BEDFORD, Mass. — Volkswagen's iconic Beetle is slated to be completely redesigned and overhauled and might not even carry the same name, Auto Remarketing learned Friday. The new model will not start arriving at stores for about 18 months or so, Katie Shea, the business development coordinator for Minuteman Volkswagen in Bedford, Mass., told Auto Remarketing […] [Read More]

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — Following a sluggish February dampened by auto recalls and wintry weather, incentive programs have lifted dealership traffic in March, leading to much improved new-vehicle retail sales that are expected to climb 25 percent year-over-year, according to J.D. Power and Associates. More specifically, J.D. Power projects U.S. new-vehicle retail sales will reach […] [Read More]

McLEAN, Va. — Through the first week of March, one segment, in particular, has led the widespread wholesale price gains from February, according to NADA Used Car Guide. Looking at the AuctionNet prices of one- to five-year-old vehicles, gaining the most ground has been the van segment, officials noted. Specifically, AuctionNet prices of vans were up […] [Read More]

ATLANTA — Manheim's Tom Webb recently analyzed the financial data of the seven largest publicly traded dealership groups for the fourth quarter of 2009. Webb reported in his March Auto Industry Brief that he found positive trends in regard to both gross margins on used-vehicle sales as well as unit volumes. Webb determined that gross margins […] [Read More]

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — With still more than a week left in the month, Edmunds.com analysts projected that March new-vehicle sales are currently pacing at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 13.2 million. The site came to this figure because of the hefty incentives offered by Toyota and other automakers that came as the Japanese OEM […] [Read More]

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — The marketing executive who headed up the widely successful Hyundai Assurance Program last year has moved over to a rival automaker. Nissan North America has hired Joel Ewanick — who previously was vice president of marketing for Hyundai Motor America — to be the vice president of marketing for the Nissan division, a move that […] [Read More]

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Auction values were softer than expected during February, and the ADESA Canada Used Vehicle Price Index fell sequentially for the fifth consecutive month. Resale prices, again, saw a downward impact from the glut of new and used inventory at dealerships, as a number of factors hindered dealers' ability to move units. Specifically, ADESA's data — […] [Read More]

OTTAWA, Ontario — As the economy in Canada continues to struggle, the aftermarket aspect of the auto industry has been impacted. To shed some light on what the future may bring, the Aftermarket Industries Association of Canada will host a conference to help executives anticipate future trends. The association shared some details this week about the speakers' lineup for […] [Read More]

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Porsche Cars Canada recently launched a new marketing campaign that may "surprise" shoppers by highlighting attributes of the brand's vehicles that may not be the first things that come to mind when they think about Porsche. While the automaker's lineup might be better known for its performance, the "Porsche, unexpected" campaign sets out […] [Read More]

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — In the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study unveiled on Thursday, Porsche topped the list of all nameplates and Japanese automakers led the individual segment awards, but domestics made impressive showings, as well. In fact, three of the top five spots in the nameplate rankings were held by Big 3 […] [Read More]