JEFF STERNS CONNECTED THROUGH CARS

3:06 "I am the father of Subaru"  

4:45 "The Cinebox Machine"  

7:37 "Very shortly after I get a call from Italy."   

16:48 "boom, I'm out of scooters".  

17:58  if I can get the insurance and if I can now find an automatic scooter...  

22:00 Malcolm is off to Japan for some scooters for his rental business. 

23:33 Tell me about this 360.  

25:38 Malcolm at the DOT.    

29:43  Consumer Reports: Cadillac and his little 360 with an article that says unsafe because it didn't have to meet any regulations.  

31:02  Malcolm sends a contract to Japan for the "real car" and is told "not to come" (he went)  

32:15 They tell me No.  

34:00 The closing argument that got the Subaru contract.   

40:32 So how does it go to your own car Bricklin and what was behind that?

00:48 New York Times said that Bricklin is often likened to an automotive version of PT Barnum.                  

00:56 Morgan Spurlock says Bricklin goes non stop. He's testosterone unleashed a brilliant negotiator and an incredible character.

1:08 Rolling Stone describes you as brash, bombastic and pathologically prone to betting the farm on automotive endeavors. 

1:17 Auto week said Bricklin has a mind that works like a machine gun. 

01:24 Keith crane, publisher of Automotive News said, Bricklin is like one of those toy clowns that if you punch it, it just comes right back.

6:34 Malcolm discusses the new Bricklin 3EV Car   

06:34 The electric bike     

27:21 On Malcolm's Father's building supply co  

28:36 When Malcolm started his own building supply co  

30:07 the problem Malcolm noticed in the building supply business and how he solved it    

31:42 Malcolm comes up with "just in time" inventory utilizng IBM punch cards...in the late 50s!   

2:29 Malcolm franchises the stores   

33:34 Malcolm's first $1 million - at age 20   

33:49 how money can be a drawback  

34:59 Malcolm on becoming the father of Subaru in USA  

35:49 Subaru began with video jukeboxes?

39:37 Or did Subaru start with Lambretta Motor Scooters?   

43:15 Malcolm gets a new contract in 1967 in his late 20s....$5,000 per week for a year and a NY office... 

44:31 thank goodness for lunch breaks (the scooters start to sell)  

49:59 Malcolm gets into the scooter rental business...he needs automatic scooters which takes him to Japan....but is the deal as represented?    

53:26 I'll take one of those lille cars right there...   

57:14 the loophole  

1:01:18 Consumers Reports kills the little car 

1:02:16 Malcolm needs the bigger car. Desperately.  

1:10:00 THE BRICKLIN CAR  

1:06:00 The sharp angle negotiating tactic.  

1:09:43 Subaru buys out the USA distributors.    

1:24:13 1 month from production and he can't have his gullwing door?   

1:27:15 And now the engine supplier backs up?!?  

1:29:52 and now the 351 Windsor?   

1:32:03 And now the bodies are falling off...  

1:37:22 The story of why Bricklin ceased production  

1:45:33 the lightweight engine and why real  innovation really occurs in the car industry 

1:48:35 The MALIBU GRAND PRIX ORIGIN STORY   1:49:23 John DeLorean to join BRICKLIN CAR (?)   

1:52:01 Malcolm advises John DeLorean on the new DeLorean  

1:54:50 Malcolm on failing 

1:56:05 Malcolm on his divorces  1:56:46 The light engine gets front cover of MECHANICS ILLUSTRATED and he gets a meeting with Henry Ford.   

2:01:59 THE FIAT STORY  

2:05:22 Cadillac Allante kills Fiat in USA  

2:06:34 So now the Yugo 

2:09:20 Then I met Kissinger at the urinal...  

2:12:26 Why Malcolm sold Yugo 

after John DeLorean did not get the position with Malcolm Bricklin on the Bricklin SV-1 car (mainly due to disagreement on who's name would go on the back!) , John invites Malcolm to dinner next time Malcolm is in Detroit and discloses to Malcolm that he is preparing to build his own car and asks for a little advice... 

YOU decide if John took any of it!

Malcolm took on low cost, small, lightweight, amazing gas mileage engine. Mechanics Illustrated loved it and put it on the cover. A project with a partner that was doomed from the start...even when shown direct to Henry Ford! 

Malcolm talks about how he discovered this little "toy" car and why. He explains how he got around barriers that the manufacturer (Subaru) thought were unsurmountable! He successfully imported it into the USA and CONSUMER REPORTS crushed it. What does a guy like Malcolm do then?? (very surprising! Starts with OH MY GOD and ends up THANK GOD)

Sold off his building supply empire! Late '50s, in his early 20's....what does one do for an encore??

06:48 Ehren did some work with TV show TOP GEAR   

07:23 Ehren co-founds Devin Works watch company. 

07:50 got recruited by Karma automotive     

09:02  Ehren: "I popped out of the womb loving cars"

09:42 Ehren: "I remember actually calling the manufacturers and asking for brochures. So as a teenager, I was getting these brochures from like Mercedes Benz Rolls Royce Porsche, countless others, and that if I'm honest, that was kind of the spark that set the fire. They got me in the car business because when I realized when I got these brochures, they were first of all They were happy to send me these brochures. So they like that was so refreshing, I thought that they would just completely hang up on me. But then to get the brochure and unwrap it and take it out of the envelope and see that it was it came with a letter that was signed, albeit a rubber stamp signature by the president of Rolls Royce, North America, or the Vice President of Marketing for BMW, North America, just knock my socks off."  (this became Ehren's contact list when he bagan searching for a job in the wholesale new car business!) 

13:46 Ehren sent probably 100 letters out for that.

16:13  went at night to Fordham University in New York City, to get his MBA, with a specialization in marketing.  (after work while at Jaguar)

18:03 Jeff shows the award his father David Sterns received for promoting the album MEET THE BEATLES  

18:54 why Jeff's Dad got into the car business    

20:17 Jeff's Dad dealt in many interesting cars 

23:12 Jeff started selling cars after school- in high school. 

23:29 Ehren's parents force college 

24:24 Ehren: "The car business is something that is very difficult to get into and very difficult to get out of"  

26:05 Ehren joins Ferrari and for the first time is exposed to the ultra rich  

26:31 the difference between Ferrari customers and Lamborghini customers  

27:18 THE FERRARI TRUST FUND   

31:54 Jeff mentions Victor Muller CEO of Spyker and the similarity between the Lamborghini and Spyker owner is.

36:20 Enterprise Rental Car hiring and training 

36:58 The best hiring recruiter story   

38:42 taking part in the Ferrari challenge series.  traveling to Road America, or, you know, homestead or wherever, to Lime Rock  etc  

40:23 When Ferrari Challenge car owners get stuck in a Miami elevator...  

41:51 Ehren's exposure to the good and bad in the wealthy class 

43:01 a Ferrari Challenge driver joined the series to recruit into his Ponzi investment  

43:28 Jeff on what happens to people when they have wealth     47:49 Jeff had someone try to leverage him financially due to his need to take care of his son's special needs medical issues  

49:27 Ehren plugs his current employer, Ally Financial    

52:24 Ehren talks about the TOP GEAR USA project

54:29 how Donald Trump was involved in the TOP GEAR project   

59:02 What is a press car?  

1:01:02 Ehren talks about being gay in the car business   

1:04:06 Business has taken Ehren all over the United States and also the world 

1:04:50 Jeff:  "I've always said That what kids should do when they get out of school is travel. and sell cars retail for one year."

1:05:14 what 3 people would Ehren have to dinner? 

3:52 Jeff is VP-Sales at CarChat24. What is chat for on a dealership's website? 4:31 What is a "dealership BDC?" 5:39 As a vendor to the car business, Shawn as a dealer taught us how to be better. 6:55 Shawn and Jeff gush about their beginnings and later bromance. 7:15 Shawn says that CarChat24 is the best vendor in the business 8:28 Shawn has an impressive dealership pedigree with Spinelli Group (one of the oldest in Quebec) Dilawri (Canada's largest private group), Gravel Group (one of the largest in Quebec) and Silver Star Montreal (Canada's largest Mercedes Benz dealer) 8:53 Sean started after university as a car washer. You'll never believe what he did for the interview. 12:32 Shawn starts in service appointment setting and his curiosity took over! 14:09 Shawn starts in BDC 15:48 Shawn develops a CRM. 17:55 Shawn becomes a servant leader. 19:49 Shawn realises that he is not responsible for the results. He's responsible for the people that are responsible for the results. And Shawn and Jeff discuss various leadership books. 28:02 Shawn was one of the responsible parties for Jeff getting into this podcast. 29:17 Jeff was on YouTube - before there was a YouTube...someone must have transferred it from VHS or beta.Shawn is a servant leader, is a customer service and passion nut and taught me, as his vendor how to improve

2:31​ Shawn sympathizes with COVID-19 victims weather it be health, loss of life or change of life, work, etc. 3:38​ Shawn believes that the virus leveled the playing field between dealers. 4:50​ for those of us not in the business, Shawn explains the term 'digital retailing' and the role of BDC (and what the term BDC means) 7:27​ Jeff clarifies and reiterates that the USA as a country, is certainly ahead of Canada. 8:29​ Shawn describes digital retailing distilled. Perfectly. 10:02​ Shawn on why when he makes a BDC call, he's not here to sell anybody. 10:15​ Jeff: a very low percentage of people beginning on the internet actually leave in the exact vehicle that they researched or "chose" in advance of the visit. 11:32​ Jeff on why it's a great service (to the customer) to get a potential client into the showroom 16:55​ Shawn on gaining success through the people he is responsible for. 20:40​ Jeff schools Shawn "a well-done steak is NOT ok (neither is medium)" 20:57​ Shawn: BDC (dealership Business Development Center) is essentially there to assist, and basically to guide the customers on maybe some elements that they're not aware of. But this only comes through fact finding through questions. 21:54​ technically, we're always selling something. selling yourself at every opportunity Really? Well, when you go into a job interview, you're selling yourself, 22:03​ let's be clear to the doctors and lawyers watching. Sales is way more important than what you do. :) 22:10​ Shawn debunks some dealership rumors (rumours to you in Canada :) ) 23:18​ about Carvana and fixed price vs negotiating in dealerships 26:11​ Shawn on the "glovebox trunk opener button" 26:22​ 26:20​ Jeff checks to see if Shawn knows he's black (he plays hockey) :) 27:21​ Shawn shows off speaking French 28:14​ Shawn is related to a pro hockey player! 29:10​ problems with 1 price (non-negotiating) dealerships. 30:17​ Shawn on shrinking new car margins and how price impacts payments. 34:04​ Jeff regarding trying to get a better deal vs dealership advertised specials.

3:24 Jeff: PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT on "what is a good deal at a dealership"  Shawn: sales, makes customers and the service keeps them 6:28 Shawn regarding emphasis on selling cars vs servicing (AKA serving, taking care of the client for years after the sale) 6:55 Shawn debunks the independant vs franchise dealer service myth. 13:37 Shawn on how COVID-19 has forced evolution in the industry. is presented me with my newest career opportunity, where I've just recently been picked up by a fin tech company. And I am a shareholder, and I am going to be involved heavily in the business development as well as product development. 16:20 Shawn on his new career. (outside of a car dealership) 18:44 Jeff schools Shawn on the value of sales vs service people