Dealer Profit Pros president Kenny Atcheson closed 2019 by reaching out to an array of leading executives, experts and observers of the buy-here, pay-here industry and other parts of the automotive space to gather their expectations for 2020. From compliance to wholesale and retail, Atcheson recorded audio segments with each participant and posted them on […] [Read More]

DealerSocket has signed a deal to purchase DMS software provider Auto/Mate, the company announced Monday afternoon. The combined entity would blend the DMS capabilities of Auto/Mate with the vast array of services from DealerSocket — including CRM, digital retail/websites and inventory management, as well as independent dealer-focused DMS products — to provide what DealerSocket called “an all-in-one, […] [Read More]

Shingaku Kochi says Mitsubishi Motors Corp. customers demand a great deal of safety, comfort and convenience in their vehicles. Kochi, who is Mitsubishi Motors general manager of its connected information business department, describes connected car services as a crucial method of improving the driving experience for those customers. To help meet those customers’ demands, Mitsubishi […] [Read More]

Before stores intensified their holiday-season sales efforts, both Haig Partners and Kerrigan Advisors released their third-quarter dealership buy/sell activity reports, highlighting how activity during the timeframe put the transaction pace on a healthy course to round out 2019 and to begin 2020. Beginning first with the Q3 2019 edition of The Haig Report released by […] [Read More]

Fresh off a year of four major investments in the EV automaker, including a $1.3 billion round announced in late December, Rivian started 2020 with a big splash on the connectivity front. Rivian said Monday it will integrate Amazon Alexa into the connected vehicle systems of the forthcoming R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV, giving […] [Read More]

The advent of more cooperative forms of mobility will take place in 2020, as 107 million connected cars on the road will begin sharing data messages about road and traffic conditions to allow other connected vehicles to anticipate hazards and improve traffic flow. That is according to ABI Research smart mobility and automotive analyst Maite […] [Read More]

ACERTUS co-founder and chief executive officer William Billiter says increased demand for his company’s home delivery service shows that auto retailing “is in the midst of a paradigm shift.” “Digitization is revolutionizing car sales and service,” Billiter said in a news release. ACERTUS, a tech-enabled automotive logistics and services company, is taking advantage of the […] [Read More]

Dealer Tire said Monday it has entered a deal to buy reconditioning service and vehicle protection product provider Dent Wizard from Gridiron Capital. The transaction would result in what Dealer Tire called the “leading aftersales dealer services platform in North America.” “The combination of Dent Wizard’s reconditioning capabilities and Dealer Tire’s service lane presence offers greater […] [Read More]

Black Book picked out a pair of trends from its newest Used Vehicle Retention Index that might impact how you shape your dealership inventory during the opening stages of 2020. Analysts on Monday released the December index reading, which came in at 113.3, representing a 0.7-point dip from November when it stood at 114.0. Black […] [Read More]

Before 2019 closed, another Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company targeting buyers in the automotive retail industry released its proprietary search engine fueled by artificial intelligence (AI). And it’s a solution that’s designed to function similar to how music might flow through your favorite streaming service. The leadership team at myautoIQ said its technology can provide targeted customer […] [Read More]