A little bit of bragging here — I’ve been asked to give the keynote presentation for the AICPA Auto Dealership Conference in October in Las Vegas. My friend John Davis who is a partner with Dixon Hughes Goodman’s Dealer Services Group and is on AICPA’s dealer conference committee helped facilitate the engagement. The conference is for dealership… Continue Reading
September 28, 2014 — The short term future for Cadillac dealers is not looking good. Sales predictions less than two years ago of 300,000 units a year in 2015 seem foolhardy today as the brand is on target to sell five percent less in 2014 than it did in 2013. While in Las Vegas last… Continue Reading
The automotive retail sector is on the cusp of true transformational change. Since 1995, when Seattle dealer Marty Rood sold the first vehicle online – a gold Volvo 760 – through a service called DealerNet, the Internet and its surrounding technology has pushed customers, dealers, vendors and automakers closer to an era where real digital…
September 22, 2014 — A new type of investor in dealerships may provide the comfort level manufacturers require and the flexibility dealers need. Recently a new breed of investor has been drawn to the business of franchised retail auto dealerships. Included are hedge funds, private-equity funds and family offices. First, what attracts them to automotive…
September 15, 2014 — Automotive sales in August far exceeded everyone’s expectations leading to concern that automakers were again relying on aggressive incentives rather than true demand juice showroom traffic. The truth lies somewhere in the middle — but could have far reaching implications for the short term future of certain market segments, and even,…
September 15, 2014 — In the words of Kenny Rogers — “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em; know when to fold ’em; know when to walk away; know when to run.” And Group 1 Automotive’s Chairman and CEO Earl Hesterberg is showing he’s not afraid to follow that advice and cut his losses.…
September 14, 2014 — Drew AutoCenter in La Mesa, CA announced on Friday to its employees that it is being acquired by Roger Penske Jr.’s group, SoCal Penske Dealer Group, according to multiple sources familiar with the deal. The auto center includes Drew Ford and Drew Hyundai along with a used vehicle super store. The industry…
September 13, 2014 — Edmunds.com is rolling out new initiatives over the next several months that will integrate into its Price Promise program launched in 2013. The goal is to improve the buying experience for consumers. More than 8,000 of Edmunds’ approximate 10,000 dealership clients are participating in Price Promise, in which they provide a…
September 11, 2014 — The Sonic Automotive Group is acquiring Hunt Nissan in Chattanooga to add to its BMW and Honda dealerships in that market, according to a Chattanooga newspaper story. Hunt Nissan is owned by Ken Hunt, who came to Chattanooga in 2002 when he acquired the Nissan store from the Penske (United at the… Continue Reading
UPDATED: AutoNation just sent a press release announcing the acquisition of Barrier Motors, which we reported earlier this morning. Industry sources are telling us that a sale of Barrier Motors Group in Bellevue, WA is imminent and that the likely buyer is a public dealer group. Based on the rumors, the market and the brands, it’s…