Dealers: Page

Dealers to J.D.: Wrong!

LAS VEGAS Franchised car dealers and research company J.D. Power and Associates are at odds after a curious commentary written by company founder Dave Power III appeared in The Wall Street Journal. In the Oct. 28 column, Power blasts the current automotive retail franchise system, saying it's overly restrictive and adds as much as 30% to the base cost of a vehicle. The current system hardly serves

By Cliff Banks • Dec. 1, 2003

Dealer Unsatisfaction

DETROIT As a Florida auto dealer, many of Alan Starling's customers are retirees, people who are in no hurry when buying a car. A lot of them will spend the whole day with us at the dealership, says Starling, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Assn. That's fine with us. Sometimes we buy them lunch. But such hospitality can reap unintended negative consequences if, on an auto maker's customer

By Steve Finlay • Nov. 1, 2003

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from WardsAuto

Automakers are evaluating their long-term strategies, revisiting their product mix, and approach to both retail and manufacturing approach along the way.

By WardsAuto staff

Certified to the Rescue

Brisk certified used-car deliveries are giving a needed boost to the automotive remarketing industry that's seen prices and sales soften as a result of generous incentives auto makers have offered going on two years now. Most major dealer groups report increased used-car sales for the first half of 2003 compared to same-time 2002. Certified programs are credited for the increase. Our used-car sales

By Mac Gordon • Nov. 1, 2003

Calling All Car Leads

While the technology boom has changed many aspects of running a successful dealership, two factors remain constant: The telephone continues to be the dealership's greatest source of prospect leads. Dollars available to spend on advertising and marketing remain limited. There's a direct correlation between the two: advertising and marketing dollars are spent to generate leads, and a majority of these

By IAN STEYN • Nov. 1, 2003

GMAC Seminars to Include Menu Selling, Latest Rules

GMAC's 14th national F&I conference in Scottsdale, AZ will include seminars on conventional aspects of the business, but also menu selling and the latest rules on disclosure and ethics. Other subjects on the Nov. 19-23 program will include cash conversion, impact of finance rates and pricing on sales and penetration, management by strengths (two separate sessions), sales programming, GMAC's credit

Nov. 1, 2003

Why It’s Called Special

I'm a new-car dealer, with combined sales of more than $150 million but for the most part it's my service, body works, daily rental, Internet, used cars and special finance operations that are consistently profitable. New cars are another story. Quite simply, the new-car opportunity has run out of steam for many dealers. If you add up the costs of a new-car department, and divide by the number of

By Peter Brandow • Nov. 1, 2003

Asbury Goes to GE in Hiring New CFO

J. Gordon Smith is the new CFO of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc, ranked fifth on this year's Ward's Megadealer 100 with $5.4 billion in revenues. He replaces Thomas F. Gilman, who leaves Asbury, citing the desire to spend more time with his family. Gilman guided the company through its recent initial public offering and a subsequent $250 million subordinated debt offering. In hiring Smith, Asbury continues

Oct. 1, 2003

LAND SAKES

FORT GARLAND, CO It's about 4 a.m. and a bad start for the guys from Land Rover Naperville, a suburban Chicago store. The three-man dealership team is 1,000 miles from home, trying with flashlights in the dark to find their Land Rover Discovery's tires and jack, hidden yonder in the woods in a remote and rugged stretch of southern Colorado. They're not doing so well. It's a sputtering start of what

By Steve Finlay • Oct. 1, 2003

Mix It Up With Leads

For top-performing dealerships, the question is no longer whether Internet-generated sales leads are imperative. Now, dealers are asking: What's the right marketing mix for Internet leads from OEM websites, dealers' own sites, and third-party lead providers? What type of car buyer does each attract? Which source is best to optimize sales while keeping costs low? Here's a rundown: OEM.com Leads The

By DEAN EVANS • Oct. 1, 2003

Are Incentives a Carrot or Noose?

Incentives. Can't live with 'em. Can't kill 'em. They are the nagging contradiction of today's auto industry. Whether you view them as carrots or crack, they are credited with bolstering sales to keep assembly plants humming and cash flowing but condemned for draining bottom lines, eroding brand equity and feeding a consumer addiction to discount pricing. Consciously or not, this new reality is prompting

By Alisa Priddle and David E. Zoia • Aug. 1, 2003

Love, Hate & Incentives

Car dealer Lee Kemp recalls feeling bemused and slightly amused when a customer told him she'd hold off buying a vehicle because she wanted to see if something better than 0% financing would surface. I kidded her, Lady, it's 0%. It won't get better than that. What do you think we're going to do, pay you to buy the car? She didn't crack a smile. Instead, she said, I'll wait for something better. That's

By Steve Finlay • Aug. 1, 2003

Dealers Are Warming Up To Online Vehicle Auctions

When auto auctions went online in the mid-1990s, many dealers were reluctant to participate, saying it was too detached from the auction action. That's changing. More than two-thirds of all U. S. auto dealerships now use Manheim Online to plan auction visits, locate vehicles and check the status of their accounts, says Manheim. On an average day, about 15,000 unique users visit the site (www.manheim.com)

Aug. 1, 2003

Incentives

Can't live with 'em. Can't kill 'em. Incentives are the nagging contradiction of today's auto industry. Whether you view them as carrots or crack, they are credited with bolstering sales to keep assembly plants humming and cash flowing but condemned for draining bottom lines, eroding brand equity and feeding a consumer addiction to discount pricing. Consciously or not, this new reality is prompting

By Alisa Priddle and David E. Zoia • Aug. 1, 2003

More Hits Than Misses in Miss.

Last year, the three dealerships in the Greenville, MS-based Tom Wadler Auto Group sold 1,300 used vehicles. This year, they're on track to sell 2,600. A big reason for the 100% jump is Wadler's foray into the Internet. Until May 2002, the group had no real Internet presence. Then owner Tom Wadler took the plunge. He hired Derek Frezzell as group Internet director. There was skepticism at first as

By Cliff Banks • Aug. 1, 2003

How It All Fell Down

With the collapse of National Warranty Insurance Company, dealers nationwide are scrambling to protect themselves from what is turning out to be a colossal mess. Many dealers wonder how and why this happened, what could have been done and what can be done. Many dealers are wondering whether their existing provider is next to go. When National Warranty filed in the Cayman Islands for that country's

By BRYAN DORFLER • Aug. 1, 2003

Midwest Dealer Donates $3.5 Million to Old High School

Robert V. Rohrman, president and owner of the Bob Rohrman Auto Group, donated $3.5 million for a new 40,000-sq.-ft. performing arts center at his high school alma mater, Jefferson High School in Lafayette, IN. I am not the only Rohrman to graduate from Jefferson, says the benefactor. In addition to me, all my children are Jefferson Bronchos. I have always loved this school and its communityI strongly

July 1, 2003

Former Auto Dealer Heads Who’s Calling

Ian Steyn, a 30-year veteran of the automotive retailing industry, is the new president of Who's Calling, Inc. Based in Kirkland, WA, Who's Calling is a leading provider of customer-capture solutions utilizing call measurement and monitoring technology. Steyn's 30 years in the retail automotive industry include 12 years as a dealer in Denver, CO. In 1978, he bought a dealership that was nationally

July 1, 2003

Your Next Profit Center?

The used-vehicle business is my favorite part of our industry, as most of you who read my column know. It represents the greatest opportunity for the new-vehicle dealers in total. It's also the department we individually have the most control over. Consider a few facts: In 2002, there were approximately 43 million used vehicles sold compared to 16.86 million new units. New-vehicle franchised dealers

By Tony Noland • July 1, 2003

Being a Dealer Colors Racing Legend’s View

He's still active in pro auto racing as a team owner, yet being an auto dealer influences the way former champion driver Bobby Rahal looks at the world. When talking about racing, he often refers to his current experiences as a dealer. The 1986 Indy 500 winner drove professionally for 17 years. He now owns two race cars on the pro circuit (including one driven by Indy winner Kenny Brack and one co-owned

By Steve Finlay • July 1, 2003

1 Way to Reduce Liabilities

Offering loaners or rental cars when vehicles are serviced can help dealers increase customer satisfaction but can strain the bottom line unless managed properly. Dealers' biggest loaner danger for dealers is increased exposure to insurance and legal liability if the driver isn't properly licensed and insured. Five percent of all dealership losses involve customer loaner and rentals, says Dave Cameron,

By Cliff Banks • July 1, 2003

Rundown of Tax Savings

A partner addressed a receptive Arkansas Automobile Dealers Association on current federal income opportunities available to car dealers and dealerships. We've been advising clients to take advantage of such opportunities for years. While much of this was new information for most of the dealers in attendance, they know that tax savings and deferrals mean more cash. And cash is The following are crowning

By Don Ray • June 1, 2003

No Often Means Not Now

When a would-be customer says does it sometimes mean Well, yes and no. doesn't necessarily mean Often it means, Not now, says Brent D. Burns, president of CenterOne Financial Services, a World Omni Financial Corp. division that services dealers and their customers with third-party loans and leasing. You don't know when someone is set to say unless you keep in touch with them. Doing that in an automated

By Steve Finlay • June 1, 2003

Parts Disputes Crank Up

It's been tough lately for proponents of non-OEM body shop parts. First, a non-OEM hood flew open during a dealership service department test drive apparently because of a latch failure. Then General Motors Corp., in a scathing report, claims non-OEM parts failed to meet minimum GM requirements for fit, finish, material content and assembly characteristics. Meanwhile, The two organizations designed

By John Yoswick • May 1, 2003

Reinsurance Could Help

After years in the service-contract business, we've seen and heard nearly all the pros and cons concerning the product, and many in particular relative to dealer participation at the back end. Most dealers say they want the lowest price available, because they believe there will be no back-end profit. Others believe there's opportunity on the back end if the product is priced correctly and sold properly

By RUSSELL S. HOWELLS • May 1, 2003

WARD’S MEGA DEALER 100

To view this year's Ward's Megadealer 100, click here. After years of seeing annual revenue growth of at least $8 billion, the 16th annual Ward's Megadealer 100 collectively saw modest gains in 2002. The gains came entirely from the six public retailers who increased 2002 revenue more than $2.2 billion, enough to offset other retail groups' revenue decreases compared to 2001. The revenue hike came

By Cliff Banks • May 1, 2003