The 65-day rule that keeps dead weight off this dealer’s lot

At WE Auto, aging inventory doesn’t get a second life.

That was the message from Dealer Principal Michael Speigl on Daily Dealer Live, where he broke down the group’s hardline approach to used-car management.

The rule is simple: once a car hits 65 days on a lot, it’s a full write-off under a separate “13th month” accounting bucket.

No transfers. No markdown marathons. No second chances.

• It’s a policy Speigl has enforced for over a decade—pandemic, chip crisis, or not. And now, with tariffs and supply volatility back in play, he’s not backing down.

Because that structure matters.

He said it keeps the books clean, protects store performance metrics from dragging losses, and forces every manager to focus on what’s working now, not what looked good 45 days ago.

Yes, but his team’s discipline doesn’t start at day 66. 

It starts at the buy…

Which is why every unit is selected knowing the clock starts the moment it hits the lot.

• Speigl said the group has historically been aggressive on used-car sourcing. 

• But with new-car flow still unpredictable and tariffs clouding the forecast, they’ve pulled back, tightening their used-to-new ratio and holding the line through Q2.

His timing play? Summer.

Until then, he said there’s no chasing. No rooftop swaps. No Hail Marys.

And if a unit doesn’t sell within the window, it’s out. 

Simply put: It’s a system built to cut through emotion, stay grounded in real demand, and move fast when the market shifts. That’s the edge.

Big picture: Aging bets are getting riskier. WE Auto’s hard cutoff keeps them clear, lean, and ready to pivot.

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