Tag Archives: April

May Auto Sales Make Up for April Slump

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In retrospect, April was a bit of a disappointing month overall for auto sales, especially compared to the rest of 2013 and late 2012. As the numbers come in from May, however, it is clear that this is going to mark a strong start to the summer.

Among the month’s winners were General Motors, who reported the best monthly sales since September 2008, as well as Nissan with its best May sales ever. According to early reports, Chrysler, Ford, and Toyota also had increased sales in May, but as of publication, those numbers are not finalized yet.

Going into the summer months, pickup sales are expected to continue rising. People are buying them for both business and pleasure, from home construction to camping and off-road recreation. The F-Series, Ram, and Chevy Silverado have all sold very well so far and are expected to see a healthy spike when May’s sales numbers are finalized.

With May over, summer is officially here. Are you ready to move more inventory and boost foot traffic in your dealership? Special Finance Group is ready to assist you with their Complete Special Finance Solution. To learn more about what Special Finance Group can do for you, go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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Auto Sales: April’s Big Winners

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Now that April is done and the sales numbers are finalized, the auto industry is seeing that April might not have been as strong as March, but some automakers finished up April feeling very happy indeed.

Among the best performers in April were Nissan with 80,003 units, Ram with 32,124 units, and Ford with 204,969 units sold. Compared to 2012, they had volume increases of 24.62 percent, 49.38 percent, and 17.77 percent respectively.

Nissan NA was the highest performing automaker overall, however, with a 23.16 percent increase over April 2012. They also saw an 18.23 percent daily sales rate increase. Chrysler Group had Ram’s strong sales in their favor, but it was brought down by Chrysler’s disappointing numbers, only bringing in 27,836 compared to 31,879 in April 2012.

Going into May, dealerships will be enjoying some of the best weather they will have all year. Americans will be thinking about getting out of town, going to the beach, or hitting the road for summer vacation, and if they don’t have a road-ready car, they will need to get one soon. Plus, consumers are still figuring out how to spend their tax refund. With the right marketing push, dealerships could make a lot of money in May.

If you are looking to move more inventory and boost foot traffic in your dealership, Special Finance Group is ready to assist you with their Complete Special Finance Solution. To learn more about what Special Finance Group can do for you, go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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Automakers Break Records with March 2013 Sales

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After 2012′s record-breaking sales, it seemed like the auto industry would eventually hit its peak and plateau. Now that March is over, though, it hasn’t happened yet. For nearly every automaker, March 2013 sales were significantly higher than one year ago.

Cadillac saw the highest increase in volume of sales with a 49 percent increase compared to March 2012, but Ram and Dodge also did extremely well with 24 percent and 15 percent increases respectively. Ford was the top seller overall with 229,335 units, though it was on the lower end of sales increases with a 6.86 percent increase.

Going into April, dealerships across the country need to dive in and realize that they could see some of their best numbers in years this spring. Now that auto loans are more accessible than ever, even to consumers with poor credit, dealerships simply need to focus on getting car shoppers in the door. Americans are ready to buy, and with the right promotion and customer outreach, they are almost guaranteed to do well.

Are you looking to move more inventory, increase profits for service and parts, and bring in more foot traffic to your dealership? Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution can give you all that and more. Go to http:///www.specialfinancegroup.com to learn more, and connect with Special Finance Group online through Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!

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Chrysler – Banco Santander Partnership Likely to Finalize Soon

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Last year, it was reported that Chrysler’s contract with Ally Financial would be ending in April 2013, and there was speculation as to who Chrysler would choose to take over their in-house financing. While nothing has been finalized yet, it is looking very likely that Chrysler will be partnering with Banco Santander to manage their in-house financing.

According to the Wall Street Journal, sources who have been part of the discussions say that a deal could be solidified by the end of January or early February. Wells Fargo, GE, U.S. Bancorp, and JPMorgan Chase were also supposedly considered to take over for Ally Financial, but it is possible that Chrysler favored Santander having worked with them previously on sub-prime auto loans

Prior to their partnership with Ally Financial, Chrysler handled their financing through Chrysler Financial. As part of their agreement with the U.S. government, though, Chrysler partnered with Ally Financial and ended Chrysler Financial.

This is great news for Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram dealerships looking to boost their special finance department. As mentioned above, Chrysler worked with Santander on sub-prime auto loans, and considering that there were more sub-prime auto loans in 2012 and lower delinquency rates for those loans, it looks like a Chrysler partnership with Banco Santander would be advantageous to dealerships and car buyers alike.

Are you looking to boost your special finance department in 2013? Contact Special Finance Group today, and learn more about their Complete Special Finance Solution. You can also connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Americans Think They Are on Facebook Less, Actually on Facebook More

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Last month, a survey was making the rounds claiming that Facebook users were logging into Facebook much less and weren’t staying on the site for as long. As it turns out, that survey might have been completely wrong.

Reuters, who conducted the initial survey, asked 1,032 Americans how often they used Facebook and how long they spent on the site. Over a third of American Facebook users responded that they were using the site less, and only a fifth of respondents said they were spending more time on the site recently.

As it turns out, though, their perceptions of how much time they spend on the site and the time they actually spend on the site do not match up. According to Nielsen data, people spent an average of 7 hours 9 minutes on Facebook during the month of April, more than Google and YouTube combined. It is a marketer’s dream come true. Users think they are spending less time on Facebook, but in reality, they are spending more time on Facebook.

At Special Finance Group, we are constantly keeping an eye on how Facebook, Twitter, and other popular social media sites are being used and finding new ways to bring in potential car buyers. As part of the Special Finance Group network, a dealership will get to reap the benefits and will get new customers walking through their door every month thanks to the work done by Special Finance Group’s SEO/ORM team.

To learn more about Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution, click here or go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com. Also, keep up with the latest from Special Finance Group by liking Special Finance Group on Facebook and following Special Finance Group on Twitter.

April Sales Forecast Great Year for Auto Dealerships

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Hey, Auto Industry! Forget your troubles, come on and get happy!

Not that long ago, there was gloom whenever the auto industry was mentioned in the news. Stagnant sales plagued the industry, and pundits droned on and on about how the bailout failed. The past few months, however, have boosted morale across the auto industry and, pundits are eating their words and changing their tune on the effectiveness of the bailout. So far, the sales in 2012 have been fantastic, and they don’t show any sign of slowing down.

April was full of good news for sales. J.D. Power and Associates published a report showing that the volume of sales are expected to increase by 8 percent. This is great news because April will be the fourth month in a row with a positive upswing in sales for the car industry, and insiders know it is truly extraordinary because of how notorious April is for poor sales. John Humphrey, the senior vice president of global automotive operations at J.D. Power and Associates says, “While April is typically a challenging month to draw comparisons with because the Easter holiday some years falls in April and other years in March, the signs of sustained growth are evident.”

One of the most noted results on the report comes from the luxury vehicle sales. The industry as a whole is up 10.8 percent, but luxury vehicles are down 12.1 percent from the previous year. The speculation being made here is that with gas prices on the rise, the onslaught of powers are looking for sensibly priced vehicles. For example, cars such as the Ford Focus are becoming much more popular.

Sales are continuing to grow, and they show no sign of letting up anytime soon. The auto industry is back with force, and people are flocking to dealerships to get themselves back on the road. That’s why you need Special Finance Group’s help with this new flow of customers. We help those buyers connect with your dealership. Take a look at the Complete Special Finance Solution to see just how we can help you. Like us on Facebook and we’ll keep you in the loop for the latest trends and news in the industry.