Dealership Still Going Strong at Age 100 Nov 20, 2009 8:00 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Mac Gordon Through the years, the store has weathered all kinds of setbacks, including the Great Depression, the closing of Oldsmobile, GM’s current cash problems and layoffs at several big Toledo auto parts plants.
Dealers Remember Firebrand on Ford Alliance’s Anniversary Nov 19, 2009 8:00 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Mac Gordon “We dealers all needed an Ed Mullane to champion our cause in those Congressional bankruptcy hearings and bankruptcy courts. He would have blown them away.”
Mazda Releases Mazda2 in Thailand, ASEAN Markets to Follow Nov 19, 2009 8:00 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Alan Harman Mazda dealers say the hatchback is the car that truly matches Thai consumers’ needs and will best the competition in the segment in terms of quality, refinement, design and performance.
The Color of Money Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By James M. Amend HIGHLAND, MI Battling backlash from its controversial plan to shutter thousands of dealerships this year, General Motors Co. points to LaFontaine Buick-Pontiac-GMC
The Green Dealership Tours Start Here, Folks Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay Deflecting bad news about lousy auto sales of late, Ryan LaFontaine invokes a remark by his mother, Maureen LaFontaine, a dealership veteran. Until we
Editorials
New Sales Chief Inquisitive Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, BY STEVE FINLAY I met Susan Docherty, General Motors' new sales chief, in 2001 when she was Cadillac's brand manager, and we drove together on a media test drive for
It's Open Season on Dealers Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, BY PETER BRANDOW If dealers were once an influential voice in the business, that day is gone. Evidence of that is Chrysler's national dealer council chairman Jim Arrigo
Oops, They Forgot One Thing Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, BY JOHN McELROY Auto makers are under enormous pressure to reduce the world's dependence on oil and cut carbon-dioxide emissions. But it sure looks like we're reaching
Finance & Insurance
Make Money in Down Market Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Rebecca Chernek Remember the old days? Selling a vehicle of just about any brand, color, or size was possible, and with little effort. It didn't matter if your dealership
Red Flags Rule Creates Flap Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay After three deadline extensions, the Federal Trade Commission's Red Flags Rule was scheduled to take effect Nov. 1, and the agency still is trying to
Mercedes-Financial First To Let Customers Pay by iPhone Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay Mercedes-Benz Financial becomes the first automotive financial services company to let customers pay their car loans using hand-held iPhone and iPod Touch
Fixed Operations
Independents: We Want Codes Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay Now that U.S. taxpayers hold a stake in General Motors Co. and Chrysler LLC, chances seem greater Congress will pass the latest version of a Right to
Almost as Nice as Showroom Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business
Bob Moran, dealer principal of Acton Toyota, in Littleton, MA, visited a local Mercedes-Benz store while mulling over the various equipment and workspace
Direct-Injection Engines Are Transforming the Family Car Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, Ward's staff On the high-volume automotive front, gasoline direct injection is transforming the family car. A pricey, high-technology feature just a few years ago,
News
Don't Punish Dealers Who Did Upgrades Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay Auto makers should come to the aid of dealerships that are suffering the financial pain of having invested heavily in new facilities when times and sales
Practical Generation Y Vehicle Buyers Shun Frills and Thrills Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay As a growing consumer force, Generation Yers may rival the Baby Boomers. But the younger set shows more conservative tastes as auto buyers, a researcher
Ford: Maybe Driving and Cell Phones Not Such a Bad Mix Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Byron Pope Using handheld devices such as cell phones or iPods while driving is less dangerous than commonly believed, Ford Motor Co. research indicates. Since 1995,
Dealers Must Understand Technology Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By David E. Zoia What can auto makers do about the high cost of electric vehicles? Well, for one thing, stop talking about it. And add a little spit and polish. That's
Shape Up or Ship Out, GM Chairman Warns Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Mac Gordon The new chairman of the new General Motors Co. has put GM executives and dealers on notice. Unlike past chairmen and chief executive officers of GM, Edward
Unlike Competitors, Ford Avoided Reinventing Itself Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay Unlike its distressed U.S. counterparts, Ford Motor Co. has not resorted to itself, making it more attractive to consumers, says Jim Farley, Ford's group
Fiat 500 Abarth U.S.-Bound Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Mac Gordon Chrysler Group LLC dealers have been advised that their first Fiat 500 car, due in the '11 model year, will be the Abarth edition, an up-contented sporty
Industry Seeing Uptick for Small Cars Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business
The industry is beginning to see an uptick in the small-car market, which had been hit severely when gas prices stabilized. Values in the car-based segments
Articles
The Great Divide at Dodge Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Eric Mayne Chrysler LLC's decision to divide Dodge brand administration by product line portends greater focus on the marque's underperforming car business, according
From Midnight Factory Worker To New GM Sales Chief Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By James Amend Susan Docherty, a longtime General Motors Co. executive who cut her teeth working midnights at one of the manufacturer's transmission plants, will take
Saturn Dealers: Now What? Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay When General Motors Corp. said early this year it planned to shed its Saturn brand, Shau-wai Lam decided to do the same thing at the major dealership
Of GM Divisions, Chevrolet Seems Best Poised to Win Over Saturn Customers Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By James M. Amend and Eric Mayne, with William Diem in Paris General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet division is in the best position of any brand to capture customers abandoned by Saturn's pending exit from the market.
Harsh Words for Chrysler from One Angry Woman Dealer Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Mac Gordon Colleen McDonald thinks it was about her and 46 other women. They are among 789 Chrysler brand dealers that Chrysler LLC cut as part of an effort to reduce
What's in Showrooms for '10 Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Ward's Staff New-vehicle product offerings for the U.S. in 2010 range from a 638-hp Chevrolet Corvette to a first-ever hybrid-electric vehicle from Mercedes-Benz.
Toyota Still HEV King, But Others Join In Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business
Toyota Motor Corp. continues to make news on the hybrid-electric vehicle front, while more auto makers position for a piece of the action. In addition
Best-Kept Tax Secret Revealed Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Lillie Guyer For dealers, it's a best-kept secret for recouping hidden money at tax time. It is an understanding of tax depreciations through cost-segregation studies
CPA: Timely Bank Reconciliations Too Often Overlooked Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business
A most important accounting function for a new-car dealership is the accurate and prompt preparation of bank reconciliations. But most dealers are not
Dealer Management
Put Away the Crystal Ball Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Tony Noland It's that time when we'd like to gaze into our crystal balls to see what the next year holds. Well, if it were as simple as that to see what our futures
If You Really Want Out Now Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Phil Villegas While a number of good dealers would like to exit the industry, the current market conditions are less than ideal. It may be at least two years before
Tend To Organic Documents Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Michael Charapp From the headline of this column, you might be asking, What are organic documents? They are the records critical to the existence and operation of your
Remarketing
Smart Dealers Get Off Gross Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Dale Pollak What's going on when the controller and accounting team are at a loss to explain how their dealership is consistently growing net profits while front-end
Sales
It's a New World Out There Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By David Ruggles Consumers have always wanted the deck stacked in their favor, and the Internet gives them a compelling tool to dictate negotiation. General Motors' Saturn
What Consumers Want Now Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay Four years ago, vehicle shoppers were more concerned about the number of cupholders in a vehicle than its fuel economy, says auto analyst Anthony Pratt,
Customers Line Up and Wait for New Audi A3 Turbodiesel Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Herb Shuldiner The '10 Audi A3 turbodiesel goes on sale in late November, but it will take six months for new buyers to take delivery. That's because Audi dealers have
Internet Marketing
Digital Content Must Click Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steven Finlay All automotive advertising matters, including established forms such as television, even though 20% of people watching prime-time TV are either drunk
New Web-Based System Aims To Aid Mitsubishi Dealers Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business
Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. is launching a new management system that will help the automaker improve the profitability of its retail network.
HomeNet, GetAutoAppraiser.com Provide Instant Values Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business
HomeNet, Inc., an Internet auto inventory firm and GetAutoAppraise.com formed a partnership that allows consumers who are shopping online for a new car
They Stick With Their Sites Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay The closer shoppers are to buying a vehicle, the more they check out automotive Internet sites, according to data presented at a J.D. Power and Associates
Dealix Lets Dealers Return Sales Leads Deemed as Duds Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business
Since online lead-provider Dealix announced a lead-return program in September, more than 700 dealers have signed up for the free service. Program adoption
Dealers Remember Firebrand on Ford Alliance’s Anniversary 
Mazda Releases Mazda2 in Thailand, ASEAN Markets to Follow 
The Color of Money 
