DealerOn, a provider of websites and marketing technology for auto dealerships, has finalized its acquisition of automotive digital marketing agency fusionZONE Automotive. DealerOn said the acquisition accelerates its growth and supplements its platform and technology services with fusionZONE’s offerings. “This acquisition represents a significant step in DealerOn’s growth trajectory,” DealerOn CEO Ali Amirrezvani said in […] [Read More]

AutoNation is taking its micro lease pilot program online. The auto retail giant announced the launch of AutoNation Mobility, a fully digital shopping experience offering the new-vehicle micro lease model, which provides customers short-term access to vehicles without the need to purchase. The platform can be found at autonationmobility.com. The micro lease program is currently […] [Read More]

Thanksgiving might be about a week away. But instead of turkey and all the trimmings, Tax Max president and chief executive officer Bill Neylan is already thinking about how refunds can set the table for a tasty way for independent and buy-here, pay-here dealerships to be thankful for a successful end of 2023. In this […] [Read More]

As its experts shared updated trends associated with new-vehicle prices, Cox Automotive also posted its Dealertrack Auto Credit Availability Index for October. Perhaps helping if a non-prime consumer aspires to secure a new vehicle, analysts discovered access to auto credit improved in October continuing the trend that began in the summer. “However, even though credit […] [Read More]

Inventory shortages the last few years may have hurt new-car sales, but they were a boon for used-vehicle sales, including those that were certified pre-owned. New inventory may be improving, but consumer interest in CPO models will remain and dealers and manufacturers should take note, said participants on the “Top Used Car Strategies from ‘Best CPO Dealers’” panel during Used Car Week. “We saw a huge value in ... [Read More]

Lithia & Driveway’s expanding international footprint and customers who keep their vehicle payments affordable by opting for used vehicles instead of new ones, were among the topics discussed during the dealership company’s conference call detailing its earnings for the third quarter that ended Sept. 30. “You have a lot of customers that manage their overall payment by going into the used market,” said Chris Holzshu, who is chief operating officer at Lithia and joined the Oct. 25 earnings call with CEO Bryan DeBoer. “We lost 10 million units in production (because of pandemic constraints), which is ... [Read More]

AutoCanada is in its 30th year of existence and its 18th year as a public company. This also marks the five-year benchmark of its “Go Forward” plan, which included stabilizing the company in 2018, as well as contemplating and acting on what the future holds. With continuing this growth in mind, AutoCanada held a series of operational strategy sessions this past summer, which were used to “create the playbook that’s going to lead our organization for the next five years ... [Read More]

Auto finance application platform LendingArch is growing its presence in the Canadian market, expanding its network of auto dealerships through its Carsfast.ca platform. In a news release, LendingArch president Paul Hadzoglou said: “We are thrilled to announce our continued success and expansion within the Canadian auto loan market. Our mission has always been to simplify […] [Read More]

America’s Group said Monday that executive Laura Taylor is returning to her position as the general manager of the auction company’s Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Ga., locations, while Bill McCready becomes regional vice president for the Southeast. McCready had been GM of the Charleston and Savannah auctions as Taylor was senior regional VP. “Helping America’s […] [Read More]

The picture of how wholesale used-vehicle prices behaved in October and what’s in store for the final two months of the year may very well depend on what data set you’re considering. Black Book’s Used Vehicle Retention Index came in at 161.0 for October, up 1.1% from September and down 7.6% year-over-year.  It remains 41% […] [Read More]