This Week at Columbus Fair Auto Auction
Wednesday, February 9th 2011
Lane Schedule: (Please Note: Tows for Lease and Dealer Units begin at 8:45 in Lane 2. Tows for Repo Sale begin at 12:00 in Lane 1) you must be present to bid on these units. All other lanes available to you Online with Online Ringman
GM-FACTORY, LEASE & DEALER CONSIGNMENT SALES (DEALER ONLY AUCTIONS)
Lane 3: Dealer Units Starting at 9:00 A.M., X-lane Vehicles, 2002 or Newer / 70,000 Miles or less, all makes and models. (Dealers Only Auction)
Lane 4: Hyundai Factory Open Sale Starting at 9:00A.M. Run #’s LL 3000 – LL 3200 (Open to all Dealers)
Lane 4: Dealer Units, Starting after the Hyundai Factory Open Sale, Run #’s 4 0001-4 9999 Dealer units 2004 & 2005 80.000 miles or less, all makes and models. (Dealer only Auction)
Lane 5: Dealer Units Starting at 9:00 A.M. Run #’s 5 0001-5 9999 Dealer special High percentage sellers Dealers only Auction.
Lane 6: Lease Sale Units, Starting at 9:00 A.M. Run #’s LL 0001- LL 0500 Featuring Sellers: GMAC, Chase Bank ARI, Smart lane Vehicles, and Miscellaneous Lease vehicles (Dealer only Auction)
Lane 7: GM Factory Closed Sale Starting at 9:30 A.M. Run #’s GM 0500- GM 0750 Featuring: Buick, Hummer, Pontiac GMC, Pontiac Saab units. (Closed Factory Sale you must be authorized GM Dealer to purchase in this sale.)
Lane 8: GM Factory Closed Sale Starting at 9:30 A.M. Run #’s GM 0751- GM 0999 Featuring: Chevrolet Units (Closed Factory Sale you must be authorized GM Dealer to purchase in this sale.)
Lane 9: Highline Sale starting at 9:30 A.M. Special Highline vehicles from Chase Bank and Dealer High Line Units Run #’s HL 1250- HL 1500
Lane 9: Dealer Units Dealer Consignment Sale, 1998 – 1997 any make or model Starting at 9:30 A.M. Run #’s 09 0001-09 0999 (Dealer Only Auction)
Lane 10: Chase Lease Sale, Starting at 9:00 A.M. Run #’s LL 2000- LL 2100 (Dealer Only Auction)
Lane 10: Dealer Consignment Sales: S-Sonic, Budget Run # S 0100- S 0300, Followed by SP Cars Germain Dealership Run #’s SP 0001- SP0100 Followed by G Units: Any make any model units Run #’s G 0301- G 0500 H-Cars Lindsey Honda Units Run #’s H 201-H 300 All Starting after the Chase (all units in this sale lane are an dealer only auction)

BANK REPO SALES (OPEN TO DEALER’S AND PUBLIC BUYERS)
Lane 1: Repo Sale 1: Featuring: AMERICREDIT Vehicles, Starting at 12:00 Noon, Run #’s R 4001-R 4149 (Open to Dealers and Public Buyers)
Lane 2: Repo Sale 2: Featuring: SANTANDER Vehicles, Starting at 12:00 Noon, Run #’s R 4150-R 4299 (Open to Dealers and Public Buyers)
Lane 3: Repo Sale 3: Featuring: Columbus Mortgage Inc, Columbus Finance Inc, Park National Bank, First Merit Bank, First Investors, Wells Fargo, Security National, Vinton County Credit Union, Central Ohio Credit Corporation, Fairfield National Bank, Ohio Health Credit Union, United Acceptance, Auto Portfolio Services, LLC, Windsor Remarketing, Auto Finance, SST Systems & Services, Coastal Credit LLC, BMI Federal Credit Union, Guardian Finance, Community America Credit Union, State Highway Patrol Credit Union, Kemba Federal Credit Union Plus many more, Starting at 12:00 Noon, Run #’s R 4300-R 4500 (Open to Dealers and Public Buyers)

If you can’t attend in person Buy Online! To Register for ONLINE RINGMAN, Please Contact Steve Micotto at 614-497-5464 or Cheryl Walters at 614-497-5415.
Hotel and Airfare Assistance available for more information please contact our telemarketing team at 614-492-2168

Columbus Fair Auto Auction is running nearly 2,000 vehicles for this week … in the Lane, Online Buying or Selling the Place to be The Columbus Fair Auto Auction.

Retail traffic drives January sales up 17 percent

Jesse Snyder
Automotive News — February 1, 2011 – 6:10 pm ET

Surging retail demand drove U.S. auto sales to another strong showing in January. Sales rose 17 percent, and the seasonally adjusted annual sales rate of 12.6 million marked the fourth straight month over the 12 million mark.

Automakers and analysts were encouraged by retail demand.

“Consumers are driving much of the gain that we’re seeing in the industry,” said General Motors U.S. sales boss Don Johnson.

Said Jesse Toprak, an analyst with TrueCar.com: “The most promising aspect about January is the retail growth. The recovery is being fueled by real, natural demand and by consumers who aren’t just buying what they need but starting to buy because they want to.”

Fleet demand was below the month’s normal 25 percent share. Last month, fleet share was about 18 percent, Toyota estimated. “So January’s retail sales were actually a bit stronger than December,” Toprak said.

Bankruptcy twins gain share
Chrysler Group and General Motors, entering their second full years post-bankruptcy, both outperformed the U.S. market. Chrysler sales jumped 23 percent, and GM was up 22 percent.

Ford the loser among Big 7
Ford Motor Co. lost market share despite a sales gain of 9 percent. A solid 22 percent increase for the Ford brand was dragged by declines of 21 percent at Lincoln and 96 percent at discontinued Mercury. Oh, and a lack of Volvo sales.

In the middle
The big Japanese brands bunched together in January sales limbo: up on units, but flat or down a bit on market share. Toyota Motor Sales rose 17 percent, Nissan North America was up 15 percent and American Honda gained 13 percent.

We have brand winners …
Cadillac sales soared 49 percent, Jaguar leapt 48 percent, and Jeep climbed 47 percent. Buick and GMC both gained 32 percent.

Other brands gaining 20 percent or more: Smart, Kia, Hyundai, Toyota, Subaru, Ford, Dodge, BMW, Mini and Audi.

… and brand losers
Lincoln: down 21 percent; Lexus (17 percent), Mazda (9 percent), Chrysler (7 percent); and Bentley (4 percent).

Trucks outsell cars
Light trucks outsold passenger cars in January, reversing a trend toward fuel-efficiency in recent years. Sales of pickups, vans, SUVs and crossovers rose 29 percent to 413,079, while cars gained 7 percent to 406,609. A year ago, cars led light trucks by almost 60,000 units.

Pickups stay hot
Despite the cold weather, sales of full-size pickups are sizzling. Led by best-seller Ford F-Series, big pickups jumped 29 percent to 94,320 units. Every nameplate posted gains between 22 and 56 percent except for the Nissan Titan, down 4 percent to 1,431.

Perhaps sales were up because of the weather. Snow removal is a big business these days in much of the country.

Gone but not forgotten
Ford is replacing GM as the automaker with sales most skewed by lingering comparisons to dead or sold brands.

In 2010, GM’s four surviving brands did well but big fall-offs at its four discarded brands from 2009 volume dragged down the corporate average. As for Ford: It was up 19 percent in January counting just Ford and Lincoln, but up only 9 percent when Volvo and Mercury are included.

Subaru starts strong, again
Subaru of America started the new year with a 21 percent sales gain. The Japanese manufacturer was the only brand to increase U.S. volume in each of the past three years.

Today the OIADA put on their first official training at the new Resource Center across the hall from their office. It was sold out with all the 30+seats filled! Great job to Jim, Christine & LJ. While displaying the products & services we market we had an opportunity to talk to the dealers. I had many say that the setting was very dealer friendly due to it being on a more personal level. They also liked the opportunity to check out various services available to them of which were on display. One statement comes to mind….It’s a 1 stop learn & shop deal here guys & gals! Make sure you get booked in for the next one. Some dealers have already got their spot reserved. No hype! Do it now!! Blessings!

This Week at Columbus Fair Auto Auction
Wednesday, February 2nd 2011
Lane Schedule: (Please Note: Tows for Lease and Dealer Units begin at 8:45 in Lane 2. Tows for Repo Sale begin at 12:00 in Lane 1) you must be present to bid on these units. All other lanes available to you Online with Online Ringman

LEASE AND CONSIGNMENT SALES (DEALER ONLY AUCTIONS)

Lane 3: Dealer Units Starting at 9:00 A.M., X-lane Vehicles, 2002 or Newer / 70,000 Miles or less, all makes and models. (Dealers Only Auction)
Lane 4: Kia Factory Open Sale Starting at 9:00A.M. Run #’s LL 1700 – LL 1800 (Open to all Dealers)
Lane 4: Dealer Units, Starting after the Kia Factory Open Sale, Run #’s 4 0001-4 9999 Dealer units 2004 & 2005 80.000 miles or less, all makes and models. (Dealer only Auction)
Lane 5: Dealer Units Starting at 9:00 A.M. Run #’s 5 0001-5 9999 Dealer special High percentage sellers Dealers only Auction.
Lane 6: Lease Sale Units, Starting at 9:00 A.M. Run #’s LL 0001- LL 0500 Featuring Sellers: GMAC, ARI, Smart lane Vehicles, and Miscellaneous Lease vehicles (Dealer only Auction)
Lane 7: H-Consignment Featuring units from Lindsay Honda. Starting at 9:00 A.M. Run #’s H 0300-H 400 (Dealer only Auction)
Lane 7: Lane 7 Dealer Consignment Starting after the H-Consignment vehicles Dealer units 2003 and older or over 100,000 miles Run #’s 7 0001-7 0300 (Dealer Only Auction)
Lane 8: Dealer Consignment Sales: S-Sonic, Budget Run # S 0100- S 0300, Followed by SP Cars Germain Dealership Run #’s SP 0001- SP0100 Followed by G Units: Any make any model units Run #’s G 0301- G 0500 All Starting after the Chase Lease sale. (Dealer Only Auction)

BANK REPO SALES (OPEN TO DEALER AND PUBLIC BUYERS)

Lane 1: Repo Sale 1: Featuring: GMAC Vehicles, Starting at 12:00 Noon, Run #’s R 4001-R 4115 (Open to Dealers and Public Buyers)
Lane 2: Repo Sale 2: Featuring: Santander Vehicles, Starting at 12:00 Noon, Run #’s R 4116-R 4289 (Open to Dealers and Public Buyers)
Lane 3: Repo Sale 3: Featuring: Huntington National Bank, Park National Bank, Auto Now Acceptance Corp., Professional Financial Services, Columbus Metro Credit Union, Main Street Financial, SST/Systems Services, Southern Remarketing Services, Graham Used Car Outlet, ACA LLC., Community America Credit Union, Corporate America Credit Union, Nicholas Financial, State Highway Patrol Credit Union, Kemba Credit Union plus many more, Starting at 12:00 Noon, Run #’s R 4290-R 4400 (Open to Dealers and Public Buyers)

If you can’t attend in person BUY ONLINE to Register for Online Ringman please contact Steve Micotto @ 614-497-5464 or Cheryl Walters @ 614-497-5415. Hotel and Airfare Assistance Available for more information please contact our Telemarketing team @ 614 492-2168

ATTENTION DEALERS: We will now pickup your No-Sale Vehicles at the Ohio Auto Auction For FREE!
*Vehicles must be entered for sale at Columbus Fair Auto Auction for/on Wednesday February 2nd 2011.
For additional information please contact J.J. at 614 497-5483

Columbus Day ! Groundhog Day! all at the Columbus Fair Auto Auction

Leaner supply chain can’t keep pace
Mike Colias
Automotive News — January 31, 2011 – 12:01 am ET

Grim forecasts that a leaner supply chain could hamper the auto recovery are coming true: Parts shortages are shutting down auto assembly plants around the world, derailing automakers’ attempts to meet rebounding demand.

“It’s beyond a trend; it’s an epidemic,” said Dan Sharkey, a suburban Detroit lawyer who works with many auto suppliers.

This week Chrysler Group expects to idle its Windsor, Ontario, minivan plant for at least a week because parts are scarce.

And Ford Motor Co. expects to reopen a suburban Detroit plant that builds the F-series pickup after a shortage of parts for V-6 engines forced a weeklong shutdown.

On Friday, Ford also closed its Kentucky Truck plant because of a parts shortage. That factory builds the F-series Super Duty pickups, Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. As of late Friday the shutdown had not been scheduled to extend into this week, a spokesman said.

In Europe this week, Volkswagen AG will halt production at its main assembly plants in Wolfsburg, Germany, because of a shortage of engine parts.

Ford also took an additional week of downtime at its Chicago assembly plant — which builds the in-demand redesigned Explorer — before and after the traditional Christmas shutdown. Ford spokesman Todd Nissen said parts shortages there have ended.

The parts shortages already have had an impact on dealers. Jack Kain, who owns Jack Kain Ford near Lexington, Ky., says he has delivered only five Explorers, “but we could have sold 15 to 20 if we had the availability.”

Many suppliers who cut capacity to the bone during the downturn either can’t ramp up quickly enough or are gun-shy about adding equipment and workers amid the fragile recovery, industry observers say.

“I see tremendous capacity constraints throughout all tiers of the supply chain,” said Sharkey, the Detroit lawyer. During the downturn, many suppliers were stung when customers’ volume projections fell woefully short, Sharkey said. Now many subsuppliers in particular can’t keep up as automakers and larger suppliers increasingly put in short-notice orders that far exceed original forecasts.

Tier 1 suppliers have had an easier time adjusting to the rebound in demand, said Bill Kozyra, CEO of TI Automotive and chairman of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association. “I would have no problem handling 14 or 15 million units of production tomorrow if that were to occur,” he said.

One particular trouble spot: suppliers of electronic components. Many are Tier 2 suppliers for whom the auto industry is a small part of their business, said Lars Holmqvist, CEO of CLEPA, the European auto supplier association.

“When the crisis came in 2008-09, they didn’t believe in the auto industry any more and closed some plants,” Holmqvist said. “They are not keen to jump back in.”

At Chrysler’s Windsor plant, which makes about 1,500 minivans a day, about 4,400 workers on three shifts will be idled this week, said Rick Laporte, president of Canadian Auto Workers Local 444. He blamed shortages of multiple parts and raw materials. Laporte and another plant employee said aluminum materials from a Chinese supplier were among the problems.

Chrysler spokeswoman Jodi Tinson declined to comment.

The parts shortages are likely to make a tight vehicle inventory situation even worse. As of Jan. 1, for example, Ford dealers had a 57-day supply of F-150s, the lowest level since Sept. 1, 2009, according to the Automotive News Data Center.

Kain, the Kentucky dealer, says it already takes weeks to fill an F-150 truck order. He’s had to ask customers to wait.

“We are short. Most dealers are,” he said. “We have about 50 percent of the stock we’d normally carry.”

Most Small Businesses Support Repeal of Health-Care Reform Citing rising costs, more than half of business owners want to do away with the health-care reform law President Obama signed last year.
By Rieva Lesonsky

How’s this for a mixed bag? Small business owners are angry (most want to do away with health-care reform), yet happy (most think business will improve in 2011), while more are walking around with their heads in the clouds (so to speak). Here’s a closer look at some of the latest small-business surveys.

Rejecting Health-Care Reform

More than half (55 percent) of small-business owners support repeal of health care reform, according to a survey conducted in early January by Discover Small Business Watch. Forty-six percent say health-care reform, as it currently stands, will hurt their businesses, while 27 percent say it will help.

Most of the business owners cite cost as the major factor in their dissatisfaction, with nearly half (47 percent) of those who currently provide health insurance considering eliminating it due to its high cost. (A word of warning: It will be especially hard to hold on to valuable employees if you ditch their health coverage.) On the other hand, 69 percent of business owners say it’s hard to find affordable health care for themselves and their employees, an increase of 4 points from last year.

The House voted earlier this month to repeal the law signed by President Obama on March 23, 2010, but the move was seen as largely symbolic because it is not expected to survive in the Senate.

Small Businesses Ready to Spend

Small-business owners are rarin’ to go, according to Manta’s Pulse of Small Business Survey. Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed — most of whom have fewer than 10 employees — plan to invest in expanding their businesses in 2011, which is a drastic contrast to the 85 percent who made across-the-board spending cuts in 2010.

Nearly half (47 percent) say their biggest expenditures will go toward marketing and sales, 24 percent will invest primarily in business development, and 23 percent plan to spend on marketing and advertising. These are all sales functions, which makes sense to me — small businesses need to get more business in the pipeline.

Cloudy and Bright?

More and more small-business owners have their heads in the “cloud” — and that’s a good thing. According to a cloud survey conducted by 7th Sense Research for Microsoft, 12 percent of small and midsize businesses have used cloud-based services to help start their businesses. Among the SMBs familiar with cloud computing, 29 percent say companies that operate in the cloud are more innovative, and 29 percent also say the cloud enables IT to be more strategic.

What are small businesses doing in the cloud? Twenty percent use or plan to implement the cloud for e-mail and communication, while 18 percent use cloud-based computer backup and storage services.

One big allure of computing in the cloud is cost. The “low cost of ownership” was cited by 42 percent of SMBs as the reason they turned to the cloud, 49 percent say using the cloud has “improved their bottom lines, and 40 percent say they’ve already saved money.

Bill would increase number of EVs eligible for U.S. rebate
Lauren Abdel-Razzaq
Automotive News — January 26, 2011 – 4:25 pm ET

DETROIT — Two Michigan congressmen want to expand the number of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles eligible for a federal tax rebate, one day after President Obama reiterated his commitment to put 1 million EVs on the road within four years.

U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., proposed legislation in the House today and his brother, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., plans to introduce a similar bill in the Senate that would increase the per-manufacturer cap on the $7,500 tax credit from 200,000 vehicles to 500,000.

The rebate was started as part of the Recovery Act of February 2009. It is currently available on five vehicles — the Chevrolet Volt, the Tesla Roadster, the Nissan Leaf, the CODA sedan and the Wheego LiFe. It is phased out after a manufacturer sells 200,000 units.

General Motors Co. has said the cap could hinder future sales of the Chevrolet Volt, which sells for $41,000, with delivery, before the credit.

To jumpstart EV demand, the White House also wants to change the $7,500 tax incentive currently available for buying an electric car into a rebate that consumers could use at the time of purchase.

Obama has pledged to expand research and development in batteries and electric drivetrain, technology, including a 30 percent increase in federal grants.

“With more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015,” Obama said in his State of the Union Address.

The administration also is extending initiatives to improve electric vehicle infrastructure in U.S. cities. As many as 30 communities across the country would be able to receive grants of up to $10 million each to install public charging stations, electrified parking space access and fleet conversions.

Vice President Joe Biden visited Ener1 Inc., a lithium-ion battery manufacturer in suburban Indianapolis today, to jumpstart the administration’s efforts.

Ener1 Inc. won a $118.5 million grant as part of the Recovery Act to expand production of batteries for plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.

The grant allowed the supplier to add 120 jobs at its Indianapolis plants in 2010, according to a White House statement.

“Green vehicles represent the vanguard of automotive innovation, but they have to be economical for consumers and profitable for manufacturers,” Sander Levin said today in a statement. “Raising the cap on this credit will help carmakers reach the demand and production scale necessary for long-term viability.”

Toyota recalls 1.7 million cars globally,
including 245,000 Lexus sedans in U.S.
Hans Greimel
Automotive News — January 26, 2011 – 5:00 am ET

TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp., struggling to restore its reputation for top quality, today recalled nearly 1.7 million vehicles globally for a variety of fuel system related problems, including 245,000 Lexus IS and Lexus GS sedans in the United States.

The North American vehicles are being called back to inspect for possibly faulty installation of fuel pressure sensors. In cases where the sensor is not fastened tightly enough, fuel can leak between the gasket that connects the sensor to the fuel delivery pipes, Toyota said.

Lexus dealers in the United States will inspect vehicles for fuel leaks. If none is found, they will tighten the sensor. If leaks are confirmed, the gasket will be replaced and the sensor tightened.

The move affects the following vehicles in the United States: 2006-2007 model year Lexus GS300/350; 2006-early 2009 Lexus IS250; and 2006-early 2008 Lexus IS350.

Today’s actions bring the total number of Toyota recalls since fall of 2009 to 18 million vehicles.

“After Toyota’s recalls last year, the company is more sensitive to recall issues and conducting them as early as possible,” Satoru Takada, a Tokyo-based analyst at TIW Inc., told Bloomberg.

The move covering the fuel-pressure sensor covers 354,524 vehicles worldwide, including the Toyota Crown and Mark X sedans in Japan.

Also today, Toyota conducted a global recall targeting faulty fuel pipes and fuel check valves. That action affects 1.34 million vehicles, but none in North America.

Toyota said there have been no accidents related to any of the recall-related problems.

About 1.2 million of the vehicles in the second recall were sold in Japan, including the RAV4 SUV and the Voxy and Noah minivans. About 135,000 vehicles are in Europe, mostly the Avensis sedan and wagon manufactured at Toyota’s plant in Britain.

A design flaw in those vehicles means that fuel pipes may develop cracks and leak. Some of the vehicles also have faulty check valves meant to prevent the reverse flow of fuel.

Openlane Inc. has partnered with the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association to offer dealers a new “NIADA-Certified” listing category on Openlane’s open auction, www.openlane.com.

This “lane” of NIADA-Certified cars will provide online buyers and sellers with the comfort that these vehicles have passed the rigorous certification requirements to earn this eligibility and can be retailed with a comprehensive warranty.

Openlane buyers can be confident that the vehicles they are purchasing have met the standards set by NIADA since they have passed the requirements outlined by the Association.

The NIADA-Certified Program is available to all dealers nationwide and offers a new standard of protection for wholesale buyers and retail customers. The program provides 12 months and 12,000 miles of comprehensive limited warranty coverage on most vehicles made between 2001 and 2011 and up to 100,000 miles.

The NIADA-Certification program is administered by National Auto Care (NAC).

Coming to the Columbus Fair Auto Auction
Wednesday, January 26th 2011
Subaru Factory Closed Sale: Subaru Franchise Dealers only. Lane 2 starting at 10:00 AM
100 Factory Vehicles running in this sale.
All Other dealers you still have a chance to buy a Subaru here… After the Subaru Factory Sale, Chase Bank will be running 50+ off lease Subaru Vehicles down lane 2. This sale is open sale to all dealers.
There will be Random Drawing following the sale for Closed Subaru Buyers. Win a Digital Camcorder (Subaru Franchise Dealers Only and you must be present in the Sale Lane to Win)
Top Internet Subaru Buyer will receive $ 100.00 in Transportation Assistance. (Check will be sent to the winning dealership)
If you can’t attend this sale in person, Buy Online both sales will available online with Online Ringman.. Please contact either Steve Micotto at 614-497-5464 e-mail smicotto@cfaa.com or Cheryl Walters at 614 497-5415 e-mail cwalters@cfaa.com
Hotel and Airfare assistance available for all the details please contact our Telemarketing Team at 614-492-2168 or e-mail Cicly Sellers at csellers@cfaa.com .
Columbus Fair Auto Auction is Proudly Celebrating 51 Years as Independently Owned and Operated Auction.

Subaru Factory Sale, Chase Off Lease Subaru Sale