Marketing

AutoNation says Q1 net income rose 15% to $95.1 million

7:11 am U.S. ET | April 17, 2014

Despite 10 weeks of problematic winter weather to start the year, a late March rebound in dealership traffic helped drive AutoNation's net income 15 percent higher in the first quarter of 2014 from the year-earlier period, the company said today.... Read More »

AutoNation stepping away from third-party leads

7:15 am U.S. ET | April 17, 2014

AutoNation, tired of paying high prices for online leads, plans to de-emphasize third-party lead providers such as TrueCar, AutoTrader.com and Cars.com, CEO Mike Jackson says. He says he will strengthen AutoNation's Web site and digital presence to build traffic and sales.... Read More »

JIM HENRY

Inquiry into alleged CFPB bias picks up steam

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 16, 2014

The issue of whether, ironically, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau allegedly discriminates against its own employees has got legs.... Read More »

Customers' luxury motivation turns to self-reward, execs say

1:48 pm U.S. ET | April 15, 2014

The definition of luxury automotive brands, and the motivation of luxury-car shoppers, is changing from an outward-directed display of wealth to a self reward for a successful customer. That was the conclusion of a panel of luxury-brand executives at the NADA/J.D. Power Automotive Forum in New York today.... Read More »

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE E-MAGAZINE

VW Marketing VP on how automaker keeps its products fresh in customers' minds

April 14, 2014 06:15 CET

VW is determined to keep improving how it launches vehicles and how it uses the massive amount of analytical data it gathers as it strives to reach 10 million vehicle sales this year, Simon Thomas, VW's marketing VP, told Automotive New Europe.... Read More »

SPEAKING ENGLISH

'Villains' campaign aims to recast Jaguar's reputation for badness

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 14, 2014

A Shakespeare soliloquy might seem out of place in a car ad, but Jaguar wants to make a key point -- that it is a quintessentially and unapologetically British challenger to BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.... Read More »

ADP Dealer Services to spin off, go public

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 14, 2014

Hot U.S. auto sales and the rise of online shopping have triggered a frenzy of merger and capital-raising activities among auto-retailing vendors.... Read More »

Honda, Acura, dealers tangle for Google ads

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 14, 2014

A battle is shaping up among Honda, Acura and their dealers for control of Google shoppers. Competition for keywords can drive up Google ad prices. It's a quandary Honda Motor Co. and its Acura brand seem intent on tackling.... Read More »

Honda Fit raises the ante for subcompacts

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 14, 2014

In the subcompact segment, small can no longer mean cheap. It's not only price but a product's execution that makes the difference between a sale and a walkaway. With the 2015 Fit, Honda looks to be leading the pack -- at least on the execution side.... Read More »

Hype, hipness, price propelled the Mustang to early success

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 12, 2014

Behind the record-breaking sales and cultural shockwave created by Ford Motor Co.'s original pony car was a massive advertising campaign with a scale and message that broke new ground for the era. Automotive News at the time called the Mustang's advertising bonanza "one of the largest promotional splurges in history."... Read More »

How Ford's pony car survived a brush with death

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 11, 2014

A 1987 issue of AutoWeek magazine featured a shocking cover story that revealed Ford's plans to build the 1989 Mustang on a Mazda front-wheel-drive platform. Howls of protest eventually prompted Ford to reverse course. The Mazda-designed Mustang, code-named ST-16, would become the Ford Probe and join the Mustang in Ford showrooms.... Read More »

Whereabouts of the first Mustang remain a mystery

8:32 am U.S. ET | April 11, 2014

Because precise production records were not kept at the time and the early cars were not built in sequential order, no one knows the serial number of the first Mustang built.... Read More »

Ford moves Europe exec Cortesi to global corporate communications role

April 11, 2014 06:01 CET

Ford of Europe executive Elena Cortesi has been given a global role as the automaker's corporate communications manager.... Read More »

The pony car was all about personalization -- 'do your own thing'

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 11, 2014

Try to think about the Ford Mustang from a rational perspective, and its phenomenal early success just doesn't compute. The Mustang was a two-door, sporty car, the very definition of a niche product with limited appeal. It also was developed on a shoestring budget. But it roared out of the gates.... Read More »

JAMIE LAREAU

Subaru-sponsored study identifies safe dog harness

6:21 pm U.S. ET | April 10, 2014

In the book Citizen Canine, author David Grimm examines whether dogs are on the edge of becoming legal “persons” in this country. For those who think the answer is, or is close to becoming, yes, Subaru of America has significant news: Only one of the 11 dog harnesses designed for use in cars can be rated “acceptable.”... Read More »

ADP Dealer Services to spin-off and go public

11:07 am U.S. ET | April 10, 2014

ADP Dealer Services, a dealer software giant, is poised to become an independent public company, according to a statement today by parent company ADP. The board of directors of ADP approved the spinoff, the statement said.... Read More »

JIM HENRY

Misleading sales ads hurt F&I

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 9, 2014

State and federal regulators have cracked down this year on misleading dealership advertising. In just about every case, their complaint was that the advertising failed to adequately disclose financial terms or hidden costs.... Read More »

Washington governor signs Tesla compromise bill

6:09 pm U.S. ET | April 8, 2014

Washington state officially approved Tesla's direct-sales model last Thursday, when Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill allowing the electric-vehicle maker to continue selling its cars through its own, factory-owned showrooms instead of franchised dealerships in the state.... Read More »

Longtime J.D. Power exec Tucker named CEO of DealerRater.com

9:00 am U.S. ET | April 8, 2014

Online car dealer review site DealerRater has named Gary Tucker as the company's first CEO, taking on the role split between founder Chip Grueter and Vice President Jamie Oldershaw since 2002.... Read More »

Nissan replaces Ford as Champions League sponsor

April 7, 2014 08:38 CET

Nissan is replacing Ford as the automotive sponsor of the Champions League, Europe's most prestigious club soccer tournament, as part of the Japanese automaker's goal of ousting Toyota as the top-selling Asian brand in Europe.... Read More »

Honda's 'Fit Kit' skit is a hit on April Fools' Day

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 7, 2014

April Fools' Day gags in the car biz used to be inside jokes between automakers' press departments and the media.... Read More »

'15 Genesis is worthy of premium label

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 7, 2014

The original Hyundai Genesis was a noble first shot at the luxury car market, but it couldn't match the driving dynamics, interior refinement or prestige of the Audi A6, BMW 5 series or Mercedes-Benz E350. The Genesis' 2015 model year redesign takes a huge step toward closing that gap.... Read More »

The upside of poking fun

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 7, 2014

Since Ford's video hit the Web in late March, Pashon Murray, founder of composting company Detroit Dirt, said she has been inundated with phone calls and e-mails from media, talent agents casting commercials and businesses with consulting offers.... Read More »

New Corvette gets driven by Scarlett Johansson in 'Captain America'

1:15 pm U.S. ET | April 5, 2014

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" opened nationwide this weekend. But they might as well call it "Scarlett Johansson Drives a Corvette Stingray" because movie-goers will witness a flood of product placements from General Motors.... Read More »

Mercedes’ Sprinter fights notion that it’s unaffordable

2:04 pm U.S. ET | April 4, 2014

The Mercedes-Benz badge may be too fancy for Sprinter van buyers in the United States. So Mercedes has begun advertising the sticker price on the refreshed 2014 Sprinter van to negate its luxury appeal. The move comes as Mercedes attempts to gain market share from rivals by reaching individual and fleet customers who are not accustomed -- or even averse -- to driving a Mercedes-Benz vehicle.... Read More »

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Special Report

How a Texas Toyota store solved used-car-supply challenge

Mike Shaw Toyota in Corpus Christi, Texas, needed more used cars. But driving 150 miles to the nearest auction was time-consuming and costly. Mon., April 14
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