April 17, 2022 — A direct-to-consumer sales model appears to be a non-starter for Toyota as sales chief Bob Carter calls it “a disaster waiting to happen.” Carter provided his perspective on a wide range of topics during an on-stage interview with Jason Stein, president of Motormindz, at the NADA/J.D. Power Automotive Forum in New… Continue Reading
February 8, 2022 — Cars.com announced this morning it is acquiring the assets of Accu-Trade, Galves Market Data, and MADE Logistics from founder Robert Hollenshead. Terms of the transaction, which should close within the next month, include an initial cash payment of $65 million with another expected $63 million earnout payment based on certain financial… Continue Reading
October 27, 2021 — As the auto industry continues to manage an ongoing chip shortage, a looming magnesium and silicon shortage is threatening to erode vehicle production even further. Magnesium and silicon are key ingredients in the production of aluminum alloy, which is used in numerous vehicle parts. Silicon also is a main component in…
October 25, 2021 — This morning, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed Arizona’s District Court’s decision denying Reynolds and Reynolds’ and CDK Global’s motion requesting a preliminary injunction to prevent enforcement of Arizona’s Dealer Data Security Law, signed into law in 2019. The legislation gives dealerships greater control over the… Continue Reading
Follow the money — or more specifically, the investment capital. I became convinced during my 10 years as a reporter and editor at WardsAuto that the investment community fuels much of the vendor growth and strategy in automotive retail. But it is an under-reported and underserved — and often, misunderstood — component of the industry.… Continue Reading
(Photo Source: Shutterstock, Photographer: Jaguar PS) July 28, 2021 — Hollywood actor and noted comedian Kevin Hart sees the upside in automotive digital retailing and has decided to ride along with a group of investors putting $18 million into Rodo, a mobile app that lets customers lease, purchase, or sell a vehicle online. Hart’s investment… Continue Reading
July 21, 2021 — Following a scuttled SPAC attempt earlier this year for portfolio company Solera Holdings, Vista Equity Partners now is planning for an initial public offering later this year or early next year. The original strategy called for partnering with special purpose acquisition company Apollo Growth Strategic Capital, which had raised $817 million…
July 7, 2021 — After more than $200 million being invested in automotive digital retailing firms the last few years, two large strategic transactions in June signaled the sector has entered the acquisition/consolidation phase. A third deal, set to be announced this morning, pushes the total amount spent on purchases of firms offering digital retailing…
November 6, 2020 — Reynolds and Reynolds announced today Bob Brockman has stepped down as chairman and CEO. Tommy Barras is adding the CEO role to his responsibilities. He was named president and COO in early June. A new chairman has not been named according to a Reynolds spokesperson. Brockman earlier this month was indicted… Continue Reading
October 30, 2020 — Earlier this week, CDK Global and Authenticom settled their lawsuits that were part of several data access-related lawsuits that were consolidated into a multi-district litigation (MDL) in federal court in Illinois’ Northern District. From February 2017 to February 2019 as many as seven vendors and 25 dealerships filed lawsuits against either…