NCM Associates has brought in two additional associations to serve its retail auto clients. NCM announced Wednesday that it has hired Lee Michaelson and Robert Crocker, which join NCM’s Retail Operations Consulting division under Paul Stowe’s direction. The company said Michaelson and Crocker each have significant retail automotive management experience and will help NCM in […] [Read More]

Consumers won’t be the only ones helped by Chrysler’s announcement Tuesday that it will recall certain Jeep models after coming to terms with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to Kelley Blue Book senior analyst Alec Gutierrez, the automaker was likely spared declines in the used values of these vehicles as well as sales damage. […] [Read More]

Auction volume for May was up more than 10 percent against comparable weeks of 2012, and year-to-date, the upswing has eclipsed 3 percent. That’s according to the latest Economic Dashboard prepared by National Auto Auction Association economist Ira Silver. Specifically, volume for the month climbed 10.3 percent year-over-year, with the year-to-date increase at 3.1 percent. […] [Read More]

How do the top used dealers in the nation attract and keep customers? Some of the nominees from Auto Remarketing’s  “Best in Pre-Owned Performance” feature shared their strategies and tips to make a dealership stand out from the crowd. Over at Certified Benz and Beemer in Scottsdale, Ariz., sales manager Trevor Gaiser said, “On our […] [Read More]

Auto accessories used to be all about performance and appearance. According to a new study, dealers should note that’s no longer the case, and the accessories market can impact their businesses. Foresight Research reports that the demand for accessories has greatly expanded, and crosses all brands and segments. In its syndicated 2013 Vehicle Accessory Market […] [Read More]

Used Car University recently announced it will be offering an upcoming workshop that focuses on how to increase profit in your used-car department. The workshop, titled, “Find $500,000 of Additional Gross Profit in Your Used Car Department,” is scheduled for July 11, in Nashville, Tenn., at the Radisson Hotel Nashville. The 8 a.m. to 5 […] [Read More]

NEW YORK — Analysts who compile the S&P/Experian Consumer Credit Default Indices found a steady pattern for May as the auto loan rate moved marginally while the composite reading remained unchanged. S&P Dow Jones Indices and Experian determined May's auto loan default came in at 1.04 percent, down slightly from the previous month's reading of […] [Read More]

NEW YORK — Fitch Ratings explored the potential ramifications on used-vehicle values and the impact on recoveries as the auto leasing origination market soars, reportedly spiking by as much as 248 percent in May alone. Fitch contends that continued competition from new-vehicle sales and increasing wholesale market supply will maintain recent pressure on used-vehicle values […] [Read More]

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. — Along with introducing a new online trade-in appraisal tool, Dealertrack Technologies is hosting a free webinar titled, "Your Top 5 Compliance Concerns for the Summer." The session is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on Thursday. On tap to lead the webinar is Dealertrack counsel and compliance expert Randy Henrick, who will […] [Read More]

ARLINGTON, Texas — The National Independent Automobile Dealers Association announced its endorsement of an F&I service for independent dealers it called "best in class." Named by the NIADA as a National Member Benefit Partner is Vantage Finance, the only company of its kind to be endorsed by the association. "No other organization serves the independent […] [Read More]