2009 NADA Convention & Exposition

Special Reports › 2009 ›

NADA Convention & Exposition

Reporter’s Notebook: Let’s Be Seated
Jan 28, 2009 2:05 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Ward’s Staff
Ward’s writers pass along the buzz at this week’s National Automobile Dealers Assn. convention in New Orleans.

Some New Orleans Dealers Still Hurting
Jan 27, 2009 3:42 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay
Like dealers everywhere, those in New Orleans and the state of Louisiana now are coping with the economic storm that has swept the nation.

‘Hang In There,’ Former Presidents Bush, Clinton Tell Auto Dealers
Jan 27, 2009 3:11 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay
The two men, rivals in the 1992 presidential campaign, are co-founders of a charitable fund that aids needy people, including the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Auto Dealers to Accelerate Lobbying Efforts
Jan 27, 2009 12:27 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay
Dealers intend to be more outspoken about their influence on local, state and national economies, NADA’s new chairman says.

Suzuki Dealers Hopeful as Auto Maker Vows More Support
Jan 26, 2009 3:48 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Derek Stark
“Our dealers have some issues and problems, and I said we are with them,” American Suzuki President Kevin Saito tells Ward’s. “We’ll find some way to (overcome obstacles).”

Subaru Dealers Pleased With 2008, Upbeat About 2009
Jan 26, 2009 3:39 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Derek Stark
“The dealers are happy and pleased with the performance of the company, our brand and our investment,” a top executive tells Ward’s. “We are hanging in there.”

Toyota Planning Three National Promotions
Jan 26, 2009 3:16 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Christie Schweinsberg
The campaigns are in keeping with past practices and will be regionally unique, such as emphasizing leasing on the East Coast and cash discounts in the Midwest.

Mitsubishi Needs Mainstream Model ‘Cut Above’ Rest, Says Dealer
Jan 26, 2009 3:04 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Christie Schweinsberg
Dealer Ramsay Gillman says Mitsubishi needs to be “bold” in creating a new volume model and possibly subsidize its sales in order to survive in the U.S.

GM Draws Support From Chevy, B-P-G Dealers for Core-Brand Strategy
Jan 26, 2009 2:04 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Derek Stark
“We all know we’ll come out of this, and there will be a ton of pent-up demand,” says one dealer “We’ll be ready for it.”

Study Looks at Best, Worst Vehicle Debuts
Jan 26, 2009 1:58 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay
The difference between a good and bad vehicle launch can be billions of dollars in revenue, a J.D. Power executive tells attendees at the national dealers group annual convention.

Honda Tells Dealers to Be Ready for Market Comeback
Jan 26, 2009 1:42 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Christie Schweinsberg
Carter Myers, a former NADA chairman, says Honda executives continue to show concern for their dealers in the current challenging U.S. economy.

Mulally: Congressional Hearings Not So Bad
Jan 26, 2009 11:15 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay
Ford’s Alan Mulally was one of the three auto CEOs to undergo what some Americans, especially those who live in Detroit, regard as more of an inquisition than a legislative deliberation.

Ford Dealers Say All Signs Point to Bright Future
Jan 25, 2009 7:08 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Derek Stark
Marketing chief Jim Farley says Ford has to “prove it to all the dealers (that) when we say working together, we mean working together.”

Chrysler Dealers Respond Positively to Tough Message
Jan 25, 2009 6:48 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Cliff Banks
Chrysler is asking dealers for help in getting its manufacturing plants moving again, seen as critical to securing more government loans.

NADA Economist Predicts 12.7 Million Sales in 2009
Jan 25, 2009 6:06 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay
Paul Taylor’s 2009 sales estimate still would be fewer vehicles than were sold in 2008, but other forecasts are less rosy.

Volvo Dealers Encouraged by Sweden’s Industry Aid
Jan 25, 2009 3:22 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Christie Schweinsberg
The Swedish government last month made available $3.1 billion in loans to aid its auto industry, which also includes GM’s Saab brand.

Dealix Overhauls Usedcars.com
Jan 25, 2009 2:44 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Cliff Banks
Revamped website lets buyers compare dealer-listed used-car prices with Kelley Blue Book values.

Different Kind of Convention for NADA
Jan 25, 2009 2:04 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay
For many dealers, this year’s gathering in New Orleans is less about celebrating and more about surviving during an economic storm that began in 2008 and still is raging.

Kenny Kent Compensates With Service, Body Shop Success
Jan 25, 2009 1:27 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Derek Stark
Butch Hancock says his upgraded facility will take the Toyota dealership into the next decade.

Chrysler Targets Metro Areas for Dealer Reductions
Jan 24, 2009 3:59 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay
Middle markets aren’t so bad regarding excessive numbers of dealers, while rural markets are Chrysler’s strongest market-share areas.

New Online Solution Links Dealers to Independent Repair Shops
Jan 24, 2009 3:21 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Derek Stark
Repairlink with MORE is a single-source online sales channel through which independent repair facilities can order genuine automotive parts from franchised dealerships.

Leasing May Be Past Peak
Jan 24, 2009 3:11 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay
While forecasters see new-car sales rebounding in 2010 and 2011, the same isn’t being said for leasing.

Ford Working to Forge Closer Relationship With Dealers
Jan 24, 2009 2:37 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Derek Stark
One important change is earlier involvement in product development. Instead of seeing vehicles a year from launch, retailers now have a say in which products Ford will introduce.

Ford Honors Philanthropic Dealers
Jan 24, 2009 2:20 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay
“Despite challenging times, individuals of great character and generosity step forward and support their communities,” says Edsel Ford II.

AutoNation CEO Pitches Gas-Tax Hike to Spur Demand for Fuel-Efficient Cars
Jan 24, 2009 2:12 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay
Feisty Mike Jackson is full of ideas and a gasoline tax increase is one of them.

Detroit’s Problems America’s Problems
Jan 23, 2009 5:21 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Cliff Banks
Russ Darrow wants to lessen the pressure on dealer inventories while helping dealers find ways to increase showroom traffic.

Chrysler Exec Says Fiat Deal Could Be Finalized by End of March
Jan 23, 2009 4:18 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Derek Stark
Chrysler executive Jim Press says Fiat has great expertise with its platforms and distribution network in Europe and around the world – but not in the U.S.

Are You Selling Too Many Vehicles?
Jan 23, 2009 3:49 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Cliff Banks
High-volume dealers wonder if they need to cut back sales to boost the bottom line.

Subprime Makes Slight Recovery
Jan 23, 2009 3:39 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay
“We’re still doing subprime, we’re just not doing half as much as before,” says dealer Thomas M. Acheson, CEO of the Tameron Automotive Group in Birmingham, AL.

ADP, Reynolds Offer Software That Combines Dealership Finance, Sales Processes
Jan 23, 2009 3:35 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Cliff Banks
The new venture, Open Dealer Exchange, promises to integrate the entire loan-origination process, thus reducing the potential for mistakes.

NADA Convention Begins on Familiar Note
Jan 23, 2009 2:55 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay
Dealership ranks stood at 21,500 a few years ago. They now total less than 20,000. That’s still too many, says Gary Dilts, J.D. Power’s senior vice president-global automotive.

Dealers No Longer Top Dog in Lender Relationships
Jan 23, 2009 11:35 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Cliff Banks
Relationships between dealers and lenders are changing and taking on a new level of importance.

Braman Honda Trumpets Success in Local Florida Market
Jan 23, 2009 8:16 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Derek Stark
Braman Honda steps up its advertising to adjust to changing market conditions.

Dealers Say Kia Stepping Up to Plate in Tough Economic Times
Jan 23, 2009 7:54 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Derek Stark
University Kia managing partner David Brady says dealership now puts premium focus on the Internet.

Canadian-Based Trader Corp. Buys Stake in Dealer.com
Jan 22, 2009 3:15 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Cliff Banks
Dealer.com will begin deploying its services to Trader’s network of nearly 4,000 Canadian dealerships in second-quarter of 2009.

Incoming NADA Chairman McEleney Gets More Than He Bargained For
Jan 22, 2009 1:08 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Cliff Banks
Powerful state franchise laws that protect dealers from manufacturer incursions into their businesses now don’t seem so strong.

Jimmy Gray Chevrolet’s BDC Helps Spur New-Vehicle Sales
Jan 22, 2009 10:53 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Derek Stark
Gray’s dealership was profitable in 2008, and he doesn’t think it will get any worse this year.

Owner Ed Tarbox Wants to Make Right Moves on Chessboard
Jan 22, 2009 10:28 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Derek Stark
The import dealer believes he is in a better position than most retailers.

NADA Shifts Into Crisis Mode, But Is It Doing Enough?
Jan 22, 2009 8:14 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Cliff Banks
NADA officials admit there are serious challenges ahead in the short term, including a significant downturn in membership and revenue.

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Special Reports › 2009 ›

NADA Convention & Exposition

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