Automakers: Page 290
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
Selling Cars Not Rocket Science, Is It?
Michael Baker believes understanding the “science” of the auto-retailing industry propels success.
By Tony Bittick • June 21, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Mazda to Establish Assembly Plant in Mexico; Sales Operation in Brazil
Mazda says the new operations will enhance both companies in the rapidly growing Central and South American markets.
By Ward's Staff • June 17, 2011 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Courtesy of Kia Corporation
TrendlineArtificial Intelligence
Automakers and dealers alike are increasingly seeing the use case for AI within their operations. Explore some use cases in this trendline.
By WardsAuto staff -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
New Accent to Help Push Hyundai U.S. Sales to 600,000
Factors that will help the Korean auto maker meet its annual target this year include shortening build times for the hot-selling Elantra compact and Sonata midsize sedans, supplies of which continue to trail demand.
By Christie Schweinsberg • June 16, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
California Dealer Fights VW’s Plan for New Store
The German auto maker says it is missing a chance to sell more vehicles by not opening the new dealership on a well-traveled roadway, but Ontario VW claims the analysis is flawed.
By Mac Gordon • June 14, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Kia Cars Attracting More Japanese-Brand Shoppers
Stylish vehicle designs and a suite of in-vehicle technologies, such as standard Bluetooth, Sirius Satellite Radio and the new UVO infotainment system, are providing Kia a fresh edge.
By Christie Schweinsberg • June 13, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Chrysler Tweaks Supplier Scorecard
This latest version of Chrysler’s “external balanced scorecard” is the third since 2009 and underscores a renewed interest in smoothing supplier relations.
By Eric Mayne • June 10, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford’s Iconic ‘Five-Oh’ V-8 Almost Born as Less-Sexy 5.8L
“There's a lot of love and passion in the company and the customer base around the 5.0L engine,” Harrison says, “and we have wanted to do one for years.”
By Gary Witzenburg • June 10, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GM’s Road to Autonomous Intervention Paved With EPS, ESC
Global technology chief John Calabrese is mum on the specifics of GM’s EPS rollout, but suggests it will be in a position to compete with Ford, which confirms the technology will be on all its models by 2013.
By Eric Mayne • June 9, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford, Sollers Finalize Russian JV
The new business, Ford Sollers, is set to begin production later this year of a range of Ford passenger cars and light-commercial vehicles, including the Transit commercial van.
By Ward's Staff • June 8, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Competitive Dealer Fires Up Hyundai Sales
Scott Fink boasts a 32% close rate and an “army” of 28,000 loyal owners in Florida.
By Steve Finlay • June 8, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ferrari Store Selling 63 Cars Lands on Ward’s Dealer 500
Scottsdale Ferarri in particular and the auto mall in general draw auto-loving locals, “even if they can’t afford a Ferrari,” says Roger Penske.
By Mac Gordon • June 6, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Plant Pullout Erases Mazda’s U.S. Footprint
The Tribute is scheduled to end its production run this year at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant and persistent reports from Japan say Mazda6 output in Flat Rock, MI, is on the bubble.
By Byron Pope • June 6, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GM’s OnStar Plans Aggressive Defense Against Newcomers
The telematics system’s greatest asset is its infrastructure, built up at GM over 15 years and giving it a lengthy and undeniable head start.
By James M. Amend • June 2, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Honda Stalled by Brio Parts Shortage; Planning Sedan Version for 2013
Honda is anxious to get its Brio eco-car into the marketplace before Mitsubishi launches its Global Small next year, which will be pitted against a contender from Suzuki. Toyota also will debut its small-car entry in 2012.
By Edd Ellison • June 2, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
SAAR Falls Below 12 Million as Toyota Sales Plummet
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.U.S. Sales Summary Table SAAR finishes at 11.76 million units U.S. Light Vehicle Sales fell to an annualized rate of 11.7 million units i...
By John Sousanis 1 • June 1, 2011 -
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Recall-Like May Tally for Toyota; Lexus Hits 12-Year Low
The only silver lining for Toyota was that its sales were not usurped by Hyundai-Kia, although it was overtaken by Chrysler.
By Christie Schweinsberg • June 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Fiesta Closing In on Small-Car Lead
Fiesta sales in May tallied 7,120, outpacing the segment-leading Nissan Versa.
By Byron Pope • June 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Early-Bird Florida Dealer Catches Snowbirds as Well as Locals
Since 1960, when Ed Morse acquired his first dealership in what was then sleepy Delray Beach, FL, he has been a leader in new-car sales in one of the nation's fastest-growing states. The Ed Morse Automotive Group's first brands were Ford, Chevrolet and Cadillac. As Florida grew, so did the Morse network, establishing buy Morse credentials among locals as well as the growing flock of northern acquiring
June 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealership Service Department Goes from Zero to Hero
When Mickey Blank became the fixed operations director at Greentree Toyota in Danbury, CT, he inherited a service department that was dead-last in customer satisfaction in their region. Not only were the auto maker's customer satisfaction survey results bad, but Greentree's own internal customer surveys told a sad story. Not surprisingly, the dealership also was dead-last in regional service-department
By David Linton • June 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealership Selling 63 Ultra-Lux Cars Lands on Ward’s Dealer 500
To sell only 63 new cars and yet land on the Ward's Dealer 500 list has never happened. Until now. The list, with rankings based on total revenues, now includes the Ferrari-Maserati dealership in Penske Automotive Group's luxury-brand mall in Scottsdale, AZ. Prices run in the six figures for ultra-luxury cars such as Ferraris, spurring the Phoenix-area dealership to total revenues of more than $45
June 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Paul Rusnak Loves and Sells Premium European Cars
A newcomer to the Ward's Megadealer 100 is Pasadena, CA-based Rusnak Auto Group, celebrating its 45th year as a purveyor of highest-priced European supercars. Led by founder Paul P. Rusnak, the group's 11 dealerships distinguish themselves by specializing in ultra-luxury brands Bentley and Rolls-Royce as well as the premium nameplates of BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi and Volvo. Then there
June 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Lutz: GM in Good Hands
HIS NEW BOOK IS TITLED CAR GUYS VS. Bean Counters: The Battle for the Soul of American Business, but former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has only good things to say about the financial executives currently in charge at GM. They don't have the 30-year history of being trained to run the automobile business in the U.S. the wrong way, he says during a book-signing reception at the Ward's Auto
By Drew Winter • June 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Texas Dealership Retains Title as Best-Selling Chevy Store
The battle for No.1 in Chevrolet sales saw Classic Chevrolet retain its crown in new-unit sales for the fifth year in a row in 2010. It helped lift its ranking on the Ward's Dealer 500 to No.4, with total revenues of $293.9 million and vehicle sales of 7,500. Classic has been a dominant factor in the Dallas-Fort Worth market for 30 years after Tom Durant built it on an undeveloped tract in the suburb
By Mac Gordon • June 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealers Get Closed-In Feeling
Dealer George Glassman is hit with the occasional lawsuit. It is part of doing business in a litigious society. He typically doesn't get too irked about it. Nor did he get mad, at least not at first, when the friendly process server stopped by the other day. I even know the guy, says Glassman, an attorney as well as head of Glassman Kia in Southfield, MI. But he started fuming when he saw who is suing
By Steve Finlay • June 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
General Motors Loyalist Ed Bozarth Sells Chevys in Big Way
Ed Bozarth is a megadealer who focuses on one brand: General Motors' Chevrolet. That's reflected in the name of his 5-store group, Ed Bozarth #1 Chevrolet based in Las Vegas. He sells Chevys there as well as Topeka, KS; Grand Junction, CO; and Aurora, CO, a Denver suburb. What carries the market out here in the Mountain West is that everyone else advertises against Chevy, even GMC, Bozarth says, referring
June 1, 2011
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