Mopar Masters Guild Magazine May - June 2023

May - June 2023

Also In This Issue

From the Desk of MMG President Joe McBeth

“Making Plans, Getting Support!”

Hello fellow Guild members and friends,

I hope this edi on of the newsle er finds you well and your summer is off to a great start. We are in to the dog days of summer already here in Texas and business has been busy for sure. I hope you are having a great year in your part of the country.

The guild would like to welcome our newest Tier 1 suppor ng vendor, QB Business Solu ons. QB Business Solu ons offers services for warranty claims processing as well as warranty reimbursement services. We have several guild members that have already u lized their services and the results are nothing less than spectacular. Please reach out to QB Business solu ons if you need help in these areas of your dealership opera ons. There is more informa on about this great company in this edi on of the newsle er.

We are making plans for our next annual mee ng in Las Vegas. Mee ng dates are January 31, 2024 to February 2, 2024. We have a fantas c venue lined up for our mee ngs and social events. This event will be here before you know it. This will also be an elec on year for your guild officers. Mark your calendars now and make plans to a end. We hope to see you all there!

I am sure you have all seen by now the new line up of vehicles coming from FCA. The new Dodge Hornet is swarming the na on and looks to be our next genera on of sports car for our industry. We all have a lot to learn about this new technology and how it will affect our daily opera ons in parts and service. Our service department opera ons will be changing a lot over the next few years. We all need to be working together on ways we will be able to generate revenue for our fixed opera ons departments. The Mopar Masters Guild is the perfect environment to help us all con nue to succeed in this ever-changing industry.

There has been some leadership changes happening at Mopar HQ and the Mopar Masters Guild would like to congratulate Mike Koval as he becomes the new head of Mopar for North America. Mark was most recently the Ram CEO.

I hope you all con nue to have a great summer and cannot wait un l we meet again.

Joe McBeth - jmcbeth@thedallaspdc.com

President - Mopar Masters Guild - Parts Director - Dallas DCJR

If you are interested in joining the Mopar Masters Guild, please visit their website to see if your dealership qualifies to become a member. h ps://moparmastersguild.com/membership/

Mopar Masters 32nd Annual Meeting

NADA 2024 in Las Vegas

Hello everyone!

The me has come to begin making your hotel reserva ons for our 32nd Annual MMG Meetings, hosted at the Beau ful Palms Las Vegas from January 30th – February 4th. Our Guests will have un l December 29th to complete their reserva ons.

Should you want to extend your stay, or arrive early, you will have the ability to via the link here: MMG Room Reserva on Link here!

If anyone has any ques ons at all, or any issues whatsoever, please reach out to Jill Vance, and she will be happy to assist you! Jill Vance, Apogee Event Agency: Phone - 954-856-6477 Email: Jill@apogeeeventagency.com

Greetings From Myrtle Beach!

I arrived on Saturday and the first thing I did a er checking in was put on my water shoes and head for the beach! There is something so calming and releasing about the sounds of the ocean and the waves.

There was already a crowd of familiar faces in the bar overlooking the ocean. It was so good to see everyone again! So good to see Marvin and Laura, Rick and Kathy, Paul and Barbara – it had been a while and re rement sure looked good on all of them!

We all caught up for a while and decided that it was me to go get some seafood. Marvin spearheaded this mission and picked a great place, of course. Our table overlooked a li le lake and there were lots of turtles swimming all around and then…….a giant alligator invaded the party!!

Sunday was a very relaxing day. Jamie and I really enjoyed listening to Barbara’s stories about the giant lizard who invaded their great sunning spot on a previous vaca on; she also schooled us on cheese rings. I had no idea cheese rings were so popular and such a necessity for baby showers, par es, and get-togethers!

Continued on Page 5

Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts

Continued from Page 4

Thank you to Cody and Amy for taking us on the grand tour of your Air BNB’s a li le further down the road. They were so neat and in such a great spot just a block away from the beach!

Mark and Jen always manage to outdo themselves with every mee ng AND loca on! Myrtle Beach was the PERFECT spot and The Island Vista was the PERFECT place. It is always great to see these two and a bonus to have Michaele there with us! It was great to catch up with you Michaele!

Some awesome ideas came out of our session as well, Boos ng CSI, Exchange Mark Ups, hiring and keeping technicians from the Express Lane on up. Kent and I both got in trouble for being late although there is no photographic evidence of me. (Or so I thought! Read Jim Jaeger’s Performance Group Ar cle on Pages 6-13) Kent did have a hard me with the Green Eggs and Ham story! A great storyteller himself!!

It was such a pleasure to have Thomas Hall and Pedro Leiderman from QB Business Solu ons join us to do a presenta on.

Everyone was shocked to see the reports regarding their poten al gains on parts and labor markups. Their team makes this process easy with all their input, guidance, instruc on, and exper se. My team at Bill Luke and I can a est to this. On behalf of the Mopar Master Guild, we would like to welcome QB Business Solu ons as our newest suppor ng vendor!

Our dinner get- together at the Tiki Room down on the boardwalk was a lot of fun! There were so many interes ng things to see like the vintage cigare e machine as soon as you walked in the door. Wow! Did that ever bring back memories! As you can imagine, there was lots of laughter and camaraderie in the room! Such a great me!

This was the perfect spot to relax, release, let go, visit, listen to great stories and enjoy!

It was great catching up with everyone!

Submi ed by Past President

Susan McDaniel - Bill Luke CDJR

Mopar Masters Guild Members Attend Service & Parts Managers

20 Group

Hosted by MBA Dealer Services

This year, our 2023 Spring session was held in Myrtle Beach, SC at the Island Vista Resort. Some of our members chose to take advantage of being in Myrtle Beach and to come in earlier to play golf with past (re red!) MMG members. Marvin Windham, Rick Monteiro, and Gerry Oakes all came in to enjoy the me with us. All enjoyed themselves, so I heard. While they were golfing, the rest of us met up in the lounge and some took in the sun. Paul Allred came to spend me with us as well. It was a great me seeing what everyone has been up to.

Day 1

Moderator, Mark Beaton calls the mee ng to order at 8:01am. Mark corrected all of us that Stellan s is known as FCA in the states. He then covered Standard housekeeping rules.

Continued on Page 7

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8:00am-5:00pm day 1

New start mes

7:30am -12:00pm on day 2 with a 45-minute lunch.

Mark goes through introduc ons.

Our new members were:

 Jenn Becker-SM @ All Star Dodge

 Chris Chive-GM @ Dallas Dodge

 Kerry Kearney SD @ Ziegler CDJR

 Stephen Lorey SM @Leith CJ

 Ma hew Scudder SM @ Jack Powell CDJR – didn’t make it

 Dennis Tacke PD @ Lakeland CDJR

The current members then introduced themselves.

Mark makes his intro celebra ng 50 years in this business. Congrats Mark. He leads a discussion on manufacture supported websites. ‘Does it send the right message to those viewing it’?

Each table was then assigned a store to look at and see what we liked and what we didn’t like.

 10 dealers have their staff on them.

 18 dealers represented

 10 have photos

 8 do not

 Privacy issues-last names, emails, use a group photo instead.

We were then given handouts; start stop sheet, vo ng sheet, composite, roster and two topic discussion forms.

On screen-newsle er from last year, agenda for mee ng and Facebook.

MBA will be moving from Facebook to Twi er in 2024.

Member cruise will be Oct 14-19, 2023. Royal Caribbean 5day/5night, Sat-Thurs cruising out of Tampa. Requirement is you must be a 2023 member to a end. (This however at the me of wri ng, has been cancelled.)

MBA websites

Mark shows how MBA website is a great place to go for resources.

We then took a short break.

Continued on Page 8

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We come back from break and the first person to come back late is our very own past president, Susan McDaniel. Uh-oh! She read with great spirit.

Service and Parts Manager 20 Groups are not for everyone, Mark explains.

Advantages:

 No long-term contracts.

 All mee ngs are hybrid.

 We have in-house processing plus data management.

 MBA Dealer Services LLC.

 Our CDJRARF benefits.

 Member benefits.

 Your moderator.

 Access.

 Access to online resources and reports.

 Members may a end any CDJRARF class.

 Mee ngs anywhere.

 Moderator is available online.

 Invite execu ves.

 CFO can a end for $99.00.

Current Automo ve News

 Carbon is the enemy.

 Auto industry is buckling down to decarbonize everything.

 Having EV chargers is a boom for retailers.

 New Toyota CEO, Sato, touts three step plan.

 Supreme court turns away GM bid.

 Rising debt cost crimps cash flow at auto suppliers.

 Fleet drives market gains. GM, Ford advantage. Stellan s slips.

 Stellan s US sales dip 1.9% in 1st quarter.

Continued on Page 9

Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts

Continued from Page 8

We then covered the Financial statement and DUAS informa on updates for 2023. Page 1; Page 2; Page 5 and Page 6

From 2022 and back, you can do the financial statement as you like. As of 2023, FCA is sta ng it must be done the correct way. The Dealer Council approved this.

Mark went over the financial statement for new members; Handout of sales expense sheets.

Financial composite informa on and discussions.

Mark broke out tables and gave pages to look at. Something done well and something not done well. A er a break for lunch we returned to our composite breakout session.

A er sales has been deducted from gross.

 FCA calls it net profit.

 IEXAM calls it opera on profit.

 NADA calls it gross reten on.

A er fixed expense has been deducted from remaining gross.

 FCA calls it adjust dept/profit/loss.

 IEXAM calls it net profit.

 NADA calls it opera ng profit.

Continued on Page 10

Continued from Page 9

Express lane cer fied.

 Switch from quick service to express lane service in accoun ng.

 Report oil changes to express lane not quick service.

Ques on everything.

 Dealership accoun ng departments can turnover 2-3 me a year.

The #1 reason for accoun ng errors in QuickBooks is Data Entry!

What was learned by composite discussion?

 Staffing issues.

 Business down.

 Fees.

 Get back to 25% off rather than 30% off.

Continued on Page 11

Continued from Page 10

Best Prac ce Compe on

3 best prac ces:

 Jenn Becker- All Star Dodge.

o CSI improvement.

 Steve Marrio -Team Dodge Ram

o Tool truck tech benefit

 Andrew Quade-Leith Chrysler Jeep

o Warranty part mark-up

1st place-Andrew; 2nd-3rd place e. Steve and Jenn.

First Day of Mee ng adjourned.

Continued on Page 612

exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment.

Continued from Page 11

This evening we all met for dinner at the 8th Ave Tiki Bar and Grille. Everyone had a great me. Food was good. Past members came and met up with those that didn’t play golf. A er dinner some went out to the nightlife to check out the surroundings.

Day 2

Mark opens the morning up with upda ng contact informa on.

IEXAM - quick review of how to look at the IEXAM trend reports as our new composite. Mark shows what the new composite would look like. The new composite would be a li le bigger. 14 inches instead of the current one. Con nue later.

We then welcomed guest presenta on from QB Business Solu ons, represented by:

 Pedro Liederman

 Thomas Hall

Presenta on was for warranty, mark-up and outside warranty claims processing. Handouts were given to each store of what the possibilies could be. With over 50 years of experience, QB Business Solu ons is your ONE-STOP solu on for retail warranty reimbursement. Their main objec ve is to make sure automo ve dealers are ge ng the money they are en tled to. Our focus is ge ng your Warranty Labor Rate close to your door date and Parts Markup to na onal average or higher.

We then con nued the new composite view.

Continued on Page 13

Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts

Continued from Page 12

A er a short break and our next vic m of coming in late, our very own Kent Cogswell.

Kent read very proudly.

We moved into discussion for our next Performance Group Mee ng. Some ideas were Dallas, Utah and others. Looking to pick a spot with a larger airport so it’s not hard for people to get there.

We then went into Sales expense discussion: Service 344A; 345A - Parts 354; 355

Discussion about who monitors CSI scores.

 Ideas of how to gain more posi ve scores.

o $1.00 an RO.

o Employee RO’s.

o Send oil changes to customers.

Two topic discussion.

 What do you do when you’re too big too grow?

 Seems near impossible to grow 20% YOY. Blocked and restricted parts. How do you handle them?

 How to combat 1 in 7.

 Raise the margin.

 Map pricing.

How is everyone adjus ng their discounts on wholesale business to help with the rising expense and losing return allowance, etc.?

How do we find technicians? Ge ng harder and harder.

 Sign on bonus.

 Training school, body shop.

 Tool program.

Our 2023 Spring Performance Group mee ng was then adjourned, and we returned home full of ideas to poten ally implement in our businesses.

Submi ed by MMG Treasurer Jim Jaeger - Bosak Motors - Merrillville, IN

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The View From My Office

With Kat Monteiro

The sky is a beau ful blue, the days are ge ng warmer, but the evenings are s ll cool, which makes it perfect for si ng outside on the deck. This can only mean one thing - summer is here!

The kids are ge ng out of school, gradua on par es are happening, and families are planning their getaway vaca ons with the kids in tow. Summer and I have a love-hate rela onship. I love this me of the year when the weather is pre y much perfect and enjoyable, but when the temperatures get ho er, I’m not a big fan. I just don’t tolerate the heat like I did when I was a kid and add any humidity to the equa on and I am all done for.

What I do love about summer is hanging out by the pool, Rick barbecuing hamburgers or a good steak, fresh corn on the cob, watermelon and strawberries and fresh lemonade made from our lemon tree which we call Barbara’s Tree - for Barbara Allred. She loves her lemons and over the years we have been sending her fresh lemons from this tree. It always makes my day when she texts me and tells me it is the best day ever because she received our shipment of lemons. It is the li le things that always bring so much joy and happiness to the day. I think this is something we all need to remind ourselves of from me to me. Summer is also a good me in the garden with tomatoes, (so much be er than store bought) bringing them in the house to make up fresh pasta sauce and salsa, yum! And all my peppers. I love to can the peppers into candied jalapenos, pepper jelly, and this year I plan on making my own dried crushed pepper flakes and chili powder! So yes, summer is a good me of the year. I hope you all enjoy some good BBQ and fun summer ac vi es and make new life me memories to carry with you.

Today I would like to share with you the view from the Goodyear Blimp! Rick and I were very fortunate to have been invited by Dealer Tire to take a ride in the Goodyear Blimp back in 2019. This was a dream come true for Rick. Growing up in Southern California and driving by where the Blimp is sta oned and seeing it there, or seeing it fly by on its way to an event, wan ng to take a ride but knowing it would never happen. It’s not something you can buy a cket for. He was so thrilled when the opportunity came about. And the ride did not disappoint, it was amazing!

Now fast forward to this year and once again we had another chance to go for a ride in the Blimp! Richard Molina at US Autoforce awarded Rick the elusive cket to take me for another ride! So, the once in a life me opportunity has now happened twice! And once again it was amazing. It is so quiet and peaceful up there and the views are just incredible. It is fun to hear the stories from the co-captain about what it is like to fly the Goodyear Blimp.

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When they are broadcas ng a spor ng event they have to always be aware where they are in the sky so they do not cast a shadow over the event; how the blimp has a constant crew of 25 people a ending to it at all mes. In California they do not have a hanger, so the blimp is tethered out in the open. There is someone pilo ng the blimp at all mes, 24 hours a day and they have to keep the blimp stable as it is tethered. If it is windy, they have to keep it from whipping around, so they have to fly it in place to keep it straight. Crazy right?

Believe it or not, people like to shoot at the blimp. I am guessing these people think if they shoot it that it will fly all crazy through the sky like a balloon a er it is popped. But the blimp has a high PSI so when it does get shot and yes it has actually been shot, it develops a small leak and it could be weeks before they even no ce there is a leak, kind of like a re on your car that has a small nail. They say they are most likely to get shot at going over Arizona and Texas.

The Goodyear Blimp here in California is sta oned in Carson. They do not have a hanger or garage so when the blimp needs to be serviced, they have to take it back to Ohio. This is a 3-week journey! And the whole crew makes the journey. While there is just the pilot, co-pilot and a couple others that fly in the blimp, the others drive and they meet the blimp at their stop over points, because it takes the whole crew to assist in the landing, take off, and of course there is the guy who gets to fly it all night while it is ed to the ground. Carson has some gang ac vity in the area. There is one gang who fancy themselves as protectors of the blimp, they even have blimp ta oos! No one messes with the blimp! There were many more stories and facts and I loved listening to them all. Hopefully next me you see the blimp you will remember some random fact I have told you about. I want to give another shout out to US Autoforce and Richard Molina for the amazing opportunity to ride in the Goodyear Blimp. It was the best day ever!

Till next me have an amazing day and don’t forget to stop and smell all the beau ful summer roses.

Kat

By the way if you are looking at the pictures of our Blimp ride there is a picture of a round barge - this is Of Course I S ll Love you - the SpaceX rocket recovery barge - if you are a fan like us, we thought this was really cool to see.

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Auto trade group to argue against AM radio mandate at House hearing

The Alliance for Automo ve Innova on will argue that while its members are “commi ed to ensuring drivers have access to free, public alerts and safety warnings,” the way consumers receive informaon is constantly evolving, according to wri en tes mony.

WASHINGTON — A bipar san bill that would prevent automakers from elimina ng AM broadcast radio in new vehicles isn’t necessary, an industry trade group represen ng automakers is expected to tell a House panel Tuesday.

The Alliance for Automo ve Innova on’s Sco Schmidt, vice president of safety policy, will argue that while the group’s members are “commi ed to ensuring drivers have access to free, public alerts and safety warnings through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System,” the way consumers receive informa on is constantly evolving, according to his written tes mony.

Emergency alerts under FEMA’s system are sent out across mul ple pla orms, including AM, FM and satellite radio as well as cellular networks. “The intent is not for the public to rely on a sole source to receive the alerts but to create a ‘net’ of sources in which the public can receive them. In other words, the more the be er,” the tes mony, which was made public Monday, states.

Schmidt also will argue that there are several reasons behind automakers’ decisions on vehicle design and offered features, including technical challenges, market expecta ons and consumer demand.

“These factors, coupled with the numerous regula ons on automobiles, dictate the decisions that automakers make when designing and construc ng vehicles, priori zing safety, efficiency, and consumer preferences,” the tes mony reads.

The House’s Subcommi ee on Communica ons and Technology is holding the hearing over concerns that automakers have removed, or are planning to remove, AM radio receivers from their vehicles, especially electric models.

At least seven automakers — BMW, Mazda, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen and Volvo — do not offer broadcast AM radio in their electric vehicles, ci ng electromagne c interference from EV batteries that can generate sta c, a high-frequency hum and other noise and affect the recep on of AM radio signals.

Ford Motor Co. previously said it would not include AM radio in any of its new models star ng in 2024 but reversed course last month “a er speaking with policy leaders about the importance of AM broadcast radio as a part of the emergency alert system.”

In May, a bipar san group of lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced legisla on — known as the AM for Every Vehicle Act — that would direct NHTSA to issue a rule requiring automakers to keep AM broadcast radio in new vehicles at no addi onal charge.

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The lawmakers argue AM radio is important during large-scale emergencies, especially “when the cell phone runs out, the internet gets cut off, or the television doesn’t work because of no electricity or power to your house,” U.S. Rep. Josh Go heimer, D-N.J., the House bill’s lead sponsor, said in a statement last month.

In a blog post Monday, Alliance CEO John Bozzella pushed back against those concerns.

“Whether or not AM radio is physically installed in vehicles in the future has no bearing on the mulple methods of delivering those emergency communica ons alerts to the public,” Bozzella wrote. “Manda ng audio features in a vehicle isn’t necessary. Congress hasn’t ever gone this route, especially in a compe ve environment with so many choices — many of them free.”

Two witnesses — Lt. Col. Christopher DeMaise, who is commander of the Homeland Security branch of the New Jersey State Police, and Jerry Chapman, who is appearing on behalf of the Na onal Associa on of Broadcasters — are expected to tes fy in favor of the bill.

Source: www.autonews.com – Ar cle by Audrey LaForest

Car

Wars study predicts Detroit 3 closing in on Tesla’s EV market share

Overall EV market share will grow significantly in the next four years, said the annual Car Wars study by Bank of America.

The next four years might be “some of the most uncertain and vola le for product strategy ever,” according to the annual “Car Wars” Bank of America Global Research report released Thursday.

New electric vehicle launches, uncertainty around ICE launches and a challenging macro environment will shape the automo ve industry’s product pipeline from 2024 to 2027, the study concludes.

The study predicts EV market share overall will grow significantly as legacy automakers grow their EV offerings.

EV sales in the U.S. could grow from 1.6 million in 2023 to 4.6 million in 2026, with penetra on growing from 11 percent to 26 percent over that same period, according to the study.

“Overall, we conclude that ICE dominance is over with 64 percent of powertrain offerings projected to be alterna ve over MY2024-2027,” the study said.

The EV market might look different by 2026, the study said. As legacy automakers race to produce new EV models, Tesla’s market share could decline from 62 percent in 2022 to 18 percent by 2026.

Ford, General Motors and Stellan s could be the biggest incumbent winners of market share, with Ford growing from 8 to 14 percent, GM from 5 to 14 percent and Stellan s from less than 1 to 8 percent.

The study increased its es mate for U.S. EV penetra on by 2030 to 36 percent, an increase it a ributes to Infla on Reduc on Act incen ves.

The study also increased its es mate of the total dollar value of content in a U.S. ba ery electric vehicle to $34,100 because of substan al raw material cost infla on, which has offset ongoing cost reduc on efforts.

Except for ba eries, the study found many of the suppliers of EV component systems are the same as Tier 1 suppliers for ICE vehicle component systems.

Overall, replacement rates are near the historical average of 15 percent in model years 2024-25, down from 23 percent last year, but may strengthen in 2026-27 with the launch of high-volume products, the study predicted.

The annual study, published since 1991, assumes that newer vehicles directly drive increases in market share for automakers and thus an automaker with a higher replacement rate has a be er chance to increase market share.

Ford and Hyundai and Kia are the best posi oned of the large, legacy automakers in terms of tradi onal replacement rate, the study found, while Stellan s and Honda are the most behind. Many incumbent automakers lag the average replacement rate, which is skewed by new EV entrants and smaller automakers that lead the industry in replacement rate.

New model mix from 2024 to 2027 is expected to be 77 percent crossovers and light trucks and 22 percent cars, according to the study.

Source: www.autonews.com – Ar cle by Abigail Ham

by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment.

2024 Dodge Hornet Injects Attitude into Luxury Crossover base

Dodge designers used the Alfa Romeo Tonale as a founda on and gave it an aggressive spin with inspira on from the sporty Challenger, Charger and Durango.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — With the upcoming Dodge Hornet compact crossover, designers had to ins ll the brand’s signature a tude and character into an exis ng design.

The canvas was the Alfa Romeo Tonale, a model meant for luxury customers that incorporated visual cues such as the Italian brand’s triangular “scude o” grille.

Dodge’s design unit took that founda on and added an aggressive spin with inspira on from the muscular Challenger, Charger and Durango.

The hood boasts integrated heat extractors that separate it from the Tonale, along with a mail-slot grille opening in the fascia that’s important for func onality and accentuates its performance- geared feel.

The end result was a vehicle spor ng a meaner-looking front end than the Tonale that pushes the “Brotherhood of Muscle” into the compact u lity space, the industry’s largest segment.

The Hornet comes in two trims: the GT with a conven onal powertrain that’s scheduled to arrive in early spring as a 2023 model and the plug-in hybrid R/T, Dodge’s first electrified offering, coming in late spring as a 2024 model. Pricing starts at $31,590 including shipping for the GT and $41,590 including shipping for the R/T.

The Tonale was a good canvas to work from, said Brian Nielander, chief designer of Dodge’s exterior design studio. Nielander said crea ng a reworked design based on another vehicle can be just as challenging as devising a completely new vehicle.

“As a designer, that’s a part of something you have to be able to do, because you never know what type of assignment you’re going to get,” Nielander told Automo ve News. “You can start from scratch and do an all-new car that’s got badass propor ons, or it’s like, you’ve got this, this and this, you can just change these parts. How do you make that a Dodge? And that’s where the crea vity comes in. In some regard, that’s the more fulfilling part some mes because you’re solving a problem.”

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Nielander said the original Tonale design already had a “great propor on and kind of muscular feel to it anyway.” There were many elements from other Dodge models, he said, “that we could draw that just like immediately fit onto that car.”

Ad campaign

One of Dodge’s missions was to blend its a ributes and temperament into the Hornet’s design. Now, it’s doing the same thing with adver sing.

The crossover’s ad campaign launched earlier in the month with a commercial saying the Hornet is “taking the country by swarm.” Dodge said it used TikTok and Instagram influencers, some of whom appear in the spot, to build “buzz” ahead of the ad’s debut.

A gang of Hornets zips through the streets in the commercial, which captures the spirit of typical Dodge promo ons even without the rumbling V-8 engines it is known for.

“We always like to say we build superheroes; we’re not just building cars,” Ma McAlear, head of Dodge sales and opera ons, told Automo ve News during a Hornet media drive. “We build personali es, and whether it’s Demons or Scat Packs or Hellcats ... this cult following is bigger than just a vehicle. It’s this whole villainesquetype thing. And, you know, Hornet was natural.”

Next year, McAlear said the goal is for the electrified R/T to account for half of the Hornet’s sales.

The Hornet R/T achieves 288 hp while genera ng 383 pound-feet of torque. It will have a PowerShot feature that supplies an extra 30-hp burst on demand at 15-second intervals. Dodge is billing the Hornet GT as the industry’s “quickest, fastest, most powerful u lity vehicle under $30,000.”

Something different

Dodge unveiled the Hornet in August during a three-day rush of product news called “Speed Week,” a rac ng more than 20,000 preorders for the GT within two days.

McAlear said Dodge doesn’t need to conquest a lot of customers from rival brands to achieve success and says the Hornet can generate volume by capitalizing on the compact u lity segment’s growth in the years ahead. McAlear thinks the Hornet can establish itself by reveling in the fact that the brand is offering something different.

While buyers in the segment tend to focus on prac cality, Dodge is going in a different direc on by tou ng performance and the fun-to-drive factor.

The early run of preorders, McAlear said, shows what’s possible.

“With the segment growing, we can come in and just do Dodge, be Dodge, and revel in the fact that we are different,” McAlear said.

“We’re polarizing, we’re brash, we’re building that Brotherhood of Muscle. We don’t have to be everything to everybody.”

Taking the Country by Swarm

of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment.

Fiat Future in U.S. Tied to New Leader, Return of 500e

Aamir Ahmed, a former FCA marketer, has come back to head Fiat’s North American opera ons as it prepares to relaunch the 500e EV in the U.S.

Fiat has all but faded away in the U.S., but it has a new North American leader whom parent company Stellan s has charged with “providing cool mobility solu ons for all.”

Fiat could use that cool factor when it reenters the U.S. electric vehicle race in 2024 with the 500e, a model that analysts say can open a pathway to success for a brand that has struggled with lackluster sales in the country for years.

The stage is set for Aamir Ahmed, a former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles marketer appointed to head Fiat’s North American opera ons last month. Ahmed le FCA in 2017 to work for Harman Interna onal and Amazon. Ahmed succeeds Larry Dominique, who had been leading Fiat in addi on to his role as senior vice president for Alfa Romeo in North America.

There’s a tough job ahead.

Although the brand has been a major player globally, it hasn’t been able to find its foo ng in the U.S. market, where it sells only the 500X. Fiat sold just 138 vehicles in the first quarter of 2023.

Despite Fiat’s rocky track record since its 2011 return to the U.S., industry observers say the 500e could bring viability to the brand as automakers move aggressively toward electrifica on. The 500e, according to Fiat CEO Olivier Francois, is coming back to the U.S. to capitalize on the industry’s EV revolu on.

Analysts say Fiat’s best bet may be to se le in as a purveyor of budget-friendly

EVs

The original 500e was a compliance car with a limited 84-mile range sold only in California and Oregon. Affordability was its primary selling point, with leases for as low as $69 a month in Southern California with no money down.

Today, the European version of the 500e, called the New 500, is among that con nent’s top-selling EVs.

“If they could come to market with something very small and electric and [with] be er range, that’s the kind of vehicle that can turn some heads,” Ivan Drury, director of insights for Edmunds, told Automo ve News.

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“Right now, the average ATP for an EV is $60K, and while [EVs are] pulling in a lot of buyers and a lot of money, we know there’s people that don’t want to spend that. They’re not looking to buy a used one, either.”

How to stand out

Drury said the new 500e could find itself compe ng with Tesla Inc. at the lower end of the market. It has been rumored that Tesla could launch a high-volume model in the $25,000 range.

The Fiat 500e was around $35,000 before being pulled from North America in 2019.

The 500e would need a more acceptable range, Drury said, but it could stand apart from Tesla by offering better “ameni es and styling than what Tesla might be showing with that li le hatchback they’re talking about for $25,000. ... We really don’t have a lot of products coming down the pipeline in that area.”

When Francois announced at the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show that Fiat was bringing the 500e to the U.S., he said the brand had no plans to expand the por olio. Francois said at the me that the brand learned a lesson in humility during its U.S. comeback a empt.

With the 500e, Francois said Fiat will s ck to its space, which is to offer “polarizing, niche, unique” statements. Francois said that’s where the American consumer needs it to be.

“With all the brands coming into this market [with] EVs, you’ve got to find a white space, and that ends up being entry-level,” said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecas ng at AutoForecast Solu ons. “Fiat is not a brand that demands a high price.

“There’s no huge following for the brand, so you have to define it as affordable EVs.”

Embracing its niche

Brian Moody, execu ve editor for Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, said a low-priced, medium-range EV would be a good fit for suburban buyers in the U.S.

“Fiat could yet have something to offer consumers,” Moody said. “As many cars add more and more safety and comfort features, a few things are star ng to stand out: unique, compelling design, and the idea of owning something truly different are hallmarks of Fiat. Design is a big differen ator today.”

Fiat doesn’t have grand volume ambi ons for the EV. Francois said last year that he doesn’t plan to invest a ton of marke ng cash into the 500e to persuade people to buy a car that isn’t for them.

The 500e’s debut next year will give the brand two vehicles.

Thus, the 500e will need to deliver if Fiat wants to gain trac on in the U.S., said Ma Degen, senior editor of Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader. “A lineup of just two small, niche vehicles is a hard sell to both customers and dealers alike,” Degen said. “The 500X, for as cute as it is, is ge ng old, is no longer compe ve in its class, and its sales volume barely registers. That puts immense pressure on the reintroduc on of the 500e.”

Degen said “the previous 500e was certainly stylish and fun,” but “it never was on the radar of EV shoppers. I think the new 500e will have to be a gamechanger if Fiat wants to be relevant in the U.S. market.”

Source: www.autonews.com – Ar cle by Vince Bond Jr.

by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment.

2 0 2 3 M o p a r M a s t e r s G u i l d 2023 Mopar Masters Guild

Officers:

O

President - Joe McBeth - Dallas DCJ – Dallas, TX

& Committees

f f i c e r s & C o m m i t t e e s Officers

OEConnection

Vice - Pres - Cody Eckhardt - Larry Miller DCJR - Sandy, UT

Secretary – Jim Jaeger – Bosak Motors – Merrillville, IN

Treasurer – Chris Hojnacki – Milosch’s CDJR – Lake Orion, MI

Executive Committee - All Officers Including:

Dan Hutton - Tom O’Brien DCJR - Greenwood, IN

Alan Yancey - Hayes CDJ - Alto, GA

Rick Cutaia - Rick Hendrick DCJR – Charleston, SC

Steve Hofer – Park Chrysler Jeep – Burnsville, MN

Susan McDaniel – Bill Luke CJD – Phoenix, AZ

Guild Committees

Nada 2022 Planning

Jill Vance - Apogee Event Agency

Don Cushing - MMG Magazine

Finance Committee

Chris Hojnacki - Milosch’s CDJR – Lake Orion, MI

Susan McDaniel - Bill Luke CJD – Phoenix, AZ

Don Cushing – MMG Magazine

Newsletter/Website/Social Media

Don Cushing – MMG Magazine

Vendor Committees

Reynolds & Reynolds

Rick Cutaia - Rick Hendrick DCJR – Charleston, SC (Co-Chair)

Susan McDaniel – Bill Luke CJD – Phoenix, AZ (Co-Chair)

Joe Handzik - Bettenhausen Auto - Tinley Park, IL

Randy Rogers - Huffines CJDR - Plano, TX

Kent Cogswell - Jack Phelan CDJR - Countryside, IL

*David Kiser - Spartanburg CDJR - Spartanburg, SC

*Chris Hojnacki - Milosch’s CDJR – Lake Orion, MI

CDK Global

Joe McBeth - Dallas DCJ – Dallas, TX (Chair)

Ian Grohs – Stateline CDJR – Fort Mill, SC

Mick Padgeon - Fred Beans Parts - Doylestown, PA

Cody Eckhardt - Larry Miller DCJR - Sandy, UT

Robert Chatwin - Larry Miller DCJR - Sandy, UT

Dan Hutton - Tom O’Brien DCJR - Greenwood, IN

*Steve Hofer – Park Chrysler Jeep – Burnsville, MN

*Jim Jaeger - Bosak Auto Group - Merrillville, IN

Dan Hutton - Tom O’Brien CJD – Greenwood, IN (Chair)

Joe McBeth - Dallas DCJ – Dallas, TX

Jim Jaeger - Bosak Motors - Merrillville, IN

Chris Hojnacki - Milosch’s CDJR – Lake Orion, MI

*Steve Hofer – Park Chrysler Jeep – Burnsville, MN

Snap On Business Solutions

Cody Eckhardt - Larry Miller DCJR - Sandy, UT (Chair)

Randy Rogers - Huffines CJDR - Plano, TX

*Steve Hofer – Park Chrysler Jeep – Burnsville, MN

AER Manufacturing

Robert Chatwin - Larry Miller DCJR - Sandy, UT (Chair)

John Waltereit - Milosch’s Palace CDJR - Lake Orion, MI

Ted Hawkins - Cerritos Dodge - Cerritos. CA

Chris Hojnacki - Milosch’s CDJR – Lake Orion, MI

*Josh Gouldsmith - Gladstone CDJR - Gladstone, MO

*Joe Handzik - Bettenhausen Auto - Tinley Park, IL

Vendor Chairs

Susan McDaniel - Bill Luke CJD – Phoenix, AZ

Cody Eckhardt - Larry Miller DCJR - Sandy, UT

*Alternate

The