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- 🚗 Ford Primes for Subprimes
🚗 Ford Primes for Subprimes
🚙 Breakthroughs, Rules, & Recalibration
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Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi
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From the Automotive State of the Union
Ford tests prime APR for subprime
September-only, Ford is letting <620 buyers tap prime-level rates to move F-150s ($39k–~$80k). With average payments near $750 and rates ~6.4%, affordability is the choke point—so 72–84-month terms are common. Ford Credit says just 3–4% of 2024 loans are “higher risk,” giving room to lean in.
Expect more apps from the fringe; pencil to payment, protect gross with trade equity & F&I value, and mind stip/verification.
As the guys said: “Save some money. Everybody’s happy. Everybody wins.”
Chick-fil-A’s Daybright: drinks-only play
Launching near Atlanta this fall, Daybright is a standalone smoothie/juice/coffee brand from Red Wagon Ventures (no sandwiches). They’re chasing a booming drink-first lane (think 7 Brew, Dutch Bros) as Gen Z buys sips like snacks.
High-margin beverages + fast lanes = loyalty—steal the playbook in your lounge: premium drinks, mobile pay, a pickup counter, polite runners.
From The News w/ ASOTU
Click to read the full digest.
Rules, Rates & Recalibration
Policy and product are moving at once. Here’s what matters today—and why it hits your lane.
Data Point: Brand loyalty slips to 49% (Ford trucks 66.6%). Lock the relationship with a 30-day “Welcome to Service” cadence.
EPA tailpipe rewrite push: Automakers want 2027+ targets eased as affordability and charging gaps bite (and the $7,500 EV credit sunsets 9/30). Keep EV ordering and stair-steps flexible.
NJ recall/warranty pay: New law sets retail-rate reimbursement and 1.5%/mo comp on stop-sale units (effective 4/1/26). If it spreads, fixed ops margins and cash flow improve—audit processes now.
Lithium deal, equity twist: White House seeks a small stake while renegotiating a $2.26B DOE loan. Battery pricing stays political; expect EV MSRP/incentive swings.
Tesla’s Q3 pop: Pulled-forward U.S. demand helps, but EU/China headwinds persist. Watch used-EV values and trade equity.
Toyota’s take: Performance hybrids are coming while gas/manual joy lives on. Showcase both in test drives.
2 Changes. 3 Months. $176K More Gross???
Tenor
Want to know how Hubler Ford Center added $176K in gross in 3 months with two simple changes?
Hats off to Devon Griffith, the GM at Hubler Ford Center in Shelbyville, IN. He saw a challenge and figured out a solution.
He’s got great people and great process, but their digital retailing tool just wasn’t converting.
By making these two changes, their business improved almost overnight.
EVERYTHING ELSE
Quick Hits
🧪 Science: Huntington’s disease has been successfully treated for the first time. A new gene therapy treatment slowed the disease by 75% in patients over 3 years.
💰 Economy: Home Sales jump 20% 🦘
👽 Weird: Space boys are talking about blowing up an asteroid, Bruce Willis style, before it (maybe) hits the moon in 2032.
Today in History
1926 – Henry Ford announces 8-hour workday and 5-day work week 🇺🇸
1963 – First ads run for Chevrolet Chevelle 📰
1977 – About 4,200 people take part in the first running of the Chicago Marathon. 🏃
Remember…
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