To borrow some dealership vernacular, the delivery of Dealertrack Technologies to Cox Automotive finally rolled over the curb on Thursday morning. Cox Automotive said it completed its acquisition of Dealertrack in an all-cash tender offer to purchase all of the outstanding shares of Dealertrack. The transaction is valued at approximately $4 billion, or $63.25 per […] [Read More]

Continuing the theme of digital proliferation in the automotive industry, The Appraisal Lane announced Wednesday that the Gettel Automotive Group in Florida is the newest dealer group to put the company’s trade and communications platform solutions to task.  Gettel has rolled out the The Appraisal Lane system  across all 11 of its dealerships in the Sarasota, […] [Read More]

Representatives from Cox Automotive and Dealertrack Technologies on Wednesday used the adjectives “important” and “key” to describe moves made by the Department of Justice to provide a pathway for the companies to finalize their agreement that’s been in the works since mid-June. Furthermore, Cox Automotive elaborated a bit about one element of the Justice Department’s […] [Read More]

An electric SUV. Those are two words the auto industry might not have expected to ever see side by side a decade ago. Of course, automakers have begun exploring the possibility of this segment in recent years, an example being the Toyota RAV4 EV. But today, the industry buzz is all about the new Tesla […] [Read More]

Depreciation was ramping up as we approached October, and a few car segments bared the brunt of recent price declines. And according to the latest Black Book Market Insights report, dealer sentiment across the country continues to focus on slowing buyer demand in the auction lanes. This past week the full-size, compact and entry midsize […] [Read More]

DealerRater has overhauled its dealer platform, the company said in a news release Wednesday. New to the review site is a customizable dashboard for dealers to view and track reviews, additional reporting capabilities, automated performance updates and a new mobile interface. Dealers can also build custom reports that track their reviews and reviews on their […] [Read More]

Elcometer has rolled out a new auto paint meter known as Elcometer 311, the company announced this week. Among the key features shared by Elcometer include automatic switching between steel and aluminum panels, the ability to conduct 60 readings per minute, water-resistant design with built-in temperature compensation and more. “The truth is, you simply cannot […] [Read More]

Dent Wizard International announced Tuesday its acquisition of Know How Systems Global (KhS), a provider of high-volume automotive services and repairs to OEMs and insurers. The latter is a St. Louis-based company that features three primary offerings of diversified fleet services, claims management and appraisal services, with operations primarily in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. […] [Read More]

Two of U.S. House membesr who are two of staunchest defenders of dealers and how the indirect auto financing model currently operates — one that still includes dealer reserve — peppered the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau who made his semiannual appearance before the Financial Services Committee on Tuesday. Like many of his […] [Read More]

Westlake Financial Services shared its plans this week to expand its servicing team at the WFS Production Center in Dallas. Since its inception back in January, the company highlighted this facility has increased support for Westlake’s dealer partners, providing them with improved servicing. To keep the momentum going, Westlake intends to hire 85 employees by the […] [Read More]