Dennis Thornhill, a longtime auto industry veteran with Toyota Motor North America, has joined Pinnacle Mergers & Acquisitions as an executive advisor. In a news release, Pinnacle said Thornhill will use his extensive experience in dealer operations, franchise policy and market representation to guide clients through complex transactions. The firm said his longstanding relationships with […] [Read More]

April was the strongest month for wholesale auction sales since the early days of COVID-19, driven by a surge in dealer sales not seen in over a year-and-a-half, according to the National Auto Auction Association. In its latest AuctionNet data and analysis, NAAA said there were 652,315 wholesale auction unit sales last month, which beats […] [Read More]

Kia America has made good on its mission to “accelerate the good.” The automaker announced its Accelerate the Good Dealer Match program raised a total of $4.6 million for nonprofit organizations in 2024, including donations totaling more than $1.5 million each to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and No Kid Hungry. The initiative between the […] [Read More]

With the U.S. government’s stance on tariffs resembling a game of seesaw, yet with the net effect likely to push vehicle prices higher, automotive dealers who already understand the importance of mastering both inventory management and customer portfolio strategy will be a step ahead. The market is shifting fast, and those who can pivot quickly […] [Read More]

A new chief financial officer took over at America’s Car-Mart on Monday. The company announced last week that Jonathan Collins would assume the role of CFO, succeeding Vickie Judy, who has transitioned to chief accounting officer (CAO). Car-Mart said this transition is part of the company’s continued focus on building a robust foundation to support […] [Read More]

The effects of tariffs drove Canada’s wholesale used-vehicle market up again in April, according to Canadian Black Book’s latest Used Vehicle Retention Index. The April index climbed to 140.3 points, up 0.5 points from March and even with the index of April 2024, when it was nearing the end of 27 months of consecutive declines. […] [Read More]

Auto financing — at least on the origination side of the business — doesn’t appear to be fully immune from the headwinds and uncertainty that seem to be influencing the economy. Cox Automotive reported on Monday that the Dealertrack Credit Availability Index for April “revealed notable changes in auto credit access across various metrics.” The […] [Read More]

Dealership software provider VINCUE has introduced VINCUE CATALYST, the next generation of its dealership platform. In a news release, the company said its new product is not just a software update, but rather is “engineered from the ground up” to give managers visibility into their dealership’s performance. “Our dealers were the true catalyst for this […] [Read More]

Another former Tesla executive has joined the leadership team at Plug. The company, which provides an online wholesale auction platform exclusively for electric vehicles, said Monday it has hired Lauren Van Dyke as its vice president of operations and partnerships. Van Dyke was most recently head of business operations for North America at Tesla, leading […] [Read More]

Dealer Alchemist has hired Roma Varyani as vice president of OEM partnerships to lead the development and expansion of the company’s partnerships with OEMs The automotive digital marketing company said the addition of Varyani to the leadership team “underscores the company’s dedication to fostering strategic partnerships” to enhance value for clients and partners. “Adding Roma […] [Read More]