Despite the "Cash for Clunkers" program, there were solid used-vehicle sales and higher residuals and recovery rates, says Manheim chief analyst, Tom Webb. Says Webb, dealers also saw improvement in retail gross margins in the used vehicle sector.
Early August numbers from NADA show wholesale prices continuing to climb. Cars are up 1.5% from July while SUVs are up 1.2%. Year over year, pickup prices have risen more than 30% from July 2008. NADA's volatility index still shows large SUVs with the highest number while luxury large SUVs had the lowest.
PHH Arval has fielded the first mobile application for fleet drivers to access services and agents via Blackberry. Expansion of the application and porting to other platforms are planned.
Automakers are offering expensive options like the Ford Blind Spot Information System radar warning. However, proper alignment of existing mirrors eliminates blind spots blamed for lane change accidents.
Car shoppers are still very interested in trucks, much more than reported results from the Cash for Clunkers program might have you believe. According to online traffic data from Jumpstart Automotive Media, the Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado pickups are among the top brands being searched for by car shoppers in a study of results from online activity by 12 million consumers.