Thomas Ieracitano

By Larry Edsall for PickupTrucks.com On the third day of the 40th annual Barrett-Jackson classic car auction last week in Scottsdale, Ariz., the vehicle that brought the most money – a whopping $157,300 – was – wait for it – a pickup truck. Of the 250 or so vehicles that sold that day at what's billed as the "world's greatest collector car event," the highest bids weren't on the featured 1968 Ford Mustang fastback. Or the 1965 Studebaker Champion Conestoga custom wagon. Or the Dodge Viper. Or any of the Chevrolet Corvettes. Or the 1969 Chevy Camaro SS convertible. Or the 1933 Ford Highboy roadster. Or the 1938 Lincoln Zephyr convertible. Or even the well-worn 1954 Buick Special convertible that was found in the Arizona desert. It was a pickup truck – albeit a highly customized 1955 Chevrolet 3100 — that was deemed worthy of the most money. The '55 3100 (pictured at top), nominated for a Goodguys Magazine award, features a new 6.2-liter LS2 Corvette engine,...

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor and rooster tails go together like bacon and everything. Since its introduction, we've kicked up dirt, mud and rocks with both the original 5.4-liter and new 6.2-liter V-8 versions but we've never carved a Raptor through snow and ice, until now. Several weeks ago, we headed to Detroit for the 2011 North American International Auto Show. With temperatures hovering in the teens and twenties and sporadic snow showers, the climate could hardly have been more different from our backyard stomping grounds in Southern California's Mojave Desert. After spending two days hunting relentlessly for truck news inside Detroit's Cobo Hall Convention Center from before sunrise until after sunset, we needed a break. Weather that looked cold and bleak outside while eating shrimp with supermodels – really, cold soggy sandwiches and stale brownies in the company of grumpy, over-caffeinated journalists – turned into a playground for us and our friends fro...

Thank you, Thomas Ieracitano 229.251.2462 Thomas@Ieracitano.com TheDigitalCarGuy.com Can't Make it Here, We'll Take it There! Facebook Twitter   want a website or an email like this ?   go to http://123BrandMe.com -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Fw: Spied! Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Testing Daytime LED Running Lights From: "Thomas Ieracitano" < Thomas@RobertHutson.com > Date: Tue, January 25, 2011 11:30 am To: < Thomas@Ieracitano.com >   From: Mike Levine Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 1:17 AM Subject: Spied! Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Testing Daytime LED Running Lights Photos by Chris Doane for Brenda Priddy & Company It looks like Ford is contemplating adding LED daytime running lights to the F-150 SVT Raptor , as seen in our latest spy photos. The Raptor is Ford's only half-ton pickup that uses exterior LED lighting because its extra track width (for off-road stability) has to adhere to federal regulations mandati...

From: Mike Levine Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 10:53 AM Subject: Report: Parts Shortage Forces Production Pause at Ford F-150 Plant Ford is halting production of the F-150 light-duty pickup for a week due to a shortage of parts for its new 3.7-liter and 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engines, according to a report in the Detroit Free Press . "Suppliers took a lot of capacity out to get through the downturn," said Ford spokesman Todd Nissen. "As volumes have increased for our new, high-volume products, suppliers have had some issues keeping up." Nissen did not identify the suppliers or parts that caused the shortage. 3,000 workers at the plant will also go on hiatus for seven days. F-Series pickup sales grew 27.7 percent in 2010 over 2009, as the U.S. economy continued to slowly recover from its slump and businesses and core truck buyers replaced their aging pickups with new trucks. Ford has also been successful gaining market share at the expense of its c...

  From: Mike Levine Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 1:17 AM Subject: Spied! Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Testing Daytime LED Running Lights Photos by Chris Doane for Brenda Priddy & Company It looks like Ford is contemplating adding LED daytime running lights to the F-150 SVT Raptor , as seen in our latest spy photos. The Raptor is Ford's only half-ton pickup that uses exterior LED lighting because its extra track width (for off-road stability) has to adhere to federal regulations mandating illuminated marker lamps at night. There are three bright-orange LEDs mounted in the Raptor's grille, three in the center high-mounted stoplight and two each at the corners of the front and rear bumpers. The white lights on this manufacturer-plated test truck supplement the existing LEDs, with unique placement between the front bumper and fenders. The move to front LED daytime running lamps mirrors the design cues of Ford's latest cars. The Taurus sedan and Fiesta c...

  From: Mike Levine Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 10:47 AM Subject: GM Increasing Jobs, Production to Meet Demand for Heavy Duty Pickup Trucks General Motors plans to add a third shift at its heavy-duty truck plant in Flint, Mich., to meet increased demand for Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 HD pickups, according to an announcement by the company this morning. The additional shift is expected to create 750 jobs. Flint Assembly currently employs nearly 2,100 workers operating two production shifts. In 2010, the plant produced 115,000 trucks, most of them regular and crew-cab versions of the heavy-duty Silverado and Sierra. Last year, the plant added production of regular and crew-cab versions of the light-duty Silverado. "Adding a third shift is a response to customer demand for heavy-duty pickups, which most people use to tow, haul and plow," said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America. "Equally important, it brings jobs and a...

-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Discussion_Reply_To_Help_with_Lead_Source_Mix From: "DrivingSales" < no-reply@drivingsales.com > Date: Fri, January 14, 2011 10:25 am To: Thomas@Ieracitano.com Hello, A reply to a topic you're participating in has been posted by Thomas Ieracitano: Stephen, welcome to the car business!! And welcome to Driving Sales. Looks like you are off to a great start. Like the rest of us in the biz sounds like you got thrown in and you are trying to figure things out as you go and doing a great job of it. As in building any department a good solid foundation and creating a funnel with the anticipated result at the end. I agree with Bill in using a CRM or at least an ILM to create a database of leads where as you say track your progress. You will also be able to build a follow up process over time. Long Term Follow is important because some New Vehicle buyers will convert to Used Buyers and reverse. Content is key not only ...

Now What AutoTrader? December 7, 2010 by John Druien So what do you think is next on the plate for AutoTrader.com ? Take over small countries in the Caribbean? Buy Dealer groups? Nothing really seems impossible for the company that has been in acquisition mode snapping up vAuto, Kelly Blue Book and HomeNet over the last 3 months. The company is truly taking over the automotive online marketing world and is far surpassing the visibility of other players that had previously worked up to 'neck and neck.'   The next step for AutoTrader appears to be getting in the middle of the finance business. They claim that these acquisitions are based entirely on their goal of "listening to dealers." Anyone who is in the business, and that actually listens to dealers, will tell you that staying the heck OUT of the finance side of the business is really what dealers prefer. The F&I office is one of the last bastians of profit that online...

Dealers Need to Get Back to Basics Written by Ted Craig    Thursday, 13 January 2011 02:57 PM Rod Heasley still has the dealership training manual from when he started in the business in the 1970s. The advice it offers remain as relevant today as it did then. Heasley, the national sales director for AutoSave, recently presented a Back to Basics seminar for members of the Michigan Independent Automobile Dealers Association s metro chapter. The key message was dealers need to stop thinking like people who sell cars and start thinking like people who buy cars. That requires looking at every aspect of a business, including how the business looks. dealers to walk across the street and study their stores appearance. He said they need to make sure the cars are all lined up, that the window stickers are all in the same place, that old advertising banners don t clutter the lot. Heasley said he's visited dealerships before where cars on the frontline had flat tires. Th...

If you get this more than once, feel honored that you know more than one person who supports our military and appreciates what they do. If you don't forward it, you don't deserve their sacrifice. CINDY WILLIAMS was appointed by Obama as an Assistant Director for NATIONAL SECURITY in the Congressional Budget Office..... Military Pay This is an Airman's response to Cindy Williams' editorial piece in the Washington Times about MILITARY PAY, it should be printed in all newspapers across America. Ms. Cindy William wrote a piece for the Washington Times denouncing the pay raise(s) coming service members' way this year citing that she stated a 13% wage increase was more than they deserve. A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He ought to get a bonus for this. "Ms. Williams: I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GI's earn enough" and I am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted overpayment is g...

BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:2.1 N:ieracitano;thomas ORG:Robert Hutson Ford Lincoln Chrysler Dodg TITLE:Sales Manager TEL;WORK;VOICE:229-985-6603 TEL;CELL;VOICE:229-251-2462 TEL;VOICE:1-888-509-1616 ADR;WORK:;;2316 First Ave SE;Moultrie;Georgia;31788;USA LABEL;WORK;ENCODING=QUOTED-PRINTABLE:2316 First Ave SE=0D=0AMoultrie, Georgia 31788=0D=0AUSA X-WAB-GENDER:2 URL;WORK: http://RobertHutson.com EMAIL;PREF;INTERNET:Thomas@DigitalCarGuy.com EMAIL;INTERNET:Thomas@RobertHutson.com REV:20110108T171708Z END:VCARD     Thank you, Thomas Ieracitano Your Digital Sales Manager

  From: Mike Levine Sent: Friday, January 07, 2011 1:59 PM Subject: Ford Announces Fuel Economy Figures for 2011 F-150 EcoBoost V-6 Ford's all-new 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 for the 2011 F-150 has been officially rated by the EPA at 16/22 mpg city/highway for two-wheel drive trucks and 15/21 mpg for four-wheel drive models. Those numbers give the twin-turbo six-cylinder yet another boost in credibility as Ford positions the engine as a suitable replacement for larger V-8 engines, which have long been the traditional mills used for max towing and hauling duties but are known for being thirsty at the fuel pump. Using regular gas, the EcoBoost makes 365 horsepower and 420 pounds-feet of torque. Ford has already shown that the EcoBoost engine can outperform competitors' V-8s in a towing test at Davis Dam in Arizona. Ford has also demonstrated the EcoBoost's durability by torture testing a line-built engine on the dyno, pulling logs in Oregon, towing more tha...

  From: Mike Levine Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2011 10:54 AM Subject: The Ultimate Guide to US Pickup Truck Sales in 2010 Pickup truck sales rebounded in 2010, with significant volume gains over last year's depressed sales levels. Here's look at the numbers of trucks sold last year, according to sales data provided by J.D. Power and Associates. J.D. Power's "Power Information Network" figures are unique because they break out full-size truck sales into light- and heavy-duty classes. Monthly figures released by Chrysler, Ford and GM aggregate both light- and heavy-duty truck sales (including chassis cabs, when sold) into a single number without revealing class splits. J.D. Power removes the Ford F-450/F-550 commercial trucks from the tallies, so chassis cab versions aren't included. They do, however, report Ram 4500/5500 chassis sales. GM doesn't sell trucks in these classes. So, to make this fair, we're presenting Ford's fu...

5 Tips To Get You The Best Buy On Your Next Used Car These days cars a lasting much longer than they used to do with so many people cutting back on finances many families are considering buying a used car. Smart consumers know that buying a used car can be a much better deal than buying a new one if you know what you are doing. Here are some tips that you can use to make sure you get the most out of your used car purchase. 1. Due Diligence When you make any major purchase, it's Important for you to do some research and purchasing a used car is no different. If you do the right research you'll know the perfect make and model that suits your needs. You'll also be able to determine the fair market value of this type of car and therefore, you'll know when you're getting a good deal at the used car lot. In addition you'll be able to research Important details about the car, like recalls her things to look for and used models that may help when evaluating ...

SUV Prices May Drop Due to Gas Prices Gas prices rose to around $3 per gallon over the recent Christmas holiday. Overall, gas prices have almost doubled in the last 2 years, and the predictions for future prices don't look pretty. So what does all this mean for car buyers? It's likely there will be some huge price drops on SUVs and pickup trucks, while smaller cars will see price increases if gas continues to rise this year. Back in 2008 when gas prices hit record highs, consumers turned away from larger vehicles and embraced more fuel-efficient and looked at smaller cars. Some dealers, in desperation, were offering unbelievable discounts on large SUVs and pickup trucks. The reverse is also true - small and fuel-efficient cars, due to higher demand, will start seeing price increases, just as they did back in 2008. If you're thinking of buying a large SUV or pickup truck,do it now. If you're thinking of buying a compact, fuel-efficient car, you may want to wait to buy on...