Ford recently surprised Ricart with its Lifetime Achievement Award in Las Vegas, with Jim Farley, Andrew Frick, other Ford leaders, and—unexpectedly—Ricart’s entire family there for the moment. Ricart said seeing his family come on stage brought tears to his eyes.

Ricart now serves as executive chairman, while his son and other family members handle the day-to-day operation of the business. That gives him what he calls an “80,000-foot” perspective, stepping in on major decisions like buying or selling stores while spending a little more time with his six grandchildren.

From that vantage point, he believes dealers need to watch Chinese vehicles, direct sales, and right-to-repair. At the same time, he says dealers have adapted extremely well to the digital customer, pointing out that shoppers now arrive far better informed and ready to buy.

Ricart remains a strong believer in the franchise dealer model, arguing that COVID proved its value when dealers kept customers and essential vehicles moving. Looking forward, he sees fixed operations as one of dealers’ biggest opportunities, especially as independents continue capturing a huge share of maintenance and repair business.

His advice heading toward year-end is to focus on what dealers can actually influence: inventory mix where possible, customer relationships, and especially service. “In our companies, that’s our big focus right now.”

Their new Promise Path is intentionally built around a Carvana-like experience: choose a vehicle, see upfront pricing, value a trade, arrange financing, complete documents, and schedule delivery without interacting with a salesperson.

The website leads with “keep the dealership, skip the salesperson.” Customers who want assistance can bring a human into the process at any point, including using the 24/7 AI concierge appropriately named “No Sell Nell.”

The experience currently requires 13 integrations, including Roadster and internally developed technology. About 40 transactions were run through the system before launch.

Hudson says they’re working toward becoming “the UberEats of the franchised auto dealership.”

Walmart’s network now spans 20 states, with most locations offering 8 to 16 stalls and chargers capable of delivering up to 400 kW.

The retailer wants thousands of Walmart and Sam’s Club locations equipped with charging by 2030, leveraging a footprint that puts a store within 10 miles of roughly 90% of Americans.

Charging is integrated into the Walmart app, while Walmart+ members receive discounted rates—tying EV charging directly into its existing loyalty ecosystem.

Walmart’s Adam Happel said, “We’re proud to reach 100 sites, but our focus remains on building a network customers can count on every time they charge with us.”

The purchase could include more than 175,000 employee records, employment contracts, tax records, crew scheduling and time-card data, emails and even Microsoft Teams records.

The union representing 5,500 former Spirit flight attendants has objected, arguing that Google’s promises around removing personally identifiable information don’t adequately protect former workers.

The union also argues that even anonymized information could potentially be re-identified by AI when combined with other datasets.

A bankruptcy court is expected to decide on the sale in early September.

The current 25% auto tariff would jump to 50%, while previously untariffed Canadian auto parts would also be included.

The risk cuts both ways: U.S. and Canadian manufacturing is deeply integrated, with parts often crossing the border multiple times before a vehicle is completed.

Canada has already announced retaliatory tariffs on roughly $20 billion of U.S. goods beginning September 8, while Canadian imports of U.S. vehicles are reportedly down 22%.

Automakers are already feeling tariff pressure. New-vehicle prices were up about $1,315 year over year in Q1, while manufacturers including Toyota have absorbed billions in added costs.

Honda Executive VP Noriya Kaihara put a sharper point on the pricing risk: “We are trying to absorb the cost by ourselves or together with our suppliers... but we may have to [raise prices].”

The two-week pilot will run about 12–15 flights per day, moving parts around the Jack Demmer Ford campus.

If successful, the program could expand to a 12-mile radius connecting the Wayne and Dearborn dealerships, plus remote repair locations.

The drones can carry up to 7.5 pounds, so they won’t replace traditional delivery vehicles, but they could be ideal for smaller critical parts.

The initiative is backed by a $740,000 state mobility grant and could eventually reach around 20 drone deliveries per day.

Parts manager Mark Hatfield said, “When a critical part is delayed, a vehicle can sit in a service bay longer.”

Ford will use Apple’s MapKit for Automotive on its Universal Electric Vehicle Platform for mapping, search, turn-by-turn directions and EV routing.

Ford’s Latitude AI team will use Apple map data to develop future BlueCruise capabilities, while Ford keeps control of branding and interface.

Other examples of the OEM/tech crossover include how Google powers infotainment and AI assistants, Nvidia supplies autonomous-driving and AI tech, and Amazon is providing BMW’s next-generation voice-assistant architecture.

AlixPartners’ Soumya Sen: “The brand is still belonging to the automaker, but the brain is coming from big tech.”

Polestar says Commerce officials told the company in 2025 they were preparing to recommend approval of its application.

In April, a senior Commerce official reportedly told Polestar management it was reasonable to expect approval if Volvo received the green light. Volvo was approved in May; Polestar was denied in June.

Polestar offered safeguards including restrictions on data storage and access, independent cybersecurity assessments, audits and reporting requirements.

Volvo and Polestar share majority owner Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, and the Polestar 3 and Volvo EX90 share nearly identical hardware, software and production in South Carolina.

Polestar’s Peter Wexler said the company is trying to “understand the underlying basis for the denial.”

The Goodyear Motor City Garage opened during the Woodward Dream Cruise and includes tire sales, installation, oil changes, alignments, brakes, batteries and inspections.

The concept was inspired by destination retail like Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Nike House of Innovation, with Goodyear aiming to make routine vehicle service feel more like an experience and 4-5 more destination stores planned.

Goodyear now offers mobile installation in 28 U.S. markets, bringing tire and basic service work directly to homes and workplaces.

Goodyear CEO Mark Stewart discussed the launch on the Autotown podcast (hosted by friend of the show Jamie Butters), calling Detroit the natural choice because it is “the center of car culture.”

Dealertrack’s credit availability index rose to 105 in July, up 6.9% year over year and near its loosest level in 11 years.

Approval rates held at 74%, while lenders competed harder on pricing.

At the same time, 5.5% of auto debt was 90+ days delinquent in Q2, just under the record 5.6% set in Q1. Loan write-offs, though, stayed at just 0.2%.

Subprime’s share of auto loans rose to 16.4%, up from 13.7% last year, with dealers reporting that some subprime lenders are getting more aggressive.

Friendship Cars’ Adam McCoy said, “The [banks] going after it. It’s a competition right now. It’s good for us.”

Amazon bought Zoox for $1.2 billion in 2020. Today the fleet is around 100 vehicles, but has logged more than 3 million driverless miles and carried nearly 1 million riders.

The NHTSA recently approved Zoox to operate up to 5,000 vehicles over the next two years.

The approval still comes with limits: no operation in heavy rain, snow, large amounts of leaves, or on roads above 45 mph.

Zoox is known for their iconic vehicle that looks like a toaster on wheels and says building from the ground up lets it design around the rider experience instead of retrofitting a traditional car.

Zoox CEO Aicha Evans said, “It takes a lot of imagination, belief, resilience and tenacity to do this when you’re going against conventional wisdom.”

ABI Research estimates AI-driven in-cabin experiences could grow from about 5 million vehicles today to 70 million by 2035.

The challenge is making the experience fast and seamless enough that drivers don’t give up and reach for their phones, especially while voice remains the safest primary interface.

Some examples: booking a restaurant, ordering flowers, handling productivity tasks, or completing other requests through a natural voice conversation.

For automakers, the bigger risk is dependency. Once an AI request leaves the vehicle, the experience depends on connectivity, latency, mobile networks, cloud infrastructure, and third-party services.

Cubic3’s Steven Cochrane said, “No one can possibly own the whole ecosystem across what’s in the vehicle, in the network and in the cloud.”

GM’s lead over Toyota has shrunk to just over 100,000 vehicles through July, with each selling roughly 1.5 million vehicles this year.

Toyota is growing with models like the Camry and Corolla, while GM has largely exited traditional sedans in favor of trucks and SUVs.

GM’s factory utilization has fallen to 73%, compared with 91.9% for Toyota, even as GM tracks toward near-record operating profits.

Toyota is also expanding U.S. production, including shifting a $1.5 billion battery order to a Lansing plant that GM walked away from.

Cox Automotive’s Charlie Chesbrough: “Maybe the naysayers were correct that Toyota is going to take over the U.S. market.”

36,810 used EVs sold in July, up 10.1% year-over-year and 7.9% from June.

Supply reached 46 days, up 13.6% year-over-year and slightly higher than used ICE vehicles for the first time since February.

Ford led high-volume brands with 18.9% month-over-month sales growth, while Chevrolet, Nissan and Cadillac also gained traction.

Average used EV listing prices were $37,832, up 8.3% from last year but down 1.2% from June.

Cox’s Jonathan Gregory: “Off-lease EV supply…continues to build and gives buyers more choice.”

The two-week promotion ran in more than 70 countries, displaying a Spider-Man banner when owners started their vehicles.

Owners quickly pushed back online, with one Reddit user writing: “You spent $100,000 on a 7 series…but that’s not enough money for BMW.”

BMW says it wasn’t advertising, calling it optional themed content available through its Festive App while vehicles were stationary.

The opportunity is significant: infotainment-enabled digital aftersales are projected to become a nearly $14 billion global market by 2030.

IDC’s Roger Beharry Lall: “It’s not just about the revenue stream. It’s about balancing that against your brand.”

FTC pricing remains front and center. NADA is working directly with the FTC as dealers adapt to the agency’s pricing guidance, with additional FAQs expected in the coming months. Stanton says the focus is much narrower than the proposed CARS Rule and believes greater pricing clarity will ultimately benefit customers and dealers.

Protecting the franchise model remains NADA’s north star. Stanton called out direct-sales efforts, including Volkswagen’s strategy, while emphasizing that dealers can defend their position by continually improving the customer experience. Dealers accounted for 96% of new-car sales last year, and Stanton says the goal should be 100%.

NADA is also focused on Chinese automakers and the Repair Act. Stanton says dealers broadly support keeping Chinese OEMs out of the U.S. in the near term, citing national-security concerns, while NADA continues opposing elements of NADA’s September Washington Conference brings dealers to Capitol Hill, with state associations coordinating meetings and NADA supplying talking points. Stanton’s message: lawmakers want to hear from the dealers employing people and generating economic activity in their districts. Stanton summed up dealers’ importance in Washington simply: “They really are our best lobbyists.”

NADA Show is headed back to Orlando—and demand is already strong. The exhibit floor sold out in record time with a waiting list, and the welcome reception will give attendees access to Universal’s new Epic Universe.

Catalyst IQ found Carvana priced eight models above local competitors, including the Ram 2500 at an average $4,533—or 6.2%—higher.

Carvana’s seven new-car stores posted an average 69% turn rate versus 39% for competing CDJR stores. Its Boston location hit an eye-popping 107% turn rate.

The proposition is straightforward: no-haggle pricing and online purchasing, building on the digital-first experience Carvana has refined over 13 years of selling used vehicles.

Carvana’s approach also features no doc fees, a seven-day money-back policy and same-day delivery.

Brian Maas of the California New Car Dealers Association summed up the appeal: “Do you want the car? Here’s the price.” That simple model, he says, is attracting a certain kind of customer.

Tesla employees have been testing fully driverless Cybercabs on private roads since July, while other test vehicles have been spotted around the country equipped with steering wheels and pedals for data gathering.

Austin first responders have already received training on how to move a Cybercab during an emergency.

The Cybercab relies on Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software. Tesla says the technology is significantly safer than human driving, while independent safety experts and federal regulators have questioned those claims.

FSD remains under active NHTSA investigation for traffic-compliance failures, and more than a year after Tesla launched its Robotaxi service, human safety monitors are still being used in some markets.

Tesla’s Robotaxi account is already teasing an imminent “Cybercab launch event,” offering current Model Y robotaxi riders a chance to win a ticket.

Teen accounts automatically receive age-appropriate safeguards, break reminders and learning-focused tools, including “responsible homework reminders” intended to recognize when students are outsourcing assignments.

When asked to write an 800-word essay on the Crucible, the teen version initially refused and instead provided an outline. After some persistence, however, it eventually produced a 776-word essay comparable to the adult version.

The homework guardrails were even easier to get around in math. Asked to solve an algebra homework problem and show the work, the teen experience provided the complete solution immediately, then acknowledged afterward that giving hints would have been a better approach.

However, parents can enable Study Hours, which turns on Study Mode during typical homework times and shifts ChatGPT toward step-by-step guidance rather than immediate answers.

When the reporter emailed OpenAI with his finding, a spokesperson emphasized that the product is brand new, noting the “teen experience is just rolling out today.”

Wertheim, 87, was born in Philadelphia, but built his fortune through inventions and decades of investing, including early investments in Apple and Microsoft. He holds more than 100 patents.

All proceeds from the auction benefit The Ferrari Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity. The charitable structure could allow Wertheim to deduct the amount paid above the vehicle’s fair-market value.

This isn’t Wertheim’s first major Ferrari charity purchase. Last year, he paid $26 million for a one-off Daytona SP3 at Monterey.

The Luce carries an MSRP around $640,000 but received several unique treatments, including Madreperla Semi-Gloss white paint, matching wheels, and a Tailor Made interior featuring metallic white leather from selected Swiss hides.

Group 1 plans to acquire 10 Hennessy dealerships in metro Atlanta representing about $1.7 billion in annual revenue and growing its footprint from three Atlanta-area stores to 15.

Atlanta will become Group 1’s second-largest market by revenue and its ninth U.S. cluster market. Houston remains its largest concentration with 19 dealerships, followed by Boston with 18.

More than 60 U.S. dealerships have already been rebranded under the Group 1 name, representing more than half of the company’s annual U.S. sales volume.

The strategy is designed to improve marketing efficiency, customer awareness and employee retention.

CEO Daryl Kenningham: “Our business model works when we sell and service customers locally.”

Only 24% of U.S. consumers said brand labels were important when buying clothes, but brand-conscious shoppers were twice as likely to have spent more than $200 on clothing recently: 30% versus 15% of price-conscious shoppers.

Quality ranked as the top consideration for 28% of brand-conscious consumers, while 26% of price-conscious shoppers identified price as their priority.

Nike had the highest consideration among brand-conscious shoppers at 57%, followed by Adidas at 47%, Levi’s at 43% and Old Navy at 42%.

Gen Z and millennials make up 60% of brand-conscious shoppers.