In what may help stimulate additional sales at its stores, Chrysler rolled out a new co-branded auto credit card program this week that rewards consumers for making purchases at the automaker’s dealerships as well as for assorted everyday and travel purchases. Chrysler teamed with MasterCard and First National Bank of Omaha to debut the Chrysler […] [Read More]

TRADER Corp., which is based out of Canada, and vAuto revealed a partnership this week that basically will allow Canadian dealers use of vAuto’s Live Market View used-vehicle management tool. Under the partnership, TRADER Corp. has rolled out TOptimizer, which is modeled after Live Market View. Its features include stocking, appraisal and pricing modules. Canadian […] [Read More]

Dealers Auto Auction of Idaho is commemorating its 10th anniversary with a two-day celebration later this month. Starting on April 26, DAA of Idaho is planning a Casino Night and Poker Tournament with a small sale set for that evening. The next day is when auction management plans to ramp up the festivities by giving […] [Read More]

A former General Motors executive who orchestrated campaigns for Saturn and Cadillac is coming on board with Hyundai Motor America as its vice president of marketing. The automaker announced Thursday that Steve Shannon will be responsible for all marketing activities in the United States and report to president and chief executive officer John Krafcik. “We’re […] [Read More]

In perhaps another example of how interwoven the supplier industry is, Chrysler confirmed Wednesday that it is trimming overtime production from several of its plants.   Management said it is making this move as a cautionary measure as the Japan quake continues to have a ripple effect on the supply chain.   [Read More]

The momentum in used-vehicle pricing continued to roll along last week, according to Black Book’s Ricky Beggs, who found that almost three-quarters of the wholesale value adjustments made during the week were positive movements. Moreover, used-truck prices were up for the third straight week, despite gas prices jumping. Meanwhile car prices climbed for the fifth […] [Read More]

Microsoft Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. announced Thursday that they have forged a strategic partnership and plan to build a global platform for TMC’s next-generation telematics services using the Windows Azure platform.   Telematics is the fusing of telecommunications and information technologies in vehicles; it can encompass GPS systems, energy management and other multimedia technologies, […] [Read More]

Ford is resuming a popular advertising campaign designed to capture conquest sales “head-on” by offering owners of competitors’ vehicles the chance to drive Ford models for a week. The “Swap Your Ride” campaign — which began airing in 2007 — kicked off its latest edition Wednesday with a set of commercials that share the experiences of […] [Read More]

Consumer Reports tested four small sedans for its recently released May issue and found one of these models, in particular, to be rather disappointing. Included in the group were the Volkswagen Jetta, two versions of the new Chevrolet Cruze and the Hyundai Elantra. Of this group, only the Elantra earned a recommendation from Consumer Reports, […] [Read More]

DealerTrack revealed earlier this week that two of its leaders will be among the presenters at the 10th Digital Dealer Conference later this month. Speaking at the event — which is scheduled for April 19 through April 21 in Orlando, Fla. — will be Ronda Lewis, DealerTrack’s used-vehicle industry specialist, and Robin Goodyer, director of […] [Read More]