🚗 Recaps and Invitations

Saturday,

Remember that cheesy movie line: “When you meet the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible!”

Call us hopeless romantics, but a calling works the same way. 🌋 

We are bubbling over with excitement to share our (“Our” as in ASOTU + You + The Entire Retail Auto Industry) next era of the More Than Cars mindset.

Only a few days left! Sign up at MoreThanCars.com to join the in-person or online announcement event.

See you there.

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

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ICYMI

Last Week, This Weekend

The Daily Pushback Email

Monday – “China’s Market Meltdown?”

Global ripples hit the showroom this week as China’s car glut led to half-off deals and sinking dealer profits abroad. VW hiked U.S. prices again under tariff strain, and ASOTU warned of affordability gaps as luxury sales soar. Lithia’s growth story reminded us what long-game vision looks like, and a Tennessee EV dealer is building for the future. Plus, a community fundraiser proved generosity still moves metal.

Tuesday – “BYD Makes Moves in Spain”

Hyundai joined GM for a five-model Latin America lineup while BYD quietly built a Spanish empire with triple-Tesla EV share and 4x dealer growth. Tariffs rattled U.S. manufacturing plans, Halloween budgets hit records, and training tech got a serious upgrade with Trivie. The ASOTU crew spotlighted WOCAN’s women of influence, proving recognition fuels responsibility—and brighter leadership for all.

Wednesday – “Carvana Buys Another”

Carvana’s second franchise buy marks a new chapter in blending clicks and bricks. Buffett cashed out of BYD, Amazon unleashed AI ad tools, and Lucid “sold out” a smart parts play. Volvo bet on U.S. hybrids while trade-in capture got a hard look. Meanwhile, virtual F&I took the NAMAD stage, reminding everyone: the sale lives or dies on convenience.

Thursday – “Ford Primes for Subprimes”

Ford tackled affordability head-on with prime APRs for subprime buyers—an experiment built on confidence in F-150 demand. Policy shifts rolled in: EV credit deadlines, recall pay reform, and an EPA rethink. Chick-fil-A entered the drinks-only race, proving the power of niche focus and hospitality. ASOTU’s takeaway? Blend bold finance, flexible fuel strategies, and loyalty-driven fixed ops to weather the recalibration.

Friday – “CarMax Q2 Data”

Affordability fatigue hit again as CarMax’s Q2 profit slipped, used values softened, and dealers eyed AI for smarter ops. China’s EV surge continued, Acura paused its first EV, and Google gave dealership websites failing grades. Amid all that noise, trust emerged as the new profit center—because transparent info and confident customers still close more deals than any discount ever will.

PODCASTS

ASOTU Edge Webinars: Best Dealership Cost Reduction Targets in 2025

Building profitability in 2025 might not mean selling more—it might mean spending smarter.

In our latest ASOTU Edge webinar, Douglas Austin (StrategicSource) and Matthew Haiken (Prestige Auto Collection) joined Kyle Mountsier to unpack the real opportunities hiding in your expense categories.

Here’s the headline: most stores have 130+ expense categories, but 95% don’t have purchasing departments—and that can lead to 25–30% overspending across the board.

The good news? You don’t have to slash or switch vendors to save. With a focused sourcing process—starting with just three categories at a time—dealers can unlock 1–2% net profit gains without touching sales volume.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Where’s the money going?” this session lays out where to look, how to benchmark, and how to negotiate better deals while keeping relationships intact.

Check out the breakdown here.

SOMETHING FUN

3D Printing in the Service Lane

What if every “Sorry, we’re waiting on the part” became “Give us an hour”?

3D printing is inching from factory floors to fixed ops, and early adopters are already proving it can work. Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Daimler Buses print low-volume plastics on demand, cutting delivery times by up to 75%. The sweet spot today? Non-safety-critical pieces—clips, trim, brackets, covers—made from durable polymers like PA12 or carbon-fiber nylon.

For dealers, that could mean faster turnarounds, fewer comebacks, and a little less pressure on aging parts pipelines. The hurdles are real—file access, OEM approval, material certification, and someone trained to hit “print” with confidence—but costs and complexity keep falling. Some vendors even offer on-site, fully managed print hubs.

So here are our questions:

1. Could you see a printer humming next to your parts counter?

2. Would same-day component fabrication change how you schedule, stock, or price repairs?

We’d love your take. Forward this email to your Service Manager and ask: How do you see the future of parts and service working? Then hit reply and tell us what you learn.

Because the next big shift in fixed ops might not ship on a truck—it might come off the printer.

Thanks for reading!