What’s Your Ride’s Signature Scent?

TOGETHER WITH

If you are busy making that end of month commercial or social spot that is gearing up to drive traffic for the 2nd half, do us a favor and pull out any value proposition that talks about:

• How Much (inventory, savings, etc)

• How Long (in business, etc)

• How Big (sales/service volume, lot size, etc)

Dig deep and find the meaningful things about your business that no one else can match!

Keep Pushing Back-Paul, Kyle, & Chris

MARKETS

Welcome to this fun new section of our daily email! We know it is hard to pay attention to everything in the market, so each morning we will highlight a few of the movers around auto, retail, and the major exchanges. Don't worry, we won't be dropping investment advice any time soon either!

AUTOMOTIVE

Used Vehicle Prices Climb

A new Cox Automotive report shows used vehicle prices increasing with unseasonable strength. 

While prices are down 7% year-over-year, a 4.3% increase from January to February 2023 accounts for the largest jump since 2009. 

Used vehicle values are pricing out some consumers and, as a key inflation metric, are causing some concern for the Biden administration. 

Telling it like it is - At least dealers don’t have to change the prices like at gas stations. Let us tell you from experience that the suction-cup pole apparatus is not your friend.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Pitch Tank

Congratulations, Ron Smith with STELLA AI, for winning this week's session of PItch Tank. Next week, join us for another exciting round of 3-minute pitches from great automotive service providers and partners. Have a product to pitch? Apply now. 

CLUBHOUSE

David Long's All Things Used Cars

Tomorrow, David Long and the All Things Used Car community will gather on Clubhouse for part 3 of their "Master Acquisition" discussion!So far, we have heard from several trusted front-line operators about the worthwhile challenge of growing a culture and strategy of acquisition throughout the business.Join us tomorrow morning to listen or contribute to the conversation.

AUTOMOTIVE

VW’s Apology, Tesla's New Investigation, and Ford’s Man-Only Model

VW will provide its Car-Net free for five years following a mishandled carjacking. The company denied law enforcement's request to locate a stolen vehicle because its security service was inactive. What moves the situation from heartless to morally reprehensible is that the vehicle owner's child was still in the stolen car. 

The child was located unharmed! Police say that the prioritization of company policy cost them 30 critical minutes. VW said they must and will do better in a press release regarding the incident. 

“In my defense, yes, I stole that car. But I promise not to steal anymore for at least 5 years.” –A carjacker if they could design their own recompense.

Tesla is being investigated again. No, not over a tweet, something Elon Musk did, or Autopilot. This time, the Feds are asking why two brand-new Model Ys had their steering wheels fall off. 

Once is weird. Twice is concerning. The investigators say each of the affected 2023 model vehicles had the steering wheel fall off while driving after incomplete repairs during production. In both instances, the bolt was never returned, and only friction held the wheel in place.

“Your Honor, we wouldn't be in this situation if you would let us turn Autopilot back on. So really, this is on you.” -A Tesla steering wheel tech deciding this ain’t their fault.

Get out your checkbook, bro. Ford has unveiled a "Men's Only Edition" Explorer, and while anybody can buy one, we assume nobody with common sense actually will. 

The SUV is missing windshield wipers, a heater, turn signals, a rearview mirror, and several other standard features invented by women. 

You got us. Of course, the model is a work of fiction by the brand as part of their ad campaign honoring the many contributions made to the industry by women engineers and inventors. 

“Officer, I did not fail to use my blinker, I was respecting women in the industry!” -Chris, if he gets pulled over in March. 

TL: DR - VW will give away 5 years of free car tracking software to say sorry, Tesla has a 2nd steering wheel fall off and now the Feds are paying attention, Ford’s new model appeals to men who thirst for unnecessary challenges.

TOGETHER WITH MAKE

Work Faster, Better.

Everything that gets measured gets managed, and if it gets measured with powerful visuals, it’s more fun to manage.

Make provides your team with a time-saving workflow and task-tracking system that can be customized to automate any project management needs. Their app keeps your people connected and syncs up-to-date data across your user base. So you can turn that data into action.

Check out Make today and see what their powerful visual platform can do for you.

AUTOMOTIVE

KBB’s 2022 Best Resale Value Awards

Kelley Blue Book's annual Best Resale Value Awards recognize the top ten 2022-model vehicles projected to retain the highest percentage of their original MSRP. Those cars have a resale value that's better than 95% of other models and could retain significant money in the long run.

1. Toyota Tundra (5-Year Resale Value = 70.2%)2. GMC Sierra (= 60.8%)3. Toyota Tacoma (= 60.6%)4. Ford Maverick (= 59.5%) tied5. Chevrolet Corvette (= 59.5%) tied6. 4Runner (= 58.6%)7. Tesla Model X (= 57.6%)8. Ford F-Series (= 57.3%)9. Ford Ranger (= 56.7%)10. Jeep Gladiator (= 56.1%)

Telling it like it is - According to KBB, 2022 Toyota and Lexus brands are your best bet for retaining the most value long-term. With the way used car prices are rising, who knows? You may even make a return on the investment. 🤷

CULTURE

The Phantom Syntopia: A Delight for the Eyes and the Nose

Rolls-Royce and Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen teamed up on a four-year project to create the Phantom Syntopia, an opulent, one-of-a-kind car based on the Phantom Extended. 

The vehicle's eye-catching exterior is finished in "Liquid Noir," a dark paint that shimmers with hues of purple, blue, gold, and magenta and takes thousands of hours to perfect. 

The intricate interior features various handmade details, including a "Weaving Water" starlight headliner, which RR has claimed as the most "technically challenging version of the signature Rolls-Royce feature ever produced."

But wait! There's more. This designer ride even comes with its bespoke scent — a mix of cedarwood, iris, leather, rose, and a hint of lemon. 

ASOTU Signature Scents –  “New Car Smell.” - AMJ“Rich mahogany and leather-bound books.” -Kristi (and Ron Burgundy)“Somewhere between summer breeze, Wingstop, a long Saturday morning run, and kid's after school snacks.” -Kyle“Rain. But, not the good kind. The ‘oh no, I left my windows down!’ kind.” -Chris“Leather and a mix of new car smell.” -Myles

Quick Hits

• Salesforce brings AI to its CRM with “Einstein GPT.” 

• YouTuber documents charging a non-Tesla at a Supercharger. It went poorly.

• Astronomers found water in space. Not on a planet, just out there FLOATING in space. 

• Some seniors replicated Rihanna’s superbowl show, so she sent them flowers. 🌹

• American Airlines CEO says the company will match Delta’s average 34% pay increase.

History

• 1815: Francis Ronalds describes the first battery-operated clock in the Philosophical Magazine.

• 1955: James Dean’s first performance in a major film started as of this date. He starred in a movie entitled East of Eden.

• 1959: Barbie doll makes debut at the American Toy Fair in New York.

• 1961: Sputnik 9 successfully launches, carrying a dog and a human dummy, and demonstrating that the Soviet Union was ready to begin human spaceflight.