Dealer News Today Podcasts

“There’s a lot of money out there even today” || Charlie Chesbrough, Senior Economist, Cox Automotive

September 20, 2022 Dealer News Today Season 5 Episode 3
Dealer News Today Podcasts
“There’s a lot of money out there even today” || Charlie Chesbrough, Senior Economist, Cox Automotive
Show Notes

It’s no exaggeration to say Charlie Chesbrough is one of the top minds in automotive economic analysis. Michigan born and bred, Charlie intimately knows the US auto industry as well as the international outlook from companies abroad, with 20 years of experience in his field. He has been recognized many times for his predictive accuracy and is active in industry organizations such as the Detroit Association for Business Economics.

On this episode, Charlie talks with our host Derek D about the ways in which Cox Automotive is uniquely positioned to analyze a wealth of data, why he’s no fan of strategies that involve pricing over MSRP, and why the microchip shortage is just one facet of a much larger supply chain issue. Plus, he discusses pricing discipline (and why it’ll be key in the near future), how long the auto industry can maintain a seller’s market, and more.

Charlie Chesbrough | Cox Automotive

Episode Highlights:

  • Why the brands that are coping the best with the chip shortage have shifted in the past year-plus
  • The ways in which franchised, multi-point dealers are able to leverage the current market better than independent dealers
  • The shared plans of the Biden administration and major domestic car makers to shift the supply chain long-term
  • How economic growth could combine with scrapping percentages to form a huge demand spike in the used car market

“When we really saw the inventory situation get substantially worse, the inventory saw itself with empty dealer lots… as a result of that, we’ve seen that the margins have strengthened dramatically, both for dealers and the manufacturers themselves. Although COVID was a huge crisis, it has presented an opportunity for the industry to become lean and mean.”

— Charlie Chesbrough

|| Dealer News Today is a DCG Media production