Ford ordered to pay $18M to Arkansas dealer group, Stellantis’ rebuild gets leaner, Canadian autoworkers lend helping hand

Hey everyone. It’s Friday—and we’ve got great three great jobs hitting the CDG Job Board.

• Hudson Automotive Group: Director of Fixed Operations (Tennessee)

• Car Wars: Account Executive (Texas)

• DealerStrong: General Manager (Indiana)

So, if you’re looking to hire or are on the hunt for a role—visit the CDG Job Board. It’s free. Every time.

— CDG

Tariffs could wipe out sub-$30K cars:

1) Nearly half of all cars sold face tariff impacts.

2) And analysts are predicting that the price of cars could rise as much as 20%.

3) However—economist Jonathan Smoke says that even a 17% increase would effectively eliminate cars under $30K.

Bottom line: If tariffs stick—entry-level pricing might need a whole new definition.

(Data source: Cox Auto’s chief economist Jonathan Smoke via Auto Finance News)

1. Dealer group wins $18M judgment against Ford over blocked dealership sale

Auto Dealership Partners (ADP) just scored a big win against Ford—with a court awarding them $18 million in damages.

But for what?

According to the court—Ford misused its right of first refusal to block ADP’s purchase of a Ford dealership and rerouting the deal to another buyer.

What we know: ADP’s Larry Crain Jr. referred to the verdict as a win for fairness in the industry—while Ford plans to appeal.

(Go deeper: 2 min. read)

2. Stellantis pushes for faster decision-making in bid to rebuild momentum

Stellantis is shaking up its leadership and focusing on regional strategies to reclaim lost ground in 2025.

In 2024, the automaker’s struggles (high inventories, unhappy dealers, shrinking market share) were hard to ignore.

But now? The tide is turning.

And with a leaner executive team and a focus on local markets—decisions are being made faster and more efficiently.

Will Stellantis turn things around? We’ll see…

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

Courtesy transportation is no longer a nice-to-have.

It’s a need-to-have.

That’s why 80% of dealership respondents agree that providing courtesy rides with Uber has helped retain customers, based on Uber’s survey of 79 organizations in 2023.

With Central, you can request an Uber ride on behalf of your customers, even if they don’t have the Uber app. Car dealerships love using Uber because it’s a simple way to offer white-glove customer service, supplement loaner cars or shuttles, and manage parts pickup and delivery. 

Dealers can request one-way or round-trip rides, add multiple riders and locations, set spend caps, and even monitor trips in real time.

Plus, you'll get monthly reports to keep track of everything.

If you’re ready to reduce the costs associated with maintaining shuttles and limit the liability of loaner vehicles, it's time to partner with Uber for Business.

3. Canadian autoworkers are helping Ford and GM race the tariff clock

As the April 2 tariff deadline nears, Canada’s auto union is teaming up with Ford and GM to move engines and vehicles across the U.S. border.

The goal is simple—protect jobs on both sides.

And this last-minute push could help keep vehicle prices stable—for now.

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

• Stellantis offers UAW workers in Detroit, Toledo buyouts

• Tesla owners are trading in their EVs at record levels, Edmunds says

• Ford Super Duty engines from Canada, Mexico in tariff crosshairs

• GM, Hyundai said to be near deal to share pickups, electric vans in North America

• Tesla removed from Vancouver International Auto Show on safety concerns

Thanks for reading everyone.

— CDG