Inside Automotive with Jim Fitzpatrick, powered by CBT News
Inside Automotive is a groundbreaking show that offers a captivating blend of dealership news, automotive retailing best practices, and cutting-edge industry insights from top executives and analysts. Featuring trailblazing industry insiders, this show offers a comprehensive look into the latest happenings within dealerships, highlighting key trends and developments. Through interviews with successful dealers, expert analysis, and practical advice, viewers gain valuable knowledge on implementing effective strategies, improving operations, and navigating the ever-changing automotive landscape. For more like this visit us at CBTNews.com.
Episodes
124 episodes
Can Stellantis Turn It Around? One Dealer Thinks So
As affordability pressures continue to weigh on the automotive market, Stellantis dealers are navigating tighter margins, limited inventory, and shifting product strategies. In this episode, Dave Kelleher, President of David Auto Group, shares ...
How Dealers Can Improve Close Rates Without More Leads
As dealerships compete for sales in a more normalized inventory environment, RevDojo Founder and CEO Kyle Disher says many stores are missing opportunities after the first customer contact. In this episode, Disher explains why dealers may not n...
The Leverage Problem Facing Today’s Dealerships
As dealership profits tighten, Dave Mondragon, Founder and CEO of AutoTrust Dealer Alliance, says many retailers are facing a leverage problem rather than an operational one. In this episode, Mondragon explains how collective scale can help ind...
The New Rules of Dealership Visibility in an AI Search World
AI is reshaping how consumers discover dealerships and make vehicle-buying decisions online. In this episode, Robert DeGeorge, Director of Product Consulting for Dealer.com and VinSolutions Retail Solutions & Sales, explains why dealers mus...
Nathan Shaver Explains Why Fixed Ops Is Driving Dealer Growth
As dealers navigate affordability challenges, evolving compliance expectations, and increased global competition, fixed operations have become more important than ever. In this episode, Nathan Shaver, Managing Partner at Shaver Automotive Group...
The Auto Industry's Case Against Chinese Vehicle Expansion
As concerns over vehicle affordability grow, a new debate is emerging around whether Chinese automakers should be allowed greater access to the U.S. market. In this episode, Mike Darrow, Chairman of the American International Automobile Dealers...
Why Dealership Buy-Sell Activity Surged 21% in Q1 2026
Dealership mergers and acquisitions continue to accelerate despite economic uncertainty. In this episode, Ryan Kerrigan, Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors, examines the forces driving a surge in dealership buy-sell activity and what the la...
Erin Keating on Why Dealer Confidence Is Rising Despite Growing Concerns
Dealer confidence is improving, but uncertainty continues to shape the outlook for the automotive retail industry. In this episode, Erin Keating, Executive Analyst at Cox Automotive, breaks down the findings from the Q2 2026 Cox Automotive Deal...
Why Connected Systems Matter More Than Ever for Dealers
As AI adoption accelerates and pricing transparency remains under regulatory scrutiny, dealerships face growing pressure to modernize their operations. In this episode, Michael Affronti, Chief Product & Business Officer at DriveCentric, dis...
Mike Gilson on Making AI Accessible to Every Dealership Employee
Mike Gilson, CEO of Conversica, joins us to discuss how AI is helping dealerships uncover hidden revenue opportunities buried within their existing data systems.As dealerships generate massive amounts of information through sales, servic...
Breaking Down the Sales-Service Divide in Automotive Retail
As economic uncertainty pushes consumers to keep their vehicles longer, dealerships are searching for more efficient ways to drive sales and retention. In this episode, Sharon Kitzman, CEO of Affinitiv, explains why the service lane remains one...
Why Dealers Are Pulling Back on Advertising Amid FTC Scrutiny
This episode explores the growing impact of FTC advertising compliance rules on automotive retail with David Spisak, CEO of Disruptive Growth Solutions.Spisak breaks down why the FTC’s expanded enforcement efforts are creating significan...
How Consumer AI Is Reshaping the Car-Buying Experience
Devin Daly, co-founder and CEO of Impel, joins Inside Automotive to discuss the evolving landscape of FTC compliance, pricing transparency, and the growing role of AI in automotive retail.As regulators continue scrutinizing dealership pr...
Fair Pricing, FTC Scrutiny, and the Future of Dealer Marketing
John Fitzpatrick, President and CEO of Force Marketing, joins Inside Automotive to discuss the growing compliance challenges facing dealerships and the industry's response to increased FTC scrutiny.As dealers navigate evolving expectatio...
The Next Generation of Automotive Retail Leadership
Jane Vaden Thacher, President of Vaden Automotive, and Jack Thacher, the group's Director of F&I, join Inside Automotive to discuss dealership growth, digital retailing, affordability challenges, workforce retention, and the future of famil...
Ed Garsten on Why Hybrids Continue to Outpace EV Adoption
Ed Garsten, Senior Contributor at Forbes, joins Inside Automotive to discuss the future of EV adoption, affordability challenges, and the evolving competitive landscape facing the automotive industry.While rising fuel prices have renewed...
How Dealers Can Prepare for Increased FTC Scrutiny
Aaron Baldwin, CEO of automotiveMastermind, joins Inside Automotive to discuss how tightening Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations are reshaping automotive advertising, pricing transparency, and dealer compliance strategies.As regu...
Why Dealers Need a GEO Strategy Now
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how consumers research and shop for vehicles, and dealerships must adapt to a new era of search. On this episode of Inside Automotive, automotive marketing experts April Simmons, Kevin Frye, Brooke Furniss, ...
Kelley Blue Book’s Micah Tindor on Negative Equity and Used-Car Demand
Micah Tindor of Kelley Blue Book joins Inside Automotive to discuss how affordability pressures, inventory shortages, and changing consumer behavior are reshaping the used-car market.As vehicle prices remain near record highs and interes...
Peter Cooper on Affordability, FTC Scrutiny, and Dealer Survival
Dealers are facing an unprecedented mix of challenges, from tariffs and affordability concerns to FTC scrutiny, inventory shortages, AI adoption, and the potential entry of Chinese automakers into the U.S. market. In this episode of Inside ...
How Dealers Can Stay Profitable Amid Affordability Pressures
Profitability in automotive retail is increasingly tied to flexibility, transparency, and operational discipline, and Jeff Rosen shares how his group is adapting to meet the moment.On this episode of Inside Automotive, Jeff Rose...
How MADA’s NextGen Leaders Are Preparing Dealers for the Future
The future of automotive retail depends on how the next generation of dealership leaders responds to rapid change, and this episode explores how Missouri dealers are preparing for it.On this episode of Inside Automotive, MADA Pr...
Tom Maoli on Why Inventory Could Become the Industry’s Biggest Challenge
On this episode of Inside Automotive, Tom Maoli, CEO of Celebrity Motor Car, discusses how global instability, evolving policy, and supply chain pressures are shaping dealer strategy and consumer behavior across the automotive industry.M...
Laura Perrotta on Affordability, Direct Sales, and Industry Challenges
On this episode of Inside Automotive, Laura Perrotta, President of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJ CAR), examines the growing pressures facing franchised dealers—from illegal broker activity and FTC pricing scrutiny to emer...
Don Hall Warns Dealers About the Risks of Chinese Vehicle Imports
On this episode of Inside Automotive, Don Hall, President of the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association (VADA), discusses the growing concerns surrounding Chinese automakers entering the U.S. market, national security risks tied to connected v...