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Hey everyone,
Quick heads up—CDG Recruiting has a client in Iowa hunting for a proven General Sales Manager.
They want a no-nonsense leader with 5+ years of GSM experience.
The best part? This role offers a clear path to step into a General Manager position within 6 months.
If that’s you (or someone you’d vouch for), email Steven.
— CDG
First time reading the CDG Newsletter?
Average new car transaction prices are the highest they been so far this year:
In August, the ATP was $49,077, up 0.5% from July and 2.6% YoY—the largest annual gain in more than two years.
The primary reasons: The average MSRP is trending up as model year 2026 vehicles arrive on dealer lots, and incentives spending is softening.
The signal: Higher costs are here, and they are arriving one step at a time.
(Data source: Cox Automotive)
Mark Miller Subaru’s three strict rules for successful one-price selling
Mark Miller Subaru killed price negotiations more than a decade ago, and reshaped the entire sales floor in the process.
Deal times dropped from two to three hours to as little as 30 minutes.
Salespeople now average 14–16 cars a month (vs. 8–12 industry-wide)
And turnover has nearly vanished
How it works: There are no haggling on price, no trade-in games, and no F&I manipulation—just flat, volume-based compensation that rewards consistency.
Big picture: By holding firm on one-price selling (even when customers pushed back) Miller built credibility with buyers and staff.
A quick word from our partner
Remember back in Jan/Feb when VDP views held steady but opportunities fell off a cliff?
Hard to recall without the data, right?
2025 has certainly been a rollercoaster – new-vehicle opportunities rising, falling, and climbing again. And now, you can actually see the ride.
Foureyes is helping dealers stay plugged into lead and shopping activity with their live data dashboards.
This is one you’ll want to bookmark.
Automotive tech CEOs clash over AI’s future role in the BDC
AI is quickly reshaping dealership operations, but industry CEOs are split on just how far it will go.
The details:
Recently on Daily Dealer Live, Podium CEO Eric Rea said AI is already boosting test drives while shrinking headcount, predicting BDCs will eventually disappear.
But Mia Labs CEO Brian Hoang pushed back, arguing the real play is redeploying staff into higher-value, customer-facing roles once AI takes repetitive tasks off their plate.
Others, like Numa’s CEO Tasso Roumeliotis and Toma founder Monik Pamecha, staked out the middle—advocating for humans to control outbound demand generation, and let AI handle the other stuff.
Bottom line: The panelists agreed that the BDC is ground zero for AI disruption, but finding the right balance will depend on each dealership’s needs.
Jaguar Land Rover faces weeks of production delays caused by cyberattack
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber woes keep piling up, announcing that its manufacturing operations will be halted for at least another week.
This week, JLR told employees, suppliers, and partners it won’t restart operations until Sept. 24, though insiders warn the disruption could drag into November.
And the financial toll is mounting fast.
Production losses of an estimated 1,000 vehicles a week are costing roughly £50M ($68M).
And analysts predict the shutdown could shave £120M ($163M) off profits overall.
The takeaway: Cybercrime is now a frontline risk for automakers, where global supply chains and IT-heavy production systems amplify every hit.
Missed yesterday’s episode of Daily Dealer Live?
Presented by:
Jeff Miller on selling one-price Subarus, DriveCentric CEO on CRM innovation
Featured guests:
Jeff Miller, CEO of Mark Miller Subaru
Matt Leone, CEO of DriveCentric
Nissan USA's "golden boy" Vinay Shahani resigns as sales and marketing chief
Used car pipelines are transforming—here's how dealers are building multiple buying channels
