DealerElite's own Chris Saraceno reports back to Mike Myers from NADA 2011.

Chris was at the JD Power session this morning at NADA and here is what he reports, exclusively on dealerELITE:


               UPDATE 2/5/11:

• Mark Reuss, President of GM NA
  • GM will partner with the show Glee and Transformers for their Super Bowl commercial
  • New Chevy Cruz "Eco" will get 42 MPG and be out this year
  • GM has changed how they look at their dealers. GM has internalized that their dealers are their customers and that's most important.
    
     
• Ernst Lieb, Pres/CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA
  • He was asked "What does it take to win big in retail"? He replied...
    
    • Partnership & transparency with team members
    • Be proactive VS. reactive
    • Measure what matters
    • Be dedicated to the details
    • Do not rest on your laurels
      
      
• Mike Jackson, Chairman & CEO of Autonation
  • Quote: "I'll go on record and say manufacturers that continue stairstep programs & preaches customer satisfaction are hypocrites. Stairsteps are destroying market value, customer satisfaction, turning buyers into shoppers, making negotiating harder, and turning off their customers."
    
    
    UPDATE: 2/3/11:
    
    
• JD Power reports US automotive sales is predicted to increase to 13 million vehicles sold for 2011
  • 15 million sold in 2012
  • 15.7 million sold in 2013
  • 16.2 million sold in 2014
  • 16.4 million sold 2015
  • CHINA to sell 19 million vehicles THIS YEAR IN 2011!!!
• Hybrids and electric vehicles
  • 3% of all vehicle sales for 2010 were Hybrids
  • In 2015, Hybrid and Electric vehicles will rise to 8% total sales
  • By 2020, a whopping 29% of all vehicle sales will be Hybrids or Electric!
• Chrysler CEO, Sergio Marchionne
  • Chrysler will pay back every cent to the US Government
  • Hybrid will be the next generation minivan
  • 130 dealers will carry the FIAT brand
  • More than 80% of Chrysler dealers are profitable; most since 2000
  • 2011, Chrysler predicts it will sell 2 million vehicles
  • The average age of vehicles on the road today are 10.2 years old. A decade ago, it was 8 years old. Marchionne says this means potential for industry growth
  • Marchionne clearly states, as long as he's CEO of Chrysler, ALFA ROMEO will not be for sale!