Used Car News 4/3/17

State Revises Rules for Payment Devices

The New Jersey Senate passed a bill authorizing the use of payment assurance devices.

Both the Senate and Assembly passed the bill a second time after Gov. Chris Christie initially conditionally vetoed the bill signaling to the legislature the changes that would be necessary in order for him to sign it into law.

The original bill would have banned GPS usage for used cars in the state of New Jersey.

The National Independent AutomobileDealersassociation,through itsBuyHere-PayHereCommission, worked closely with its state ailiate – the New Jersey Independent

Automobile Dealers Association – and the Telematics Service Providers Association to express the industry’s opposition to many provisions in the bill.

“The amended bill is now advantageous for both dealers and consumers,” said Paula Frendel, executive director of the New Jersey IADA.

“It allows transparency for dealers and allows right to cure for consumers, which was never possible before in New Jersey.”

Frendel testiied before both the Assembly’s Consumer Afairs and Senate Commerce committees to voice the New Jersey IADA’s con-

cerns over provisions of the legislation that were not beneicial to used-car dealers.

NIADA submitted written comments opposing the bill and mobilized BHPH Commission member and New Jersey dealer Mike Brill to testify before multiple legislative committees and meet with key legislators.

Anthony Bush, an attorney with Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, also represented used-car dealers during several meetings with the bill’s sponsor

“It is important to recognize that this bill provides signiicant new protections to consumers but also

allows dealers that sell to economically challenged individuals to continue to operate proitably,” Bush said.

After a meeting between his staf and NIADA and its industry partners, Christie conditionally vetoed the bill and returned it to the legislature with instructions to remove certain provisions.

“We applaud the leadership of the governor for recognizing the harm that would have come to New Jersey consumers had the over-burdensome requirements originally contained in this bill become law,” NIADA CEO Steve Jordan said.

Continued on page 6

Compliance Causes Concern Among Consignors

By Jeffrey Bellant

LAS VEGAS – Industry compliance, with a focus on checklists and the issue of personal property left in consigned cars, were the subjects of a panel discussion at the Conference of Automotive Remarketing here in March.

Robert Sullivan of XLerate Group said the issue of compliance looms large over the industry.

“It’s no longer (about) days to sell or days to pick up,” Sullivan said. “It’s about compliance.”

He said industry stakeholders are partnering to boost compliance across the remarketing industry.

“It’s the irst time that I can think of where remarketers and the auto auction folks are working very well together for the beneit of both parties,” Sullivan said.

PartofthisisduetotheInternational Automotive Remarketers Alliance Compliance Committee, which held a summit last December and has since communicated via

teleconference to discuss compliance issues.

Bank of America’s Jeannie Chiaromonte said the group developed a mission statement to foster understanding and compliance with applicable laws, including federal and state laws, regulations and acts related to consumer inancial law.

The goal is to assist consignors’ clients – auctions, repossession agencies, transportation companies, etc., – to work together to develop detailed policies and procedures set forth in a lexible structure.

Tim Meta, national remarketing manager for Fifth Third Bank, said one of the main issues discussed when the group met in Nashville last December was developing a way to help with compliance audits for auctions.

“About four years ago, IARA got ahead of the game andtheycreatedanautoauction checklist,” Meta said. “Butalotofpeopledidn’trealizeitwasoutthere.Sonow it’s out on the website.”

The checklist was made in

conjunction with the auctions, consignors and legal groups, he said.

Membersofthecommittee are now working to update the list.

Meta said the other big issue for the committee is personal property in vehicles that come to the auction. He said consignors want these items handled on the

repossession end without ever reaching the auctions.

But auction reps say many items still end up in the cars when they reach the sales.

This forces the auction staf to tag and store the items.

Heather Cameron Greenawald, ADESA’s vice president of legal, said the second email that hit her inbox when she arrived a year

ago had to do with personal property that ended up at the auction.

Auctions are in agreement that it should be the responsibility of the repo agents to remove these items, based on state laws and contracts. But they are not doing this in many cases, Greenawald said.

Continued on page 5

NEWS BRIEFS

KAR Increases Investment in TradeRev

KAR Auction Services Inc. has extended up to $15 million in credit to Nth Gen Software Inc., the parent company of TradeRev.

Through its ADESA business unit, KAR acquired a 50-percent stake in Toronto-based TradeRev in 2014.

TradeRev facilitates real-time dealer-to-dealervehicleauctionsvia desktop or mobile app.

The additional funding will be

PassTime CEO and cofounder Stanley G. Schwarz, died of pancreatic cancer March 15 in Indialantic, Fla. He was 61.

Schwarz was born in Denver, the eldest of two children. He earned his undergraduate degree from Oakland University and a master’s degree from Ball State University. Schwarz co-founded PassTime GPS Tracking Solutions in 1990. In 1997, PassTime created its irst automated collection technology product. Over the next several years, a suite of products evolved that ofer GPS tracking, wireless, and automated collection technol-

used to accelerate TradeRev’s expansion and deploy new products and platform functionality.

Copart Adds Auction

Copart Inc. announced the opening of its second location in Utah. The new location near Ogden hosts online car auctions every Monday at noon. Copart has been undergoing aggressive expansion in the past few months as it approaches 200 locations worldwide.

MILESTONES

ogy products and services designed to meet the needs of dealers and special inance companies. Schwarz is survived by his wife, Amy Rossetter Schwarz and their threechildren(Magnolia,Tyberius, and Nicodemus Schwarz); Corinne (Matthew) Kirkendall and Ryan Schwarz, his two children from his previous marriage to Colleen Schwarz; and two grandchildren (Connor and Quinn Kirkendall).

Auction owner James Patrick McNulty Jr. died March 9 in Lubbock, Texas. He was 71. McNulty spent more than 50 years in the automotive industry.

Westlake Issues Its Largest Securitization Ever

WestlakeFinancialServicesissued a $700 million asset-backed securitization backed by approximately $748.7 million of automotive inancing.

The transaction was led by BMO Capital Markets (structurer), Wells Fargo Securities, and J.P. Morgan Securities.

It is the latest of Westlake’s 13 securitizations, which have been com-

He owned Lone Star Auto Auction in Lubbock, which he operated with his wife, Billy June MartinWest. She preceded him in death. McNulty was also a past president of the Automotive Fleet Leasing Association.

Former auction owner Ray M. Clanton died March 15. In 1985, Clanton and his brother, J.C., bought out their family’s auto auction, Clanton’s Auto Auction. They sold it in 1987. That auction is now Manheim Darlington.

prised of approximately $5.1 billion in cumulative note sales. Thesecuritizationhasanexpected annualized cost of 2.73 percent including the initial purchaser’s fees. ThisisinlinewithpriorABSdeals, despite higher benchmark interest rates.

NIADA Signs Firm to Beneits Program

American Solutions for Business has joined the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association’s National Member Beneit program to provide NIADA members a one-stop shop for a wide variety of dealership needs. ASB ofers automotive forms and supplies, custom print and promotional products, branded apparel and technology solutions. It also provides retail displays, oice supplies, tools, warehousing solutions and more.

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Editorial: Ted Craig, Managing Editor Jeffrey Bellant, Staff Writer

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Used Car News is published the irst 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.

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Service Drives Satisfaction

Quality of automotive service continues to show signiicant improvement and is driving an increase in overall customer satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power 2017 U.S. Customer Service Index Study.

Service quality scores account for the greatest improvement, rising to 805 (on a 1,000-point scale) from 779 in 2015, when the study was redesigned.

The other four measures – service advisor, service initiation, service facility and vehicle pick-up – all show improvement from 2015 levels. Overall customer service is 813, up from 800 over the same period

The study measures customer satisfactionwithserviceatafranchised dealer or independent service facility for maintenance or repair work among owners and lessees of 1- to 5-year-old vehicles.

“The quality of work – doing the job right the irst time – can noticeably afect customer satisfaction and loyalty, but it shouldn’t be viewed in a vacuum,” said Chris Sutton, vice president of U.S. automotive retail practice at J.D. Power. “Proactive communication with the customer, especially while the car is being serviced, is one element that has a direct inluence on loyalty.”

The study shows that among customerswhoarecontactedbyphone, 55 percent say they “deinitely will” return for paid service. When receiving text message updates, that loyalty factor jumps to 67 percent. Additionally, customers’ preference for communicating via text has increased 3-6 percent across all generational categories since 2015. More than four in 10 (41 percent) Gen Y1 and Gen X customers now cite this preference, as do 25 percent of Boomers and 10 percent of Pre-Boomers.

“It’s not surprising to see the preference for receiving updates through text messages continue to rise, but only 3 percent of customers indicate they receive text message updates,” Sutton said. “Correcting that disconnect by adding more text

message capability should be a priority with a service operation.”

The highest level of satisfaction is in service advisor, with a score of 834. This is followed by service initiation (830); service quality (805); vehicle pick-up (803); and service facility (790).

Increases in the use of tablets by service advisors and online scheduling tend to increase customer satisfaction. Tablet usage increased to 24 percent from 17 percent in 2015, and online scheduling increased to 13 percent from 9 percent during the same period.

Customers rate dealers higher than non-dealers in 15 of 16 attributes.

The most noticeable advantages are amenities ofered, comfort of waiting area, and cleanliness of dealership.

Non-dealers rate higher in time required to complete vehicle service – but only by 0.06 points on a 10-point scale.

The vast majority (94 percent) of customers who take their vehicle in for service indicate that the dealer ixed it right the irst time.

However, among the 6 percent of customers indicating the service work was not completed right on the irst visit, satisfaction drops to 639.

Dealers seem to have trouble servicing problems with radios. It’s unclear if the issue is vehicle – or service-related, but only 80 percent of customers who sought service for a radio reception problem indicate the dealer was able to ix it right the irst time.

Lexus ranks highest in satisfaction with dealer service among luxury brands, with a score of 874. Following in the luxury ranking are Audi (869); Lincoln (868); Porsche (867); and Cadillac (865).

Buick ranks highest in satisfaction with dealer service among mass market brands, with a score of 860. Following in mass market brands are MINI (850); GMC (837); Chevrolet (829); and Nissan (822).

Compliance – Continued from page 3

“A lot of consignors were shocked when we showed pictures of personal property that we had received on sort of a daily basis,” Greenawald said.

ADESA has been working with AutoIMS to make sure they can have a ield to mark when there’s been personal property found in the vehicle and track it, she said.

Sullivan said there are discussions about determining a process to charge a consignor for the extra

work from dealing with personal property.

Greenawald said repo agents would not have a contractual obligation to pay an auction regarding the issue.

Meta said the consignors have to push the repo agents to do their jobs.

Chiaromonte said the IARA is providing a link on its site to provide the legal requirements of each state regarding personal property.

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City Goes After Finance

The New York City Department of Consumer Afairs has charged a local dealer group with numerous charges stemming from its inancing and marketing practices.

The DCA claims that QueensbasedMajorWorld,agroupofthree dealerships, used deceptive and illegal practices to proit from lowincome and immigrant consumers.

The regulator seeks more than $2 million dollars in consumer restitution and ines (approximately $770,000inrestitutionand$1.7million in ines).

DCA is also seeking revocation of the company’s three DCA secondhand auto dealer licenses and the creation of a trust fund for any unidentiied consumers who have been harmed.

Thecomplaintwillbeheardinthe city’sOiceofAdministrativeTrials and Hearings.

DCA’s investigation to-date includes 30 consumers.

DCA has found that Major World has been submitting false information on consumers’ credit applications, such as nature of employment, income levels, and monthly rentobligations,inadditiontofalsely inlating car values.

“Our city’s working families, who often struggle to make ends meet, rely on their cars to accomplish life’s most basic tasks like going to work or going to school,” said DCA Commissioner Lorelei Salas.

“Buying that car is usually one of the largest purchases a family makes. It is outrageous that Major World, who claims to treat its customerslikefamily,trapsthesehardworking New Yorkers into loans they can’t aford.”

Salas has drawn accolades from numerous consumer advocate groups for her actions against Major World, including the National ConsumerLawCenterandtheCenter for Responsible Lending.

A number of local politicians also expressed their support.

“The largest lot in New York for used cars is also the largest lot for lemons and frauds,” said Council MemberRafaelEspinal,chairofthe City Council Committee on Consumer Afairs.

“Congratulations to DCA on their steadfast investigative work, and I look forward to working closely with the administration on legislative and policy proposals that will establish better standards and help reign in these bad actors.”

AccordingtotheDCA’scomplaint, Major World advertises itself as the “World’s Largest Pre-Owned Dealer” and promises incredible deals on more than 3,000 quality preowned vehicles and easy inancing, even for those with bad or no credit (e.g., “no credit is no problem” and “We design solutions for bad credit car buyers every day”).

Examples of their advertising include use of the phrase “Buenos, Bonitos,Baratos”(Good,Pretty,and Cheap) in reference to their cars and “Have you been searching for a reliable used vehicle that won’t break the bank and still looks sleek and current?”

The DCA says that Major World creates a lower loan-to-value ratio by falsely inlating the value of the cars by claiming they have valuable accessories that they do not in fact have, such as aluminum/alloy wheels($350),aBosePremiumStereo ($350), or a rear entertainment system ($650).

In some cases, Major World also adds service repair contracts without the consumer’s knowledge or consent.

The DCA says Major World employees also would falsify information on consumer credit applications without the consumers’ knowledge.

They alter employment statuses and job titles, inlate income, and delate expenses in order to present a more inancially stable consumer to lenders.

Devices - Continued from page 1

“The responsible use of payment assurance technology opens opportunities

Aspects of the bills were revised to the beneit of used-car dealers, including elimination of a mandated 10-point interest rate reduction regardless of credit history.

“The 10-percent interest rate reduction was the main sticking point,” Frendel said.

The bill also provides that: the creditor installing the device notify the consumer of its installation and have the consumer acknowledge it in writing; the consumer cannot

be charged for installation of the GPS device; the creditor cannot remotely disable a vehicle until their consumerisiveormoredaysindefault; the vehicle cannot be disabled while being operated; and mandating at least 72 hours’ notice before a vehicle can be remotely disabled. If signed into law as expected, the bill will take efect on the irst day of the fourth month following enactment. NIADA encourages Buy Here-Pay Here dealers in New Jersey to review their written payment assurance device disclosure documents, policies and procedures for compliance with the new law.

CAN YOU TAKE A VACATION?

MANY DEALERS MIX WORK WITH PLAY TO GET AWAY

By Ted Craig

Like many small business owners, used-car dealers feel they can’t take a vacation.

But they should change that thinking.

Two-thirds of small business owners think taking a personal vacation beneits their business, including improved focus, creativity and motivation, according to a survey by Marriott Rewards Premier Business Credit Card. Despite knowing the importance and beneits of completely unplugging from work, only 25 percent of small business owners are able to do so, and nearly three-quarters worry about the work and responsibilities they are missing during their time of.

“While small business owners enjoy making their own schedule and being their own boss, they often miss out on perks such as guaranteed paid time of,” said Vibhat Nair, general

manager of Chase Card Services.

Some dealers do manage totaketimeoftovisitfarof destinations such as Spain and Italy. But those are more of the exception.

While there are some real reasons why dealers can’t take time of, many times it comes down to a concern thatthestorecan’trunwithout them. That’s a problem that’s often just in their heads, said Joe Lescota, director of dealer development for the National IndependentAutomobileDealers Association.

“If a dealer says he can’t go on vacation, then I question that dealer’s ability to lead,” Lescota said.

Lescota said the real test of any business is how well it runs when the boss is absent.

Brent Carmichael, a Twenty Group moderator with NCM Associates Inc., said allofhismemberstakesome time of.

“I don’t know anybody who will take two weeks of vacation,” Carmichael said. “But I don’t know anybody who doesn’t take some time of.”

In addition, more and more dealerships are requir-

ing that their stafs take time of to avoid burn out.

Most take their vacations in June or July, since those are slower months for car sales.

About a quarter of Carmichael’s members use their summer Twenty Group meeting for a vacation.

That’s why these events take place in locales such as JacksonHole,Wyo.,andKey West, Fla., rather than an airport hotel like the winter meetings.

That’s a fairly common practice. The Marriott Rewards study found 85 percent of small business owners intentionally carve out time for personal activities during a business trip.

Luke Godwin, owner of Godwin Motors in Columbia, S.C., is planning a trip to the wine country when he visits Freeman Motors in Oregon this summer with his Twenty Group.

Anthony Underwood, the owner of Anthony Underwood Automotive in Bessemer, Ala., and former NIADA president, said he liked to combine travel with hisgreatestinterest–thecar business.

“I’d take advantage of the (NIADA) convention and

make it a vacation,” Underwood said.

This allows dealers to feel productive while giving them and their families some needed time away from the routine.

That’s part of the reason these events often take place at high-end locations.

For example, this year’s National Alliance of BuyHere, Pay-Here Dealers conference takes place May 2325 at the Wynn/Encore in Las Vegas.

Encore was recently renovated and won the Travelers Magazine award as one of the inest hotels in Las Vegas. All the Encore rooms are suites.

The NIADA convention alsotakesplaceinLasVegas, June 12-15 at the Mirage.

So dealers can spend time learning how to better run their businesses during the day while their families play with dolphins and then enjoy a nice meal in the evening.

NABD ofers an early registration discount through April21.ForNIADA,thediscount runs through May 11. Itmightnotbeeverybody’s idea of an ideal vacation, but hundredsofdealerswilltake it.

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RETAIL MARKETS

CALIFORNIA

Bruce LaVergne, owner, Pacific Auto, Auburn, Calif.:

“This year is our 25th anniversary.

“We have one location.

“We have 100 vehicles in inventory, but on our front line, we try to keep 60 or 70. The rest might be in reconditioning. It’s maybe a hair more than last year, but it’s close.

“We get our cars through new-car trades from franchise dealers, believe it or not.Wealsogotoauctionsa couple of times a week.

“Thisyear,we’reaveraging about 35 sales per month. Last year it was about 25. The last six months we’ve seen a real uptick. I don’t know why it’s gone up. We’ve got a new mechanic and sales person, but I don’t think it’s that.

“We just sell straight retail. We did buy-here, payherewhenthingswereslow. We kind of had to do it. But we got out of it. The state of California helped us decide

because they put so many restrictionsonit,wejustgot out of it. The state said they did it to protect consumers, but they actually hurt them.

“Average retail price is just a hair under $10,000.

“Model years can be anywhere from 2004 to 2014. Mileage can go from 30,000 to 200,000.

“But average would be a 2006 model year with 100,000 miles. There are plenty of cars to ind.

“Trucks bring the most proit,buttheyarethehardest to get. So what we sell is aboutone-thirdtrucks,onethird cars and one-third SUVs.

“Inventory is probably 50 percent domestics and 50 percent imports.

“Average reconditioning costs are about $700. That can change depending on what we want to buy. I have a couple of mechanics. We don’t do outside work, just our own cars.

“We do online ads, zero print. We do CarGurus, AutoTrader and Facebook. We

also do Craigslist which ties into our own website.

“We sold a 2003 Subaru Forester. It had 170,000 miles. We got $4,900.

“Last year business was wonderful. Overall proit was probably 20 percent higher than the year before.

“Wefeelevenbetterabout 2017.”

MICHIGAN

JackJohnson,vicepresident, Stadium Motors, Kalamazoo,Mich.:

“We’ve been in business 37 years. We have one location.

“Right now, we’ve got maybe 30 to 35 cars on the lot.It’sclosetothistimelast year.

“In a good month we might sell 30 and in a bad month we might sell 10.

“I’ll buy some of our (inventory) of the curb, but most of them we get from the auction. Primarily, we use Greater Kalamazoo Auto Auction in Schoolcraft, Mich. We go to some other auctions, but not as consistently as that one.

“We don’t do any buyhere, pay-here. I don’t know about subprime, but if we can’t get one of the local lending institutions to buy the deal, then it doesn’t get done.

“The retail price varies. It goes from $5,000 to $10,000. Very seldom does it go above $10,000.

“We bought ives cars a week ago that were 10- to 12-year olds with low miles. We’ve got a 2001 and a 2013 on the lot.

“As a ‘guesstimate,’ I’d say our prime cars are 2008 to 2010. We used to carry oneto two-year olds, but that’s just gotten so expensive.

“Average mileage is probably 50,000 to 110,000. Oh yeah, that’s crept up.

“We have some imports, but we’re primarily domestic.

“Trucks and SUVs probably run close to 50 percent (of our inventory). We were more automotive than trucks and SUVs in the past. But that’s changed. It’s always a struggle to ind the

Compiled by Jeffrey Bellant

stuf you want.

“Reconditioning costs vary from car to car. Some wedon’thavetodoanything to and others we might spend a couple of grand on.

“We do some work inhouse and we send some out. Any bodywork or heavy mechanical we’ll send out. We’ll check the brakes and do various things in-house. Unless it’s something we can’t handle, we’ll do it here.

“We don’t do (service) work (for outside customers).

“We have a website. We putstufoutontheInternet, which is probably our main source of advertising. But we’ll do other kinds. We’ll do some (sponsorships or community things). For example, we’ll run in a church bulletin or something.

“The last one we sold was a 2014 Dodge Ram Van, a cargo van. It had 113,000 miles. We sold that for just under $10,000.

“Business is similar to this time last year.”

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WHOLESALE MARKETS

FLORIDA

Joe Pritchett, owner/ manager, Space Coast AutoAuction,Melbourne, Fla.:

“We’ve been in business since 1998.

“We have four lanes. We actually run a ‘piggyback’ sale. We run two cars at a time.

“We’ve been running 300 to 350 (vehicles). We’re a small auction. I can’t it that many more. But I just bought ive acres, so we’re expanding. I’ve been on three acres and I can’t it any more cars in my space.

“Overall sales are up 15 percent from last year, so we’re excited. We’ve done a lot of online stuf and Facebook marketing and using diferent marketing eforts.

“We’re working with Auction Edge and Pipeline.

“We’re also doing a lot more promos. I’ve gotten way more involved since I bought the auction from my dad two years ago. Originally, I was an auctioneer. I still do auctioneering at ive

sales a week.

“We’re selling between 55 and 60 percent. For a Florida sale this time of year, we’re doing well.

“We’ll get anywhere from 150 to 200 bidders in the lanes.

“Online, we’ve been carrying 20 to 25 bidders. But we just started that three months ago. That’s a new area we’ve tapped into that we didn’t have in the past.

“Retail business has been good after starting out slow at the beginning of the year. But we’re in a good position with tax time here.

“Brevard’s a growing county right now. A lot of government contracts are coming in. Our entire town is becoming its own economy.

“We have some leet-lease and repos, but we’re heavy into new-car trades.

“Our average price in the lanes is $5,500 to $5,700. We brought that up from $3,000 just four years ago.

“We implemented things that the bigger sales have,

like frame checks, post-sale inspections, condition reports – things that gain the buyer’s trust. I try to put those services in to protect the buyer.

“Trucks are the hot item, especially if it’s jacked up or has any bit of eyes to it.

“Again, we’re 15 percent up right now and we’ve got some new things to implement in 2017. “

NEW YORK

Scott Prankie, owner/ general manager, Rochester-Syracuse Auto Auction,Waterloo,N.Y.:

“We’ve been in business 24 years. We run four lanes.

“Volumes have been steady right now, which is decent. Compared to last year, it’s similar.

“We’re running 300 to 400 every week.

“Conversion rates are around 65 percent. That’s just because it’s tax time. We did see a bump. The last three or four weeks have been strong.

“The only challenge is the weather which has been

killingus.(Thesecondweek of March) was pretty bad with snow. So everyone else changed their sales times to the evening, which is (when our regular sale runs). Basically, there were three night sales on March 16, when normally it’s just us.

“The number of dealers in the lanes is right around 250. That’s consistent.

“Online bidders have picked up a lot. We’re seeing a lot more people online. I (attribute) it both to the weather and to people starting to use online more. Our online system is Edge Pipeline.

“WealsodosomeRVsales during the year. We usually do one once a month throughout the summer. Typically, we’ll have between 20 and 30. It’s a mix of everything – campers, trailers, etc.

“Retail is starting to pick up a little more, which is nice. I think that’s because of tax season. The weather makes a big diference in our area.

Compiled by Jeffrey Bellant

“I think the independents are doing a little more business, which is good. The franchises have also done better. I think everything is on a little upside.

“Our leet-lease-repos are probably 30 percent of our consignment. That’s grown. We are getting some more cars back and we’re getting more consignors, so it’s been nice.

“We deal with Wheels, Credit Acceptance Corp., and Emkay, for example.

“We’re seeing an uptick in .

“The average price in the lanes overall is around $5,000. I think it’s about the same as this time last year.

“We get a mix of everything. We deal more with thelittleguys.Wedoalotof business with the independents.

“I think 2016 was good, but I’m not going to say it was great.

“It’s too early to predict what 2017 is going to be like, but I’m expecting an increase over last year.”

I’ve said a million times in this column that I like to cook.

Whilst being a long way from aspiring to the profes-

more tempered in their approach but we’ve developed a fairly broad reach in our tastes. Being an ex-pat Brit, I love curries (not too hot

Tony Moorby

• 50-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

sion, I do try new and sometimes complicated recipes. I like a lot of things that other people don’t – liver, kidneys, oily ish, pigs’ feet, etc. You getthedrift.SoI’mfairlyadventurous with almost any cuisine.

My wife, Terry, enjoys spicy food – the ive-alarm kind that induces ear ringing, sweat beading, nosescathing and tongue-blistering results. And that’s just eating it!

The rest of the family is

remember). We all eat sushi, with the exception of one of my daughters, who considers it to be bait.

Mexican food is enjoying a new regional appreciation rather than the TexMex variety that has served us for years. So among us, I consider we have a reasonably global embrace and mealtimes are rarely boring. We enjoy Asian food and I’ve tried many times to replicate the complex lavors

that pervade this region and all its diferences.

Chinese Szechuan food is as diferent as it can possibly be to the Vietnamese or even Chinese Mandarin tables. They range from street food; served on the run, to sumptuous, time consuming feasts.

And I’ve never really nailed the ability to recreate any of them.

SoTerrysentmeoftothe Culinary Institute of America for one of their weeklong Boot Camps to study Asian cuisine. She did the same for French cuisine a few years ago.

The campus, founded in 1948, sits on the banks of the Hudson River in what is normally one of the prettiest parts in upstate New York, grown out of what was once a Jesuit monastery and abbey. I say ‘normally’ because during my stay we were visited by the worst snow storm of the year, blanketing everything in a 3-foot-deep carpet, drifting to 5 feet and which managed to curtail

the course by a couple of days – the irst time they’ve closed for two days since they opened the college.

The ‘students’ were a mixedbagofsome15attendeesrangingfromkitchenenthusiasts like me to a Danish fellow who owned some ive restaurants.

There were a couple of older guys (older than me), one a practicing oncologist and the other retired but gourmands, both. One even brought a half case of Domaine de la Romanée Conti to make their hotel stay a little more palatable.

It’s surprising what you can learn in a week (minus two days) when you’re plungedinatthedeependof a commercial kitchen. First you learn to assume that everything is hot!

And the towel that tucks into the apron string of the full chef’s whites regalia (in-

cluding a toque) is not for wiping your hands – it’s for picking pans up and opening oven doors and the like. Kitchen disciplines are soon learned when necessity prevails.

The main business of the college is to produce fully degreed students in every aspect of food preparation, service, business management and hygiene. It’s a wonderful place and just being a part of it for a week imbued me with a sense of able adventure.

I spent over $150 at the international market on my return just to stock the pantry with the necessary stuf to create the lavor proiles found from Hyderabad to Hong Kong and Beijing to Bangkok.

The food is based on great taste but also to promote good health. Perhaps I’ll last long enough to test both.

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

Across

1. Jeep crossover

5. H2 or H3

9. Maker of the irst highspeed internal combustion engine

10. More expensive

13. Loan percentages, e.g.

14. Proit, abbr.

15. People who didn’t turn up, 2 words

16. Lone Star state

18. Agile

19. hey create new technologies

25. Introduced into, as fuel into an engine

27. Pony car irst introduced in 1966

29. Ford crossover 31. Chrysler Grand

33. Dodge staple 35. MKT or MKX

38. Luxury SUV from Buick

39. Encouraging word

40. ____ RX 350

41. Special sales ofering, for example Down

1. Technology used in self-driving cars

2. Less silent

3. A Mitsubishi

4. Compact Dodges

6. Individual items, sold or manufactured

7. Damp

8. Valuable and scarce

10. ____ type, model

11. Unprocessed as data

12. French for this 17. Jaguar model

18. Change gears

20. Lack

21. Chevy pick-up truck

22. Typically 23. Look for bargains

24. Capital city

26. Dodge crossover

28. Cars once in BMW’s stable

30. Sun, in Spanish 32. ____ 4: Toyota SUV 34. Comply 35. Auction ofering

36. Engine essential

37. Prevent

AROUND THE BLOCK

CLASSICS MUSCLE CASH FROM BLOCK

GAA Classic Cars closed out a three-dayauctioneventonMarch4, topping their previous record with a 76 percent sales rate at Greensboro Auto Auction in Greensboro, N.C.

The auction drew revenues in excess of $12 million and a crowd so large that guests had to be shuttled

from satellite lots to attend the sale.

The standing-room only sale featured three record-breakers across the block. A 1965 Ford Shelby GT350 was sold to a phone bidder after a heated bidding war for $370,000,breakingGAA’ssinglevehicle sale record.

A short time later, the sale of the

much-touted No Reserve Tyson Collection began. The collection of 23 vehicles included such notables as an award-winning 63 Split Window Corvette, a pristine 70 Buick Stage 1 and a collection of 67-73 Z28’s with four-speed transmissions.

The final car of the Tyson Collection, a 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition with only 41 miles, brought in buyers from across the country and around the globe. It sold for $470,000, breaking GAA’s record a second time within an hour. But GAAClassicCarssoldanotherFord GT, this one a red with white strips 2005 for $300,000.

“It was a strong sale, the crowd was into it, the money was there and we had a great time doing it,” said Jerry Barker, the auction’s general manager.

GAA Classic Cars celebrates its 5th anniversary with another sale set for July 27, 28 & 29.

Compiled by Jeffrey Bellant

Consignor Names Top Auction Sales

Manheim Seattle was top Overall Winner of LeasePlan’s Stellar Performance Awards presented during the recent Conference of Automotive Remarketing in Las Vegas.

“This auction has the highest gross retention and exceptional service,” said Sheri Maple, vice president of operations.

LeasePlan also presented awards to regional and service winners.

The Southwest Region winner was Oklahoma Auto Exchange, while the Midwest Region winner was Greater Kalamazoo Auto Auction and the Western Region winner was ADESA Golden Gate.

Manheim Philadelphia won the Northeast Region award and Manheim Darlington won the Southeast Region.

LeasePlan’s Service Award winners included: Manheim New England in the East Region and Manheim Dallas in the West Region.

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

OUT FRONT

remarketers of

When Christopher Columbus set out on his voyage in 1492, he didn’t have a map. And while Columbus’ journey landed him in the history books, the fact is he never did reach his intended destination. So what can we learn from this? To get where you’re going, it’s vital to know where you’re headed and

what lies between you and that goal. And it helps immensely to have a map to guide you. Which brings us to our theme for 2017 NIADA Convention & Expo: Chart Your Course. Independent used vehicle dealers need maps (metaphorically speaking) to guide them through the obstacles

OVERVIEW OF CONVENTION EDUCATIONAL AREAS OF FOCUS:

RETAIL: NIADA director of dealer development and industry icon Joe Lescota is featured in a track that covers all aspects of retail operations, including sales, marketing, inancing, inventory management and much more.

BUY HERE-PAY HERE: NIADA national director of 20 Groups Chuck Bonanno and the BHPH world’s best and brightest guide you through best practices in underwriting, collections and more, as well as the latest payment assurance technology.

Keynote speaker sponsored by:

Mirage

in order to arrive at their ultimate destination – success. Our job at NIADA is to provide the maps and knowledge – through our educational content in the unmatched training of the NIADA Convention. So let’s get started and set sail toward your goals!

OPERATIONAL STANDARDS: NIADA senior vice president of legal and government affairs Shaun Petersen is among the legal and industry experts who will get you up to date on the ever-changing regulatory and legislative issues that affect your business, and offer strategies to stay on the good side of regulators.

CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED: Learn why CPO is the hottest item in the used vehicle industry and how you can get your share of the record-setting certiied market from 2016 NIADA CPO Dealer of the Year Todd Hoagey and other top CPO dealers.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: CAPTAIN RICHARD PHILLIPS

The inspiration for the hit movie Captain Phillips and author of ACaptain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea, Captain Richard Phillips was at the center of a dangerous drama in 2009 when his merchant vessel, the MV MaerskAlabama, was seized by Somali pirates in the irst hijacking of a U.S. ship in more than 200 years. Having risked his own life to protect his crew, Phillips was taken by the pirates as a hostage and held in a small lifeboat. After a ive-day ordeal, he was rescued by members of the famed Navy Seal Team 6. He’ll offer his perspective on the power of leadership, teamwork, training, belief in self and an unyielding, never-give-up attitude.

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• Research pricing

• Search for inventory

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