Fixed ops: Advantage dealers
I have a 1994 Jaguar XJS that has been off the road for the past year and stored in my garage. I recently had it towed to a Canadian Tire store near my home (there’s no Jaguar dealership anywhere near …
Category: Opinion
Will the dealers get their share?
There have been plenty of airplane rides for me in the past few weeks. This time of year holds a number of important industry events, and the Canadian auto dealer team makes sure we cover off our fair share. I …
Cooler heads must prevail in Canada
Tit-for-tat retaliation is not the right approach to battle Trump’s tariffs Once again, our industry is being held hostage by perhaps the most unpredictable President ever to occupy the White House. As of this writing, the U.S. Department of Commerce …
Trump, tariffs and trade
Buckle your seatbelts. We are in for a bumpy ride with trade battles. Perhaps it was inspired by the desire to appear “tough” ahead of his summit with the North Koreans. Or maybe he really does believe that Canadians are …
Remembering Marchionne
Marchionne. It’s a name that will live on as a legend in the automotive industry. The news that Sergio Marchionne died suddenly at 66 rocked the business world and in particular the automotive industry. Tributes poured in from all around …
Why millennials really matter
Much has been written in these pages, and in other industry journals, about the fears that the millennial generation are growing in numbers and importance, but that they lack the passion for vehicle ownership displayed by previous generations. This has …
ZEV mandate will grab headlines
There’s lots of news to digest, but a Zero Emission Vehicle strategy will have long-lasting impact The news can seem overwhelming sometimes. It’s hard to know if there is in fact more “news” than ever these days, or if we …
A time to learn
When you are in the automotive media, it seems there’s always an event, conference or trade show worth attending. Our role as an industry magazine, after all, is to help discover and present the best ideas we come across that …
Millennial wisdom on display
Although I’m not overly fond of the way we too easily pin labels on generations and then ascribe a lot of stereotypical behaviours to them, there’s no doubt that the next generation of young people entering the workforce have some …
Mixed outlook amidst uncertainty
Canada is doing ok. But we could be doing much better. Here’s why Finance Minister Bill Morneau recently commented that his “number one priority” is enhancing Canada’s business competitiveness, particularly in the context of a recent overhaul of tax policy …
Kiwis reinventing automotive retail
In a move that seemed to arrive suddenly, but had actually been ten years in the planning, Toyota New Zealand has launched a truly disruptive approach to selling and retailing automobiles. The changes, which officially started April 2, could well …
Electrical adventures in Ottawa
As I write this I’m in Ottawa attending the National Electric Vehicle Conference & Trade Show, put on by Electric Mobility Canada (EMC). I’m here because I need to better understand the growing market, expanding infrastructure and developing regulatory environment …
