If a new vehicle owner cannot quickly view product information and easily determine whether a specialty-equipment part is right for them, that sale can be lost forever. Why? Because according to SEMA market research, 40% of all specialty-equipment parts are purchased within the first month of owning...

Filler for eNews

There's no doubt about it: Customer opinions about your company and its products and services can mean success or failure for an automotive aftermarket business. Understanding the aspects of your business that drive satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) can put you a step ahead of your competition. This...

Filler for eNews

Ace spy photographer Brenda Priddy tells us that it's been over a year since she and her network first spotted the C197 mule, the car that is to become the next Mercedes-Benz to sport the brand's iconic gullwing doors. At that time, the car was a cobbled-together tester with slapped-on Viper parts.

Filler for eNews

SEMA defeated California legislation to require annual (rather than biennial) smog-check inspections for vehicles 15 years old and older. The bill would also have required that funds generated through the additional inspection fees be deposited into an account which could then be used to scrap older...

Last February, Congress raised the annual expensing limits to $250,000 (from $128,000) for 2008 when a company purchases new machinery and equipment. Otherwise, the cost is generally spread over a number of years as the property depreciates in value. The depreciation is referred to as a "Section 179...

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has delayed the effective date for the revised lighting standard, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, from September 1, 2008 to December 1, 2009. The extra time is necessary to confirm that there were no changes of...