🚗 The Stories Shifting the Store

This week felt like one long group project—minus the slackers.

From AutoMobility LA to the studio to the inbox you’re reading now, it’s been all rhythm, reunions, and really great people showing up when it matters.

We’ll save the big gratitude feels for next week, but today, we’re just thankful for tiny miracles, full coffee cups, and teammates who carry the weight without needing a spotlight.

This industry is messy, beautiful, and real.
And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

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

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ICYMI

Wrapping the Week

The Daily Pushback Email

• On Monday, a new survey spotlighted small fleets as a major retention opportunity, with most operators spending up to 30 hours a week managing vehicles. Meanwhile, used sales ticked up in October, Mazda tested its first U.S.-built EV, and lawmakers began auditing AI’s real workforce impact. 🔍
   

• Then, on Tuesday, Ford launched CPO sales on Amazon with 20 dealers already live, and opened its new Dearborn HQ to streamline innovation. Captive lenders eased terms, used EVs outsold gas cars, and Audi announced a Scout-based SUV. Plus, Jeep promised four models in four months. 🐥
   

• By Wednesday, aig revealed dealership profits are still high — but not for everyone. Underperformers are now value plays while top stores fetch premium multiples. Toyota is expanding hybrid production across the South, and affordability continues to tighten with average payments hovering at $766. Meanwhile, Netflix House reminded us: physical retail wins when humans show up with intention. 🏡
   

• Thursday, the Supreme Court weighed the legality of IEEPA tariffs, but the major auto tariffs remain untouched. Manheim’s data showed used values holding steady, EVs gaining, and supply still tight. Nissan boosted U.S. Rogue production, Porsche dropped a 1,139-hp Cayenne EV, and Zoox robotaxis rolled out in San Fran. 🚖
   

• Finally on Friday, Carvana’s San Diego CDJR deal highlighted deeper cracks in fixed ops training. Gen Z proved they’re leasing to stay tech-current, EV share cooled post-credit, and Fiverr’s new film reminded us: most people don’t care how something’s made—just that it works. 🌈 

PODCASTS

ASOTU Edge Webinars

Most dealers think they know which sourcing channels offer the biggest margins.

Cloninger Auto Group and vAuto actually pulled the receipts—and the results flipped a few assumptions on their head.

In this Edge Webinar, we break down how the group analyzed every acquisition source across all of their rooftops to understand what was truly driving profit, and what was quietly draining it.

Catch the full recap here.

Auto Collabs

Igor “Iggy” Skinder has lived more automotive chapters than most people read in a lifetime. From a teenage refugee wandering Pennsylvania lots to the National Operations and Strategy Manager at Volkswagen of America, his story is a reminder that this business runs on people long before it runs on product.

In this Auto Collabs episode, Igor gets real about incentive timing, dealer–OEM tension, CPO strategy, EV realities, and why saying no to “life-changing money” was the right call for his family.

Check out the complete convo here.

The Dealer Playbook

Many dealers talk about “using the data,” but Yolanda Biswah shows what that actually looks like when you have 65 years of market history behind the curtain.

In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, the President of Canadian Black Book, explains how valuations really get built, why Canada’s market behaves differently than the U.S., and how dealers can use equity, residual forecasts, and aging signals to make cleaner, more confident decisions on every unit.

Watch the replay now.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Coming Soon

• February 3-6: NADA Show 2026, Las Vegas, NV

• May 12-15: ASOTU CON 2026, Hanover, MD

SOMETHING FUN

Bricks on Track

Bricks are meeting the pit with LEGO’s latest collaboration.

They just announced a multiyear partnership with F1 ACADEMY and dropped a custom LEGO-themed race car that'll hit the grid in 2026. Dutch driver Esmee Kosterman will be behind the wheel, decked out in a matching suit with a colorful LEGO-block livery.

To celebrate, LEGO released a mini version of the car as part of their Speed Champions line. It’s got 201 pieces, a tiny Esmee minifig, and the kind of aerodynamic flair that only LEGO could dream up.

The timing of the partnership couldn’t be sharper. According to internal LEGO research, women now make up 42 % of global motorsport fans, and 87 % of young girls say they want to see more female drivers on track.

With this collaboration, visibility, representation and access to the thrill of racing are delighting new audiences.

Quick Hits

• Cadillac is integrating Apple Car Key support for select models which will allow drivers to lock, unlock, and start their cars using an iPhone or Apple Watch. 🔑

• The USDOT revealed the world’s first female crash-test dummy this week. 🚺

• Waymo is heading to three more cities soon: Minneapolis, New Orleans, and Tampa. 🚕

Thanks for reading, Friend!