Not long after reintroducing the certified program, Cadillac dealers are now turning some of their focus to the look of their storefronts. Aiming to strike strong first impressions with shoppers and vault the brand atop the luxury market, scores of Cadillac dealerships throughout the U.S. are investing in makeovers. The makeovers are a part of Cadillac’s “Defining Moments” customer […] [Read More]

Announced Monday, Ally Financial has been named the exclusive sponsor of Time Dealer of the Year. The awards program, which is produced in cooperation with the National Automobile Dealers Association, aims to recognize the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service. "Automobile dealers have a tremendous impact on […] [Read More]

For a service technician at Crossroads Chevrolet-Cadillac in Joplin, Mo., recovering from the horrific tornado that ripped apart the community last month became a little easier thanks to the dealership owner and generosity of volunteers. Normally, Jason Moser spends his days reconditioning trade-ins to boost retail used-vehicle inventory at Crossroads Chevrolet-Cadillac. After the May 22 […] [Read More]

The certified pre-owned market experienced its first year-over-year drop in 15 months, but year-to-date sales remain above the 2010 pace, according to Autodata Corp., which indicated that the industry’s CPO sales came in at 144,523 units during May. This total for the month is down 3 percent from May 2010 and puts the year-to-date total […] [Read More]

CarMark Certified, the new vehicle certification program designed for franchise, former franchise and independent car dealers, has gained significant momentum in its first eight months of operation. CarMark compares favorably and, in many facets, is equivalent to automakers’ factory Certified Pre-Owned  programs. Now being offered by dealers in 20 U.S. states, CarMark Certified provides dealers with […] [Read More]

NCM Associates created a pair of new education programs for dealerships and their managers. One is aimed specifically at used-vehicle operations while the other is a general management executive program. Set to begin rolling out in August, NCM is taking its used-vehicle and service management training on the road in two new sessions called “How to […] [Read More]

Toyota began its 2012 fiscal year on April 1 still under the cloud of destruction that had ravaged the Japan less than three weeks before. The disasters were as violent as they were fatal, widespread and chaotic. The automaker — and many of its Japanese peers — have started to bounce back somewhat from the […] [Read More]

General Motors is re-launching its certified pre-owned program today with a new official name, a new branding strategy, a more thorough inspection explanation and what GM officials are calling an "industry first:" a two-year/30,000-mile free maintenance program called Owner Care. Jennifer Costabile, general director of used-vehicle activities for GM, and Larry Pryg, the program’s national manager, talked […] [Read More]

The Father’s Day Council has chosen to honor Hendrick Automotive Group’s director of variable operations with a Charlotte, N.C., 2011 Father of the Year Award. The nonprofit, formed in 1931, identifies and honors fathers all over the country who have demonstrated the ability to balance their careers with their personal lives and duties as parents. […] [Read More]

As summer rolls in with consumers seeing little reprieve from high fuel prices, Consumer Reports put together a list of the best cars for fuel economy on the market, garnering information from its recent "real-world fuel-economy" tests. To be recommended for CR’s best fuel economy list, vehicles, such as the Honda Fit and Ford Escape […] [Read More]