I have good news and I have great news. The good newsthis issue has broken all sales records for a non-NADA convention issue. In fact, it's our second biggest issue of all time after this year's February NADA convention issue. The great newsDEALER will be published monthly starting January 2000! Thanks to your strong readership and response to our editorial and advertisers, you will receive DEALER every month next year. And we will stay true to our mission as the dealer advocate publication. After all, we couldn't have done it without you. Thank you.
If our 16-page Digital Dealer section in this issue doesn't get your attention about the potential of the internet, the fact that there are five internet-specific conferences in the next two months might. My top two picks would be Jim Muntz' Auto Retailing on the Web conference (October 10-13, www.dealersedge.com) and the Customer Relationship Management for Internet Auto Sales conference (November 10-11, www.firstconf.com/auto/crm) of which DEALER is a sponsor. Besides the usual suspects from the internet side, the CRM for Auto Sales conference will feature car guys like Jeff DeBoer of Lithia Auto Group, Blandon Plater of Hendrick Automotive and former Cover Story Dealer Jon Lancaster. Mike McFall will give AutoNation's perspective and Tim Deese and our own Jim Ziegler will talk about the internet from the dealer's perspective. This is one of those, "if you can't go, send somebody" conferences. Call Kim Daniels at 1-800-814-3459 to register or get more info. I hope to see you there.
I had a great time spending a couple hours with this issue's Cover Story Dealer - Mel Farr. All-American in college at UCLA, All-Pro with the Detroit Lions, owner of one of the country's largest dealer groups and one of the most successful businessmen in America.He's just a really nice guy. I was quite surprised that Mel is such a softspoken man, but he is all business.
A big part of the cover story is his plan to provide personal transportation to the folks he calls "urban dwellers". You might have heard or read about some problems with a couple of his customers and his "artificial discipline" device due to some lawyer's greed, but believe me, Mel has two reasons for taking this riskto help those less fortunate and to make a profit. Last time I checked, both were still legal in America.