In this episode of the Used Car Dealer Podcast, Zach talks with Amit Chandarana, CEO of Curbee, to unpack how mobile service is reshaping dealership retention—and why fixed ops is increasingly becoming a front-and-center growth engine.

Amit shares lessons from his career at Toyota, Edmunds, and Roadster, and how those experiences influence the way Curbee helps dealers operationalize mobile service (not just “buy software”). The conversation dives into the real adoption hurdles inside dealerships, why change management matters as much as technology, and how mobile service can protect shop capacity while capturing customers who would otherwise go to quick lube or independent shops.

They also break down Curbee’s newest platform release, M.A.R.S. 2 (Mobile and Remote Service)—including recall intelligence designed for mobile, fleet/multi-vehicle flexibility, and expanded DMS integrations—plus Curbee’s rebrand and what it signals about the company’s next chapter.

⏱️ Key Questions & Timestamps

00:12 – Intro & Amit’s background

01:34 – Career path + how OEM/dealer dynamics shaped his leadership

04:45 – Any other kind of learnings from Roadster or that time in DR that have bled into Curbee?

06:36 – Biggest shifts in dealership service culture over the last decade

08:07 – Curbee’s mission + the “16 choices” service-retention problem + ROI basics

11:30 – How do you balance building technology versus consulting dealers operationally on running a mobile service program?

13:07 – What is M.A.R.S. 2 and why it matters for dealers

16:17 – What’s the biggest obstacle dealers face in launching mobile service today — mindset, tech, staffing, or something else?

18:55 – 3–5 year outlook: how mobile service evolves with OEMs + expectations

20:28 – Are there emerging technologies that you believe will fundamentally change how fixed ops teams operates in the future?

21:29 – Do you see OEM and dealer partnerships evolving as mobile service becomes a core part of the service mix?

22:24 – Why Curbee rebranded + what’s next

🎧 Listen to more episodes: https://www.sellyautomotive.com/podcast
📄 Read the full transcription: https://blog.sellyautomotive.com/blog/mobile-service-fixed-ops-growth-with-amit-chandarana-of-curbee

In this episode of the Used Car Dealer Podcast, Zach talks with Paulo da Silva, who leads the digital commerce business at Cox Automotive—including e-commerce, CRM, marketing automation, and deal structuring—to unpack how transparency, omnichannel retail, and AI are redefining the car-buying experience for both dealers and consumers.

Paulo shares his journey from strategy and M&A into building direct-to-consumer businesses at Whirlpool and then stepping in to help Cox Automotive launch fully automated e-commerce capabilities. He breaks down the major inflection points he’s seen over the past decade—from the first dealer websites and early digital retailing to COVID and now AI—and what they’ve meant for used-car operations, dealer profitability, and consumer expectations around transparency.

The conversation dives into the most common digital-retail mistakes dealers still make, how to align online and in-store processes, and why a single, continuous funnel is critical to trust. Paulo also talks about bridging sales and F&I, the next frontier in omnichannel, how AI-driven tools will change the game for dealers and consumers alike, and the one digital retail practice every used-car dealer should adopt today.

⏱️ Key Questions & Timestamps

00:29 – Intro & Paulo’s background leading digital commerce at Cox Automotive

01:00 – What drew you into this space, and how has your background prepared you for the digital-retail challenge?

03:34 – What have been the key inflection points you’ve seen in automotive retail over the past 5–10 years?

06:02 – What are the most common digital-retail mistakes you see dealers make when they jump into online transactions?

09:29 – How would you describe your mission in terms of shifting the used-car business for dealers?

14:46 – How are you seeing dealers adapt to full omnichannel retailing from a process, culture, and technology standpoint?

18:29 – For independent and franchise dealers looking to ramp up their used-car business, which elements of the digital solution should they prioritize?

21:43 – From your perspective, how are AI-driven tools changing the game for dealers of all sizes?

25:22 – What are the key internal change-management or operational shifts dealers need to make to fully benefit from digital and omnichannel?

27:12 – How do you see the used-car retail landscape evolving for dealers who embrace digital vs. those who don’t?

31:29 – How do you see dealer-lender relationships, F&I processes, and aftermarket service evolving in an AI-driven, omnichannel world?

35:00 – What is one digital retail practice every used-car dealer should adopt today?

🎧 Listen to more episodes: https://www.sellyautomotive.com/podcast
📄 Read the full transcription: https://blog.sellyautomotive.com/blog/transparency-omnichannel-ai-with-paulo-da-silva-of-cox-automotive

In this episode of the Used Car Dealer Podcast, Zach talks with Derek Hansen, Vice President of Inventory Management Solutions at Cox Automotive and head of vAuto, to dig into how data, AI, and disciplined process are reshaping used-vehicle inventory strategy. Derek shares his non-traditional path from Intel and Bain & Company into automotive, and why he sees dealers as some of the most resilient and entrepreneurial operators in any industry.

They dig into variable management, scaling operations across multiple rooftops, and the “hidden variables” that separate top performers — from smarter acquisition beyond the auction lane to tightening up recon and time-to-line. Derek also unpacks the realities of AI in the store, the importance of clean data, and how dealers can build tech-enabled cultures without losing the human touch on the showroom floor.

⏱️ Key Questions & Timestamps

00:29 – Intro & Derek’s background: from Intel and Bain to leading vAuto at Cox Automotive

02:00 – How has your consulting and tech background shaped the way you think about dealer operations and the intersection of data + process?

03:13 – What are the biggest operational gaps you observed early on that still persist today?

05:15 – How does variable management differ from traditional used-car inventory practices?

07:15 – How are you aligning vAuto’s tools and roadmap to help dealers move from reacting to the market to shaping their own market?

08:42 – How do the dynamics differ between used and new inventory strategies, and how are you helping dealers stay competitive in both?

11:09 – What are the standout “hidden variables” dealers are overlooking when stocking and pricing used inventory?

12:42 – What data quality pitfalls do you see when dealerships try to adopt advanced tools – and how should they fix those foundations?

15:02 – What operational or cultural changes are required for a 50+ unit dealership to scale tech and data without losing the human touch?

17:50 – What tech or data trends will have the biggest impact on used-vehicle inventory strategy over the next 2–3 years?

19:26 – How do you see the role of inventory management tools like vAuto adapting, and what should dealers do now to prepare for the “next normal”?

21:26 – What is the “next frontier” of risk management in inventory that dealers aren’t embracing yet but should be?

22:35 – Independents vs. franchise groups: how do their innovation adoption curves differ, and how can smaller dealers stay nimble and competitive?

24:24 – Rapid Fire Q1: What’s the one KPI you think every used-car manager should track weekly?

24:55 – Rapid Fire Q2: Name one piece of tech you believe is overhyped right now – and why.

25:39 – Rapid Fire Q3: In one sentence, what’s your advice for a dealer sitting on 60+ days’ supply of used cars today?


🎧 Listen to more episodes: sellyautomotive.com/podcast

📄 Read the full transcription: https://blog.sellyautomotive.com/blog/inventory-management-with-derek-hansen-vauto