Retail

SOUTH AMBOY, N.J. — DCH Auto Group asked its dealerships to be creative to generate funds for relief efforts in earthquake-hit Haiti. Some stores responded with a campaign centered on carnations; another focused on the chance to dress down. At DCH Tustin Acura in Tustin, Calif., the dealership ran a campaign called, "Carnations for Donations." Customers […] [Read More]

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — J.D. Power and Associates projected a sluggish new-vehicle retail selling rate for January, especially in light of a relatively strong performance during the final month of 2009. Company analysts predicted that January's sales total would come in at 500,900 units. They indicated that represents a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 7.9 million […] [Read More]

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — While the expected year-over-year upswing in January's new-vehicle sales is a good sign for the industry, what TrueCar found more encouraging is the projected upswing in luxury sales, as these often reflect the state of consumer confidence. Specifically, the company anticipates that there will 728,019 new vehicles (including fleet) sold in the […] [Read More]

DETROIT — In a recent installment of the automaker's Faces of GM blog, General Motors spotlighted one of its Denver dealers, sharing the story of Ivette Dominguez, owner and president of Alpine Buick Pontiac GMC. In her post, she shared some of her history in the auto business, best-selling vehicles, favorite models and personal passions. For […] [Read More]

McLEAN, Va. — The National Automobile Dealers Association is pushing back the advanced registration deadline for the NADA Convention & Expo to Jan. 27, which will allows dealers and their managers a few extra days to sign up early and save $50 to $75. Dealers and their managers can also enjoy a $200 voucher from NADA […] [Read More]

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Though General Motors has eliminated the Saturn brand, a western New York dealership group is making significant efforts to service customers who purchased those vehicles as well as retain as much personnel as possible. West Herr plans to consolidate the resources of two Saturn dealerships and create a new Saturn service center in […] [Read More]

IRVINE, Calif. — While the industry's lease penetration rates haven't been at their typical 20- to 22-percent levels and might not necessarily return to the "high-flying days," Kelley Blue Book's James Bell suggested that smart's announcement that it is entering the leasing market could be indicative of some good signs. Bell, executive market analyst for Kbb.com, […] [Read More]

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. — Officials from smart USA Distributor rolled out their first national lease program late last week. They are initiating the program through Daimler Financial Services. The company indicated the new lease program is available for all new smart models. It plans offer lease increments of 24, 36 and 48 months. To support the […] [Read More]

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. — Penske Automotive Group has expanded its footprint in southern California with the purchase of two dealerships in Santa Ana. Commonwealth Audi and Commonwealth are co-located at the Santa Ana Auto Mall in Orange County. Officials project that the stores will record combined annual revenue of $80 million. Officials said that Penske has […] [Read More]

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Earlier this week, Sergio Marchionne, chief executive officer of Chrysler Group, announced that the automaker intends to break even this year. And by 2014, Chrysler is expected to have its operating profit increase to $5 billion. "We believe sales will reach 2.8 million total units by that date as well," he said […] [Read More]