Ford’s new plan for Lincoln Here we go again. Another manufacturer plan for its dealer network that invariably leads to more dealers being strong-armed into spending money or giving up their franchise. As of the date I write this column, Ford has a

Since manufacturers are only building on demand, are you aware that you could probably pile up all the gold in the world solely on the empty spots in your new car lot? The reason why gold is so valuable is because the total supply of world gold could

In my early years in the auto retail industry a dealer told me, “You cannot cut your way to a profit.” At the time, the comment perplexed me. It seemed to ignore a fundamental business fact. Specifically, profit is simply the difference between y

Bass Sox Mercer (our law firm) handled arbitration filings for 74 GM and Chrysler dealers seeking reinstatement of their franchises. Almost one-half of those dealers were reinstated very early in the process, primarily by GM. The remainder of those m

What is your dealership real estate worth today? That is a very good question, and not one that is easily answered. Most dealers and their lenders order an MIA appraisal to determine real estate value. Unfortunately, during the recent real estate bub

Since the fourth quarter of 2009, we have begun hearing about the next wave of dealership consolidation. The public companies continue to report their interest in acquisitions, though they are admitted “bottom fishers.” Similarly, many private de

A number of going-forward GM dealers recently received an unexpected “welcome letter” from New GM.  The welcome letter did not include words of encouragement or a thank you for hanging in there through GM’s bankruptcy mess.  Instead, New GM�

I had the pleasure of speaking at the AutoTeam America CFO Forum on Friday afternoon before the official opening of the NADA Convention.  The event is always well attended by dealers of all brands along with their financial personnel.  Based on the

Did you know that offering a warranty on a new or used vehicle, even one that is limited in duration, can open a dealership up to litigation years after the warranty has expired? Many dealerships currently offer written warranties on new and used veh