🚗 From Intern to CEO

TOGETHER WITH

Welcome to Thursday, Friend!

Ya know, we realize that not everyone gets to do what they love for a living.

Some folks work for a paycheck. Some for a title. But the lucky ones? We get to work with purpose, and with people who remind us every day why we do what we do.

Consider this a little reminder that working in this industry is a a gift. And we’re grateful to be in it with you.

Keep Pushing Back,
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

_{Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here!
Reading time: 3 min and 36 sec}

THE UNION

From the Automotive State of the Union

Affordability on the Line

The Dave Cantin Group’s midyear report says 52% of buyers carry negative equity and 84-month loans now make up nearly 1 in 5 new deals. Even so, dealers are proving resilient with record revenue expectations as buyers trade down to value trims.

Preventing Follow-Up Fumbles

Foureyes analyzed 8M+ leads and found 73% of sales happen in the first 3 days, but 1 in 4 close later. Trouble is, most dealers stop chasing after Day 3, leaving money on the table.

Intern to CEO

Target tapped Michael Fiddelke, who started as an intern in 2003, as its next CEO. The move highlights deep institutional knowledge—and has sparked debate on whether an outsider’s perspective is sometimes needed.

From The News w/ ASOTU

Amazon + Hertz = A New Duo

Hertz just teamed up with Amazon to sell used cars online, rolling out in four cities with 45 more by year’s end. Customers can browse, finance, and pick up their car in as little as three days. For Hertz, it’s a fleet dump. For Amazon, it’s one step closer to selling cars the way it sells cat food.

Mercedes Rethinks “Luxury”

Mercedes leadership is reportedly dropping the “luxury” label as margins fall from 15% highs post-Covid to new lows around 5.3%. Instead, they’re ramping production with 36 new or refreshed models by 2027 (nearly half of them EVs). The goal: appeal to practical, design-focused buyers who value presence over exclusivity.

Also in today’s Digest:

• Tesla faces a class-action lawsuit over Full Self-Driving claims.

• Ford tops 100 recalls this year affecting 4M+ vehicles.

• New tariffs hit auto parts, raising future costs on ICE and EV builds.

🥊 Quick Hits

• The TSA and Federal Aviation Administration have banned new items from checked luggage. 🚫

• The FTC is suing LA Fitness over their “exceedingly difficult” gym cancellation policies. 🏋️

• You can now make edits to your images in Google Photo using prompts. 📸 

TOGETHER WITH TRADEPENDING

What Does a Good Buying Center Landing Page Look Like?

Sourcing inventory directly from your market, as opposed to the auction or waiting on a trade-in, remains a hot topic. You need great people, then a great process, and great tools to make it happen.

A great buying center website landing page also really helps.

Here are three examples, courtesy of TradePending and their customers.

DATA & INSIGHT

Q2 According to the Haig Report

While OEMs are taking body shots from tariffs, dealers are putting up strong numbers and holding their ground. The latest Haig Report makes one thing clear: retail remains the strongest corner of the auto industry.

Profits per store are up across the board. Public retailers saw gains in Q2 compared to last year, reversing a string of declines since the post-COVID peak. Some of that came from early demand due to tariff fears, but the stores delivered.

Inventory levels are climbing, but they’re uneven. Some brands are back above 100 days of supply while others are still running lean in the 30s.

Looking ahead, Q3 could get trickier. OEMs have been eating tariff costs, but that may shift soon. If new car prices creep up, expect savvy operators to lean harder on used, F&I, and fixed ops to hold the line.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Why Customers No Longer Trust Mechanics (And How to Fix It)

Curtis Gardner isn’t your typical technician. Starting out with oil changes after high school, Curtis worked his way up to Toyota master certification before taking on the German-engineering challenge at Audi.

But what makes his story stand out isn’t just his technical chops. It’s his decision to flip the technician narrative from negativity and burnout to optimism, efficiency, and human connection.

In this conversation, Curtis shares how video inspections transformed not just his customer relationships, but his own career.

If you’ve ever wondered how to solve the so-called technician shortage, why techs need self-leadership, or how tool organization can actually change shop efficiency, this is the episode for you.

Watch the replay here.

🔁 Today in History

• 1888: American inventor William Seward Burroughs patents the adding machine. 🧮

• 1959: Hawaii becomes the 50th state of the United States. 🇺🇸

• 1961: American country singer Patsy Cline records struggling songwriter Willie Nelson's song "Crazy" in Nashville, Tennessee. 🎙️

Thanks for reading! Never forget…