Following a year where overall auction volume fell more than 7 percent, 2012 opened with what appears to be a sign of progress in the lanes, according to the National Auto Auction Association, which said the year-over-year volume decline continued to slow down during the first three months of the year. [Read More]

As gas prices continue to soften, the Black Book team finally began to see wholesale price trends for trucks and cars reacting as “one might normally expect,” according to Ricky Beggs. Beggs pointed out that fuel costs dipped another 4 cents last week to push the total decrease compiled during the past five weeks to […] [Read More]

Despite earning their lowest scores in more than a decade, Toyota and Honda held onto the lead spots in the 12th annual North American Automotive OEM-Tier 1 Supplier Working Relations Index Study. Meanwhile, Chrysler and General Motors saw continued improvement resulting in best-ever scores this year, and Ford fell slightly but remained in third place […] [Read More]

Dealer consignment volume in the auction lanes increased more than 8 percent during the first quarter, and while consignment from fleet/lease and OEM channels was still down, their declines have mellowed from the full-year downturns in 2011. These were just some of the findings in the recently released first-quarter Auction Industry Report from the National […] [Read More]

With gas prices softening a bit throughout the country, Kelley Blue Book advised dealers to check their used inventories for five specific fuel-efficient models that could be in line for a significant price correction. That group included the 2010 Toyota Prius, 2011 Toyota Yaris, 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, 2011 Toyota Corolla and 2011 Kia Soul. “Although […] [Read More]

Global vehicle fleet services provider ARI has announced the 2011 recipients of the 13th annual ARI Regional Auction of the Year Award, recognizing commitment to consistent quality service and strong working relationships. Five of the six winning auctions for 2011 have also received the award in multiple years. The 2011 honorees include one ServNet auction, […] [Read More]

The current used-vehicle landscape helped Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group post record first-quarter profit. As the company revealed its latest financial performance on Wednesday, DTAG calculated that its first-quarter net income came in at $40.4 million or $1.35 per diluted share. That level is up from the year-ago net income amount of $16.5 million, or 53 […] [Read More]

Recent growth has led to a move for Auctions in Motion, which has announced the relocation of its Thursday auction to a larger facility at 889 Mitchell Road in Thousand Oaks, Calif. The move addresses the company’s need for additional space to accommodate growth in demand in the Southern California Region, an AIM spokesperson said, […] [Read More]

After taking dozens of questions about the first-quarter performance of each of the company’s major subsidiaries — ADESA, Insurance Auto Auctions and Automotive Finance Corp. — KAR Auction Services chief executive officer Jim Hallett exhaled and left investors with one more upbeat comment. “From our standpoint, we’re very pleased with the first quarter; very pleased, […] [Read More]

Along with his monthly look at the specialty markets, Black Book’s Ricky Beggs shared how recent changes in gas prices didn’t create wholesale price movements dealers might have anticipated. The Black Book managing editor began his weekly online commentary, “Beggs on the Used Car Market,” by asking dealers a question. Beggs wondered, “With gas prices […] [Read More]