The seasonally adjusted annualized rate for new-vehicle retail sales for September is likely to reach a more-than-two-year high — not counting August 2009, when sales were lifted by CARS — and it appears that shoppers were putting off purchases at the end of last month, thus leading to a “vigorous start” this month, according to J.D. Power […] [Read More]

AutoNation chairman and chief executive officer Mike Jackson likes what he sees coming out of Chrysler’s pipeline. Judging by his comments after a recent visit to the automaker’s headquarters, Jackson didn’t always feel that way. The head of the country’s largest cluster of franchise dealerships recently examined many of the new and soon-to-be introduced models […] [Read More]

Daimler AG revealed Thursday the company now sponsors an American Depositary Receipt program. Officials explained an ADR is a security created to permit U.S. investors to indirectly hold shares in non-U.S. companies and to trade them on securities markets in the United States.  Specifically, Daimler is sponsoring a Level 1 ADR program. Officials noted the […] [Read More]

SmartAuction heard dealers clamoring for change through its own research, advisory panels and communication during the online arbitration process. The company decided something needed to be done to offset costs for transportation when a vehicle buyback occurred. As a result earlier this month, SmartAuction made the change to its terms of use policy, so now […] [Read More]

Used-vehicle sales are expected to remain relatively static on a year-over-year basis for September, but fall double-digits from August, according to TrueCar.com. On the new-vehicle side of the market, though, sales look to be down 5 percent month-over-month (unadjusted). However, this decline is much slower than the usual August-to-September dip, something that TrueCar vice president […] [Read More]

Attempting to cater to tastes of younger, savvy Web users, Edmunds.com rolled out a test version of its website Wednesday. Officials described the site’s new features as being inspired by modern Internet shopping conveniences not typically associated with vehicles. They also mentioned the new site also should be accessible through an iPhone application that is […] [Read More]

Continuing to expand its presence in the Sunshine State, Copart said Wednesday that the company has added another facility in Florida, this time opening one in Homestead. This brings the total number of Copart facilities for that state up to 13. Copart now has 153 facilities across the globe. The facility is located on a […] [Read More]

The dealerships in Audrey Higham’s district took their lumps and recorded losses in 2007 and 2008, but that didn’t keep the district sales manager for the Chevrolet brand in Long Island, N.Y., from helping them adapt to challenging economic times. In the latest Faces of GM blog, the automaker spotlights Higham and shares how has she […] [Read More]

AutoConversion has rolled out a new website that not only gives dealers a way to showcase their specials, but also connect with shoppers who may want to be more private in the way they shop for or research vehicles. Doing so, of course, can help dealerships generate more leads. [Read More]

Like some industry brethren, Hertz Corp. revealed its own commitment to action at this week’s annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, which aims for better environmental protection. Hertz’s pledge stems around enhancing the availability of the next generation of electric vehicles to the general public through its rental and vehicle-sharing operations. The company and […] [Read More]