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2012's Top Twenty Legal Trends for Automobile Dealers
By Eric L. Chase ^©

For the first time in almost two decades of this annual survey, there's a tie in the Top Twenty rankings - and it's a tie for #1.

As 2011 drew to a close, a strong consensus was emerging that auto franchisors were greatly increasing their dealership facility (and other) initiatives. Franchisor pressures on dealers are now historically intense - on facilities, on operational performance, on CSI, and on various other subjects. And the automakers are flexing their muscles in ways that are often perceived as coercive or threatening. These efforts are so vast and widespread that there is hardly a dealer in America that won't be affected. These factory pressures on dealers delineate the first of the two top trends.

You will be able to download a PDF of just the Top 20 Legal Trends for 2012 - complete with the checklist.

Trend Spotting
The consultants at Booz, Allen note that for U.S. automakers and suppliers, the past year can best be described as 12 months of mixed results, leaving unanswered questions about the future direction of the industry and what is required for manufacturers and suppliers to thrive. In 2011, U.S. light car and truck sales will exceed 12.5 million, a nice bump from 11.6 million in 2010 and 10.4 million in 2009. And though the most optimistic analysts forecast that U.S. vehicle sales will rise to more than 14 million in 2012, that's a far cry from 17.3 million at the turn of the millennium. Last year's U.S. sales figures might have been higher if not for the tsunami and earthquake in Japan and flooding in Thailand, which forced Toyota, Honda, and, to a lesser extent, Nissan to curtail production in virtually all of their assembly plants around the world. Auto sales growth is far more rapid in emerging nations such as China and India, with average annual sales gains since 2001 of 23 percent and 15 percent respectively.