“The automotive shopping experience is becoming much more personal.” This quote from DealerRater general manager Jamie Oldershaw might seem like a departure from a retail automotive industry that is rapidly moving to a more digitalized car-shopping process. Except that’s exactly the environment from which an effort to personalize car shopping begins. In mid-September, Cars.com — which […] [Read More]

PERQ is the latest company to join the expanding CDK Global Partner Program, the company announced Thursday. The program recently reached over 350 partners and 450 unique applications, according to CDK. “The continued expansion of the CDK Partner Program plays a critical role in our ability to enable end-to-end automotive commerce for our customers,” CDK […] [Read More]

The team behind CompetitorPro is launching a new product on Monday that aims to help dealers in decision-making, doing so with a localized approach. VINFactor, which makes its official debut at the DrivingSales Executive Summit, is a free tool designed to decode vehicle identification numbers to provide local market context and advice. How does that […] [Read More]

CarMD and CARCHEX announced a new partnership to provide CarMD Garage customers with $100 off CARCHEX Vehicle Protection Plans. “This partnership enables us to connect with CarMD’s audience of vehicle owners who seem to appreciate insight to help reduce the cost of car ownership,” CARCHEX chief executive officer Jason Goldsmith said in a news release. […] [Read More]

Fair, an app that provides used-car leasing to consumers on a flexible basis, announced two major investments on Friday. The company said it is closing a BMW i Ventures-led strategic funding round that also includes investments from Penske Automotive Group, among other strategic investors. Additionally, Fair has secured a total of nearly $1 billion in offers […] [Read More]

TradeRev announced three executive changes Thursday, including sales team promotions and additions following KAR Auction Services recent acquisition of remaining interest in the company earlier this month. In 2014, KAR purchased a 50-percent stake in TradeRev and over the next four years, acquired the remaining interest for $50 million in cash and an additional $75 […] [Read More]

Groupe PSA is getting into the peer-to-peer used-car sales with the launch of Carventura.com. This development not only broadens the company’s used-car presence, but aligns with its Push to Pass plan, a tenet of which includes “digital transformation.” The Carventura site aims to add some security for both buyers and sellers in a market that […] [Read More]

In this week’s episode, Joe heads to Atlanta to talk with Clutch Technologies president Vince Zappa about the how vehicle subscription works.   Clutch is a provider of software that facilitates this alternative car ownership model, which allows drivers to “flip” into new cars based on their needs at the moment. For instance, you need […] [Read More]

Black Book announced Thursday it has partnered with AutoAlert to populate the data-mining and communication solution’s algorithms with its vehicle valuation data. “With the addition of Black Book, our dealer customers will have access to the industry’s most accurate vehicle valuation data, which can make a significant difference in elevating profit potential,"  AutoAlert general manager […] [Read More]

Search Optics announced Wednesday it has appointed Tabi Elbahou as senior vice president of global enterprise sales to oversee the company’s continued international expansion. For almost a decade, Elbahou most recently served as director of operations for AutoAnything.com, a subsidiary of AutoZone, where he led all aspects of online sales and directed customer service across the […] [Read More]