October 15 by Jeff Kershner -

Are we really in an Auto Credit Crisis?

You have to just about be walking on water to get financed but even with our prime customers, banks are looking for a reason to say no.” — AutoNation CEO Michael Jackson, The Wall Street Journal, October 2008

Are we really in an Auto Credit Crisis?

Why does everyone use AutoNation as the benchmark to what is happening in our industry?

A recent article in BusinessWeek online compared several AutoNation dealers to others. Example: Bankston Chevrolet (AutoNation dealer), 10 miles from Classic Chevrolet. Bankston Chevrolet delivered 85 new Chevy’s last month. Both Classic and Bankston Chevrolet use GMAC to finance their vehicles AND share the same demographic customer, yet AutoNation’s store came up 354 sales behind Classic’s.

Does this example along with a few others suggest that maybe it’s not as bad as reporters suggest?

An interesting article from BusinessWeek dives into 6 TRUTHS why there really might not be an auto credit crises.

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Jeff Kershner
I’m the founder of DealerRefresh. I got my start in the dealer business when I was 18. From there I've worked throughout several departments within fixed to variable ops. Whether it’s managing the desk, perfecting sales process or studying online marketing and media trends, I absolutely love this business and the challenges it brings. On top of keeping up with DealerRefresh, I consult with dealerships and key industry businesses. My passion has been and continues to be helping dealers leverage new media to sell and improve customer service.
Alex Snyder
2019 marks Alex's 30th year in the car business. In that time he has had a front-row seat for the rise of the Internet and has been working to bring the online and offline dealership experience closer. Whether you knew him from his life at Checkered Flag or his years with Dealer.com/DealerTrack/Cox Alex has remained an opinionated DealerRefresh contributor who enjoys nothing more than to poke at the unsaid truths in our industry. He also helped found FRIKINtech.

Are we really in an Auto Credit Crisis?

Are we really in an Auto Credit Crisis?

Jeff Kershner

Alex Snyder

Steve Stauning

Joe Webb

Kevin Frye

Eric Miltsch

Matt Murray

Ilana Zur

Adam Robinson

Joe Pistell

Todd Smith