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Courtesy of WardsAuto
Outlander Sport First to Receive Mitsubishi Plug-In Technology in U.S.
Six more PHEVs or EVs will follow on a global basis before the end of 2015, as part of a plan to remake the brand into an alternative-propulsion pioneer, a top executive says.
By James M. Amend • July 8, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Delphi Markets Low-Cost AC Solution
SCIENTISTS MAY DEBATE THE EXISTENCE of global warming for years to come, but Delphi's Thermal Systems division has identified a trend that sheds significant light: Demand for automotive air conditioning in densely populated emerging markets is soaring like temperatures in July. And by the end of next year, Delphi hopes to be in production with a new variable compressor that is smaller, more efficient
By Tom Murphy • July 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Cruze Eco Stretches 42-mpg Rating
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.A Chevy Cruze Eco arrived at the office last week for a 1-week loan, which got me thinking about the sedan’s EPA rating of 42 mpg (5.6 L/100...
By Tom Murphy • July 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Are Aerodynamic Requirements Killing Automotive Design?
Vehicle designers can dream big, but when it comes time for a splashy concept car to transition to production, they ultimately must bow to the laws of physics.
By Byron Pope • June 20, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
MOPAR Plying Information Highway
Michigan-based Guidepoint Systems supports MOPAR’s EVTS feature, the industry’s first service to offer text alerts as a monitoring tool.
By Eric Mayne • June 3, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Consumers Redefine Luxury
Most of us think of a lobster dinner as a luxury, but not that long ago, serving the dish to a guest in New England would have been considered an insult. Until the mid-19th century, New England had an over-abundance of lobsters. They washed up in piles on beaches. Usually, they were eaten only by prisoners and the poor. Lobster meat didn't suddenly get tastier starting 200 years ago. The way our culture
By Drew Winter • June 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Socially Acceptable Tips
As little as five years ago, you may have scoffed at the suggestion that social media would be important for your business, saying Facebook? Bah! Who spends his days on that nonsense? Today, many of your employees regularly use social media during work hours, probably at your urging. But with the benefits of social media come pitfalls. As the law begins to catch up with technology, social-media use
By Michael Charapp • June 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Megadealer Draws From His Days as Restaurateur
The 24-store Bergstrom Auto Group based in Neenah, WI, prides itself on being the largest privately owned collection of dealerships in a single state. Twenty-four seems a key number for owner John F. Bergstrom, because the group grew its total revenues 24% in 2010 to $576.5 million, with more sales coming from used than new units. Bergstrom, one of the first dealers to build a Hummer dealership in
June 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
How to Ask for the Sale
I sold 11 vehicles in my first month as a salesman. As time wore on, I did not sustain that success rate. I knew I had a great sales strategy, but I was closing fewer and fewer deals, until one day when I realized that all-important mantra: If you do not ask, you will not receive. Asking for the sale can be tricky. If you inquire too early, the customer may feel you are rushing to the finish. If you
By Darin George • June 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Auto Makers Don’t Keep Their Distance
Auto makers seem to have their own interpretation of state franchise laws.
By Steve Finlay • May 27, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Detroit Auto Makers Confront Flexible Manufacturing as New Necessity
A changing market, plant closures and an uncertain future are creating a new maxim for older auto makers: Get flexible or be left behind.
By John Sousanis • May 11, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
In Search of Headroom, Part 2
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. [caption id="attachment_98" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Back seat of diminutive Fiat 500 feels like a straightjacket."][/capti...
By Tom Murphy • May 6, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Paul Rusnak Loves, Sells Premium European Cars
Since its establishment on Pasadena’s Colorado Blvd., the Rusnak organization has served affluent celebrities and customers in the greater Los Angeles market.
By Mac Gordon • May 5, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Believe It or Not: U.S. Manufacturers Having Trouble Finding Workers
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.It’s not often “worker shortage” and “manufacturing” can be used in the same sentence, at least not in the U.S., where unemployment remains ...
By David Zoia • May 4, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
6-Step Negotiating Process
The salesperson should always start negotiation. Start with a 2% discount at the most. In some cases, used cars for example, you can present the customer with no starting discount. Unless the customer has come in for an advertised special sale, here is a 6-step word track for price negotiations. Step 1 Tell the Customer: I can give you this savings right now. The MSRP is $30,000, minus $300 bringing
By Darin George • May 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Study: Accessories Influence 1 Million Auto Sales a Year
Auto accessories influence more than 1 million new-vehicle sales each year, according to a study from the Specialty Equipment Market Assn. This is the most extensive research our industry has conducted on the relationship between the availability of accessories and new vehicle sales, says SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. Key highlights from the study called Influence of Accessories on New Vehicle
May 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
How Car Dealership Staffs Can Work Together
The way to get everyone working together “without disturbances” is to focus on sales, “the biggest thing in the dealership,” says John Vecchioni.
By Steve Finlay • April 26, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Reporter Notebook: Play It Again, Sam
Ward’s writers pass along the buzz at this week’s New York International Auto Show.
By Ward's Staff • April 21, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Treasured Memories from SAE World Congress
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.Journalism won’t make you rich. (Excluding Ariana Huffington and the two Montreal Gazette scribes who invented Trivial Pursuit.) But the p...
April 15, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Uncertainty Could Drag April Sales Below Trend
Despite the projected setback and likelihood of coming inventory shortages, Ward’s continues to call for 13.2 million light-vehicle sales this year.
By John Sousanis • April 15, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Cult Movie Inspires Theodore’s Uni-Chassis
“You can slice it and dice it for whatever wheelbase you want,” says Chris Theodore.
By Eric Mayne • April 13, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Social Skills
For many veteran dealers, keeping up with the latest Internet advancements is a steep learning curve. For the younger set at dealerships, it's a way of life. They tweet on Twitter, befriend customers on Facebook, share uploaded YouTube videos and promote locations on FourSquare. For them, multi-functional smartphones always are in hand or at least at hand. Welcome to modern auto retailing where dealerships
By Maureen McDonald • April 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
John Eagle Dealership Group’s Internet Sales Soar
When it comes to dealing cars online, the Texas-based John Eagle Auto Group has one firm playing strategy: Go all in or don't bother at all. While that might not be a prudent when playing Texas Hold-'em poker, it has been a winning plan for the dealership group with two stores on the Ward's e-Dealer 100. We've had the same philosophy all along, about everything we do, says Jim Flint, corporate director-Interactive
By Tony Bittick • April 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
China Auto Makers Shift Focus to Energy Efficiency
Beijing is using the power of the market to force the industry to compete on price, rather than relying on consumer tax breaks, by scrapping a vehicle-replacement program but retaining a subsidy for the purchase of green cars.
By Wang Fangqing • March 24, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
March to Maintain Sales Momentum, But April Falloff Likely
March forecast sales equate to a 13.3 million-unit SAAR, but reduced inventories due to parts shortages from Japan likely will bring incentives to a halt, dropping the SAAR dramatically in April.
By John Sousanis • March 21, 2011
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