September 14, 2015 — (We updated this story on September 18). It was a busy late Sunday evening/Monday morning as news broke last night that TrueCar President John Krafcik has left the company to lead Google’s autonomous vehicle efforts. Krafcik is the biggest name hired by either Google or Apple for their autonomous vehicle programs. He… Continue Reading
September 9, 2015 — In late July, following a sometimes bitter debate, the House Financial Services Committee cleared the way for legislation repealing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s 2103 bulletin governing automotive lending. The move is a victory for The National Automobile Dealers Assn. which has lobbied vigorously the last two years to build bi-partisan… Continue Reading
September 11, 2015 — This feature is a list of of intriguing, quirky and informative stories about the automotive industry that we found on the Internet from this week. Look for this is going to become a regular feature each week of the TBR Weekly. We hope you enjoy! 1. Speeding Up Online Car Sales Car Lister… Continue Reading
September 9, 2015 — A few weeks ago, AutoNation took the bold step of putting a stop on all sales of vehicles in it inventory that have open recalls. The move includes all new and used vehicles — including ones slated for wholesale. AutoNation estimates it will affect between 5% to 10% of its overall inventory… Continue Reading
September 10, 2015 — Reports continue to trickle out of Wall Street about pending deals for Solera Holdings and CDK Global. An announcement for Solera could come as early as this week — and one potential buyer hints at an intriguing tie up with another big industry player. SOLERA HOLDINGS Reports in Bloomberg this week indicate… Continue Reading
September 10, 2015 — Urban Science has acquired AutoHook from HookLogic in a play to expand its online lead management services for automakers and dealers. Urban Science, long known for helping manufacturers plan their retail networks as they determine where to place dealerships, also acts as a traffic cop in the online lead space, gathering leads from automaker and third party… Continue Reading
September 9, 2015 — A torrid July and August in the dealership buy-sell market saw 81 rooftops change hands bringing the 2015 total to 322 through the first eight months of the year — just two shy of all of 2014’s total. Averaging about 40.25 buy-sells a month this year, the industry is on pace to…
September 4, 2015 — We’re putting the finishing touches on the July and August dealership buy-sell updates. It has been a vibrant and active summer, and as we enter the fall months, several large deals are rumored to be nearing the finish line, including the AMSI’s pending acquisition of 11 stores of the Sam Swope… Continue Reading
September 4, 2015 – Confirming what The Banks Report reported on May 27, TrueCar announced earlier this week it is partnering with Sam’s Club in the creation of a new car buying program. At least 12 automakers will participate in the Auto Buying Program, giving specific incentives to Sam’s Club members. Customers buying used vehicles through the… Continue Reading
September 2, 2015 — Defying analysts predictions of fewer sales in August, the auto industry responded to a volatile and crashing stock market with a 17.72 million (according to WardsAuto) Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) — the best month since the 17.5 million posted in July 2005. It’s the fourth straight month the SAAR has… Continue Reading