LOCKPORT, N.Y. — Charles Heinrich, the president and chief executive officer of Heinrich Chevrolet, may soon add another title to his name: Guinness Book of World Records winner. The Buffalo, N.Y., area dealer was recently spotlighted on General Motors' Faces of GM blog. On the blog he shared some of his background, success strategies, personal interests and, […] [Read More]

CINCINNATI — Pushed by increased leasing activity among the same domestic automakers that got out of the segment in fall 2008, interestingly enough, the overall lease penetration rate for this year is projected to reach between 18 and 25 percent. In fact, some market segments can expect to see rates up to 40 percent, according to Swapalease.com. […] [Read More]

RICHMOND, Va. — If the results of a recent survey are any indication, there may be some good news for the used-car market on the horizon, and female shoppers may be a more promising pool of used-vehicle buyers than men.  When asked about their vehicle-shopping attitudes in light of potential warming in the weather and the economy, almost one-third […] [Read More]

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. — DealerTrack announced Tuesday that it has expanded its relationship with Manheim to allow dealers who subscribe to AAX to upload their vehicles directly on OVE.com. This can ultimately save dealers time and allow them to become more efficient, according to officials. "We are pleased to deepen our relationship with Manheim and to deliver new functionality that […] [Read More]

McLEAN, Va. — When drilling down to see how Toyota vehicles are performing at auctions throughout the country, NADA Used Car Guide found that since January, prices for these models have underperformed competitive products by a "dramatic amount." More specifically, Jonathan Banks, of NADA Used Car Guide, pointed out, "For example, in the case of the […] [Read More]

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — New-vehicle sales will likely top 1 million units in March, according to TrueCar.com, which also projects a tightly contested sales race between Ford, General Motors and Toyota for the industry's No. 1 spot not only for March, but also for "much of the rest of the year." Specifically, TrueCar.com forecasts U.S. light-vehicle sales (including […] [Read More]

IRVINE, Calif. — In spite of its recalls, Toyota has still managed to hold its ground quite well in IntelliChoice.com's "Best Deals of the Month" rankings, as it was, again, well represented when the site rolled out its March winners late last week. As most know, the Best Deals list recognizes vehicles across 31 segments that […] [Read More]

TROLLHATTAN, Sweden — Saab Automobile has officially built its first units in its "new era" as an independent company. The automaker resumed production Wednesday at its Trollhattan, Sweden, plant. In commemoration, Saab chief executive officer Jan Ake Jonsson, along with Spyker Cars CEO Victor Muller and Trollhattan plant director Gunnar Brunius, joined workers along the assembly […] [Read More]

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The five top contestants who correctly answered the Jeep-branded trivia questions during the automaker's "Jeep Tweet-to-Win" contest last week will now be getting ready to head to the New York International Auto Show. While giving no traffic specifics, Mike Manley, president and chief executive officer of Jeep Brand, said the contest "noticeably" […] [Read More]

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — In a record-breaking week — percentage-wise — for upward value changes, Black Book's overall wholesale value adjustments were positive for the fourth straight week and for the fifth time in six weeks. The overall car segment, in particular, finally showed an increase, according to managing editor Ricky Beggs. "The end-of-the-week adjustment reports indicated a significant […] [Read More]