The “Jelly Bean” Car Era In the 1980s, many automakers began shifting away from the sharp, boxy vehicle designs of the 1970s toward smoother, rounded “jelly bean” shapes. One reason for this change was the growing use of a small number of shared wind tunnels across the automotive industry. Because manufacturers were often testing designs in the same facilities—and optimizing for the same aerodynamic principles—their vehicles started to converge toward similar rounded forms th

BY ERIK ACOSTA As a Dealership Consultant working in internal auditing, I spend a significant amount of time evaluating risks that are not apparent. One that has recent mass attention and appears to have been slightly underestimated is client privacy particularly related downloaded manufacturer applications and the trade-in process. Dealership groups have made tremendous progress in operational efficiency and client data protection. However, one control gap continues to sur

BY SAMANTHA MILLARD Let’s talk about the parts department—the quiet workhorse of the dealership. It doesn’t usually steal the spotlight like variable sales. It doesn’t generate daily drama like service capacity or technician shortages. However, it does quietly hold a material chunk of your balance sheet, feeds your service department, supports customer satisfaction, and (when managed well) prints reliable gross month after month. And yet… it’s often one of the most neglected