May 22, 2017 — The court today denied motions filed by CDK Global and Reynolds and Reynolds on Friday afternoon requesting dismissal of Authenticom’s request for a preliminary injunction hearing in the antitrust lawsuit it recently filed. Both defendants cited Authenticom’s nearly two-year delay in filing the lawsuit and request for the preliminary injunction. They also cited… Continue Reading
May 22, 2017 — The downward trend in dealership buy-sell activity which began in 2016 continued into the first quarter of this year with a 36% year-over-year decline, according to data compiled by The Banks Report. Also in the first quarter report, Audi continues to be aggressive in using the Right of First Refusal to…
May 18, 2017 — According to an article in The Texas Tribune this week, legislation dubbed the “Buffett Bill” that would allow Berkshire Automotive to keep selling vehicles in Texas is dead. Fierce opposition from Tea Party activists and environmental groups (yes, politics still can make strange bedfellows) forced Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to pull the legislation… Continue Reading
(Update -Correction Below) May 15, 2017 — Mike Maroone, former AutoNation president, has acquired four dealerships from the Serra organization in Colorado Springs, CO. The acquisition follows a two-year non-compete stemming from Maroone’s retirement from AutoNation in April 2015. The stores include two Chevrolet dealerships and Honda and Volkswagen dealerships along with a collision shop. The… 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…
April 21, 2016 — Berkshire Hathaway Automotive finds itself the victim of the law of unintended consequences in Texas’ fight to keep electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla from selling direct to consumers. The problem is that Texas’ legislation prohibiting manufacturers from selling vehicles directly to customers in the state was written so broadly that it includes… Continue Reading
March 18, 2017 — Although 2016 saw a slight downturn in the number of transactions from 2015, dealership buy-sell activity the last three years has stayed fairly consistent, according to data compiled by The Banks Report. And 2017 is shaping up to be on par with the previous three years. From 2015 to 2016, the…
February 20. 2017 (UPDATED) — The industry had a scare last Thursday when it appeared that a large data breach occurred involving several dealer management system (DMS) providers and dealer groups. What actually happened was much more benign, and involved none of the DMS vendors. Nor did the event involve any sensitive personal data. The… Continue Reading
February 4, 2017 — In what may become the year’s biggest story in automotive retail, the long simmering battle over data access in the automotive retail world escalated yesterday when a third party vendor sued tech giants CDK Global, Reynolds and Reynolds and one of their joint ventures for engaging in antitrust practices. This is the first…