Manheim's 'Used Car Market Report' Shows Growth, Stability

SAN FRANCISCO — Growth in wholesale volumes as well as new- and used-vehicle sales, and stability in wholesale pricing were among the highlights of another strong year in the automotive markets, according to trends identified in Manheim's annual Used Car Market Report. The Report was released last week at the 2015 NADA Convention & Expo. "While last year was a banner year for growth and stability in the used-vehicle market, we anticipate that we'll see the sixth consecutive year of increased new-vehicle sales in 2015," said Cox Automotive...

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Dealers see another good year in 2015

James B. Treece Dealers expect 2015 to be another good year, though perhaps not quite as good as 2014. They headed to San Francisco for the National Automobile Dealers Association convention after just having closed the books on what was, for almost all of them, a profitable 2014 -- notably, even in the new-car department. Looking ahead, they're adding headcount, but they see more revenue potential in used vehicles than new ones. Those are...

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2014 U.S. Vehicle Sales Rise to 16.5 Million Units

By: AutoDealer Monthly WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — December’s total new-vehicle sales increased 10.8% vs. a year ago to 1.5 million units, according to Autodata Corp., capping off a year in which sales increased 5.9% from a year ago to 16.5 million units. December’s seasonally adjusted annual rate did fall from November’s 17.2 million-unit rate — the highest rate of the year — to 16.92 million, but December’s SAAR was still the second highest rate of the year. The following is a breakdown of sales performance by manufacturer. BMW: The BMW Group reported...

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Wholesale Used-Car Prices Down Slightly in December, Kontos Reports

CARMEL, Ind. — Average wholesale used-vehicle prices fell modestly in December but remained up on a year-over-year basis, according to ADESA’s Chief Economist Tom Kontos. “These results reflect the ongoing growth and change in the composition of wholesale supply toward greater ‘institutional’ volume (off-lease, off-rental, off-fleet, repos, etc.) versus dealer consignment volume yielding a ‘richer mix’ that elevates average prices even as supply growth applies downward pressure to those prices,” Kontos explained in the December edition of the...

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8 Items Car Buyers Expect On Car Dealership Websites

by AutoJini Customers used to hop from dealership to dealership looking at cars, asking questions, and getting vehicle info. Now, thanks to the internet, customers hop from dealership website to dealership website, doing their research online, often only visiting the dealership's brick and mortar store for that final step - the test drive.Everythinga car buyer needs and wants to know about a car, from photos and price to specifications and financing information is available on a dealership website - or so it should be - if the dealer wants to...

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Dealers offer better hours, but still see high sales turnover, NADA study finds

BY: Jamie LaReau U.S. car dealerships are making progress in offering employees a better work-life balance, but continue to face challenges in retaining sales staff and recruiting women. Those were some key findings in the National Automobile Dealers Association’s third annual Dealership Workforce Study released today. Its findings are based on data collected from more than 240,000 payroll records last year. “The report shows a growth industry with strong earning opportunity in a challenging work environment,” said Ted Kraybill, president...

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November Sales Strong For Hawaii Auto Dealers

Bill Cresenzo Auto sales were up in November across the United States, due in part Black Friday, and Hawaii auto dealers are on track to see a strong finish for the year. Total auto sales nationwide increased 4.6 percent to 1.3 million new vehicles sold in November, according to Auto Data Inc. The Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association predicts that Hawaii will see an 8.8 percent increase in new vehicle registrations in 2014. Mark Benson, president of Honolulu Ford Lincoln, said his dealership has seen an 11 percent increase in sales so far...

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