WomenCertified announced Tuesday it is launching a Dealer Recognition Program with research powered by J.D. Power and Associates. The idea behind the program is to help dealerships to increase customer satisfaction among their female clients through the WomenCertified Dealer Recognition Award. Customer satisfaction research, powered by J.D. Power, will qualify dealerships who meet a higher […] [Read More]

General Motors announced Tuesday it will invest $100 million to add 30 jobs and purchase tooling and equipment to make future automotive components at its GM Components Holdings Rochester Operations. "This investment in our manufacturing operations will enable us to produce a new generation of fuel-efficient small-block car and truck engines," said Cathy Clegg, GM […] [Read More]

Ford wants potential buyers to remember a childhood milestone: pedaling a bicycle for the first time without the training wheels. The automaker’s new urban advertising campaign tied to the new Ford Focus is looking to rekindle that memory and many other childhood experiences as part of the launch of the campaign called “Inner Child.” The […] [Read More]

Along with some survey discussion about brand appeal and what technology consumers want in their vehicles nowadays, CNW Research expects the April used-vehicle sales total to jump 10 percent. President Art Spinella also predicted retail prices should edge upward because of short supply. Overall, CNW thinks April’s used-vehicle sales total could reach 3.6 million. The […] [Read More]

ALG officials believe the recent Japan disasters could lead to a 10-percent jump in new-vehicle prices, as well as growth in predicted residuals, though the company has not changed its this forecast as of yet. ALG, a DealerTrack company, broke it down to two levels. First, the company analyzed what impact a 20-day production disruption […] [Read More]

Toyota Motor Corp. is apparently warning U.S. dealers that inventories could come up short this summer due to production interruptions in North America and Japan. In a memo to dealers, Bob Carter, Toyota’s general manager, said the automaker is seeing significant production interruptions and has yet to create a May production schedule, according to a […] [Read More]

Along with sharing some company performance metrics from the first quarter, OPENLANE pinpointed how much its March Market Index dropped. OPENLANE determined the U.S. Market Index settled at 106, down 3 percentage points from the previous month and 2 percentage points from the same month in 2010. Prompting that overall decline were three of the […] [Read More]

Dealer.com announced Monday that it has named a chief product officer. Taking on this position is Kevin Root. Root will leave his position as senior vice president of product strategy with DriverSide, a Dealer.com partner that provides websites for car owners and customer attraction and retention programs, to join Dealer.com’s executive team. Prior to working […] [Read More]

In an effort to reach the Hispanic community better, Consumer Reports is offering its annual auto issue — the most popular issue of the magazine — in Spanish for the first time. Officials highlighted the issue contains information on the 2011 Top Picks, Automaker Report Cards, Best New Car Values, Used Car Reliability and more […] [Read More]

ClassicCars.com recently launched what it believes is an industry-first vehicle certification program specifically targeted to the classic and collector vehicle market.  Under the program, site officials explained vehicles for sale undergo a comprehensive 50-point inspection by an independent ASE-certified technician, at one of more than 5,000 locations nationwide. Vehicles in sound mechanical condition earn ClassicCars.com Certified […] [Read More]