Operations: Page 197
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
Would-Be Newspaper Owner Becomes Top Auto Dealer
Jerry Seiner started out selling classified ads to car dealers. By age 25, he was a display-ad salesman for the Wall Street Journal whose clients included the Detroit Three auto makers.
By Steve Finlay • Nov. 23, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
North American LV Production to Grow 12% in 2011
This year’s low capacity utilization is a result of strategic discipline, as auto makers allow demand to dictate their build rate, rather than use output to push the market upward.
By John Sousanis • Nov. 22, 2010 -
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
Automotive R&D Spending Down Last Year, Study Shows
The auto industry accounted for nearly one-third of the total $18 billion contraction in research and development spending among all industries in 2009.
By Byron Pope • Nov. 9, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Galpin Connects With Customizing Crowd
“Cars are the most beloved inanimate object,” says Beau Boeckmann. “Lots of people like to express themselves through the cars they drive.”
By Steve Finlay • Nov. 4, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
No-Nonsense Dealers in Works
I've been writing for years about the distinctive personality of dealers and their inimitable relationships with the manufacturers that they serve. The many ways car manufacturers express an inner belief that they might do better without a franchise network always catches my attention. In the same way, I find the willingness of so many dealers to lose money on the sales of new cars, equally fascinating.
By Peter Brandow • Nov. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Fulfill 5 Basic Expectations
Who pays our salary? I often wonder when I hear stories from clients about their experiences at dealerships and also from sales professionals attending our APB University. I typically tell them this story. A pilot had a regular route from New York City to Toronto. One day, a few passengers asked if they'd be able to see Niagara Falls on the trip. The pilot said they flew over it but it might be hard
By Richard F. Libin • Nov. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
China Success Clouded by Labor Strikes, Overcapacity
You would think in a market where industry passenger-car sales surged 37% in the year's first nine months, there would not be much bad news. But as the literal bull in the China shop, the world's largest vehicle market cannot seem to get out of its own way. While federal tax cuts and subsidies are spurring China's auto makers to new sales and production records, the central government expects consumer
By Barbara McClellan • Nov. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
It’s Budget-Making Time
While the recession is technically over, the main economic drivers (i.e. employment and GDP), are still major concerns. I don't need to remind any one of the impact this recession has had on the auto industry. The bright spots for dealers are the steps you took to not only survive this downturn, but to grow by increasing the efficiency of and gross in your organizations. We still have a long way to
By Tony Noland • Nov. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Lender-Dealer Sit-Down Meetings New to Industry
“It takes more effort to put a deal together,” says Alex Sarafian, a risk director at Ally Financial.
By Steve Finlay • Oct. 28, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Chevy Volt Rises Above Sound, Fury of Introduction
Instead of waiting to bank on cost and efficiency gains with the second-generation Volt, the auto maker will look to take out cost every year.
By James M. Amend • Oct. 27, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Texas Dealership Wins Innovation Award
In separate contests, five dealership and six vendor representatives presented their innovations to a panel of judges at the Driving Sales Executive Summit.
By Steve Finlay • Oct. 22, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Global Bounce Back: Auto Industry in Flux
Even as auto makers migrate to lower-cost regions to cut cost and court growing economies, fear and loathing still stalk the international industry, with sales momentum gained in the year’s first six months now stalling.
By Barbara McClellan • Oct. 20, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
2010 Year in Review: Asia
Highlights of the year’s major events in the Asian auto industry.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Oct. 20, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
2010 Year in Review: Europe
Highlights of the year’s major events in the European auto industry.
By Eric Mayne • Oct. 20, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
2010 Year in Review: Brazil
Highlights of the year’s major events affecting Brazil
By Barbara McClellan • Oct. 20, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Today’s Used-Car Buyer Mantra: ‘Trust But Verify’
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.Yesteryear’s stereotypical used-car salesman – that shady, fast-talking guy smoking a cigar and wearing a plaid sports jacket – supposedly t...
By Steve Finlay 2 • Oct. 6, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Today’s Used-Car Buyer Mantra: ‘Trust But Verify’
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.Yesteryear’s stereotypical used-car salesman – that shady, fast-talking guy smoking a cigar and wearing a plaid sports jacket – supposedly t...
By Steve Finlay • Oct. 6, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
83% of Car Buyers Shop Online First
The annual survey highlights significant shifts in the way consumers are researching and purchasing vehicles this year.
By Steve Finlay • Oct. 6, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Congestion-Plagued Cities to Shape Industry’s Future
By 2015, 53% of the world’s population will live in cities, and conceiving vehicles adapted to these environments requires a radically different approach, says consultancy Oliver Wyman.
By William Diem • Oct. 6, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Venturi Showcases New Fetish, Specialty Concepts at Paris
Venturi sold 10 units of the previous-gen Fetish, introduced in 2002. For the new car, priced at €300,000, the auto maker expects to build 10 a year, with the first to be delivered next September.
By William Diem • Oct. 4, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Subprime and Pre-Owns Mesh
Falling credit scores are helping to drive up used-vehicle revenues as more buyers turn to subprime loans and pre-owned units. Subprime loans are still hard to come by for new cars and not as easy to get as before for used cars. But that lending segment is showing more signs of life now that the credit freeze is thawing. Moreover, many consumers, hit by the poor economy, have seen their credit rating
By Mac Gordon • Oct. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Destination: Your Dealership
Ask yourself and then have every employee at your dealership to ask themselves four questions: Do you view everyone in your dealership as a salesperson? How are you treating your dealership like destination? What would you do differently today? What can you learn from Mickey Mouse about selling cars? Let's look at the concept that every dealership is a destination. Most don't have a sidewalk directly
By Richard F. Libin • Oct. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealix-AOL Partnership Grows
Internet sales-lead provider Dealix is now working with AOL Autos to carry all UsedCars.com dealers' inventory within the AOL Autos marketplace. Dealix UsedCars.com customers will receive placement in search results, giving them access to online used-car shoppers using AOL Autos that draws more than 7.3 million monthly unique visitors. Most of the UsedCars.com inventory features phone numbers, giving
Oct. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
RheTech Introduces New Bio-Composite
Trademarked RheVision, the new material contains about 30% industrial waste fibers to reinforce polypropylene in a variety of automotive applications.
By David C. Smith • Sept. 14, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
The Mayne Objective: Clean Desk and a Clear Head
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.Schoolchildren are not the only ones in transition this time of year. For automotive journalists, the post-Labor Day period signals time to ...
Sept. 7, 2010
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