Stay tuned. Decisions are near. That, in a nutshell, is the message Sergio Marchionne gave this week when talking about the yet-to-be-announced plans for the leadership of newly aligned Chrysler and Fiat. With rumors swirling this week about how the management structure will shake out and when it will be revealed, the chief executive officer cleared […] [Read More]

The 2011 National Remarketing Conference, which will be held Nov. 16-18 in Las Vegas, has been adding new speakers to its agenda, and it was recently announced that the keynote panels for the first and second days of the conference have been finalized. [Read More]

In addition to announcing several record-setting production and sales results for June and the first half of this calendar year, as a part of touting its recovery from the Japanese natural disasters, Nissan Motor Co. determined its first-quarter operating profit for the 2011 fiscal year totaled 150.4 billion yen, which equals $1.84 billion or 1.28 […] [Read More]

AiM, a new- and used-vehicle inspection services company, announced Wednesday the launch of a grading system to help customers easily determine the quality and condition of a car or truck. The grading system is based on AiM’s used-vehicle inspection report and AutoCheck Score history report. “Determining which 2010 Ford Mustang or 2009 Nissan Altima to […] [Read More]

OPENLANE’s repossession business is soaring. Officials revealed this week they have experienced a 250-percent growth in repossessed vehicle sales and a 75-percent sell-through rate in their recovery remarketing program since January. OPENLANE also highlighted that it has seen a 94-percent increase of recovery companies registered to support sales for their financial lender clients since January, […] [Read More]

With the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act becoming effective last week, dealers now have a few steps they must take when it comes to disclosing credit-score information in Adverse Action Notices. As such, DealerTrack has upgraded its Performance Suite so that dealers can remain compliant with the act. Basically, the act expands […] [Read More]

Revealed Tuesday, TrueCar has made it on to Red Herring’s list of Top 100 North American Companies. By making it onto the list, TrueCar has joined the likes of entrepreneurial giants the publication gave early nods to, such as Facebook, Twitter and Google. Red Herring — which covers innovation, technology, financing and entrepreneurial activity — […] [Read More]

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — NCM Associates' Brent Carmichael pinpointed what he believes is the No. 1 decision any dealer principal needs to make before venturing into or expanding in the buy-here, pay-here market. Carmichael — NCM's executive conference moderator who specializes in BHPH — told more than 400 store managers and others who registered for […] [Read More]

ATLANTA — According to its most recent report on consumer credit trends, Equifax discovered several signs that the credit cycle is moving towards stabilization and growth, while subprime lending is also increasing in the auto, bankcard and consumer finance segments. Auto loan originations, in particular, contributed to the good news, rising nearly 17 percent year-to-date in April and currently up 9 […] [Read More]

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — J.D. Power and Associates discovered dealer satisfaction with automotive financing lenders has increased notably this year with improvement by certain banks outpacing gains by captive lenders, particularly in the prime retail credit space. Assertions in J.D. Power's 2011 U.S. Dealer Financing Satisfaction Study released Thursday also showed dealer satisfaction with lenders […] [Read More]