Jim Henry

LMC Automotive, Wards forecasting partner, now expects 2020 light-vehicle sales for North America of about 16.8 million, down from 20.2 million in 2019. Its sales forecast for 2021 is 18.4 million.

J.D. Power dropped the low end of its full-year, new-vehicle forecast to just 12.1 million light vehicles, while it maintained the high end at 14.8 million. Before COVID-19, the company predicted 2020 sales of 16.8...

Dealerships agreed to conduct all customer interactions either outside the dealership; in a cleaned service bay or designated clean room or at the consumer’s home or place of business.

Various government mandates cite sales operations as non-essential.

Asbury Automotive Group says it will “continue to evaluate its alternatives” regarding its planned $1 billion acquisition of Park Place Dealerships.

Jim Farley, Ford’s incoming chief operating officer, says the automaker needs to fix its new-product launches, its quality and therefore its warranty costs, and its costs for materials and other expenses such as sales...

Barra says dealers need to be profitable to GM can reinvest in the product, and dealers need to be profitable so they can reinvest in the business.

“Dealers are always looking for something they can buy and profitably bring it back to the dealership, but that process has got to be efficient,” says Brad Kokesh, general manager of software provider DealerSocket.