Honda and to expand our existing footprint in the […] [Read More]

As October kicks off breast cancer awareness month, many of the OEMs are doing their part to help efforts to raise awareness and funds to fight the disease. Chrysler Group, for one, begins its month-long campaign this week. The company will be holding informational awareness seminars for its employees with health plan partners Blue Cross […] [Read More]

The overall new-car SAAR predictions are falling slightly and consumer interest in new rides may be fading a bit as fall gets underway, if Dataium’s latest Automotive Shopper Intensity report is any indicator.  That said, new models, marketing campaigns and redesigns have spurred renewed interest for some brands. Dataium explained that Chevrolet, in particular, benefited […] [Read More]

Mazda North American Operations informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it plans to recall 161,400 units of the Mazda6 from the 2009 through 2013 model years. Mazda is recalling these units manufactured between Feb. 4, 2008 and Aug. 24, 2012 because the door latch mounting screws may become loose. “If all three door […] [Read More]

Certified pre-owned penetration of used-vehicle unit volumes within some of the largest publicly traded dealer groups was found to be as high as 35 percent, according to data from KeyBanc Capital Markets, which indicated most of the six retailers in its set had CPO shares between 25 percent and 30 percent. KeyBanc’s August survey of […] [Read More]

A new app from AutoTrader.com offers dealers an opportunity to position their inventories in front of the growing number of people who use their tablets to shop for vehicles.  The AutoTrader.com iPad app also offers car shoppers a way to find their perfect vehicle quickly, even if they’re undecided on brand. Company officials say the […] [Read More]

Last week, two Asian automakers announced vehicle recalls totaling more than 700,000 units. The larger of the campaigns came from Toyota Motor Sales USA, which said it will conduct a voluntary safety recall involving approximately 615,000 Sienna minivans from model years 2004 through 2005, and 2007 through 2009. The reason: To address problems with the […] [Read More]

Ever wonder how to keep your employees motivated? Customers are bound to respond positively to motivated employees who obviously enjoy their work in the dealership, but the question is how to get there. Dennis Galbraith, the new chief marketing officer at Potratz Partners Advertising covers this and more in his latest “Hard Facts with Dennis […] [Read More]

As September draws to a close, the used-car sales projections are rolling in. Showing some signs of seasonality, sales projections are coming in a bit lower than seen in August. Edmunds.com is estimating 3.01 million used cars will be sold this month — a number that constitutes a SAAR of 36.2 million, compared to 3.04 […] [Read More]

With Oct. 1 marking the traditional start of the new model year, manufacturers are offering some hot deals on leases as this date approaches, perhaps in an effort to help dealers move 2013 model-year vehicles off their lots. Kelley Blue Book picked out some of the best lease deals for this month — many of […] [Read More]