It’s the quintessential hook to selling a certified pre-owned car. It has been inspected and reconditioned (and practically guaranteed) “good as new,” or close to it. And some more so than others. In a set of lists released Tuesday morning, Autotrader shared what it considers to be the 10 Best CPO Cars for 2019 and […] [Read More]

As dealer principals look to transition away from operating a non-controlled foreign corporation (NCFC) due to the unknown outcome of the new tax law, many have set their sights on becoming a dealer-owned warranty company (DOWC). As part of this, dealers have been asking about the specifics behind the DOWC structure, and what a transition […] [Read More]

Columbus Fair Auto Auction (CFAA) notes that dealers can take up to seven days to prepare vehicles purchased at auction for placement on their front line. A new CFAA service aims to save time by offering mechanic, reconditioning, body shop, and transportation services for a single flat rate.    Under CFAA’s Frontline Ready service initiative, […] [Read More]

In the fourth of six panel discussions recorded at Used Car Week 2018, Joe Overby moderates a panel discussion with some of the leading economists in the used-car industry: Jonathan Smoke of Cox Automotive, Tom Kontos of KAR Auction Services and Tony Hughes of Moody's Analytics.  The full discussion can be found below. And stay tuned […] [Read More]

A new partnership could reduce the concerns dealers might have with adding higher-mileage vehicles to their inventory. DealersLink, an automotive systems integration and networking technology company, announced the partnership last week with vehicle contract program company Alpha Warranty Services. The companies say the partnership will give DealersLink members the ability to add Alpha Warranty Services’ high-mileage […] [Read More]

To buy new or used? Consumers who are debating that issue might be surprised that, according to a study from iSeeCars.com, certain models can be more economical when purchased new. The average new car costs 30.2 percent more than the 1-year-old used version of the same vehicle, according to the study, which analyzed more than […] [Read More]

KAR Auction Services said last week that it has completed its purchase of CarsOnTheWeb, a digital wholesale auction platform out of Belgium. The agreement to purchase COTW was first announced Nov. 28. The purchase was for roughly 91 million euros in cash, plus as much as 65 million euros more (over time) based on certain […] [Read More]

Graham Holdings Co. — an education and media company whose operations include educational services, television broadcasting, online, print and local TV news, home health and hospice care as well as manufacturing — recently decided to diversify its portfolio even more. And in doing so, the company decided to get into the retail car business. Graham […] [Read More]

Perhaps dealers now shouldn’t be surprised if the operation they’re bidding against for specific vehicles in the wholesale market is Fair. Arriving amid all of the hubbub of NADA Show 2019, the car-as-a-service provider announced it closed a $50 million debt facility from Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) to buy vehicles for its users — the […] [Read More]

Dealership organizations in two states think services from Dealertrack can help their members streamline operations that happen behind the scenes of vehicle deliveries. The Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association (LADA) recently announced its exclusive endorsement of Dealertrack Registration and Title Solutions to equip Louisiana dealers with the tools they need to deliver a more accurate and […] [Read More]