Editor's note: This story is part of the WardsAuto digital archive, which may include content that was first published in print, or in different web layouts.
Welcome to The WardsAuto Dealer 5 - we've put together important items from WardsAuto.com and across the Internet.
So let's go:
| 1. | Vehicle transaction prices rise as automakers charge more and consumers purchase more. One way of looking at: $34,367 buys an average car. | ||
| 2. | Sales for pickup trucks, CUVs and SUVs were up, up and up. Vans made sort of a comeback. Big loser: Big cars. Check out WardsAuto's final segment tallies for 2014. | ||
| ADVERTISEMENT The auto accessories industry is $40 billion and dealers represent less than 5%. Could accessories be the new profit center for dealerships? It is one new frontier that may hold the most profit potential dealers have seen since adding the F&I department 40 years ago. | |||
| 3. | Ford and Chevy are long-time rivals. The sales crown has switched back and forth. But in the Blue Oval-Bowtie race, Ford's on a 5-year winning streak.
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| 4. | As aluminum makes its way into more vehicles, class offerings teach how to repair such vehicles. BTW, why do Yanks and Brits pronounce "aluminum" so differently? Just asking. | ||
| 5. | Alfa Romeo returned to the U.S. in November. An Alfa store in Connecticut just closed. Well, that was fast. |
To see all the day's dealer news and information, go to WardsAuto.com/Dealers.
