Used Car News 4/4/11

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April 4, 201 1

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Family Turns Passions into Business

By Emily Caswell

They don’t sell cars or trucks at Davis Auto Sales.

They sell dreams.

The slogan of this Richmond, Va., dealership sums it up – “If you can dream it, we can build it!”

The store delivers on this slogan by specializing in customized 4-wheel-drive lifted pickup trucks and include a customization shop for lifts, wheels and tires.

Gail and Jimmy Davis started the business as a way to follow their own dreams.

Gail was climbing the ladder at a Fortune 100 company for years when Jimmy decided he wanted to strike out on his own in the auto business. He’d been working for his dad in the auto repair business, but wanted to move into sales.

Gail kept her day job so they would have benefits and used her experience with back-office operations to get the business off the ground.

“I am extremely fortunate

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to have a husband that is a visionary, where I am detail oriented, take care of the nitty-gritty stuff,” said Gail.

“We work well together with our own individual strengths.”

Davis Auto Sales took off quickly. In 1990, less than 10 years after opening their doors, the couple moved the dealership from a rural location to a more visible one.

They grew their minivan business during that time, a reflection of their own growing family of three sons – JW, Brian and Daniel.

In 2000 the dealership moved again and purchased the property behind their new location, converting the house on the site into a shop for Brian to do mechanical work for the business .

In 2001 the Davis family purchased a shop about two miles north of their sales office and in 2005 the rest of the road frontage of their block become available. So, they purchased it to expand their operation.

Today, Davis Auto Sales encompasses an entire city block and includes another division - Davis Off Road.

The crew includes all three of the boys. Their interest in off-road vehicles moved the family business in that direction.

Gail finally retired from the corporate world in 2005 to focus solely on the used-car store.

“The car business is different every day,” she said.

“Different people walk through the door, they have their own unique challenges,

BIG WHEEL: Gail Davis shows off one of the off-road trucks her family sells at its Richmond, Va., dealership.

requests, financing difficulties and/or trades.

“There are different challenges/opportunities each and every day. I like the variety of things that happen every day.”

The Davises are wellrespected by their peers.

Jimmy was named the Virginia Quality Dealer in 1998 and the National Quality Dealer in 1999.

Gail was named Virginia’s Quality Dealer in 2008. She has been awarded three Na t i o n a l I n d e p e n d e n t Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA) Eagle Awards for membership recruitment and is currently president- elect of the

Virginia IADA. Gail spends a lot of time teaching high school students about business, as well.

All the industry recognition is nice, Gail said, but it’s her sons’ involvement in the family business that makes her most proud.

“My greatest memories are watching our children grow into their positions and see their customer relationships develop,” she said.

“It is very heartwarming to hear customers come in and say their friends tell them this is the only place to come.

Or they would not have anyone else work on their truck but us.”

The real bond for the

family is a love of vehicles and Gail is no exception.

“The vehicle I am driving is usually my favorite car,” said Gail. “Currently I am driving a 2010 Camaro SS. It reminds me of my youth.

“When I was 16 I had a new 1968 396 Chevelle and a few short years later a 1972 Camaro.”

With three granddaughters and no grandsons to date, Gail believes that she was just the first in a long line of Davis women who will find success in the car business.

And to those women, she offers the same advice she’d offer anyone.

“Live and work by the Golden Rule,” she said.

IN THIS ISSUE • Specialty sales have grown into a year-round business. – Page 3

• Social media has grown into a must for marketing. – Page 8

• Dealers are looking farther, spending more on recon. – Page 5

• An AG sued a curbstoner for rolling back odometers. – Page 19

DO MORE WITH AUTOTRADER.COM. Check out the back page and see how our dealers put more to work for them.

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Specialties Now Run All Year

By Ted Craig

Spring is here and the time is right for special vehicles in the lanes.

Auctions across the country have started running sports cars, motorcycles, even boats and RVs.

Manheim put together a division for all its specialty vehicles in 2005.

The company’s business has almost doubled since then, according to Karen Braddy, Manheim’s general manager of specialty and heavy truck & equipment sales. It has

“There are a lot of car guys who are varying their portfolios....”

– Karen Braddy

This kind of inventory has become a regular feature at dozens of Manheim sites. The company sales motorcycles and boats all year round, along with earth moving equipment, tractors and heavy-duty trucks.

The firm even sold an oil rig a few years ago.

slowed during the economic downturn, however.

These sales now run at 24 branded locations.

Manheim is now No. 1 or 2 in each of its categories. It trails established competition in heavy equipment (Ritchie Brothers) and powersports (National Powersports).

Braddy said the company’s success comes from bringing concepts from the car business to these different fields.

For example, selling used boats used to depend on a fractured network for brokers.

Now many of those units are

available in one forum.

The company offers other services, including reconditioning and floor planning for “everything that doesn’t float,” Braddy said.

It also offers certification for most units, including an RV certification that’s transferable to consumers.

Manheim’s industry partners have helped the transition. AutoIMS offers services for consignors, and buyers car sign up for AuctionAccess.

Growing the business requires training dealers on how to buy at auction, Braddy said.

Manheim runs lots of seminars and actively engages with its buying base through a dedicated website, manheimspecialtyauctions.com, and various social media.

Moving into this business created some challenges at first for auction staff.

“When boats first rolled up, it was a little intimidating,”

Braddy said.

Each sale now has a dedicated staff. Braddy said Manheim is very methodical in choosing locations for these sales to ensure there’s a market.

The market isn’t limited by location, though. About 40 percent of the units are sold online, Braddy said.

Sometimes Manheim needs to go to the merchandise.

The company runs lots of mobile sales. It even runs some in-water boat sales.

That market includes some of Manheim’s traditional customers as used-car dealers look for new ways to grow business.

“There are a lot of car guys who are varying their portfolios with motorcycles and light-duty trucks,” Braddy said.

Many traditional dealers in these specialty fields have also discovered the used business, just like their automotive counterparts.

BSC Names New Manager R. Charles Nichols, president of BSCAmerica, has announced the addition of Chuck Comfort to Bel Air Auto Auction’s management staff.

He will head the auction’s salvage, specialty and powersports division.

“We are very pleased to welcome Chuck Comfort to the team at Bel Air Auto Auction,” Nichols said.

“There’s a tremendous potential for growth in the salvage, specialty and power-

sports segment of our business, and Chuck has both the skill and experience to help us expand those sales.”

Nichols said Comfort’s move to Bel Air Auto Auction is a return to familiar surroundings. From 2003 to 2006, he served as the auction’s operations manager, and returns home after spending four years in New York as a fleet-lease manager.

“It is a great opportunity for me to work with the

www.usedcarnews.com

Nichols family again at Bel Air Auto Auction,” Comfort said.

“We’re fortunate to have a separate facility dedicated exclusively to specialty product, which allows us to address the unique sales and service requirements for these vehicles.

Currently Bel Air Auto Auction holds a weekly salvage sale, a monthly powersports/ RV/ motorcycle sale, and a monthly heavy duty truck sale.

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NEWS BRIEFS NIADA Teams with eBay to Sell Certified

The National Independent Auto Dealers Association announced that all NIADA certified vehicles will be listed on eBay Motors.

Local NIADA certified vehicle listings within 100 miles of the shopper’s ZIP code will appear on eBay Motors in general and local classified searches, as well as in the eBay Motors Certified Pre-owned Showroom.

All current NIADA Certified vehicles will be immediately listed on eBay Motors, with more vehicles listed daily as dealers certify inventory.

All NIADA members are eligible for the NIADA Certified program.

The program provides 12 months and 12,000 miles of comprehensive limited warranty coverage on most vehicles 2001-11, up to 100,000 miles.

The program is administrated by National Auto Care (NAC) and insured by an “A� rated company.

The program includes detailed implementation and sales training, best practice reviews and point-of-sale tools like access to print an online Buyers Guide, marketing collateral, online media kits, and a free AutoCheck vehicle history report.

sideration in the Connecticut legislature. Proposed Bill No. 160, introduced by Sen. Martin Looney, would require car companies to share diagnostic codes with independent repair technicians. The legislation ensures better choices for consumers because independent shops would have equal access to the same non-proprietary repair codes and service information as the new-car dealerships.

Right to Repair legislation now under consideration in many states and Congress would require car companies to make available, at a cost, the same tools and information that they make available to their franchised dealers, thus ensuring that consumers can have a choice on where they bring their vehicle.

In addition to Connecticut, Right to Repair bills have been introduced in Massachusetts, New York and Oregon. AAIA expects that a Right to Repair bill will be reintroduced in the current session of Congress sometime early this year.

Another State Mulls Right to Repair Legislation

A Right to Repair Act is under con-

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CarMax Auctions Launches New Website

CarMax Auctions has unveiled its new website at www.carmaxauctions.com.

The site allows featured vehicles with more than 10 interior/exterior views.

It provides free AutoCheck vehicle history reports and personalized email updates when specific cars arrive in inventory.

Dealers can search for vehicles by year, make, model, mileage and auction location.

The site records all CarMax Auction transactions.

Tools Simplifies Employment Verification

The Work Number and DealerTrack Inc. announced a partnership to provide lenders access to The Work Number, an automated solution for employment and income verification from Equifax.

The Work Number will be integrated into the DealerTrack Digital Document Services platform, providing lenders the necessary tools to instantly verify employment and income on auto loan applicants. The Work Number provides rapid access to the most current verification of employment and income.

Published By General Media LLC USED CAR NEWS (ISSN 1555-7413) is published at

24114 Harper, St. Clair Shores, MI 48080 Phone: 586-772-5200 or 800-794-0760 Fax: 586-772-9400 www.usedcarnews.com Charles M. Thomas Founder (1947-2002) Lynda R. Thomas, Publisher Colleen Fitzgerald, General Manager Editorial: Ted Craig, Managing Editor

by Myles Mellor

Jeffrey Bellant, Staff Writer Contributing Writers: Emily Caswell, Sheila McGrath, Dave Piestrzynski Columnist: Tony Moorby

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Vol. 17 • No. 1 Used Car News is published the first and third Monday of each month.

Subscribers: We print advertisements as sent to us by auctions and other advertisers.

It is not possible to verify the correctness of listed vehicles in auction ads. Most lists are partial and all lists are subject to last minute changes by auto auctions, so before travelling a long distance for a particular auto auction event, contact the auction by telephone for a fax of vehicles in the sale.

Used Car News assumes no guarantees or liabilities concerning the accuracy of any advertisements. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in any form is prohibited without the written consent of the publisher.

OUR ADVERTISING APPROVAL POLICY Please submit clear, legible copy. Payments from first time advertisers must accompany the insertion order. Distribution is guaranteed by U.S. Postal Carriers.

The advertising reservation deadline is 5:00 p.m. Friday,

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10 days prior to the issue date. Camera ready ads must be received by noon on Monday prior to the issue date.

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Dealers Look Farther, Wider

By Jeffrey Bellant

LAS VEGAS - High wholesale prices and a tighter supply mean that dealers are changing inventory strategies.

During a panel at the recent Conference of Automotive Remarketing, dealer Anthony Underwood joked about a new inventory strategy.

“I’m thinking about buying new cars and putting them on my used car lot,” said the president of Anthony Underwood Automotive in Bessemer, Ala. Don Fincher, owner of Fincher Motor Co. in Houston, said finding cars involves more effort than in the past.

“We find we do a lot more traveling to different cities all over Texas to find the kind of vehicles we’re looking for,” Fincher said.

Fincher is also buying units that need more work. Other dealers on the panel also said they are more willing to invest in a rough unit.

Chris Martin, owner of E-Z Auto in Fayetteville, N.C.,

now spends around $900 per unit in reconditioing.

Underwood believes it’s better to pay the extra money for the best car than buy a rougher car to save cash. He said once the dealership starts to detail a car, the cost in time and money is usually more than expected.

“It seems like now we’re paying ‘clean’ book for ‘rough’ cars and ‘extra clean’ for average or clean cars,” Underwood said.

One reason is tight supply.

Another is increased competition.

Stephen Wade, president of Stephen Wade Auto Center in St. George, Utah, said the market has moved his focus more to the used-car side.

One change Wade made at his franchise dealership was treating used cars with as much care as he used to do just with new vehicles.

Martin, who prides himself on inventory turn, said the current market has made him tweak that part of his philosophy.

He said it makes sense to turn inventory as quickly as possible. If a car isn’t selling,

Photo by Jeffrey Bellant PANELISTS: Chris Martin, ownerof E-Z Auto in Fayetteville, N.C., and AnthonyUnderwood, ownerof Anthony Underwood Automotive in Bessemer, Ala., pose for a photo before participating in a panel discussion at the Conference of Automotive Remarketing in Las Vegas recently.

then flip it at auction.

Not now.

“Now it’s very rare for us to take one back to the auction once we get it ready for the lot,” Martin said.

Underwood said his dealership is being extra cautious, buying fewer cars and trying

to scrutinize them more.

His son, who runs the dealership, is scouring condition reports before Underwood even goes to auction so they know what they are bidding on.

He said he’s viewing cars more as a commodity than he

had in the past.

Underwood said he’s much quicker to walk away from a car in the lanes when bidding goes past his desired price.

Most of the panel agreed that online tools have become nearly a necessity in these times.

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Association Wins Title Dispute

By Jeffrey Bellant

The Florida Independent Automobile Dealers Association thwarted a plan by the Palm Beach County Tax Collector’s Office that would have hit dealers on April 1 with higher title processing costs and longer wait periods.

An agreement between the Florida IADA and the Palm Beach County Tax Collector’s Office will leave the current system of processing unchanged.

The agreement came after dealers filed a lawsuit against the department.

Steve Jordan, CEO of the Florida IADA, said the dispute was indirectly a result of a change in state law passed last year to cut costs.

Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Ganno notified dealers in January that she would be discontinuing motor vehicle titling and registration services for dealers on March 1.

She said the office would be outsourcing those services to the Palm Beach Tag Agency, a private firm.

The fees would vary depending on the service, according to the agency’s website. Officials say the fees could add about $20 to the cost of a car.

Gannon said the change was the result of increased demands placed on the tax office by the new law. The change transferred the processing of

driver ’s license applications, renewals and other public services to the tax office from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

It resulted in long lines and many complaints, both from the general public and dealers, stated Gannon in a letter to the Florida IADA. But Jordan said Palm Beach County wasn’t facing a special situation.

“All 67 tax collectors in the state are dealing with this, too,” Jordan.

Under Gannon’s plan, dealers would still be allowed to process titles, but would have been limited to two titles at a time.

Jordan argued that using the private firm would require additional costs for dealers and, ultimately, consumers.

Julie Jones, executive director of the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Department, also expressed her views in a letter to Gannon.

Jones pointed out a potential conflict of interest between the tax office, the PBTA and one of the tax office’s electronic filing providers, because principals have an ownership interest in both companies.

After the association filed a lawsuit in February, Gannon agreed to meet with Jordan hammer out differences between the two sides, Jordan said.

Gannon eventually agreed to leave the rules affecting dealers in place.

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Group Warns of Threat to GPS The Payment Assurance Technology Association has joined with dozens of other trade associations to raise concern about a potential threat to GPS technology.

The Coalition to Save Our GPS claims to represent more than 30,000 companies through their trade associations.

That includes some of the biggest providers of GPS units to the usedcar industry.

The alleged threat stems from a recent highly unusual decision by the Federal Communications Commission to grant a conditional waiver allowing the expansion of terrestrial

use of the satellite spectrum immediately neighboring that of GPS. That could severe interference to millions of GPS receivers, the Coalition claims.

The conditional waiver was granted to a company called LightSquared.

The waiver, granted in January, allows LightSquared to use its satellite spectrum for high-powered groundbased broadband transmissions if the company can demonstrate that harmful interference could be avoided.

The usual FCC process of conducting extensive testing followed by approvals was not followed in this instance, according to the Coalition.

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PAGE 8 – FOCUS ONLINE

Firms Need Social Media Plan

By Jeffrey Bellant

LAS VEGAS – Are people worn out on the subject of social media?

Not according to Donald Foy, executive director of the Manheim Drive Center.

Foy, who discussed the topic for the second year in a row at the Conference of Automotive Remarketing, said social media continues to dominate the news. “ T h e reason s o c i a l m e d i a Donald remains in Foy the news is that social media is becoming a part of profound change,” Foy said.

Facebook usage is up 40 percent from last year, with most of the growth occurring in the United States “ It has 500 million users worldwide.

Foy said a larger percentage of people share electronic information via Facebook (24 percent) than any other tool. Email lags behind at 11 percent, Foy said, with Twitter closing the gap.

YouTube has 300 million subscribers, basically the population of the United States, Foy said.

More importantly, 50 percent of them return every week to the site.

Overall, people using social media spend an average of two hours a day on it, Foy said.

“Anybody would want those kind of return numbers.”

Foy said the biggest change since last year is the growth of mobile connections. One reason is the skyrocketing popularity of the Apple iPad. Foy said social media trends younger.

“If you have gray hair, you don’t care,” he said. “If you get zits you know everything about it.”

The generation born between 1982 and 1995 include 80 million people.

They are the customer that matters going forward, Foy said.

They don’t read a newspaper at all. They rarely even go to the mailbox, preferring to receive and pay their bills online.

Foy said the only reason this generation even uses email is because it may be required for their jobs.

“The only way you can talk to them anymore is through social media,” Foy said.

That’s why large corporations are investing in social media.

“Fortune 100 companies are recognizing it,” Foy said.

“Trust me, they are Fortune 100 companies because they recognize ROI (return on investment).

“They’re not doing social media for the fun of it.”

The firms want to understand what is being said about them, whether it’s good or bad, and they try to influence messages where they can while also reacting with crisis management where they can, Foy said.

Ford Motor Co. is an example of a company that succeeds in blending social media with traditional media.

Last year, it used social

KEEPING IT SOCIAL: Ford Motor Co. uses a social media campaign to gain attention for its Ford Fiesta.

The auto maker is a leader in using technology to promote its products.

media to help market and launch Ford Fiesta, Foy said, while partnering with “American Idol” to boost its presence.

Ford did it again in the past year, partnering with producers of “The Great American Race” television show to create “Ford Focus Rally: America,” putting a spotlight on the Focus and the manufacturer, Foy said.

Users are encouraged to pick a team to root for and go online to follow them.

“Voting for these competitors is, in some ways, translating into voting for the brand,” Foy said.

Jeep also produced a marketing campaign directed at acquiring Facebook fans.

“They recently exceeded 1 million Facebook fans,” Foy said. “What’s significant about that is they are beating

the next domestic manufacturer by more than half a million fans.”

Foy also looked at chatter across all social streams and found that Ford was No. 1, followed by Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Honda and Ferrari was No. 5.

Automotive brands represent 17 percent of all social chatter, third on the entire list behind consumer electronics and fashion.

“You need to be online ,” Foy said. “If you’re not online now, it’s going to get geometrically harder to get online.”

There are also three things a company should avoid in its social media efforts, Foy said.

No. 1 is not to stop discussion. A company’s first reaction is to delete any negative comments placed on their site about their product, company or employees.

“You can’t do that in the social media space,” Foy said.

Also, getting defensive is wrong, Foy said, because the company looks like it’s stepping on the little guy.

Address their problem online or even contact the person off-line to settle any disputes.

No. 2, do not spam. Letting people know there’s a sale at auction is one thing.

But to follow it up five minutes later with a notice that the first car is coming through the lanes and then the second, etc., is just going to get your efforts deleted, Foy said.

Lastly, don’t ignore it. It is still just taking off. It will get bigger.

“It will be a competitive differentiator in the next six months and (beyond),” Foy said.

Twitter Viable, But With Limits United States Twitter use will continue to grow through 2013, although usage levels and growth rates will be modest compared with earlier forecasts, according to a recent report from eMarketer.com. Still, Twitter will remain a strong force within the social media ecosystem and a viable venue for marketers targeting youthful, engaged audiences.

In 2011, 20.6 million U.S. April 4, 2011

adult internet users will use Twitter at least once a month, up 26.3 percent over 2010.

Usage levels will continue to rise at double-digit rates, reaching 27.7 million U.S. adults in 2013. Among the overall U.S. adult internet user population, 14 percent will be Twitter users in 2013, up from 11 percent in 2011.

These are meaningful numbers for any marketer targeting the Twitter audience.

However, Twitter is not growing as fast as eMarketer had projected in its April 2010 forecast. At that time, it expected Twitter to reach 36 million U.S. adult users by the end of 2012, compared with 24.1 million in its current forecast for 2012.

Further, eMarketer’s estimates of the size of the Twittersphere are lower than those of organizations that have focused on traffic or

number of Twitter accounts – metrics that include automated accounts, duplicate accounts and casual browsers who do not actually use the service.

Unlike Facebook, which has evolved into a hub for a full spectrum of Internet activity – including email, blogging, gaming and video sharing – Twitter remains essentially text-based. Demographically, U.S. Twitter users

skew young and female. The Twitter usage rate among 18to 29-year-olds is double that of the 30-to-49 group, according to a Pew study, and women users slightly outnumber men.

By understanding the size, behavior and demographic mix of the Twitter audience, marketers will be in a stronger position to make decisions about investing in the site’s ad vehicles.

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Floor Plan Firms Earn High Marks Floor planners are among the finance companies enjoying better ABS performance these days, which means more capital for them that can be passed onto dealers.

Fitch Ratings reported that floor plan asset-back securities are seeing improved asset performance metrics due to lower inventory aging, stronger monthly payment rates, improved dealer credit profiles and significantly fewer dealer failures and bankruptcies.

Fitch expects dealer floor plan ABS to continue benefiting from the strong car market. The rating agency issues a stable outlook for the segment.

Risk remains, Fitch stated, especially a slowdown in the U.S. economy.

One company taking advantage of the strong capital market is Dealer Services Corp.

The Indiana-based floor planner recently completed a $252.2 million offering of asset-backed securities due 2014. The securities, issued through DSC Floorplan Master Owner Trust, are comprised of $225 million of senior-secured notes and $27.2 million of subordinate-secured notes.

The 144A notes have been placed to over 10 institutional investors including some of the largest insurance companies and investment firms in the United States.

In addition to the asset-backed securities offering, DSC also entered into a new $290 million revolving credit facility coordinated by Deutsch Bank.

The revolving credit facility is a multi-bank facility, and together with the asset-backed securities, provides DSC significant capital for continued growth.

Tax Plan Could Help Used Car Sales LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Arkansas lawmakers approved cutting the state’s taxes on used cars, along with groceries and utilities, becoming one of the first states to adopt significant tax relief while other statehouses are grappling with massive spending cuts and deficits.

The state Senate gave final approval to the three tax cut measures, agreeing with amendments to

the reductions the chamber had already approved. The measures now head to Gov. Mike Beebe’s desk. They are part of a package of $35 million in tax cuts Beebe plans to sign into law.

The Senate approved a bill to raise the used car sales tax exemption from $2,500 to $4,000. The tax cuts passed unanimously in the 35member Senate.

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April 4, 2011

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Vehicles today are the most dependable they have ever been.

That’s the finding of the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study.

“Automakers, as a whole, have made significant improvements in reducing traditional problems, particularly with vehicle interiors; engines and transmissions; and steering and braking during the past several years,” said David Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research at J.D. Power.

The study, which measures problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of threeyear-old (2008 model year) vehicles, includes 202 different problem symptoms across all areas of the vehicle.

Overall dependability is determined by the level of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (problems per 100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality.

In 2011, overall vehicle dependability averages 151 problems per 100, the lowest problem rate since the inception of the study in 1990.

There is some concern the rate of improvement has slowed.

Between 2009 and 2011, annual improvement for the industry has averaged 6 percent, which is slightly lower than historical rates of improvement.

During the past decade, industry improvement has averaged 8 percent each year.

Continued on page 12

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Harrisburg Auto Auction Wins Top Regional Award from AmeriCredit/GM Financial. Participating in the award presentation were (l to r) Dan Kennedy GM Remarketing; Jon Matthews, AmeriCredit/GM Financial; Clint Weaver, AmeriCredit HAA Representative; Lynn Weaver, HAA General Manager; and Dan Heinrich, AmeriCredit/GM Financial.

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USED CAR NEWS

April 4, 2011

Dependability â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Continued from page 10 The slowdown in improvement is largely attributable to increased rates of problems with electronic features in vehicles, including audio, entertainment and navigation systems and new safety features, such as tire pressure monitoring systems.

For the first time since the inception of the study, Lincoln leads the overall nameplate rankings in 2011.

Lincoln improves by 13 problems per 100 from 2010. Lexus follows Lincoln in the nameplate rankings.

Rounding out the top five nameplates are Jaguar, Porsche and Toyota. The Porsche 911 has the fewest problems in the industry, with just 68 problems

Not every apple tastes the same.

Gold Certified Vehicles Formerly Advantage Choice - representing vehicles reconditioned to be in very good condition for their model year and mileage.

The NAAA Certification program offers an apples-to-apples comparison of selected vehicles industry wide. But just because these certified vehicles go down the lanes under a unified program doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean they are all the same.

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Silver Certified Vehicles Formerly Advantage 80+ - representing vehicles that are in average condition for their model year and mileage.

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USED CAR NEWS

April 4, 2011

Honda Recalls Civics, Minivans WASHINGTON (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Honda Motor Co. said it is recalling new models of the Civic compact car and Odyssey minivan over leaking fuel tanks and faulty windshield wiper rods, respectively.

The recall covers about 18,000 Civics and 33,000 Odysseys from the 2011 model year.

Honda says a plastic case that covers a valve in the fuel pump module could break or crack in the Civic.

That, in turn, could lead to a fuel leak in a roll-over crash, and the leaking fuel could lead to a fire.

Honda spokesman Chris Martin said no fires have been reported as a

result of the defect.

He said very few of the 18,000 cars are thought to be affected.

In the Odyssey, Honda says the windshield wiper linkage rod could become bent if the windshield wipers are frozen to the windshield with h e av y i c e a n d t h e w i p e r s a re switched on. A bent wiper linkage rod could prevent the front wipers from operating normally.

Honda says there have been no crashes or injuries reported.

The pumps will be replaced if necessary. All rods will be replaced.

Both recalls are expected to begin by mid-April.

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April 4, 2011

Reporter, Agency Expose Dealer Recently the Better Business Bureau serving Southeast Louisiana collaborated with WGNO ABC-26 reporter Curt Sprang to bring the public information on a local usedcar dealership that has been taking down payments for cars and keeping it when financing could not be obtained.

The BBB has a report on this company, which alerts consumers of their F rating with the BBB. In the past three years (the BBB reporting period), Mid City Auto Inc. has been the subject of 55 complaints, with 20 of those having occurred in the past year. Of the 55 complaints, 15 remain unresolved at this time, and 3 have received no response to the BBB at all.

The largest category for the complaints was “Refund or Exchange issues.” The fact that the majority of the complaints involved refund issues was the key point of a recent investigation by WGNO ABC-26.

Sprang of WGNO ABC-26 interviewed several consumers that indicated a $300 deposit was paid as a

down payment based on the expectation of the dealership arranging financing. Financing was never obtained, and the dealership kept the $300 down payment. Although a line of type at the bottom of the agreement states that all down payments are non-refundable, the Louisiana Used Motor Vehicle Commission held a hearing about Mid City Auto and their policies.

The Louisiana Used Motor Vehicle Commission (LUMVC) fined James Marsh, owner of Mid City Auto, Inc. $22,750 based on 11 counts of La. R.S. 32:792(B)(2): committing a fraudulent act. The LUMVC also decreed that Mid City Auto, Inc. should revise its Buyer’s Order Form to clearly state, “Deposit is only refundable if financing cannot be arranged” and to require the customer to acknowledge this term. The used motor vehicle dealer license issued to James Marsh for the operation of Mid City Auto Inc. and the salesman license issued to James Marsh were placed on probation for one year.

Finance Platform Marks Milestone DealerTrack Holdings Inc. announced that the number of active lenders connected to its DealerTrack credit application network has reached 1,000 U.S. lenders.

The DealerTrack credit application network has grown from five lenders

in 2001 to 1,000 lenders today.

The DealerTrack credit application network allows dealers to electronically submit credit application data to a network of banks, independent finance companies, captive finance companies and credit unions.

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States Settle Marketing Case The attorneys general from several states have reached a settlement with Georgia-based Action Integrated Marketing and its CEO, Jay D. Murphree, over ads that over-promised special deals.

The ads in question, which touted “Government Vehicle Disposal” and “The Repo Joe Sale,” were designed to steer buyers to used-car sales events under the pretense they’re getting a special deal.

In reality, the cars were from the dealer’s standard inventory, according to the complaint and agreement.

The ads, which ran in multiple states, also typically failed to disclose For Cars, Trucks and Vans

that prices are contingent on the buyer's ability and willingness to obtain financing, the complaint states.

The Norcross, Ga., company has agreed to stop running misleading ads and to properly disclose prices and terms of vehicle sales in future ads. In addition, Action Integrated Marketing and Murphree have agreed to pay $150,000 to the states.

A civil penalty of $130,000 is suspended providing compliance. States participating in the settlement include Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

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USED CAR NEWS

April 4, 2011

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DETROIT (AP) – A car-hauling company accused of keeping 1,700 General Motors vehicles as hostages has been ordered not to damage, destroy or conceal them.

GM is suing Atlanta-based Allied Systems, claiming cars and pickup trucks are being illegally stored, mostly in Dearborn, Mich. GM says Allied had been in a labor dispute with drivers and wants the automaker to pay more for its services.

Federal Judge Marianne Battani ordered Allied to protect the vehicles. GM says the vehicles are worth $47 million and some already have

been purchased.

In other GM news, the company will sell all of its series A preferred shares in Ally Financial Inc., its former finance arm which was bailed out by the federal government, for $1 billion.

The shares to be sold represent all of Ally’s series A preferred stock outstanding, the automaker said.

The sale should bring a $300 million gain for GM for the first quarter and leave it with a 9.9 percent stake in All’'s common stock, the company said.

The government owns 74 percent of Ally because of the bailout.

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April 4, 2011

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AG Sues Curbstoner for Clocking Oregon Attorney General John Kroger filed a lawsuit against an unlicensed Clackamas County car dealer with a long history of unlawfully selling vehicles to Oregon consumers. In addition to the civil case, Nicholas Butkovich faces potential criminal charges associated with his fraudulent sales practices.

In 2008, the Department of Motor Vehicles cited Butkovich for acting as a vehicle dealer without a license and imposed a civil penalty of $52,500. DMV opened a second investigation in 2010 after learning of continued unlicensed activity by Butkovich.

The case was referred to the Oregon Department of Justice when DMV’s investigation unearthed evidence of odometer tampering and altered titles.

The complaint filed in Clackamas County Circuit Court alleges that Butkovich has been unlawfully selling vehicles for at least four years.

According to the complaint, Butkovich purchases vehicles at auction or from private owners and advertises them for sale online, representing that the cars are for sale “by owner,” although the vehicles are not registered or titled to him. The complaint alleges that most of these sales occurred at Butkovich’s Happy Valley apartment complex or the parking lot of the Clackamas Town Center.

The investigation by the DOJ and

DMV revealed evidence that, for at least one year, Butkovich has also rolled back vehicle odometers and altered their titles and vehicle history reports to substantiate the false odometer readings. The complaint alleges that Butkovich then advertised the vehicles with the false mileage.

From records provided by DMV and the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, and evidence obtained in the investigation, the Justice Department has identified at least seven vehicles with tampered odometers that Butkovich sold to Oregon, Washington, and California residents over the last year. According to the complaint, during some of these transactions, Butkovich gave a false name to purchasers.

The Department of Justice is asking the court to permanently ban Butkovich from purchasing or selling any vehicle in Oregon that is not for his personal use; order restitution for at least eight consumers; and require Butkovich to pay civil penalties and attorney fees.

On March 1, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office arrested Butkovich on unrelated charges. He is currently lodged in Clackamas County Jail.

Persons who may have purchased vehicles from Butkovich are urged to contact the Oregon Department of Justice or the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.

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USED CAR NEWS

April 4, 2011

Mexicans Take Cars Along As Downturn Sends Them Home

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NOGALES, Ariz. (AP) – Auto legal- ment and private databases to ensure ization shops along the border say the vehicles are legal to export. The they’ve noticed an increase in process costs anywhere from a few Mexican citizens filing to perma- hundred to several thousand dollars, nently register their U.S.-bought cars depending on the value, age, make in Mexico. and model of the It’s a common scecar. nario, according to “You see them “There are new Mexican Census with their big pickup data, and one that trucks and a trailer thousands, has provided a on back loaded up much-needed boost with everything they not hundreds, to local auto legalizaown,” Martinez said. tion business owners.

“They say they can’t of people “There are thouget a job or the police going back to sands, not hundreds, are giving them a of people going back hard time and their Mexico.” to Mexico (because kids can’t get into of the economy and school, so they – Ramon Martinez i m m i g r a t i o n ) ,” decide to go back to Ramon Martinez, a Mexico.”

Nogales business owner who legalIn a report released earlier this izes U.S.-bought cars to be taken to month, the Mexican National Mexico permanently, told the Institute of Statistics and Geography Nogales International. put the number of people returning In order for Mexican citizens to to Mexico from abroad at 351,000, bring a U.S.-bought car into Mexico about a third of the total 1.1 million for use there, the owner must provide who had left the country in the past Mexican Customs with documenta- five years. A decade ago, about 17 tion from a legalization business percent of migrants who left returned showing that the car is not stolen and to Mexico. has either not been salvaged, or is up Eduardo Sojo, the institute’s president, to Mexican road safety standards. said the main reason for the increase in The businesses run vehicle identi- migrants returning home was the fication numbers along with title and economy and diminished employment license information through govern- options for Mexicans abroad.

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USED CAR NEWS

April 4, 2011 HPV UCN MAR 1.ai

AutoNation Chief Earns $6.8 Million RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – AutoNation Inc., the nation’s largest automotive retailer, awarded its CEO Mike Jackson a compensation package valued at nearly $6.8 million in fiscal 2010, up 31 percent from fiscal 2009, according to an Associated Press analysis of a regulatory filing.

Mike The pay package Jackson came in a year when the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., company, which owns more than 240 new-vehicle franchises in 15 states, saw its net income grow more than 14 percent and its revenue increase 17 percent.

The compensation deal was disclosed March 23 in an annual proxy filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Jackson’s salary remained the same at $1.15 million, and he received a $2.86 million performance-based bonus, about a quarter of which will be paid in 2013, without interest.

The value of his stock options and stock awards rose about 23 percent to nearly $2.6 million.

Jackson, 62, who has headed AutoNation since September 1999 and serves as chairman of its board, was also given other compensation worth $174,928.

That other compensation included personal flights on company-owned planes and for company and personal car allowances.

Pair Awaits Sentencing for Service Contract Telemarketing Scam EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) – A federal judge has put off sentencing two executives of a telemarketing company that sold tens of millions of dollars in bogus auto-service warranties so prosecutors can decipher restitution.

Christopher Cowart of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Cris Sagnelli of Boca Raton, Fla., pleaded guilty in December in East St. Louis to a felony count of using a fictitious name as part of a mail-fraud scheme.

They were scheduled to be sen-

+

tenced March 23.

A judge postponed those proceedings until June 6.

Prosecutors say the defendants’ company, Transcontinental Warranty Inc., sold more than 15,000 warranty contracts, garnering nearly $40 million.

Because restitution is mandatory, the government is trying to figure out how much each victim lost.

Prosecutors say in court papers that determing the amount has proved “complex.”

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April 4, 2011

RETAIL MARKETS MASSACHUSETTS

Louis Tedeschi, owner, A.S.P.I. Motor Cars, Dedham, Mass.: “We’ve been here 26 years.

We have one location.

“We carry between 15 and 20 vehicles. We’re actually carrying a few more at this time compared to last year.

March (was) really good.

“To get our vehicles, we’re doing what everyone else is doing. We’re buying a few from private sales, but mostly from auction - dealer tradeins and some off-lease vehicles.

“There’s such a shortage of inventory, it’s not even funny.

We sort of predicted this was going to happen before Cash for Clunkers was passed.

And it did.

“Our average sales are 10 cars per month. In March, we had 24 out the door by March 26.

“We offer subprime and work with a couple of different banks, both recourse and non-recourse. We also are doing some bank credit as well.

“There’s more subprime business out there right now than cash or bank credit.

Everybody’s been affected by the downturn in the economy. Customers who used to be over 700 (credit score) are dropping down.

We’re seeing more and more scores on the lower side.

“But we’re actually getting more lot traffic than we got last year. That’s because of new programs we’ve got in place. We’re doing more on the Internet, using some third-party sites to push our inventory and get it out there. Everything seems to be jelling now.

“We carry 2003 to 2009 model years. The average mileage is between 40,000 and 80,000. When we go to the sale, there are more cars that are over 100,000 miles.

We’re actually seeing cars over 200,000 miles. But we just don’t buy that stuff.

“We’re certifying our cars through the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association’s certified program through NAC. It’s going well. It absolutely helps to have a nationwide backing of (a certified program).

“I’m president of the New England IADA, so we market (our affiliation) with that, as

Compiled By Jeffrey Bellant well.

“My dealership is 50 percent service and 50 percent used cars. We started at the service end of it. The service side is down a little bit. People are not doing as much as they used to.

“I just delivered a 2008 Ford Edge. It had about 40,000 miles on it. I got $23,000. It was friend of mine, so that was a pretty good deal.”

OHIO

Joseph Chelala, coowner, Masters Auto Sales, Cleveland: “We’ve been in business for 25 years. My brother and I are partners.

“We also have another company called Car 4 Credit and a finance company called Global Financial.

“With our finance company, we also offer financing for other dealers.

“We usually like to keep about 100 vehicles in inventory at this store. It’s close to the same as this time last year, maybe a little less.

“Our inventory comes mainly from auctions. We get cars from auctions all over the country.

“On average, we’ll sell about 500 cars per year.

We’re selling about the same amount as this time last year.

“We never got hurt as much as other dealers (by the economy). One of the reasons is having our own finance company. That helped a lot, especially when the market was tight and customers couldn’t get credit.

We also deal with banks and subprime finance companies.

“Mostly, we do a lot of inhouse financing.

“We’ve had the finance company since 2003.

“We had leased our service shop in the past, but now we’re actually taking it over and starting to operate it again.

“We spend a lot of money on reconditioning. We do a 100-point inspection. We do whatever needs to be done on them.

“At a minimum, we’re spending $500 a car for reconditioning.

“The thing is, the service cost is up for these cars, transportation is getting expensive, especially with the gas prices rising, and it’s tougher to find (cleaner) cars at auction.

“So you end up buying a car that needs some work, just to get a good price on it. It’s a national problem. But I’ve been managing well to keep the inventory up.

“Any car we sell includes a 30-day warranty.

“The dealership also offers an extended service contract, if a customer wants one.

“The average mileage on our cars is about 90,000. We mostly deal with newer model cars, like 2003 to 2004, or newer.

“For these buy-here, payhere programs, I always prefer to buy a newer car, even if it has more mileage on it.

“We notice that if the car has a newer body style, the customer will like it more and (take care) of it. Also, the (number of breakdowns) are fewer with the newer car.

“Customers like the newer body styles and don’t care about the mileage as long as the car is running good.

“Fifty percent of our marketing (involves) the Internet.

“I recently sold a 2006 Chevrolet HHR. “It had 102,000 miles and it sold for $12,300.”

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UCN_23

3/28/11

10:45 AM

Page 1

USED CAR NEWS

April 4, 2011

WHOLESALE MARKETS CALIFORNIA

Mark Rubino, senior vice president of operations and remarketing, South Bay Auto Auction, Gardena, Calif.: “We’ve got seven lanes.

Depending on the volume, we’ve been running three to four lanes.

“As far as vehicles we’re running, we’re between 350 to 400 on a weekly basis.

“Last year, we were up to almost 600 a week, then it trickled down, before settling.

“The sales percentages have been surprisingly good, about 75 percent.

“We run on Monday. It’s a good day for us, because none of the other area auctions run on Monday.

“We’ve been doing really well in terms of attendance.

On average, we’ve been getting 250 to 300 dealers in the lanes.

“Since we’ve got the buyers coming out, we’re looking to increase volume.

“We’re in the heart of Los Angeles County, so we draw dealers from all of the usedcar stores and local franchises.

“We actually have a contingent from Mexico that takes a van pool up across the border to come to our sale. They buy some of our other vehicles.

“But we’ll get dealers up from San Diego, in from Ventura County, down from Bakersfield (Calif.), so we get them from all over.

“Also, at the beginning of the year, we started up (an online platform) called SBAA LiveNet. It’s our own program.

“It’s a live online auction.

So we’re approaching dealers from Arizona and Nevada, for example, to try and get them to buy online.

“Also any out-of-state facilities that want to sell vehicles via LiveNet can rep their vehicles online.

“We’re still trying to build that. We’re trying to build volume for that, too.

“Right now, we’re running 40 to 50 cars on LiveNet. “We’ll have certain consignors that want to run their vehicles online.

“So we might have 110 cars through lane two, for example, and maybe the first 50 are running online.

“Where other auctions are typically running heavy on the dealer consignment side, We’re just the opposite.

“About 75 to 80 percent of our inventory is fleet-lease vehicles.

“That’s bank, credit union, finance company and repossession units.

“The other 20 to 25 percent are dealer consignment. We don’t run salvage here.

“We do run a special vehicle sale on the last Monday of every month.

“For a while, we were getting quite a few recreational vehicles, fifth wheels and jet skis.

“So we run all those types of vehicles at the end of the month.

“We’re averaging 25 to 30 units for that sale and we sell about 60 percent.

“We also run a lot of motor vehicles but they go through the regular lanes.

“Our average price overall in the lanes is $8,000 to $10,000, maybe a little higher.

“We’ve seen newer vehicles this year, so it might be as high as $11,000.”

•

23

Compiled By Jeffrey Bellant INDIANA

Bob Ruth, general manager, Wolfe’s South Bend Auto Auction, South Bend, Ind.: “We’ve got four lanes and we’ve been running three lately.

“We’ve been running in the 250 to 300 unit range.

That’s off from this time last year by about 20 percent.

“When you take the Cashfor-Clunkers out, it may not seem like a lot, until you consider the type of cars those were. Those are our bread-and-butter vehicles.

“Then you take the floods, tornadoes and hurricanes that have taken other vehicles out of the market. Then the manufacturers went to 0-percent financing for five and six-year terms rather than subsidize their leasing programs. So you take those lease cars out of the mix.

“So obviously, this all puts a strain on what’s happening at the independent auctions.

“The sales percentages are fine. This time of year, we’re running a strong 60 to 65 percent.

“I probably have 200 to

250 dealers here on any given sale day. We’re seeing an awful lot of new faces here. One reason is, we’ve increased our sales force.

All of that goes back to relationships, which is what this business is built on.

“I’ll draw dealers from Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Illinois. Dealers are following the cars.

“The dealers’ moods are fairly good, they’re fairly upbeat.

“I think people are seeing that the market is coming back. Now, it’s never going to come back as strong as we like or as fast as we like.

“But you can see signs of life and you can see signs from the consumer that things are getting better. It’s slow but sure.

“The majority of our volume is dealer consignment, about 80 percent, though we do have some repossessions and some lease units.

“We also run an in-op sale weekly.

“The average price is about $3,000 to $3,500. I’d say that’s crept up about $300 to $400 from this time last year.”

UCN_24

3/28/11

24

•

10:44 AM

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USED CAR NEWS

April 4, 2011

COMPILED BY JEFFREY BELLANT

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WINNER: Darrin Aiken of Wheels Inc. (right), is presented with the Consignorof the Year Award by Mike Antich during the recent Conference of Automotive Remarketing.

The Conference of Automotive Remarketing honored Darrin Aiken and Dave Angelicchio with its top awards during its annual show in Las Vegas recently.

Aiken, assistant vice president of vehicle remarketing for Wheels Inc., took home the Consignor of the Year Award.

“Boy, I didn’t see this coming,” Aiken said. “This really goes to my team back at the corporate office. Without them, we couldn’t do what we do for our customers.

“I’m a little speechless and that’s unusual.”

Conference co-chairman Mike Antich presented Aiken with his award and then followed it up by announcing Angelicchio as the winner of the Remarketer of the Year Award.

Angelicchio, general manager of the Pittsburgh Independent Auto Auction, was not in attendance. Frank Hackett, executive director of the National Auto Auction Association, accepted the award on Angelicchio’s behalf.

“I know that he’d be very honored and flattered to receive the award,” Hackett said.

Antich said the winners of the top awards at CAR had to meet several criteria, from performance and professionalism to sharing expertise and mentoring the future generation of remarketing professionals.

The NAAA also presented its Warren Young Fellowship Award to Ed Bobit, owner of Bobit Business Media.

TOYOTA HONORS AUCTION Toyota Financial Services recognized ADESA Lexington as the recipient of the Toyota Premier Award.

“I’m honored to be accepting the Toyota Premier Award on behalf of our team at ADESA Lexington,” said ADESA Lexington General Manager Jason Martin. “It’s quite an accomplishment to once again be named a Premier auction for Toyota Financial Services. Everyone at ADESA Lexington had a hand in achieving this award, and I’m proud of the hard

work and dedication of our team.”

Toyota’s Premier Award, which recognizes the best overall auction of the year, is based on several factors, including administrative services, vehicle preparation, Internet sales objectives and overall retention.

We invite news items and top-quality photos from our readers to be considered for “Around the Block.” Please include the name of a contact person and a telephone number.

Send items and photos to: Jeffrey Bellant Mail: Used Car News, 24114 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores, MI 48080.

Fax: (586) 772-9400 e-mail: jeff@usedcarnews.com

UCN_25

3/25/11

2:17 PM

Page 1

USED CAR NEWS

April 4, 2011

25

•

CLASSIFIEDS

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Owners, Executives Lack Confidence Consumer confidence needs better employment numbers to improve. And the nation’s executives and business owners need more confidence before they start hiring.

Running at

The National Federation of Independent Business Index of Small Business Optimism lost 0.9 points in July and reached 88.1 following a sharp decline in June. The Index has been below 93 every month since January 2008, and below 90 for 24 of those months, all readings typical of a weak or recession-mired economy. Ninety percent of the decline this month resulted from deterioration in the outlook for business conditions in the next six months.

“The recovery in optimism that we are currently experiencing is very weak compared to recoveries after the 1982 and 1975 recessions,” said Bill Dunkelberg, NFIB’s chief economist. “The small business sector is not on a sustained positive trajectory, and with this half of the private sector missing in action, the economy’s poor growth performance is not surprising.”

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Only a small percentage of these gloomy business owners say they plan on hiring in the next three months.

Big business isn’t feeling any better. Chief Executive magazine’s CEO Confidence Index fell to 79.8 in July.

All five components of the index fell significantly, with the Current Confidence Index showing the largest percentage dropping to 52.0. The lack of hiring hasn’t hurt companies that much, yet.

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Although productivity declined in the second quarter, it grew for five quarters in a row. That means employers are getting more out of the employees they do have.

Labor productivity, or output per hour, is calculated by dividing an index of real output by an index of hours worked of all persons, including employees, proprietors, and unpaid family workers.

The decline occurred because output rose 2.6 percent and hours rose 3.6 percent.

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C L A S S I F I E D S

UCN_26 REVISED

26

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3/28/11

4:46 PM

Page 1

USED CAR NEWS

April 4, 2011

Disconnected Jottings From Tony Moorby...

There’s an old Yiddish expression in London’s garment districts. It says, “You should cut your cloth according to its width.”

have to pay for and moving back from the country to the net curtains of suburbia. Or should I say ‘the plantation shutters?’

Tony Moorby • 40-year veteran of the industry • President from 1997–2000 of ADT Automotive • Served as ADESA’s executive vice president of sales and marketing • Moorby & Associates 2006–present • Awarded the Ring of Honor by NIADA • NAAA Hall of Famer

In other words you should keep things in proportion and things will work out easily and give you a good fit.

The expression has now come to mean more in everyday life, a tenet that advises you to live within your means.

So, our family is moving. I don’t know how many euphemisms apply to moving into something a little smaller, something that suits our lifestyle and is now a bit more appropriate for the way we live. Right-sizing, downsizing, consolidating – call it what you will, we’re sloughing off some of the excesses that we now don’t need or

It’s tough at first; turning your back on all that represents the spoils of efforts that have been rewarded in the last 25 years. But now that the decision’s been made, it feels pretty good. It’s a bit like losing 20 pounds on a diet and finding that you can now slide into those pants that have been taunting you from their hanger for the last five years.

Like other families, we’ve packed and loaded the detritus of former lives along with us, only to re-house it, still in boxes, to the new place where it gathers more of the dusts of time, no longer contributing to the quality of the

lives it was acquired to do in the first place.

This time it’s different. If we haven’t touched it for two years, it’s out unless there is some strong sentimental attachment. I know the Salvation Army and Goodwill people on first-name terms. I feel I’m fueling a new economy. Not from the top, mind you, but from somewhere in the middle.

If someone else can benefit from the utility left in a leather jacket that’s been sported two or three times, then so much the better. Not that the Nashville homeless community will dazzle in some new-found sartorial splendor, but we have more than enough to spread around and I have to admit a sense of guilt at having horded needless things when someone else could have benefitted by their ownership instead.

The act of moving, itself, is anathema to me. Stripping away the layers of our lives one item at a time is a long and awkward process.

Packing the kitchen isn’t too bad – it’s a matter-of-fact wrapping cups and saucers, pots and pans, and stowing

boxes with stuff that will reemerge from its temporary chrysalis in a new and better life.

But whilst we will hire some hefty guys to help move the big stuff, the prospect of personally humping boxes upstairs, downstairs and wherever, holds no enchantment for me whatsoever.

My wife is 10 times better at this than me. She has a plan and sticks to it like gum to a shoe. Within a week of occupying the new house, we will appear to have lived there for at least the last two years. Pictures will be hung, display cabinets once again glittering with newlywashed wedding presents and nary a packing case in sight. She’s like that wizard

in “Fantasia” pointing here and there for broomsticks and buckets to hurry up and find their place.

And life will settle once again and the process of renewal will start over. The bare spots in the garage will disappear in no time as we pump more money into an economy that needs spenders, a bit like our car market right now. We have the desire to spend and, with an aging vehicle fleet, maybe even the need. Let’s hope the Middle-East settles down and the world can move into a better place where spending relies on stability and in an economy that is pared down to its fighting weight with an American agility to take on all-comers.

To see past columns from Tony Moorby, log on to www.usedcarnews.com/ columnists/tony-moorby

Answers to the 3/21/11 puzzle

C R O S S WO R D

by Myles Mellor

Across 1. _______ Sprinter Cargo Van 8. _____ Cobra 10. Truck named after the animal on the hood 12. Hyundai compact 13. It’s an auto in all NASCAR races (2 words) 14. One kind of buyer 16. Mitsubishi model 19. Consumed 20. Part of Scand.

22. Sunbeam _____ 24. Drink with ice 25. Nothing 28. Mid 50s Ford (2 words) 33. Weight measurement 34. Command and Phaeton

37.

38.

40.

44.

45.

46.

Stylish Asimov, Heinlein works Never in an accident Siestas Sound system, for short Sign of sudden braking at high speed 47. Mariner is one Down 1. Ford SUV 2. Historical period 3. Advice to a used car buyer (4 words) 4. Bring in an old model, go out with a new one

5.

6.

7.

9.

11.

15.

17.

18.

21.

West coast city, for short Popular 80s Chevy Ford vehicle Sporty Porsche Hyundai subcompact Full-size Toyota “___ show time!”

Premiere and MK5 Original manufacturer’s item 23. And the others, for short 26. Infrared, abbr.

27.

29.

30.

31.

Expanse _____ Ascender Radial pattern Mid-size sedan from Dodge 32. Advantages 35. Sephia maker

Answers to this puzzle in the 4/18/11 issue. Call 1.800.794.0760 for a FREE subscription.

36. Car with many color options 39. Something everyone starts doing 41. French for name 42. Interest rate, abbr.

43. Designer’s computer?

UCN_27

3/25/11

3:01 PM

Page 1

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UCN_28

3/28/11

2:53 PM

Page 1

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