TOGETHER WITH:
Howdy, Fam!
If you’ve driven through North Carolina lately, there’s a good chance you’ve passed a Johnson Automotive sign along the highway.
The family-owned dealer group, founded in 1991, was just recognized by Adopt A Highway as its largest highway sponsor nationwide, supporting cleanup across more than 14,400 miles of roads in the Triangle, the Sandhills, Charlotte, and Eastern North Carolina.
My favorite part is how honest they are about it. “Since we are selling a lot of the vehicles traveling these roads, it made sense to invest in something that gives back to the community, while also extending our brand awareness,” the company said. And they’re fully aware of how many signs are out there, joking that people keep asking “why we have signs located ‘everywhere’!”
Giving back and building your brand can absolutely go hand in hand. Way to keep it clean, Johnson Automotive fam!
In today’s email...
NADA names its next leaders
Hertz gives used-car shoppers three days to test drive
Most buyers can’t remember their F&I products, Chery wants into the US, and America’s Car-Mart is in talks to sell
Keep Pushing Back,
—Chris with Paul, Kyle & Kristi
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NADA Names Sandy Fitzgerald Angello and Jeff Weber as Its Next Leaders
NADA elected its leadership team for 2027, and both new leaders still run stores of their own, according to Automotive News.
Meet NADA’s next leaders:
Chairman: Sandy Fitzgerald Angello, dealer operator of Pohanka Automotive Group of Salisbury in Maryland. She’ll be just the second woman to chair NADA, following Annette Sykora in 2008.
Vice chairman: Jeff Weber, dealer principal of Anderson-Weber Toyota in Dubuque and Toyota of Muscatine, both in Iowa. A third-generation dealer who started in F&I in 1999, he’s in line to become chairman in 2028.
Officers: Joe Massarelli was re-elected secretary, and Kirt Frye will serve another term as treasurer.
Both Angello and Weber begin their terms at the NADA Show in February.
“Given the current challenges facing the auto retail industry, it’s important that we continue building on our advocacy efforts and delivering results for our Main Street businesses and valued customers.” Sandy Fitzgerald Angello
What will NADA’s new leaders focus on?
Weber says his priorities include advocacy, rising regulatory pressure, and NADA’s customer experience project, which promotes transparency and builds consumer trust. With pricing rules tightening at the federal and state levels, that focus couldn’t come at a better time.
Your association is only as strong as the dealers who show up. Get to know your new leaders, and make sure they hear what your store is facing.
Almost $100K in After-Hours Revenue, Monthly
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At McGovern Automotive, Mia turned that gap into a revenue stream:
800+ after-hours appointments booked every month
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See how Mia helped McGovern Automotive Group stop over a million dollars from falling through the cracks.
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Hertz Gives Used-Car Shoppers Three Days to Test Drive Before They Buy
Hertz Car Sales has expanded its TestDrive+ program to more than 300 neighborhood rental locations. Shoppers pay a daily fee to drive a used car for up to three days, and Hertz waives the fee if they buy. Most vehicles are from the 2025 or 2026 model years.
Why does a longer test drive work?
“Buying a car is a big decision, and customers have told us they want more time and flexibility to get it right.” Jeff Adams, Hertz Car Sales
The longer a customer drives a car, the more it feels like theirs. An overnight test drive or a satisfaction guarantee can give your shoppers the same confidence.
Most buyers can’t remember whether they bought a service contract or GAP.
A Caribou survey of 2,000 Americans who took out auto loans this year found that 71% can’t recall whether they have a service contract, the same share who don’t know if they have GAP.
Yet 70% can recite their monthly payment without checking. Among those who declined the products, the top reason was that they couldn’t afford the extra monthly cost.
For F&I teams, it’s a clear signal: customers need to understand what they’re buying.
Chery wants into the US, and Western buyers may be open to it.
The Chinese automaker behind Britain’s best-selling Jaecoo 7 says it’s “very open” to partnering with American automakers and could build a US car without Chinese hardware or software.
A new Bain survey found that more than a third of shoppers in Western markets are open to new brands, though price remains the top consideration for 68% of US buyers.
America’s Car-Mart is in talks to sell.
The buy-here, pay-here dealer and lender is working with its lenders on a sale that would keep the business running, according to Bloomberg, as reported by Automotive News. It defaulted on a $300 million loan in June, and its stock has fallen from about $175 in 2021 to around $1.10. Its latest reprieve from lenders runs through today.
🛣️ Mile Markers
Lexus priced its first three-row EV, the TZ, starting at $64,050 with up to 315 miles of range, with orders opening later this year. ⚡
Speaking of rentals, Avis charged a man about $4,300 for driving nearly 18,000 miles in one week. That’s more than 2,500 miles a day. Avis blamed a data entry error and apologized. 🙃
1797: André-Jacques Garnerin makes the first recorded parachute jump, over Paris.
1836: Sam Houston is inaugurated as the first president of the Republic of Texas.
1938: Chester Carlson makes the first xerographic copy, the technology behind the modern photocopier.
