In an effort to provide greater dealer support nationwide, Audi of America revealed late last week it will be creating a new Central Region, which will represent 22 percent of the company’s U.S. dealerships.  The fourth region in the country for the OEM will be based near Chicago and is set to open for business […] [Read More]

Asbury Automotive Group made a new appointment to its board of directors last week, adding executive vice president and chief operating officer Michael Kearney. With Kearney’s appointment, Asbury’s board of directors now consists of nine members. “I am pleased to welcome Michael as a member of our Board,” Asbury chairman Thomas DeLoach Jr. said. "Michael […] [Read More]

Under an agreement announced Thursday, Carfax Vehicle History Reports will be provided in the Ford and Lincoln certified pre-owned programs beginning Jan. 1. Ford will provide a free Carfax report with each CPO Ford or Lincoln model sold, officials said. “Carfax proved to be one of the key enhancements Ford wants for its certified programs,” […] [Read More]

HGrégoire has announced the opening of yet another franchise to serve the Lower Saint Lawrence area. HGrégoire Canada's Car Superstore of Rimouski — which opened Monday — has set up shop at 140, Montée Industrielle et Commerciale in Rimouski, the company said, and represents an investment of more than $2 million and the creation of […] [Read More]

Officials from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Ford is recalling certain model-year 2011–2013 Fiesta vehicles for an air-bag issue. NHTSA indicated the passenger side curtain air bag on 154,604 units will not deploy in the event of a side impact collision when the front passenger seat is empty. Although the side curtain air […] [Read More]

Joe Balbi, owner-operator of two Pennsylvania Thrifty Car Sales franchises, says the key to success is all about having the right team and knowing your customers. “It is our team, ownership and our franchise that makes us successful. Anybody can open a Joe's used-car lot, but with Thrifty Car Sales there is branding and accountability, […] [Read More]

Not only was the third quarter the strongest quarter ever for the certified pre-owned market, the period’s final month saw two brands notching all-time sales records. According to Autodata Corp., both Mazda and Porsche achieved their respective strongest months ever for certified sales, September or otherwise, as Mazda moved 2,811 units and Porsche sold 871 […] [Read More]

Experian Automotive said Thursday that BMW of North America has named it as a provider of vehicle history reports for its BMW certified pre-owned and MINI NEXT programs. BMW and MINI dealers certifying vehicles with an AutoCheck report may extend to customers Experian Automotive’s buyback protection, which safeguards against major hidden title brands on AutoCheck […] [Read More]

The Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario announced earlier this week that longtime executive director Bob Beattie has died. Beattie helped found the organization nearly three decades ago and was credited for being a major catalyst toward is growth over the past 28 years. “Bob was a respected and influential figure in Ontario’s motor vehicle […] [Read More]

Dealer associations and other industry entities reinforced their positions on the issue Wednesday as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed a consumer safety advisory to alert vehicle owners and repair professionals to the dangers of counterfeit air bags. NHTSA said it has become aware of a problem involving the sale of counterfeit air bags […] [Read More]