July 2021

ARLINGTON, Texas –  This week, the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association continued its revamp of moderators and trainers who will oversee the organization’s dealer 20 groups. Joining Ed Curry, who came aboard last month, NIADA welcomed Bill Elizondo and Ben Goodman, whose backgrounds include all crucial segments of being a buy-here, pay-here operator, from inventory management to underwriting and delivery to collections. Both Elizondo and Goodman will work with NIADA’s BHPH 20 Groups, as well as leading dealer training classes and conducting on-site consulting. “The addition of Ben, Bill Elizondo and… Read More »NIADA continues revamp of 20 group programs with 2 new moderators

DALLAS –  Coming off a quarter that included the most profitable one in company history, Santander Consumer USA Holdings wants to keep its momentum by leveraging technology to serve customers throughout the credit spectrum. Along with sharing its second-quarter results, this week SCUSA announced that it will debut an innovative digital auto finance experience that will streamline and enhance dealer interaction with the finance company and its customers. The solution was developed with AutoFi, an established digital retail provider, to further Santander’s vision of simplifying the vehicle-buying experience. According to a… Read More »Santander leveraging AutoFi technology to maintain positive performance trajectories

Thursday, Jul. 29, 2021, 10:58 AM Look for used-car sales this month remain steady with June numbers, but fall 4% from July 2020. That’s according to the latest forecast from TrueCar, which projects 3.7 million used sales for July.  TrueCar is expecting 1.29 million new-vehicle sales this month, which would … Source Article

Just like dealers might be walking away from the lanes because prices are too high, Tom Kontos has a theory that potential buyers might be doing the same thing on dealership lots for similar reasons. The KAR Global chief economist shared his theory in the newest Kontos Kommentary after examining the latest company data and other information sources connected to used vehicles. Source Article

PLYMOUTH, Mich. –  United Road wants to be agile and nimble when it comes to being a provider of finished vehicle transport logistics in North America. And the company’s newest executive has experience working with major automotive industry brands that needed those attributes. This week, United Road president and chief executive officer Mark Anderson announced the appointment of Nick Cole as senior vice president of sales and marketing. Cole most recently served as senior vice president of sales for Local Motors in Chandler, Ariz., where he was responsible for bringing “Olli,”… Read More »United Road welcomes former Avis, Daimler exec as SVP

CARY, N.C. –  In addition to a couple moves on the franchised side of its operations, Sonic Automotive said Wednesday it has opened an EchoPark Automotive delivery center in Pensacola, Fla., the fifth new EchoPark location the retailer has announced in the past week. Sonic launched its first Florida location for EchoPark last year, opening a Tampa location in April 2020. “The demand for a modern, consumer-friendly, pre-owned vehicle purchase experience continues to grow, and we are excited to introduce our unique EchoPark experience to the Florida Panhandle, where we will… Read More »Sonic adds another EchoPark park store in Florida, adds new brand on franchise side

CARY, N.C. –  In addition to acquiring its first Subaru franchise, Sonic Automotive said Wednesday it has opened an EchoPark Automotive delivery center in Pensacola, Fla., the fifth new EchoPark location the retailer has announced in the past week. Sonic launched its first Florida location for EchoPark last year, opening a Tampa location in April 2020. “The demand for a modern, consumer-friendly, pre-owned vehicle purchase experience continues to grow, and we are excited to introduce our unique EchoPark experience to the Florida Panhandle, where we will offer a new population of… Read More »Sonic adds another EchoPark park store in Florida, buys first Subaru store

IRVING, Texas –  Repossessions agents now can secure more than just personal property from inside a repossessed vehicle. On Wednesday, the American Recovery Association (ARA) announced a partnership with Privacy4Cars, a technology company focused on identifying and resolving data privacy issues across the automotive ecosystem, to offer a suite of privacy, safety, security, and compliance services for its clients. ARA acknowledged awareness of an industry-wide concern with the personal data stored in the electronic systems of repossessed vehicles. As technology continues to advance, vehicles will store growing amounts of nonpublic personal… Read More »ARA & Privacy4Cars partner to protect consumer personal information

Wednesday, Jul. 28, 2021, 12:03 PM IRVING, Texas –  Servicing Solutions recently bolstered its team with the addition of Jeremy Hettman as vice president of sales, bringing nearly 20 years of consultative sales experience to the company. In this key role, Servicing Solutions said that Hettman will lead business development efforts in the Northeast region, with a focus on developing long-term relationships with clients who are seeking a flexible, transparent and agile contact center partner. Hettman joins Servicing Solutions from Noble Systems, a global leader in the customer communications and contact… Read More »Servicing Solutions adds new VP of sales

Tuesday, Jul. 27, 2021, 02:47 PM NEW YORK –  In addition to some big names in automotive, the Series B financing round announced by ecommerce platform Rodo on Tuesday also includes a group tied to the star of the “Ride Along” movies. What now? Let me explain. Rodo’s $18 million Series B funding was led by Holman Enterprises and Evolution VC Partners, with participation from existing investor IAC and some folks well known in automotive: RML Automotive chairman Mark McLarty, McLarty Diversified Holdings chairman chief executive Franklin McClarty and former Park… Read More »Rodo’s $18M Series B includes litany of auto veterans & Kevin Hart’s firm