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
Top Dealer Groups Set New Records 
