Improvements in dealer perceptions of used-car inventory and inventory mix were among the bright spots in the latest Cox Automotive Dealer Sentiment Index released Monday. While overall sentiment was down, dealers of all stripes were feeling better about the used cars on their lots. The used-vehicle inventory index was at 41 (out of 100) in […] [Read More]

The American Bankruptcy Institute said filings are on pace for the lowest annual total since 2006, the year after the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 went into effect and placed new requirements on filers. But ABI executive director Amy Quackenboss sees the potential for the trend turning depending on what state […] [Read More]

Auto defaults are moving counter to other credit segments. Auto defaults rose for the fifth consecutive month in November, according to the S&P/Experian Consumer Credit Default Indices, but they are still below the reading that analysts pinpointed before the pandemic started. On Tuesday, S&P Dow Jones Indices and Experian released data through November, showing that […] [Read More]

It now literally can be music to the ears of Mazda dealers who retail certified pre-owned vehicles equipped with satellite radio. On Monday, SiriusXM Canada announced today a multi-year agreement with Mazda Canada to extend the ongoing relationship between the two companies and continue offering Mazda customers with equipped vehicles added value to complement their […] [Read More]

Vroom said Tuesday it has signed a deal to acquire CarStory through the purchase of its parent company, Vast Holdings. The deal is worth approximately $120 million, subject to adjustment, and is comprised by roughly 60% cash and 40% Vroom common stock.  The exact cash-stock split will be determined when the deal closes, which is […] [Read More]

Noting that the acquisition makes it one of the fastest-growing U.S. dealer groups, the Feldman Automotive Group has acquired Al Deeby Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Clarkston, Mich. With the purchase, the Feldman portfolio gains a second FCA dealership, and the group’s footprint expands to 14 Michigan and Ohio dealerships. The 23,000-square-foot dealership is located […] [Read More]

Sonic Automotive has opened its newest EchoPark specialty pre-owned vehicle store in Plano, Texas, marking Sonic’s 14th EchoPark location nationwide. Sonic says the opening continues its expansion of the specialty pre-owned vehicle brand, EchoPark Automotive. With EchoPark Plano now becoming the second Dallas/Fort Worth area store and the sixth in Texas, Sonic says car buyers […] [Read More]

Here’s potentially a positive record on pace to be set during this tumultuous year. Kerrigan Advisors reported on Monday that the dealership buy/sell market continued to soar during the third quarter, putting it on track to surpass record transaction numbers established in 2015. And with a flurry of mega dealer transactions and high dealership earnings, […] [Read More]

In a letter to the auto auction industry shared Monday, ServNet executive director John Brasher offered an emphatic counterpoint to criticism of the industry’s handling of COVID-19. Brasher said he is proud of how the industry has adapted historically to such crises and sea-changes as Sept. 11 and the Great Recession, and he expressed the […] [Read More]

Online retailer Carvana on Friday launched its as-soon-as-next-day vehicle delivery in Pine Bluff Ark., marking its third Arkansas launch in a single week. The company launched in Hot Springs on Thursday and in Little Rock on Wednesday. “As we expand throughout the state, we’re confident Pine Bluff area residents will appreciate the ease, convenience and transparency […] [Read More]