CATA News

For the past seven years, Chicagoland’s new-car dealers have led the charge in supporting hometown heroes by hosting Barbecue for the Troops community fundraisers for the USO of Illinois. 

While this year is unique, local dealers know the need is there — perhaps now more than ever — to help local military families, which is why dealerships are encouraging the public to stop in on Saturday, Oct. 3, or at any time in the month of October, to make a donation to the USO of Illinois. Donations also are accepted online through participating dealership websites and at DriveChicago.com. 

The partnership between the Chicago Automobile Trade Association and the USO of Illinois dates to 2013 when the first Barbecue for the Troops fundraisers were held. Since then — and nearly 600 fundraisers later — local dealerships have rallied their communities in support of the USO of Illinois to raise nearly $900,000 for local military who are serving on the home front during the COVID-19 pandemic and on the frontlines around the world.

"Despite these challenging times, it’s evident that dealers want to make a difference," said CATA Chairman Kevin Keefe. "The mentality to help others is deeply rooted within local car dealers, and they’re among the first to roll up their sleeves and help when people need it most. 

"While the USO Barbecue for the Troops campaign is just one of many charitable initiatives that dealers support, it’s a perfect example of how these local businesses can rally their communities like not many can to all come together around one great cause." 

USO of Illinois Executive Director Christopher Schmidt said: "In these unprecedented times, the generous support of local new-car dealers and our hometown communities is more important than ever. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the brave men and women who wear the cloth of our nation continue their mission without pause, deploying around the world as well as here at home in support of the fight of COVID-19 across Illinois. 

"The USO stands with our service members and their families as the ‘Force Behind the Forces,’ continuing to provide essential services, programs and activities even through the pandemic. Thank you to all our local dealerships and their patrons — without whom we could not continue our mission." 

The CATA also is providing an opportunity for people to get involved on social media. Beginning Sept. 21, fans can nominate someone who deserves to win the contest’s grand prize, the #BBQ4Troops Ultimate At-Home BBQ. The prize is complete with a Real Urban Barbecue catering gift card, BBQ essentials for at-home grilling and a Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane autographed hockey puck. Visit Drive Chicago on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more details and to enter.

See DriveChicago.com for the complete list of dealership fundraisers on Oct. 3 and details on how to make an online donation. 

The USO, a nonprofit, non-political organization, has for more than 75 years provided Americans with a tangible way to express appreciation and gratitude for the dedication and sacrifice of the nation’s troops and their families.

For more information about the USO of Illinois, visit USOofIllinois.org.

 

Under a new system that begins its rollout Oct. 1, Illinois dealerships will use paper stock issued by the secretary of state’s office to print temporary registration permits and hand them to customers.

The change comes as an effort to improve the process and because the plastic sheath that covers the fiberboard material used for the current TRPs no longer is available, said Thomas Steven, the managing assistant to Ernie Dannenberger, director of the office’s Vehicle Services Department.

Existing TRPs will be discontinued after Nov. 3. Expirations on the new TRP will remain the same at 90 days. A secretary of state facility could issue a subsequent TRP, if needed.

In the new system, SuperUsers (an administrator or manager) will assign packages of 25 TRPs to each User (issuer), who cannot share or reallocate any from that supply. Each lost, stolen or destroyed TRP will result in a $151 fine. Further misuse of any permit will be met with a $175 fine per instance and possible loss of system access or criminal charges.

The secretary of state will reach out to dealer licensees in early October and issue usernames and passwords to access its system to generate TRPs. Based on their recent registration activity, the office also will issue licensees 90-day supplies of TRP stock.

 

The secretary of state prepared a slide deck to help train users on the new system. It faces refinement, as one field that calls for a driver’s license number actually seeks to obtain the dealership number issued by that office.

Whereas Illinois license plates can contain no more than seven characters, the new TRP features eight — six numerals separated by two letters. The smaller TRP for motorcycles has four numbers and two letters.

Dealerships must maintain envelopes to store receipts for each set of 25 TRPs plus any voided TRPs from that set. Voided TRPs must be returned on a monthly basis to Springfield.

The secretary of state is operating a hotline, (217) 524-4329, for dealership employees to call with questions.

 

Arlene Drabek, 77, the wife of longtime dealer and CATA director Lee Drabek (Gateway Chevrolet-Oldsmobile, Chicago), died Aug. 22.
  
In addition to Lee Drabek, survivors include a son, Lee "Buddy" Drabek; a daughter, Tracey Napora; four grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter. Memorials appreciated to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Bob Rohrman, who during a 65-year career built his business into one of the biggest family-owned auto groups in the nation, died Sept. 1 at age 87.
 
An Army veteran and a lifelong resident of Lafayette, Indiana, Mr. Rohrman started selling cars there in 1955. In 1963, he opened his first store, a used-car lot, also in Lafayette, then his first franchised store in 1970. The Bob Rohrman Auto Group now counts about 30 new-car dealerships selling 13 different brands and stretching from Indianapolis to Kenosha, Wisconsin.
 
Mr. Rohrman was widely recognizable from his frequent television commercials that saw him hyping cars while sometimes attired as various characters and for the blooper outtakes gathered during their production.
 
His benevolence included giving $3.5 million to his high school alma mater to help build the Rohrman Performing Arts Center, and $15 million to Purdue University to renovate what now is named Rohrman Field.
 
Mr. Rohrman often gave his customers a copy of his 2015 autobiography, "A Fantastic Ride."  Survivors include three sons, two daughters, 16 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.

 

A U.S. court of appeals on Aug. 31 overturned a fuel economy regulatory rollback implemented under the Trump administration which sought to delay the more than doubling of penalties for automakers failing to meet the requirements.
 
The decision could increase automakers’ compliance costs substantially, the auto industry argued when the Obama administration adopted the hike in 2016. The industry at large has not met the country’s fuel efficiency requirements since 2015, despite more electric vehicles being offered.
 
In its 3-0 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s rule in July 2019 that said the penalties no longer applied was far too delayed. It would have had to make that determination over their economic effects in January 2017 at the latest.
 
"We reject the NHTSA’s argument that, at the time it issued the 2019 Final Rule, it was permitted to reverse the penalty increase on the grounds that the increase would create a ‘negative economic impact,’ " Circuit Judge William Nardini wrote. "... We need not reach the merits of the NHTSA’s conclusions regarding negative economic impact because it was not authorized to undertake this reconsideration at the time it did so."
 
The NHTSA declined to comment.   
 
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade association for the automotive industry in Washington, D.C., did not immediately have comment.
 
As a part of wide-ranging reforms to civil penalties ordered in 2015 by Congress, the NHTSA issued rules to raise fines to $14 from $5.50 for every 0.1 mpg of fuel more that new vehicles use over the standards.

A group of states that did not include Michigan and two environmental groups challenged the Trump administration’s decision to ignore the increase. They noted that the penalties had increased once in more than 40 years — to $5.50 from $5 in 1997 — and that inflation had reduced their impact.
 
When automakers do not meet the standards, they can purchase credits from their competitors or pay the fines that have cost companies in the tens of millions of dollars.
 
Detroit manufacturers lagged behind foreign-owned competition in meeting the fuel economy standards. General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles ranked 12th, 13th and 14th, respectively, among the 14 manufacturers measured, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency.
 
In a separate case, a group of 23 states sued the administration over its March decision to roll back annual increases in vehicle efficiency from 5% through 2026 to just 1.5%.

 

New-vehicles sales in August, overall, were down 11% compared to last year, according to estimates from industry forecaster ALG. In July, the decline was 15%.
 
Several factors outside of the control of automakers hurt sales results. There were two fewer sales days last month as compared to August 2019, and sales over Labor Day weekend last year fell within August, but this year will be tallied in September.
 
As a result, for many automakers, their daily selling rate, or the number of new-vehicle sales per selling day, showed a much less negative month.

Regardless, tight inventory across the industry weighed heavily. Toyota, Lexus, and BMW all had inventories of less than 40 days — normal levels are around 60 days — and as Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist at Cox Automotive, pointed out, "Obviously, you can’t sell what you don’t have."
 
Transaction prices also slipped slightly compared to July, but remain up 3.9% compared to the same time period in 2019.
 
"Vehicles are continuing to sell at higher transaction prices when compared to the prior year even amidst the pandemic," said Eric Lyman, Chief Industry Analyst for TrueCar subsidiary ALG. "However, we are seeing month-over-month declines in average transaction price since May due to pullbacks on the richer automaker incentives that were in the market at the beginning of the pandemic.
 
"Consumers leaned into those offers to upgrade to higher priced trims and models, which drove up transaction prices."

 

The U.S. government’s road safety agency is offering a smartphone app that will alert drivers if their vehicles are recalled.
 
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rolled out the free app for both Android and Apple phones on Aug. 27.
 
Owners key in or scan their 17-digit vehicle identification number, and the app will search the agency’s database for recalls. If there is an open recall, the app will send an alert, the agency said.
 
People also can add child seats, trailers and tires, and the app will check those for recalls.

 

Private services such as Carfax already offer similar apps for vehicle recalls, but this is a first by NHTSA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Owners already could go to www.nhtsa.gov/recalls and check the NHTSA database for recalls. DriveChicago.com also has a prominent link to the NHTSA database.
 
Full information about the app can be found at www.nhtsa.gov/safercar-app.
 
The safety agency said vehicle information is kept on the owner’s phone and no personal information is shared with the government.
 
"The SaferCar app allows you to store your information locally on your device, and then the app goes to work to inform you of recalls as they occur," NHTSA Deputy Administrator James Owens said in a statement.
 
The NHTSA says that one in four vehicles now on the road has an unrepaired recall, which is a safety risk. Automakers must fix safety recall problems at no cost to owners. The CATA’s current advertising encourages car owners to take their vehicles to a new-car dealership to have them checked for open recalls, then to get the free recall service work.
 
Last year, 53 million vehicles, car seats, tires and equipment were recalled, according to the agency.

 

The U.S. government’s road safety agency is offering a smartphone app that will alert drivers if their vehicles are recalled.
 
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rolled out the free app for both Android and Apple phones on Aug. 27.
 
Owners key in or scan their 17-digit vehicle identification number, and the app will search the agency’s database for recalls. If there is an open recall, the app will send an alert, the agency said.
 
People also can add child seats, trailers and tires, and the app will check those for recalls.

 

Private services such as Carfax already offer similar apps for vehicle recalls, but this is a first by NHTSA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Owners already could go to www.nhtsa.gov/recalls and check the NHTSA database for recalls. DriveChicago.com also has a prominent link to the NHTSA database.
 
Full information about the app can be found at www.nhtsa.gov/safercar-app.
 
The safety agency said vehicle information is kept on the owner’s phone and no personal information is shared with the government.
 
"The SaferCar app allows you to store your information locally on your device, and then the app goes to work to inform you of recalls as they occur," NHTSA Deputy Administrator James Owens said in a statement.
 
The NHTSA says that one in four vehicles now on the road has an unrepaired recall, which is a safety risk. Automakers must fix safety recall problems at no cost to owners. The CATA’s current advertising encourages car owners to take their vehicles to a new-car dealership to have them checked for open recalls, then to get the free recall service work.
 
Last year, 53 million vehicles, car seats, tires and equipment were recalled, according to the agency.

 

The U.S. government’s road safety agency is offering a smartphone app that will alert drivers if their vehicles are recalled.
 
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rolled out the free app for both Android and Apple phones on Aug. 27.
 
Owners key in or scan their 17-digit vehicle identification number, and the app will search the agency’s database for recalls. If there is an open recall, the app will send an alert, the agency said.
 
People also can add child seats, trailers and tires, and the app will check those for recalls.

 

Private services such as Carfax already offer similar apps for vehicle recalls, but this is a first by NHTSA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Owners already could go to www.nhtsa.gov/recalls and check the NHTSA database for recalls. DriveChicago.com also has a prominent link to the NHTSA database.
 
Full information about the app can be found at www.nhtsa.gov/safercar-app.
 
The safety agency said vehicle information is kept on the owner’s phone and no personal information is shared with the government.
 
"The SaferCar app allows you to store your information locally on your device, and then the app goes to work to inform you of recalls as they occur," NHTSA Deputy Administrator James Owens said in a statement.
 
The NHTSA says that one in four vehicles now on the road has an unrepaired recall, which is a safety risk. Automakers must fix safety recall problems at no cost to owners. The CATA’s current advertising encourages car owners to take their vehicles to a new-car dealership to have them checked for open recalls, then to get the free recall service work.
 
Last year, 53 million vehicles, car seats, tires and equipment were recalled, according to the agency.

 

Since the proliferation of the coronavirus pandemic, cars are taking on even more functions, proving they’re not just for getting people from point A to point B.

 

Two separate surveys showed that many people are increasingly using their cars to get away from the people they live with, get a change of scenery, take a nap, make a personal or business call, get some "me" time or just to feel normal again.
 
"I had to drive out to the suburbs recently. I have two teens and it was my first time in a while being out of the house," said Jenni Newman, editor-in-chief of Cars.com in Chicago. "It was my first feeling that life was normal again. I was singing loudly and having a great time. It hit me, it was a fabulous soothing bond for my soul."
 
These new uses for vehicles are changing what consumers want to buy in their next cars. For example, some consumers said they now want off-road capability and more space in their next vehicle. Some people seek added technology so they can work in their car or have entertainment during road trips. In some metro areas, there has been an uptick in searches for sedans.
 
"The commute isn’t part of our life anymore, so getting back in the car is part of the fun and experiencing driving again," Newman said. "It’s a bubble on wheels for many of us."

 

The new date night
Kim Sperling and her husband Bruce, both 46, have reinvented their date night. Every Sunday afternoon when her parents babysit their 8- and 7-year-olds, the couple take off in their 2018 Chevrolet Suburban SUV.
 
"We go for a drive and that would be our date day," Kim said. "We go and get a milk shake and a lot of times end up taking a nap in our car. We talk for a while and turn on the air conditioning and fall asleep."
 
The suburban couple started the drive-dates in April because, "We realized we’d lose our mind if there wasn’t some way for my husband and me to connect," Kim said. Also, it was a chance to just get away from the kids and have a change of scenery.
 
In an April study by Cars.com, 53% of parents who responded to the survey said they "used their cars to hide from their kids, which is hilarious and also relatable," Newman said.
 
The study had 990 respondents, 445 of whom were parents. One in four of the respondents also said they use their vehicle as a makeshift office because it was quiet, Newman said.

 

Off-roading in Dr. Ben
A two-part study done by TrueCar found that 73% of the 2,000 respondents said they used their cars as a private space to get away from the people they live with. The first part of the study was done in March and the second part in July. TrueCar surveyed people ages 18 to 60-plus, an equal mix of men and women, said Wendy McMullin, director of research at TrueCar.
 
Her own colleagues were an inspiration to do the study, McMullin said.
 
"We have had Zoom meetings where their background is their vehicle," McMullin said. "They’re using it as an office when they need a quiet and isolated space or a place to escape. We also saw a good portion of people who said they were taking it out just for a drive, going nowhere, except to get time for themselves."
 
Beyond becoming a haven for "me time," other activities the TrueCar respondents said they use a car for:

 

• Leisurely drives (56% of respondents)
• Road trips (45% of respondents)
• To carry home improvement supplies (37% of respondents)
• A place to take business or personal phone calls (37% of respondents)
• As a makeshift office space (32% of respondents)
• Off-roading (26% of respondents)

 

Also, seven in 10 of the respondents said they think of their car as an extension of their home and as a part of their family. Car owners said they felt an emotional attachment to their cars, with 35% of respondents naming their vehicles. The most creative names included Betsy, Birtha, Bumblee, Cherry, Dr. Ben and Falcon.
 
"We asked about life moments experienced in the car and we had large portion say they got their first kiss in a car or shared major life news such as where they learned they’d become a parent," McMullin said.

 

Changing consumer desires
TrueCar also found people are starting to identify features they want in their next car compared to what they desired pre-pandemic, said McMullin.
 
"Comfort is the top one selected," she said. "People say they want to do more off-roading or have more space or better connectivity and more technology."
 
Close to one-third of those surveyed said they want off-roading capability in their next car. A third of the vehicles currently sold are not capable of off-road driving, McMullin said, adding, "So this represents more people saying they want that capability than we currently see in car sales."
 
The added technology satisfies people working in their cars to get quiet time. In the Sperlings’ case, they foresee more family road trips in the future, so they would pay to activate Bluetooth and have other in-vehicle technology.
 
"Our next car we get, we will buy a car with Bluetooth and built-in TVs in the car," Kim Sperling said. "We thought we’ll probably road trip now and wish we had that."

 

RVs and car sales rise
At Feldman Automotive, which has eight new-vehicle dealerships in Michigan and three in Columbus, Ohio, consumer preferences are shifting as people use their vehicles as an "escape" compared to pre-pandemic, said Dave Katarski, COO of Feldman.
 
"We have also seen it in the RV business," Katarski said, referring to Mark Wahlberg Airstream & RV in Columbus, Ohio, which the group co-owns. "People are buying RVs like crazy and they need a truck or SUV to tow the trailers."
 
Beyond that, Cars.com said consumer searches for vehicles with moonroofs and sunroofs inched up 1.5% compared with the year-ago period, said Allison Phelps, a spokeswoman for Cars.com. Cars.com also found that 29% of shoppers who were in the market to buy a vehicle over Labor Day weekend said they would be looking for a convertible. It was the third most popular choice.
 
"We also witnessed an uptick in search activity for sedans," Phelps said. "People searching for sedans increased 14 percentage points higher than the growth in overall search activity from April to June."
 
Phelps said major metro hubs saw more significant growth in sedan activity than the rest of the country. In New York City, sedan searches were 41 percentage points higher, Chicago was 24 percentage points higher, and Los Angeles was 4 percentage points higher than the overall increase in searches on the site, Phelps said.
 
"People are being hyper cautious about public transportation and ride-sharing and so they’re turning to vehicle ownership to get to where they need to go," Newman said.