MONTVALE, N.J. — Mercedes-Benz USA opened the doors earlier this week to a more than 100,000-square-foot Vehicle Preparation Center in coastal Georgia that will process vehicles on their way to the automaker's Southern region, Texas and Oklahoma dealerships. Mercedes-Benz USA chief executive officer Ernst Lieb hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday at the VPC in Brunswick, Ga., with […] [Read More]

HERNDON, Va. — Audi recognized its U.S. dealers that had the best performances last year on Thursday as it unveiled its 2009 Magna Society honors. Fifty-eight of Audi's 270 U.S. stores received this distinction, which is given to dealers that provide "superlative customer service" and post strong overall business performances. In essence, these stores are exceptionally […] [Read More]

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Experian Automotive attempted to look beyond the major industry headlines of 2009 such as automaker bankruptcies and Cash for Clunkers and share other intriguing trends coming to the forefront. A topic that kept returning by Webinar presenter Jeffrey Anderson was how much CUVs have taken hold in the market. Anderson indicated that the […] [Read More]

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — The cost to own a vehicle can vary greatly from state to state, sometimes by more than $10,000 over five years for the exact same vehicle, according to Edmunds.com, which recently investigated how expensive it is to own vehicles in specific states. Edmunds.com research indicated that the state with the highest average five-year […] [Read More]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The parade of recalls coming through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defect Investigations continues. This time, one involves General Motors and the Hummer H3. Officials indicated on Wednesday that GM is recalling this Hummer unit from the 2006 to 2010 model-years to rectify a condition involving clip-tabs on the hood […] [Read More]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently reiterated his praise for the success of last year's Cash for Clunkers program. This time, LaHood's comments came as a reaction to positive reports from the DOT Office of Inspector General and the General Accounting Office. Federal officials believe Cash for Clunkers successfully completed its top objectives set […] [Read More]

AKRON, Ohio — Akron Auto Auction announced this week that it will be welcoming the top auctioneers and ring-people from around the U.S. later this month for the World Automobile Auctioneers Championship. Contestants will gather at the Akron, Ohio auction on May 21 for individual and team competition. Up for grabs will be prize money, trophies and […] [Read More]

CHICAGO — The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf will soon arrive at dealerships as alternative-fuel options that dealers can offer consumers, but many shoppers are still wary about buying electric vehicles, according to a Cars.com survey. In fact, two-fifths of shoppers claimed they don't have a significant grasp on the technology involved with electric vehicles, so […] [Read More]

OAK BROOK, Ill. — vAuto founder and chairman Dale Pollak is now a finalist for the 2010 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Midwest, vying with other nominees for the regional honor that will be given out next month. Regional business, academic and community leaders chose the slate of finalists for the […] [Read More]

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. — DealerTrack Holdings enjoyed revenue gains in the first quarter of 2010, helping the company to maintain its financial guidance forecast for the year. Executives noted that their revenue for the quarter was $56.8 million as compared with $55.7 million for the first quarter of 2009. The figure computed into a GAAP net loss […] [Read More]