Well, this is new to me – Hummer apparently has been cut by General Motors. But I guess that’s not really the point of this post, even though it’s big news. There are major questions still on the table in regards to owners and dealers, with some dealers still hoping that GM will find another buyer for the brand name. Hummer currently has 153 dealerships, all of which that have their own dealer auto transport networks, and sixteen of those of those are stand-alone dealerships. High gas prices is among the largest reason why GM has stopped production of all Hummer products, and frankly who can blame them? Those things are freaking … [Read more...]
Toyota’s Problems Impacting Used Car Sales
April 4, 2010 By
Dealer auto transport networks don’t just ship new cars – many handle used cars that are sold on car lots, and they’ve been talking about the huge decrease in the amount of Toyota used cars that have been sold since Toyota found itself in trouble over their recalls. Sales of used cars are down 1.8% from last year, with prices down 1.3% since January 2010. This affects all of Toyota’s vehicles, not just the models that are affected by the recent recalls. Independent dealers still don’t have recall information or the parts to replace the affected vehicles either, which is definitely hurting the numbers that Toyota is seeing slip … [Read more...]
Ford, Toyota, GM See Sales Grow in China
March 31, 2010 By
According to the Detroit News, GM’s sales in China have risen 51% from last year’s numbers, while Ford and Toyota also reported sales gains in the double digits. This comes in the face of decreasing momentum and sales in the United States and elsewhere, with GM selling over 174,000 in February in China, which was a company record for February sales; however, it was still below January’s record-setting number of over 219,000 vehicles sold. Nationwide auto shippers in China have also seen an increase in American cars being shipped across the country, though the numbers could be a reflection of even lower numbers to come. Ford sold over … [Read more...]
NADA Calling for Unity Between Dealers, Automakers
March 29, 2010 By
The North American Dealers Association is calling for unity in the industry, according to NADA’s official website. They are calling for dealers and automakers coming together and working closely together, no matter if the dealers have a separate dealer auto transport service or something else. This news comes after 2009’s terrible sales year and amidst over 2,000 dealerships closing across the United States. Ex-chairman John McEleney made his speech at the NADA convention in Orlando, Florida. McEleney praised dealers and their efforts in appealing their problems to Congress, with which lawmakers approved a measure which would give … [Read more...]
Ford’s Awesomeness May Be New Norm
March 27, 2010 By
Let’s face it – Ford is pretty awesome. They are the only company out of Detroit to not declare bankruptcy, didn’t want government aid, and is currently doing the best out of the three. Ford has been beating GM in US sales since late 2009, and this could be just the beginning – this is the first time that Ford has topped GM since 1998, and the last time before that was in 1970. GM is still in “turnaround” mode, however, and is looking to reclaim that top spot, though Ford has built their reputation up in the past few years. Nationwide auto shippers have noticed a huge increase in the number of Ford vehicles being shipped, while GM … [Read more...]
Mercedes Enhances Turn-In Process
March 25, 2010 By
Apparently Mercedes-Benz Financial has been talking about enhancing their lease turn-in process, with the head of Mercedes-Benz Financial talking about completely reworking the way that the lease system operates. Currently lease penetration is 50% of retail sales, and is also stating that three of four retail transactions in the United States occur at Mercedes-Benz dealers. This is a huge benefit to dealers, especially those with ties to nationwide auto shippers. Mercedes-Benz Financial recently upgraded their First Class Finish lease program’s turn-in process, giving dealers new software for PDA’s as well as computers. Dealers can … [Read more...]
Honda Unveils New Hybrid Braking System
March 23, 2010 By
Honda has been working to ensure that its image won’t be tainted like Toyota’s, especially after the Prius was recalled due to braking problems. The CEO of Honda has said that product quality is highly important to Honda and was crucial in the development of the new CR-Z hybrid that Honda has recently unveiled. Initial sales reports that Honda may be picking up many customers that Toyota has lost, especially in the United States, and Honda has made a point of showing off the new braking system that the CR-Z has, which is quite different from the one in the 2010 Toyota Prius that has been causing so many problems. Honda dealers who have … [Read more...]
CRM Daily Says It’s Time to Upgrade Systems
March 21, 2010 By
Traditional CRM systems are not delivering the desired customer experience transformation, according to CRM-Daily, and most organizations are seeing the customer’s experience improvement as highly desirable. 74% of customers are likely to buy more as a result of service excellence, and a survey of international businesses across the United States and Europe has been undertaken by Pegasystems, an independent organization. Many dealers, especially those who have nationwide auto shippers at their disposal, are eager to please their customers, because that typically means repeat business and more money as a result. However, many businesses … [Read more...]
Experian Reports New Trends in Financing
March 19, 2010 By
According to Subprime News, captive finance companies have lost a huge share of outstanding loan balances in the third quarter of 2009, down 5.4% - or $12 billion – when compared to 2008 numbers. Outstanding balances in finance and other categories fell a whopping 22.7%, or $23 billion, in the same time frame. This trend is due mainly to troubled capital markets, and non-prime loans dropped by 12.8% while subprime numbers are down by 21%. So what exactly does this mean for you, the consumer? To be frank, not much in the long run. In the short term, financing numbers and APR rates have increased, putting increased pressure on current … [Read more...]
Toyota Gaining More Consumers?
March 17, 2010 By
<!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-update:auto; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; … [Read more...]
