Operations: Page 196
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
French Firm Forecasts EVs to Make Up 40% of Cars in Cities by 2040
It’s the young people of today who can picture the future of the auto industry as Oliver Wyman sees it: A world of city dwellers connected by wireless technology to their homes, infrastructure and EVs.
By William Diem • Feb. 7, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Does One Person Represent Entire Generation?
It’s too easy, and too inaccurate, to bundle up an entire generation and surmise what they collectively think and act alike.
By Steve Finlay • Feb. 6, 2011 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Courtesy of Toyota
TrendlineAutomotive Manufacturing
Production strategies are changing rapidly as tariffs and shifts in consumer buying patterns affect the industry.
By WardsAuto staff -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
U.S. LV SAAR rises (slightly) for fifth straight month
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.See company updates: U.S. Sales Summary table U.S. L.V SAAR: 12.54 million units U.S. auto makers sold 816,653 light vehicles in January...
By John Sousanis 1 • Feb. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Use Worksheet to Close Deal
When I worked on the dealership sales floor, one of my goals was getting as many potential customers to paper as possible. I would take every new customer through my selling steps proper greeting, qualifying questions, vehicle presentation and demonstration drive, etc. before bringing them to my office and asking for the sale. I would then put them on paper or the dealership worksheet. The worksheet
By Darin George • Feb. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealer Reviews on Cars.com
DETROIT Cars.com will add consumers' dealer reviews on its automotive marketplace website, starting in March. We are throwing the entire organization behind it, Cars.com CEO Mitch Golub tells Ward's here during the North American International Auto Show. It is a win-win for consumers and dealers. Online reviews for assorted services and products in general and for dealerships in particular have exploded
By Steve Finlay • Feb. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
vAuto’s Inventory System Now on Android Mobile Devices
vAuto, Inc.'s used-car inventory management system is now available for Android mobile devices. We are excited to offer our dealers the vAuto mobile app for the Android platform, says Keith Jezek, vAuto's president. This innovation allows dealers to have vAuto in the palm of their hands for accessing real-time market information. vAuto's live market appraisal and stocking modules are available on
Feb. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
All Kept Their Heads While Creating Auto-Technician Training Center
I remember thinking it was a great idea, but wondering if they could pull it off.
By Steve Finlay • Jan. 27, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Cars.Com to Post Consumers’ Auto Dealer Reviews
“There are about 500,000 dealership reviews out there, but it is a fragmented space; there’s no critical mass,” says Mitch Golub, CEO of the online automotive marketplace.
By Steve Finlay • Jan. 13, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
NAIAS Caps ‘Amazing Turnaround’
“We’re expecting the auto show to be a pretty big party, with lots of pats on the back and deservedly so,” one auto analyst says, while cautioning: “We shouldn’t get too fat and happy.”
By Tom Murphy • Jan. 10, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
NADA’s Top 5 Reason for Robust Car Sales in 2011
“Auto sales are playing a key role in leading the economic recovery,” says NADA’s Chief Economist Paul Taylor.
By Ward's Staff • Jan. 10, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
OnStar Taps Verizon to Explore New Connectivity Features
By combining its telematics technology with Verizon’s upcoming 4G wireless network and six strategically placed onboard cameras, OnStar soon will be able to record damage being done to a parked vehicle.
By James M. Amend • Jan. 5, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Used Cars Are Commodities?
People in our field can make money in spite of ourselves. We are the truest entrepreneurs on this planet. But some of the things we do amaze me. Take used cars, for example. Some of us look at a lot full of used cars and see just a lot full of used cars rather than different vehicles to meet a variety of consumer wants and needs. If every other industry had that closed-minded opinion of their product,
By Tim Deese • Jan. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Get Internet Facts Straight
With all of the information available on the Internet, many dealers find it difficult to know exactly from where they're getting their Internet leads, and more importantly, their Internet deliveries. We recently received a call from a dealer who wanted us to review his Internet sales process. He was getting some conflicting information about how well he was doing with Internet leads. His general sales
By Al Amersdorfer • Jan. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
CRM Works, When It Is Used
LAS VEGAS The head of an 88-store dealership group regularly checks to see if his sales people make follow-up phone calls to prospects, not just send them emails. One day, while checking his electronic activities log, he noticed one store's Internet department was skipping the calls. He phoned the manager and identified himself. At first thinking it was a prank call, the manager said, Yeah, right.
By Steve Finlay • Jan. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
‘My Customers Fascinate Me’
Jack Fitzgerald was a decent door-to-door salesman. Now, he’s a “folk-hero” dealer.
By Steve Finaly • Jan. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Some Bailed; Not Jay Cimino
We had to take a good look at where we were going if we wanted to survive,” says head of the Phil Long Automotive Group in Colorado.
By Lillie Guyer • Jan. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Global Auto Sales on Track for 75 Million Units in 2010
Gains in recent months suggest a new, albeit less dynamic sales surge in worldwide vehicle sales.
By John Sousanis • Dec. 29, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
‘Conflict Mineral’ Strategy Emerging
The Automotive Industry Action Group is working to identify materials to ensure they don’t come from nefarious sources.
By Byron Pope • Dec. 27, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Polish Ag Machinery Maker to Sell Chinese Pickups
The Polish-assembled Grand Tiger is slated to go on sale in January, and distributor Pol-Mot Warfama expects to find a significant number of customers among farmers.
By Peter Homola • Dec. 10, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Manually Shifting Gears Becoming Lost Art
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.They don’t make manual transmissions like they used to. Oh, they make them better than ever. But they sure don’t make as many. Not in the U...
By Steve Finlay 2 • Dec. 2, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Message to Minivan-Haters: Get Over Yourselves
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. OK, minivan-haters, take a good look in the mirror. What's your problem? Can you honestly tell yourself there is a more versatile vehicl...
Dec. 2, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Production to Grow 12% in 2011
It may seem odd to characterize North America's projected production increase of nearly 40% this year as but the term fits. Auto makers are on track to build roughly 12 million light vehicles this year, compared with 2009's decades-low 8.56 million, while utilizing only 65% of their capacity in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, Ward's data indicates. Last year's 49% utilization rate largely was a reaction
By John Sousanis • Dec. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Auto Dealership CRM Systems Work, When Used
“It has to come from the top, you can’t expect sales people to roll it out,” VanTuyl’s Cassie Broemmer says of systematic customer-contact efforts.
By Steve Finlay • Nov. 30, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GMDAT’s Arcamone Promises Auto Maker to Turn Profit This Year
Although domestic sales are down for many of its models, income from exports and profits from overseas subsidiaries and joint ventures are contributing to the Korean auto maker’s balance sheet.
By Vince Courtenay • Nov. 29, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dispute With Distributor Continues to Keep Mahindra Out of U.S.
Global Vehicles CEO John Perez says efforts to contact Mahindra to work out the dispute have been ignored, meaning the distributor’s fate may have to be settled in federal court.
By Byron Pope • Nov. 24, 2010
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