Inside Automotive
Giving business owners a voice: why this M&A advisor is running for Congress — Gerrick Wilkins
As business owners, dealers have the ability to make an immense impact on their communities through their professional connections, wealth, and large customer base. But what if the retail community aimed their sights even higher? On this episode of Inside Automotive, host Jim Fitzpatrick is joined by dealership buy-sell consultant Gerrick Wilkins. Read More
Top Stories
Car buyers enjoyed a more affordable new vehicle market in September in spite of rising interest rates and economic headwinds. According to Cox Automotive’s monthly report, measures of affordability improved both month-over-month and year-over-year in September. It cost roughly 42.2 weeks of income to purchase a new vehicle before the start of October, a decrease of 0.9% from August and 1.6% from September 2022. Read More
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a lobby group representing major U.S. automakers, including the Detroit-Three, has submitted a new challenge to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recommended fuel-efficiency standards. If passed, the new policy, titled the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) proposal, would tighten emissions standards on a yearly basis: 2% for passenger vehicles and 4% for SUVs and pickups. Read More
This October, Longo Toyota, the largest Toyota dealership in the world, will auction off a limited edition 2023 Toyota GR Corolla MORIZO, with the proceeds benefitting Vision To Learn and the El Monte Schools. Toyota stated that it only produced 200 units of this limited-edition performance GR Corolla and Longo Toyota will auction badge number 001. The auction will be held virtually from October 18 to 24, with the winning bidder notified on October 24. Furthermore, the winning offer will be matched and donated to charity. Read More
On October 17, a U.S. auto regulator confirmed that Tesla would recall 54,676 Model X vehicles manufactured between 2021 and 2023 because the car controller failed to detect low braking fluid and could fail to display a warning light. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) noted that Tesla has fixed the issue with a free over-the-air (OTA) software upgrade. Read More
For Dealers
Leveraging mobile apps for improved customer engagement in dealerships
On any given day in your dealership, a mechanic will grapple with diagnosing a perplexing issue in a customer’s vehicle. A tool that swiftly and accurately solves the mystery would be an invaluable ally, right? That’s precisely the kind of revolution mobile apps can usher into your dealership, acting as the key to unlocking customer needs and enhancing the car purchasing process. Read More
Fostering a culture of creativity to drive innovation in your dealership
As with most sectors, the automotive industry must continue to come up with creative solutions and groundbreaking innovations to keep consumers happy. Professionals in the automotive retail industry have to keep up with a tremendous amount of new technologies that include but are not limited to new products, new safety and mobility measures, and new artificial intelligence advancements. Read More
