#860 - šŸš— Inventory's Up

šŸš™ CarMax's Makeover, a Word from NADA, and a Lot More Than Cars

TOGETHER WITH

Thursday happens to some people.

But we know you’re the sort of person who happens to be Thursday.

Make it a good one, and bring somebody along with you when you do, Friend.

It’s pretty rare for good things to happen by mistake.

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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Today's Email

āš”ļø BeetleMax, Batteries, and CarPlay Battles

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CarMax wants a media makeover, flexing $135M to stay hip while winning with WNBA ads and ā€œBeetleMaxā€ buzz.

New car sales? Crushing it, with inventory up 30%—but profits are down, so haggle wisely.

Lucid’s over here reinventing EV efficiency with two-speed tech because why not aim for perfect?

Meanwhile, GM’s China dreams have turned into a $5B restructuring nightmare, and Stellantis is making Indiana the EV battery hotspot—thanks to Uncle Sam’s $7.54B loan.

Finally, Hyundai’s giving the people their beloved CarPlay (for now) while dreaming up tech you didn’t even know you wanted.

Check out more on these stories here.

šŸŽ‰ A Special Holiday Offer

In the spirit of giving, NADA is offering a holiday deal: $100 off registration to NADA Show 2025! Give your team members an educational opportunity that can transform their careers and elevate your dealership’s success. 

Reward high-performers and rising stars ā€” managers, sales teams, service advisors and marketing staff — with the gift of education, in New Orleans, Jan. 23-26.

And don't forget to treat yourself, too!

Use promo code GIFT by Dec. 15 to save $100 per registration. But don’t delay: Hotels are filling fast. Register now!

ā£ļø Donating For The Future

WKRG

Students at Baldwin Preparatory Academy returned from Thanksgiving break to a brand-new 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer, donated by Terry Thompson Chevrolet. More than just a car, the SUV is a cutting-edge tool for learning the latest automotive technology.

The Trailblazer introduces students like junior Taylor Goodwin to advanced features like ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) with lane-change assist and assisted braking. ā€œAny new car is a new experience,ā€ Goodwin said. ā€œEspecially being a newer model, I get to learn more of the technology in the field.ā€

The donation supports Baldwin Prep’s mission to prepare students for college and the workforce. ā€œTechnicians are hard to find, hire, and train,ā€ said Terry Thompson, highlighting the need for hands-on training.

Automotive instructor Josh Funk added, ā€œThis car lets us teach systems we couldn’t explore before.ā€ For students, it’s a launchpad for success, giving them the tools to pursue their dreams.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

šŸ—“ļø Coming Soon

šŸ¾ Thursday, December 19th — ASOTU’s Year End Extravaganza (deets coming soon!)

āšœļø January 23-26th, 2025 — NADA Show in New Orleans

  • Psst…

    • Are you planning a party for NADA and want more people to know?

    • Are you looking for a party at NADA?

    • OR, would you like to party with ASOTU at NADA?

šŸ¦€ May 13-16th, 2025 — ASOTU CON in Baltimore, Maryland

🄊 Quick Hits: Jobs, Viruses, and Wrasslin’

  • Key labor reports from the Fed shows job openings jumped and hiring slumped in October. šŸ§‘ā€šŸ­ 

  • A new phone scanner that detects spyware has already found seven Pegasus infections. 🦠 

  • ā€œWWE Rawā€ will still be family friendly on Netflix, execs say, while promising live buffering issues have been resolved. 🤼 

šŸ” Today in History: Gold, Omni, and Civil Rights

  • 1848: In a message to the United States Congress, U.S. President James K. Polk confirms that large amounts of gold had been discovered in California. šŸ„‡ 

  • 1977: Chrysler Corp debuts FWD compacts Omni & Horizon. šŸ†• 

  • 1955: E. D. Nixon and Rosa Parks lead the Montgomery bus boycott. 🚌 

Thanks for reading, friend! Have as much fun as you’d like, but help others have as much fun as your having.

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