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Latest Stories
Proton, DRB-Hicom Sign MOU to Merge Distribution, Service Centers 
May 6, 2008 12:23 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Alan Harman
A merger of Proton’s distribution arm, Proton Edar Sdn Bhd, with rival Edaran Otomobil Nasional Bhd (EON) would create a company with sales of more than RM2 billion ($631 million) annually.
Ding Dong, Debt Collector Calling 
May 6, 2008 11:54 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay
Lenders rethink their collection procedures in light of growing volumes of delinquent accounts on auto loans.
Lenders Deactivate Automated Decision-Making 
May 2, 2008 12:34 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay
Lenders still rely on automated decision-making to reject loan requests. But many loan approvals are back in human hands.

Top Dealer Groups Set New Records 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Cliff Banks
Despite an 11% decline in new-vehicle sales over 2006 and 2007, the nation's top dealer groups continue to establish new records, both in total revenue and vehicles sold.

Editorials

Hyundai Tops for Grandpops 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, BY STEVE FINLAY
My dad was a great person, a real stand-up guy. On the downside, he was a lousy driver. For one thing, he was impatient behind the wheel, a mild form
A Million Reasons To Be Mad 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, BY PETER BRANDOW
There are a million reasons to become angry about what's going on in the car business, and that's just considering recent news. If I looked further, I
Inflation Hits Auto Industry, Too 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, BY JERRY FLINT
My wife likes a banana at breakfast. In Manhattan, where I live, pushcarts sell fruits and vegetables, and it's easier to buy a banana from a stand than
Self-Competition? 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, Cliff Banks Editorial director cbanks@wardsauto.com 248-799-2649
Here's a provocative question: What's the real value of local dealer advertising groups also known as tier two advertising? According to a study by Borrell

Finance & Insurance

Resource Debuts VIP System 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business Resource Automotive debuts a new system, VIP Total Dealership Solutions, intended to enhance dealership profitability. It's billed as a first-of-its-kind
Hyundai Motor Finance Corp. Uses Cautious Approach 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay
Don't expect rampant trailblazing from Hyundai Motor Finance Corp. Instead, the captive auto-financing arm of South Korean auto maker Hyundai Motor Co.
Father of F Pat Ryan Set to Retire 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Mac Gordon
Patrick Ryan Sr., the of finance and insurance as a dealer service, will retire August 1 as executive chairman of Aon Corp. While giving up his executive
Speed, Speed, Speed 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay
Auto dealerships can get poor customer-satisfaction marks if a finance and insurance product presentation takes too long for time-conscious customers.
Northwood University Offers MBA Program for Dealer Execs 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business A first-of-its-kind master's of business administration program for dealer executives is in response to increased demand for advanced degrees specifically

Fixed Operations

Is It a Craze or Crazy? 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Lee Harkins
Competitive price boards showing what you charge for service compared with what the competition charges have become a craze. But why give free advertising

News

Ford Exec Tells Dealers to Rally the Troops 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business Seeking to stoke sales as it rolls out the new Ford Flex cross/utility vehicle, Ford Motor Co. hopes its upcoming Drive One ad campaign will rival the
The Green, Green Grass of Home 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business Which cities are greenest when it comes to car shopping? Cars.com's Green Index, a ranking of hybrid-electric vehicle searches by market, indicates shoppers
Rising Fuel Prices Sway Buyers' Vehicle Decisions 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business An increasing number of consumers say their purchasing behavior has shifted and will continue to change significantly if gas prices keep rising, according
Former Olds Dealer Opens Funeral Home 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business After General Motors Corp. buried the Oldsmobile brand, an Olds dealership general manager did something in kind: she became a funeral director. Sarah
For Infiniti, Nothing Lasts Forever 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business Dealership chain Lithia Motors Inc. has stopped selling Infinitis at its Johnston, IA, outlet near Des Moines. Nissan North America Inc.'s Infiniti luxury
Jag, Land Rover Dealers Ready for Life with Tata 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Mac Gordon
Ford Motor Co.'s sale of the Jaguar and Land Rover U.K. luxury brands to India's Tata Motors will affect 353 franchises in the U.S. 179 handling Jaguar

Automotive Spring Training Conference

For the Best and Brightest 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay
Raynard M. Fenster entered auto retailing in a novel way. He was a customer at a Saturn dealership when a fellow customer mistook him for a salesman and

Dealership Management

A Way to Do More with Less 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Tony Noland
The understatement of this century might be: We are in a tough business climate. Yes, business will improve and all of us will become stronger for having
One Size Doesn't Fit All 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Don Ray
Own or lease? What is better for you as a franchised automobile dealer? That has been asked often in recent years. Here are advantages of leasing your

Technology

Search Can Destroy Budgets 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay
Auto dealers can get burned buying overly general keyword terms for search-engine marketing, some auto retailers who learned the hard way say. Paying

Sales

Adam's A-1 Advertising Advice 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Adam Armbruster
I received a call from the head of a megadealer group in the Southeast who was considering TV advertising. With radio, print, direct mail and Internet
Let There Be LED Light 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Lillie Guyer
Let there be light, white light closely emulating daylight and not blinding Halogen blue, please. If that is part of a customer wish for vehicle headlights,
It's 9 a.m. and a Late-Night TV Show Is on at a Dealership 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business If customers waiting for their cars to be fixed are watching late-night TV in the service-department lounge, it's not necessarily because the dealership
African-American Women Wield Much Economic Power 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business African-American women make up one of the most visible, fastest-growing and influential market segments today. So says Miriam Muley, CEO of The 85% Niche,

Remarketing

A Formula to Avoid Trouble 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Tony Albertson
When I was a young used-car manager, my dealer voiced concerns about an aging used unit in inventory over 60 days. He felt I should wholesale the vehicle
CPO Business Booms In '08 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay
Dearborn, MI New-car sales losses this year apparently are gains for certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles sold through auto makers' remarketing programs.
Used Cars to the Rescue in Oklahoma 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Mac Gordon
John Zapp, a dealership general manager in Oklahoma City, says pushing pre-owned vehicles has raised his profit per unit to seven times more than that
Readying for Big Breakthrough 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business, By Steve Finlay
Many cautious dealers rode the brakes when online auto auctions made the scene about six years ago. They were not so amateurish as to feel the need to
Training Dealers How to Use Internet To Buy, Sell Cars 
May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ward's Dealer Business Manheim's Wholesale Institute is a traveling workshop that teaches franchised and independent dealers how to use online auto-auction resources. For the



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