November 3, 2017 — As automakers begin flooding the market with electric vehicles (EV) the next couple of years, a key question yet to be answered is just how much tax credits drive demand for a segment that makes up 1% of the new car market. Meanwhile, the uncertain future of the federal tax credit is…
October 21, 2017 – On Friday, Scott Painter’s newest venture, an online used car leasing app called Fair, announced it has secured offers for nearly $1 billion in combined capital from two separate groups of investors. The $1 billion is in addition to a soon to-be-completed round of financing from a group that includes BMW i…
September 5, 2017 — The lawsuits are piling up and more are on the way. Late last month, Superior Integrated Solutions (SIS), owner of Darwin Automotive, became the third dealership vendor to file a lawsuit against Reynolds and Reynolds since February alleging anti-competitive practices. At issue are the policies and practices Reynolds and CDK Global…
August 17, 2017 — Following a first quarter with only one announced acquisition, the second quarter ended with eight acquisitions, two public offerings and three investments, bringing the mid-year total to 13 deals in the automotive retail vendor space. The rebound puts 2017 on a similar pace with 2016 which saw 31 total deals. Much of…
August 9, 2017 — After seemingly being dominated in the early stages in the antitrust lawsuit filed by Authenticom in May, Reynolds and Reynolds and CDK Global have clawed back to what can be described as a tie. The Seventh District Court of Appeals yesterday granted the two technology firms a stay of the preliminary…
July 14, 2017 — BREAKING NEWS — Authenticom today won its request for an emergency preliminary injunction forcing Reynolds and Reynolds and CDK Global to allow it access to their dealer management systems during the course of the antitrust litigation. Authenticom sued Reynolds and CDK in May alleging the two technology firms engaged in antitrust…
June 4, 2017 — CDK Global’s pending acquisition of competitor Auto/Mate is a brilliant deal that should make investors happy. With only 1,300 or so dealerships in play and a price tag that won’t dent the bottom line (although Auto/Mate will get a nice multiple) it isn’t that big of a deal on the surface.…
May 22, 2017 — Coming off its second most profitable year ever, Ford Motor Co. has decided to replace its CEO and President Mark Fields. The announcement is expected this morning, according to numerous media reports breaking Sunday night. Jim Hackett, former board Ford member and current head of the automaker’s mobility division, is being named… Continue Reading
May 9, 2017 — Tesla’s moment of truth is nearly here. This year’s introduction of its Model 3 may be the auto industry’s most critical vehicle launch since Ford’s Model T took over America’s roads more than a century ago. Whether the fledgling company becomes the ultimate disruptor and a truly viable automaker will be determined by the…
May 2, 2017 — Carvana’s less than stellar first couple of days on the New York Stock Exchange raises questions not only about its business model, but could also impact the IPO plans of other companies in the automotive retail space. The online used vehicle retailer launched its initial public offering last Friday raising $225 million on the…