While the new-vehicle SAAR ticked up above 16 million in June — marking the industry’s best performance since November 2007, Manheim’s Tom Webb approached the trend with caution. Webb dissected two metrics — vehicle miles traveled and scrappage rates — to explain why he would caution dealers and other industry executives and observers not to […] [Read More]

Though luxury vehicles continue to be scarce, a few certified pre-owned vehicles, in particular, are proving hard to find this summer, as well. According to the latest installment of vehicle scarcity date that is provided monthly to Auto Remarketing by AutoTrader.com, certified models, such as the Hyundai Genesis and a few other trucks and SUVs, […] [Read More]

On Monday, Kelley Blue Book shared the rankings of the used cars that commanded the most attention on KBB.com during June. Which model was No. 1? It was a familiar leader, the Honda Civic, which once again was the most-researched used vehicle on the site. The Civic was followed by a fellow Honda model in […] [Read More]

The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will continue to impact the costs and procedures associated with delivering health insurance. For dealers, rising costs and government mandates may prove hard to follow. In light of these changes, AIADA and Northwestern Mutual will hold a free webinar titled, “Healthcare Reform and Its Impact: Planning Strategies […] [Read More]

As sales of new and used vehicles continue to gain steam, so is the momentum for franchised dealerships bringing on more workers. Employment figures moved higher for the third year in a row, according to the annual report from the National Automobile Dealers Association In 2012, the average dealership in operation employed 55 people and […] [Read More]

In the latest ALG Industry Report, residual values didn’t change much from the previous edition. However, the future used-car supply situation could shake things up a bit. ALG has upped its outlook on used market supply, meaning lower residual values could be on the horizon. “At the industry level, our supply forecast has increased, leading […] [Read More]

The annual report from the National Automobile Dealers Association showed sales figures generated at franchised dealerships’ service and parts departments as well as body shops in 2012 exceeded $80 billion for the second year in a row. The exact figure according to NADA Data 2013 came in at $81.35 billion, representing a 0.1-percent dip from […] [Read More]

More than three-fifths of all used vehicles retailed by franchised dealers last year were acquired via trade-in, up from 57 percent in 2011, according to the NADA Data 2013. Breaking that figure down, the annual report from the National Automobile Dealers Association indicated that franchised dealers got 39 percent of the used cars they sold […] [Read More]

This past February, I raised a cautionary yellow flag about dealers making speculative bets with their used-vehicle inventory decisions. I was concerned that dealers would have trouble resisting the urge to “stock up” in anticipation of a strong spring selling season — especially amid signs that incoming supplies of wholesale vehicles and other market variables […] [Read More]

As the last weekend in June just passed, dealers are busy assessing the  month's performance. Which brands were hot on the lots this past month? Dataium’s Automotive Shopper Index for June indicates  that Japanese brands proved to be particularly popular with consumers, with the Honda Accord coming in as No. 1 in the ASI new-vehicle […] [Read More]