Which Muscle Car Will Be the Next to Go?

TOGETHER WITH

Wheels up to a showroom today! Hangin' where the real work gets done.

We are also less than 2 week to wheels up for Live Tonight in Arlington and we would love for you to join us! If you can't join us, we will be live streaming the show on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn at 6:30pm CST on Wednesday, April 5th. This will be one for the record books.

Time to kick off the selling weekend!Keep Pushing Back-Paul, Kyle, & Chris

DEALERS

Larry H. Miller Auto's Luggage of Love Drive

Imagine finding yourself suddenly needing to move out of your house. As in, you only have an hour. You can only pack one suitcase full of belongings, but you don’t have a suitcase. Oh, and you’re 10. What would you do?This is an unfortunate scenario that many children are faced with every day. For example, over 500 children a month enter the Arizona foster care system without proper ways to keep and carry their belongings. But, Larry H. Miller Auto dealerships are partnering with their community to help fill that gap.As part of their Luggage of Love Drive, the dealerships across Arizona are partnering with the state’s Department of Child Safety for the third year to provide luggage full of goodies to kids who are entering foster care.Each donated suitcase will also include commonly needed items like socks, blankets, pillows, and pajamas. Anyone can donate by stopping by a dealership, grabbing a donation suggestion tag, and fulfilling the request. The ultimate goal is to provide the children with something that is their own and let them know that they have the community’s support.Telling it Like it Is - We love that this concept could easily translate to plenty of other local causes like family shelters or victims of natural disasters. So, thanks for giving back and for giving us some great ideas, Larry H. Miller Auto Dealerships! 

AUTOMOTIVE

New Vehicles Prices on the Rise

🤓 + 📝 x (🚗+🛻) = 📈

According to a report from J.D. Power-LMC Automotive, sales of new vehicles in the US are expected to increase in March as pent-up demand for cars and trucks continues. Total sales are projected to reach 1.33M units, a 6.2% increase from last year.

🆕 x 🏷️ = 💰💰💰

The only thing rising faster than new-vehicle sales is the price tag. The average price reached $45,818 in March, a 3.5% increase from a year ago.

🚘 x 🤑 x 🚘 x 🤑 x 🚘 = 🌎

The industry remains supply-constrained, but profitability is expected to remain above historical norms, and global vehicle sales have increased to 86.1M units, up 6.2% from 2022.Telling it Like it Is - In 2003, the average price was $24,773, meaning that the average new vehicle transaction has nearly doubled in the past 20 years. That’s wild.

TOGETHER WITH AUTOMOTIVE TITLING COMPANY

Leave the DMV to ATC

Going to the DMV isn’t anyone’s dream chore. But, dealing with multiple DMVs? All over the country? Every day?? That’s truly nightmare fuel for most dealers.That’s where Automotive Titling Company comes in. ATC is a fully tech-enabled out-of-state tax, title, and licensing processing solution. Their mission is straightforward — simplify the complex so dealers can focus on providing a superior customer experience and selling more cars. ATC’s database is updated in real-time to accurately cover every combination of laws, requirements, fees, and taxes nationwide, so dealers everywhere can feel confident in the transfer and drivers can feel secure in their purchase.Check out all how Automotive Titling Company transforms the horrors of DMV bureaucracy into any dealer’s dream now!

ASOUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Word-Ro-Nymns

OTAOver-the AirThe wireless transmission of data, software, or firmware updates from a central system to a mobile device, computer, or other electronic equipment. OTA technology allows devices to receive updates and new features without requiring physical connections.

AUTOMOTIVE

Ford's EV Losses, Chevy’s Farewell to Camaro, and VW’s Commitment to Android

Ford has projected a $3B pre-tax loss for its EV business this year as it struggles with the high costs of bringing new electric models to market.

The company aims to invest $30B in EVs by 2025, but the cost of batteries and chips, as well as supply chain disruptions, is drastically affecting its profitability.

Data sharing. The automaker is also switching up how it will provide data moving forward. Ford’s CFO stated that they will no longer break out their quarterly and annual financial results by region, only by business unit (EVs, ICE vehicles, and commercial fleets). If they reformat how the data is reported, maybe it’ll make their losses seem like no big deal. 🤷‍♂️

GM announced that in January, it will end the production of its current generation of the Chevy Camaro (for now).

Bye bye, Bumblebee. The decision was made as a part of the company's broader shift towards electric and autonomous vehicles. The current sixth generation of Camaros will be the last to be manufactured for the foreseeable future, but GM has not ruled out the possibility of bringing the model back in the future. 🐝

Volkswagen has announced that its upcoming cars will feature and support Android’s auto infotainment systems for the lifetime of the vehicle (which, according to them, is 15 years).

The Google-driven system allows drivers to access a range of services, including maps, music, and voice commands, during the best years of their cars’ lives without having to worry about costly OTA updates or subscription-based services.

Though we’d probably tack it onto our already embarrassingly long list of subscriptions if we had to, we’re really glad we don’t. 🙏

Telling it Like it Is - Ford reports EV profit loss, GM gives the Camaro the boot, and Volkswagen promises Android for fifteen years. 

CULTURE/TECHNOLOGY/WHAT THE KIDS ARE INTO

Zipline Takes Delivery Drones to the Next Level

YouTuber, engineer, and all-around swell guy, Mark Rober, released a video recently highlighting an innovative new company, Zipline — a delivery company providing medical supplies to remote areas around the world via autonomous drone.

How does it work? Medical staff place an order with the company, Zipline prepares the requested products into a special delivery package along with an adorable little parachute, they pack the goods into a drone, and send the drone on its way.

Set it and forget it. The drone knows right where to go before releasing the package and the parachute helps it fall gently to its destination. The drone then flies directly back to its base to do it all over again. And again and again and again.

Zipline launched in 2016 and has since become the world’s largest autonomous drone delivery company, safely carrying over 2.5M doses of blood to hospitals across Rwanda, which is where they are headquartered.

Telling it like it is - This technology is already being utilized for smaller retail purchases like food delivery and Amazon packages. So just think: one day you could have a delivery of new cars just appear in the sky and land gently on your lot!

Quick Hits

• Washington turns up the heat on TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.

• Remember that 3-D printed rocket we were telling you about earlier this week? Sadly, it didn’t make it to orbit.

• The FTC has proposed a “click to cancel” rule to combat tough-to-cancel subscriptions like gym memberships and cable.  

History

• 1882: German scientist Robert Koch discovers the bacteria that causes tuberculosis and establishes germ theory.

• 1937: The National Gallery of Art is established by Congress.

• 1989: A 987-foot oil tanker, The Exxon Valdez, runs aground on a reef and rips holes in its hull, spilling more than 11M gallons of crude oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound.