Dealers: Page 131

NADA used-car guide and Reynolds and Reynolds team up

The National Automobile Dealers Assn. Used Car Guide Co. and auto dealership distributor The Reynolds and Reynolds Co., form an online prototype joint venture to offer retail and trade-in transaction data from dealers to consumers looking to buy or sell a used vehicle. The prototype provides market-based detail about used vehicles in specific regions, says a spokesman for the joint venture. Reynolds

March 1, 2002

Europe to change auto pricing and distribution rules

The European Commission is proposing swift changes to rules governing uniform pricing of cars in European Union countries and the distribution and servicing of vehicles sold in the EU. The new rules have yet to be approved by the individual EU member governments and the European Parliament, with final approval expected in July. Current rules allow auto makers special anti-trust privileges in which

By Compiled by Senior International Editor Barb McClellan [email protected] • March 1, 2002

Explore the Trendline➔

Artificial 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

How affiliate marketing can earn you extra bucks

While e-commerce players often bemoan the reality that customers can visit or depart a Web site with a single mouse-click, others are embracing that ease of navigation to stoke sales. Specifically, they are paying Web site owners for every mouse-click that sends a potential customer their way a concept known as Web affiliate marketing. Affiliate programs can do wonders for a business, if run properly,

By Joe Dysart • March 1, 2002

BIGGEST CHANGES IN THE LAST 25 YEARS

LAST MONTH MARKED THE 23RD YEAR I'VE WRITTEN this column. Before that, my column appeared in the NADA magazine for five years. I have served under three publishers and as many editors. My current editor, Steve Finlay, requested I write this month on significant changes in vehicle marketing I've seen as a new-car dealer, an NADA director, and an auto columnist. The most dramatic changes in the U.S.

By Nat Shulman • Feb. 1, 2002

Hoping to standardize insurance claims processes

Just as collision repair technicians must learn the variations among vehicles different fasteners, different materials, different structures their managers and co-workers in the shop office are dealing with many variations in insurance claims processing procedures. About 30% of collision repair claims are handled through insurance direct repair programs (DRP). But the differences among DRP requirements

By John Yoswick • Feb. 1, 2002

Ward’s Dealer of the Year Nomination Form

To download a 2002 Ward's Dealer of the Year nomination form, click here. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. For free download, click here. Car dealers have been a vital part of our nation's history since the early days of the twentieth century. They are meaningful members of their communities, providing jobs, paying significant taxes and helping people in the important decision of buying a vehicle. Dealers

By Ward's Dealer Business • Jan. 2, 2002

How to minimize the cost and impact of employee turnover

In dealerships of every size and stripe, people come and people go. But when they go, valuable resources, knowledge and insights go as well. Employee turnover represents a huge potential loss in productivity and continuity, and an increase in cost. But these problems can be averted with advance planning and keen management. How can you minimize the disruption caused by departing people in your dealership?

By Richard G. Ensman Jr. • Jan. 1, 2002

BIG THREE CRACKS DOWN ON PARTS COUNTERFEITERS

There's a new sheriff in town, and he doesn't like sham operations selling auto parts under the names of General Motors, Ford and the Mopar division of Daimler-Chrysler. The Big Three have formed a posse of sorts, called the Global Industry Network, to hunt down and seek charges against parts counterfeiters. These seedy outfits sell parts that are packaged as if they came directly from the automakers.

Jan. 1, 2002

Nitra integrates info tech components into one platform

Automotive e-commerce is more than just building a nice web site and selling cars online. It's about managing entire information technology networks and strategies. So being the e-commerce manager for Hendrick Automotive, one of the largest and most successful dealer groups, Matthew Belk has his hands full managing the various e-business components at all of Hendrick's 48 dealerships. The Cobalt Group

By Cliff Banks • Dec. 1, 2001

Ready-to-buy customers, click your mouses

CarsDirect.com, an online automotive provider, and Reynolds and Reynolds, an information management company for automotive retailing, are launching CarsDirect Connect -- a new buying process that offers consumers more choice in they way they shop for and purchase a vehicle online. Visitors to the CarsDirect.com website will have the option of conducting the entire auto purchase online with the company's

Nov. 14, 2001

What’s so special about special financing?

NEW ORLEANS Special financing, once considered the domain of independent car dealer, now is attracting the attention of franchised dealers, according to Chris Leedom of Leedom and Associates. Most of the dealers who contact us with questions about special financing are franchised car dealers, says Mr. Leedom, host of a special financing conference in New Orleans last month. The special financing industry,

By Cliff Banks • Nov. 1, 2001

FIXING THE REPAIR INDUSTRY WAS TOUGH

TIME WAS WHEN AUTO REPAIR WORK WAS A CRAP-shoot. U.S. automobile consumers brought their vehicles to a repair shop for service. It was not a case of the hapless consumer getting screwed. Rather it was how extensive the screwing would be. The media had a field day reporting tales of old ladies getting ripped-off by automobile repairers (including new car dealers) while politically motivated consumer

By Net Shulman • Nov. 1, 2001

NADA renames headquarters to honor late president

The National Automobile Dealers Association renamed its McLean, VA headquarters the Frank E. McCarthy Building, honoring the association's 33-year president who died in February. Frank accomplished more for the franchised automobile dealer than anyone in history and no one is more deserving of this honor, says NADA Chairman Robert Maguire. Beyond that, he was also a wonderful human being and a great

Nov. 1, 2001

PARTS MANAGEMENT

The possibility of fraud goes with maintaining an inventory. A typical parts inventory contains many products that can easily be converted to cash. This makes the inventory a likely target for theft. You must acknowledge that fraud can easily exist in such an environment. Granted, in many cases, what appeared to be fraud turned out to be nothing more than circumstances arising from deficient internal

By WITH GARY NAPLES • Nov. 1, 2001

Why the NADA switched convention dates for the NFL

When Mark Patrick, host of Fox SportsRadio's early morning show heard that National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue might ask the National Automobile Dealers Association to swap the dates of its convention with the Super Bowl date, he joked: Can you imagine Paul Tagliabue sitting down with car dealers and negoitiating this? Car dealers would be the last people I would want to have to negotiate

Nov. 1, 2001

NADA works to offset attendee inconvenience

NADA is working to offset any inconveniences or problems attendees my encounter because of the date switch. Some things NADA has announced: Pre-paid registration fees for the Convention are waived for Dealer and Manager members. NADA will refund in full the registration fees you have paid in advance. If you paid a registration fee for one Guest/Spouse, that fee will also be refunded. Non-member Dealers,

By Cliff Banks • Oct. 30, 2001

NADA working to offset attendee inconvenience

NADA is working to offset any inconveniences or problems attendees my encounter because of the date switch. Some things NADA has announced: Pre-paid registration fees for the Convention are waived for Dealer and Manager members. NADA will refund in full the registration fees you have paid in advance. If you paid a registration fee for one Guest/Spouse, that fee will also be refunded. Non-member Dealers,

By Cliff Banks • Oct. 30, 2001

Reynolds and Reynolds revs up its customer retention programs

The Reynolds and Reynolds Company is setting up a new Campaign Management Services (CMS) organization to improve the return on investment that car companies and large enterprise retailers receive from consumer marketing campaigns and programs. Reynolds’ Campaign Management Services organization provides direct marketing programs for car companies and their dealers. The initiatives help retain car-buying

Oct. 26, 2001

Dealers turn to the Internet to acquire used inventory

Nearly half of automobile dealerships (48 percent)in the United States are using the Internet to purchase used vehicle inventory - a dramatic increase from a year ago, according to a new study by Q2 Brand Intelligence. A similar study last year by Q2 found that only 12 percent of dealers were using the Internet to purchase their used vehicle inventory. The new study also reveals that dealers' experience

By Wire Reports • Oct. 10, 2001

NADA convention will be week earlier than planned

The deal is finally done. The National Automobile Dealers Association and the National Football League have announced they have agreed to move the date of the NADA convention from february 2-5 to January 26-29. The switch will allow the Super Bowl to be played in New Orleans on February 3, 2002. The scheduling conflict arose, however, when the NFL postponed its games during the second week of the

By Cliff Banks • Oct. 4, 2001

NADA and NFL still negotiating

Don’t change those flight and hotel reservations just yet. Contrary to various media reports there is no deal yet. That is the word from the National Automobile Dealers Association and the National Football League as they are still negotiating the technical details for a date switch of the NADA Convention and the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is scheduled for January 27 and the NADA Convention is slated

By Cliff Banks • Oct. 3, 2001

The leasing game: It’s far from over

Vehicle leasing and football are a lot alike. Each has two key aspects. In football, it's offense and defense. In leasing, half the game is the lease and the other half is remarketing. If you aren't remarketing well, you're only playing half of the game and probably losing money. Joe Montana was a great NFL quarterbacks. He had an instinctive feel for the game, was deadly accurate and had the heart

By David Walsh • Oct. 1, 2001

Pontiac launches reality-based marketing campaign

Picture someone walking up to you on the street and offering you the keys to a new car for one week. You can take the car anywhere you want and take whomever you want - the person will pay your salary for a week. What is your reaction going to be? Welcome to what may become the latest trend in advertising. "Think of it as reality television meets marketing," says Lynn Myers, Pontiac-GMC general manager.

By Cliff Banks • Oct. 1, 2001

Mercedes names new marketing VP

Mercedes-Benz USA names David Schembri vice president of marketing. He replaces Ken Enders who left to pursue other interests. Mr. Schembri is responsible for all product marketing for passenger cars and light trucks, marketing communications and advertising in the U.S. He's been with the company since 1994, most recently as vice president of sales/west. Mr. Enders left as sales softened, and Mercedes

Oct. 1, 2001

He started out selling 1 car at a time, now his dealerships do 32,000 a year

Tex Earnhardt, one of the most recognized personalities in the Southwest and biggest dealers in the world, celebrated 50 years in the auto business last month. The founder of Earnhardt Auto Centers grew up in southern Texas. He was a professional rodeo cowboy. At age 20, he moved with his family to Arizona where, in 1951, he started a service station with his father. They soon opened a Ford dealership

Oct. 1, 2001