Dealer news: 2 M&A moves in North Carolina; NADA assists dealers’ vehicle donations | Auto Remarketing Auto Remarketing Zainal Abidin, 05/12/2025 Holman has closed its acquisition of North Carolina-based Leith Automotive Group, a deal Holman says nearly doubles its automotive retail business.The companies announced an agreement for the transaction in January.The purchase, which Holman says is the largest in the company’s 100-year history, includes 13 new-car franchises and an auction center — the first in Holman’s portfolio — in the Raleigh area and Aberdeen, NCIn addition to its other enterprises, Holman now operates 58 dealerships representing 34 brands, with almost 4,500 auto retail employees in nine states. Business North Carolina reported Leith Automotive has annual revenues of more than $1 billion.“In our centennial year, we’re excited about the opportunities to strengthen and grow our automotive retail footprint, which began in 1924 with a single dealership,” Holman CEO Chris Conroy said. “This acquisition represents the culmination of extensive strategy, hard work and vision to put our employee partners and our business in a position to win for the next 100 years.”The newly acquired dealerships will keep the Leith name, and their staff will be retained, Holman said.“Like Holman, Leith has placed the highest priority on delivering excellent customer service by building a strong network of employee… Continue Reading
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition drops V-8 engine Zainal Abidin, 02/12/2025 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition drops V-8 engine | Automotive NewsSkip to main contentNEWSOPINIONDATA CENTERVIDEOSEVENTS & AWARDSJOBSResource Center +MOREAdvertiseLeading Women NetworkPodcastsWebinarsIn the Driver’s SeatPublishing PartnersAPCO HOLDINGS: Strategies for handling new F&I dynamicsAPCO Holdings: Connected cars create new challenges and opportunities in F&IAPCO Holdings: The Wild Ride into the Future of F&IAllstate: Compliance standards are changing. Here’s what you need to know.Allstate: The ABCs of maximum F&I effectivenessAlly All Ears Podcast Episodes | The next evolution in virtual F&IAlly All Ears Podcast | How F&I is driving dealership profitsAlly All Ears Podcast | building customer loyalty during challenging timesAlly All Ears Podcast | reducing friction in the purchasing processAlly All Ears podcast: Tips for maintaining sales and F&I momentum in a higher-interest rate environmentAlly and APCO: Adjusting to the changing F&I landscapeAlly: All Ears Podcast : EVs & the service department of The futureAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealership and inventory against weather-related eventsAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealerships against cyber-attacksAlly: All Ears Podcast | AI and its impact… Continue Reading
Honda Canada to slash dealer margins by up to 44%, several dealers say Zainal Abidin, 27/11/2025 But already on the hook for costly dealership upgrades tied to electrification such as the installation of EV chargers, retailers say they have already done their part and shouldn’t be penalized because Honda can’t handle its own expenses.“It’s a bit cheeky to expect dealers to shoulder the costs of the manufacturers’ margin implications,” one dealer said.Margin is also already lowest on sales of the Honda Civic and CR-V, meaning dealer profitability on the brand’s two highest-volume vehicles will be particularly hard hit.WAYS TO MAKE UP LOSSES?Some dealers expect the company to give retailers other ways to make up the margin losses. Honda Canada, they say, has expressed openness about allowing dealers to charge buyers administrative fees on purchases, a practice not allowed by the automaker in the past. Such a solution could effectively pass costs along to consumers.“These things are always shocking, but as long as they are working on an offset, that’s the important thing,” one dealer said.Not all retailers are approaching the issue with as much leniency. Sources say a range of dealers, including several of Canada’s large dealership groups, are mobilizing to push Honda to reverse course. They’re also exploring other… Continue Reading
Union election on tap at VW plant in Tennessee, UAW says Zainal Abidin, 24/11/2025 Union election on tap at VW plant in Tennessee, UAW says | Automotive NewsSkip to main contentNEWSOPINIONDATA CENTERVIDEOSEVENTS & AWARDSJOBSResource Center +MOREAdvertiseLeading Women NetworkPodcastsWebinarsIn the Driver’s SeatPublishing PartnersAPCO HOLDINGS: Strategies for handling new F&I dynamicsAPCO Holdings: Connected cars create new challenges and opportunities in F&IAPCO Holdings: The Wild Ride into the Future of F&IAllstate: Compliance standards are changing. Here’s what you need to know.Allstate: The ABCs of maximum F&I effectivenessAlly All Ears Podcast Episodes | The next evolution in virtual F&IAlly All Ears Podcast | How F&I is driving dealership profitsAlly All Ears Podcast | building customer loyalty during challenging timesAlly All Ears Podcast | reducing friction in the purchasing processAlly All Ears podcast: Tips for maintaining sales and F&I momentum in a higher-interest rate environmentAlly and APCO: Adjusting to the changing F&I landscapeAlly: All Ears Podcast : EVs & the service department of The futureAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealership and inventory against weather-related eventsAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealerships against cyber-attacksAlly: All Ears Podcast | AI and… Continue Reading
Automakers struggle with Europe’s EV charging issues Zainal Abidin, 12/11/2025 The comments Sander and de Meo made last week at events in Brussels — where the European Commission has set a target to eliminate emissions from new vehicles sold just over a decade from now — speak to anxieties that have flown under the radar relative to the race to lower costs and increase battery range. These are among the more nuanced complications that the industry and regulators have little time to resolve.The EU should take inspiration from the region’s efforts to develop a European standard for mobile phone telecommunications, which led to the creation of the Global System for Mobile Communication, or GSM, de Meo said.“In Europe, we invented the GSM standard, and this thing was copied everywhere,” he said.Regulators do not necessarily see a role for themselves in this process. Klaus Müller, president of Germany’s Bundesnetzagentur, who oversees the country’s electricity and telecommunications markets, believes that setting a common EV charging standard in the EU is not a job for the bloc’s 27 regulators, but one “for the car producers and their self-governing bodies.”“It’s more practical to rely on industry standardization,” he said in an interview this week.One automaker that hasn’t complained about… Continue Reading
Birmingham Gets Ethical: Lab-Grown Diamonds Offer a Conflict-Free Choice for Your Big Day Zainal Abidin, 13/10/2025 In recent years, the jewelry industry has seen a significant shift toward more sustainable and ethical practices. Among these changes, the rise of lab-grown diamonds has stood out as a particularly promising development. For those in Birmingham planning their big day, choosing lab grown diamonds Birmingham offers an ethical, conflict-free option that does not compromise on quality or beauty.Lab-grown diamonds, also known as synthetic diamonds, are created in a controlled laboratory environment. These diamonds possess the same physical, chemical, and optical properties as natural diamonds, making them indistinguishable to the naked eye. The primary difference lies in their origin; while natural diamonds form over billions of years under extreme pressure and heat deep within the Earth, lab-grown diamonds are produced in a matter of weeks using advanced technological processes. This method of production has several key advantages, especially for those concerned about the environmental and ethical implications of traditional diamond mining.One of the most compelling reasons to choose lab-grown diamonds is their ethical superiority. Traditional diamond mining has long been associated with a range of ethical issues, including child labor, poor working conditions, and the funding of armed conflicts—often referred to as “blood diamonds.” In contrast, lab-grown diamonds … Continue Reading
Lithium Americas’ Thacker Pass construction is ongoing Zainal Abidin, 21/08/2025 Lithium Americas’ Thacker Pass construction is ongoing | Automotive NewsSkip to main contentNEWSOPINIONDATA CENTERVIDEOSEVENTS & AWARDSJOBSResource Center +MOREAdvertiseLeading Women NetworkPodcastsWebinarsIn the Driver’s SeatPublishing PartnersAPCO HOLDINGS: Strategies for handling new F&I dynamicsAPCO Holdings: Connected cars create new challenges and opportunities in F&IAPCO Holdings: The Wild Ride into the Future of F&IAllstate: Compliance standards are changing. Here’s what you need to know.Allstate: The ABCs of maximum F&I effectivenessAlly All Ears Podcast Episodes | The next evolution in virtual F&IAlly All Ears Podcast | How F&I is driving dealership profitsAlly All Ears Podcast | building customer loyalty during challenging timesAlly All Ears Podcast | reducing friction in the purchasing processAlly All Ears podcast: Tips for maintaining sales and F&I momentum in a higher-interest rate environmentAlly and APCO: Adjusting to the changing F&I landscapeAlly: All Ears Podcast : EVs & the service department of The futureAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealership and inventory against weather-related eventsAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealerships against cyber-attacksAlly: All Ears Podcast | AI and its impact on auto… Continue Reading
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe: 7 cool things Zainal Abidin, 19/08/2025 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe: 7 cool things | Automotive NewsSkip to main contentNEWSOPINIONDATA CENTERVIDEOSEVENTS & AWARDSJOBSResource Center +MOREAdvertiseLeading Women NetworkPodcastsWebinarsIn the Driver’s SeatPublishing PartnersAPCO HOLDINGS: Strategies for handling new F&I dynamicsAPCO Holdings: Connected cars create new challenges and opportunities in F&IAPCO Holdings: The Wild Ride into the Future of F&IAllstate: Compliance standards are changing. Here’s what you need to know.Allstate: The ABCs of maximum F&I effectivenessAlly All Ears Podcast Episodes | The next evolution in virtual F&IAlly All Ears Podcast | How F&I is driving dealership profitsAlly All Ears Podcast | building customer loyalty during challenging timesAlly All Ears Podcast | reducing friction in the purchasing processAlly All Ears podcast: Tips for maintaining sales and F&I momentum in a higher-interest rate environmentAlly and APCO: Adjusting to the changing F&I landscapeAlly: All Ears Podcast : EVs & the service department of The futureAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealership and inventory against weather-related eventsAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealerships against cyber-attacksAlly: All Ears Podcast | AI and its impact on auto… Continue Reading
Credit unions fall captive in auto finance market share Zainal Abidin, 15/08/2025 Credit unions fall into captivity in auto finance market share | Automotive NewsSkip to main contentNEWSOPINIONDATA CENTERVIDEOSEVENTS & AWARDSJOBSResource Center +MOREAdvertiseLeading Women NetworkPodcastsWebinarsIn the Driver’s SeatPublishing PartnersAPCO HOLDINGS: Strategies for handling new F&I dynamicsAPCO Holdings: Connected cars create new challenges and opportunities in F&IAPCO Holdings: The Wild Ride into the Future of F&IAllstate: Compliance standards are changing. Here’s what you need to know.Allstate: The ABCs of maximum F&I effectivenessAlly All Ears Podcast Episodes | The next evolution in virtual F&IAlly All Ears Podcast | How F&I is driving dealership profitsAlly All Ears Podcast | building customer loyalty during challenging timesAlly All Ears Podcast | reducing friction in the purchasing processAlly All Ears podcast: Tips for maintaining sales and F&I momentum in a higher-interest rate environmentAlly and APCO: Adjusting to the changing F&I landscapeAlly: All Ears Podcast : EVs & the service department of The futureAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealership and inventory against weather-related eventsAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealerships against cyber-attacksAlly: All Ears Podcast | AI and its… Continue Reading
Why the VW ID7 and ID Buzz EVs are halo vehicles Zainal Abidin, 10/08/2025 Why the VW ID7 and ID Buzz EVs are halo vehicles | Automotive NewsSkip to main contentNEWSOPINIONDATA CENTERVIDEOSEVENTS & AWARDSJOBSResource Center +MOREAdvertiseLeading Women NetworkPodcastsWebinarsIn the Driver’s SeatPublishing PartnersAPCO HOLDINGS: Strategies for handling new F&I dynamicsAPCO Holdings: Connected cars create new challenges and opportunities in F&IAPCO Holdings: The Wild Ride into the Future of F&IAllstate: Compliance standards are changing. Here’s what you need to know.Allstate: The ABCs of maximum F&I effectivenessAlly All Ears Podcast Episodes | The next evolution in virtual F&IAlly All Ears Podcast | How F&I is driving dealership profitsAlly All Ears Podcast | building customer loyalty during challenging timesAlly All Ears Podcast | reducing friction in the purchasing processAlly All Ears podcast: Tips for maintaining sales and F&I momentum in a higher-interest rate environmentAlly and APCO: Adjusting to the changing F&I landscapeAlly: All Ears Podcast : EVs & the service department of The futureAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealership and inventory against weather-related eventsAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealerships against cyber-attacksAlly: All Ears Podcast | AI and… Continue Reading