Sheehy Auto Stores look to raise $100,000 for cancer research

Washington, DC - June 3, 2011 - Sheehy auto Stores employees and friends ran in the Susan G. Komen Foundation's Global Race for the Cure in Washington, D.C., a fundraising event that has become an annual Sheehy Auto Stores tradition.

June 6, 2011, Chevy Chase, MD - John Bowis honored for work with the mentally illn

John Bowis, Chevy Chase Cars, was honored this week by St. Luke's House of Montgomery County with its Alan F. Brenner Award for "exemplary service and vision in support of individuals who are living with mental illness."

FitzMalls honored for 40,000th child safety seat inspection

Rockville, MD. May 19, 2011 - WANADA dealer member Jack Fitzgerald and his FitzMalls stores and employees were honored today at a special ceremony to mark the 40,000th child safety seat inspection the company has performed since it began the effort in 1998. On hand for the ceremony at Fitzmalls' Buick GMC dealership on Nicholson Lane in Rockville, MD, were National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief David Strickland, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Montgomery County chief executive Isaiah Leggett, representative from Maryland senator Ben Cardin's (D) office, leaders of the Montgomery County Police and Fire and Rescue departments and the county's Safe Kids Program.

Jim Koons Automotive: "Best Place to Work"

Washington, D.C. May 13, 2011 - Jim Koons Automotive has been named as one of The Washington Business Journal's 2011 "Best Place to Work" winners. The annual survey by the business newspaper spotlights those businesses cited by their employees as having a positive and encouraging workplace environment, where employee input is encouraged and rewarded. The eight Koons franchises are located throughout the metropolitan Washington region.

AN spotlights Tammy Darvish for interaction with inner city students on car business

DARCARS principal Tamara Darvish was featured in an Automotive News story last week for her personal involvement with students at Ballou High School in SE, DC whose automotive technology lab has been enhanced with an ongoing Toyota philanthropic partnership with the DC Public Schools. On site at Ballou, Ms. Darvish interacts with the students in a teaching setting, supplementing their auto technology curriculum with business and life skill topics, to include financial literacy, team building and effective use of social media. On other occasions, she has hosted Ballou students on field trips to DARCARS stores where they've been taken on tours of the various dealership operations, which, besides service, included vehicles sales and accounting.

Washington Area new vehicle sales up 5.5% in 2010

New vehicle sales, all inclusive, were ahead in 2010 over 2009 by 5.5% for the ten locality region of Metropolitan Washington, captured in the WANADA Area Report from R.L. Polk. That represented a total of 213,631 new vehicles sold in the region for the year.

Nearly 550 Take Advantage of WRAP's SoberRide program
WANADA - sponsored effort once again keeps drunks off the road

The Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) St. Patrick's Day SoberRide initiative provided 547 free taxi rides to Washingtonians ages 21 and older who otherwise may have attempted to drive home after drinking.

Number of women auto buyers continues to grow

The number of women buying cars has steadily increased as a percentage of total sales over the past four years, according to R. L. Polk, the consumer marketing firm. Women now make up 38.5% of all new-vehicle registrations, up from 36% in 2006.

Unveiling the new Nissan Leaf in the Washington area
There's a lot to recommend the new EV, "But wait, there's more…"

Chevy Chase Cars will be one of the Nissan dealers in metropolitan Washington getting and selling the all-electric Nissan Leaf when it arrives for sale in showrooms here this fall. At a recent unveiling of what's coming, Chevy Chase Cars principal Sam Weaver talked about why he and Nissan believe the Leaf will be a hot seller.

WANADA is front & center for SoberRide on St. Patrick's Day

As it has since the inception of the program some 15 years ago, WANADA stepped up at the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) SoberRide rollout last week for the feast of St. Patrick's Day. WANADA Board member and resident Irishman, Kevin Reilly of Alexandria Hyundai, was present at the press conference announcement of St. Patrick's SoberRide, with a check from the dealer organization for $5,000 to help underwrite the cost of the program.

WANADA weighs in on Rockville Pike Plan

For the second time in a year, WANADA leaders went before Rockville City officials to present their input on zoning proposals affecting their businesses. Whereas the first dealer interaction was with the City Council and mayor on general zoning proposals, last week's hearing was before the city Planning Commission, which was putting forth their first draft of the plan for Rockville Pike that significantly affects existing and prospective commercial and residential property uses along the portion of the Route 355 corridor that goes through the city limits.

DC Lottery Second Chance/Auto Show winner receives her 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid

Andrewnette Martin of Oxon Hill, MD, drove home a happy person last week. She was the winner of the Washington Area Ford Dealers/DC Lottery Second Chance car giveaway promotion, which gives Powerball or Mega Millions contestants a "Second Chance" to try their luck at winning a car.

Hyundai celebrates 25th anniversary in the U.S.

Gas prices were $1.20 per gallon, financing topped 10 percent APR and airbags were only just emerging as the latest safety technology when Hyundai brought its first car to the United States. Last week, the company celebrated its 25th anniversary in the U.S.

Washington Area dealers honored at the NADA Convention in San Francisco

The NADA Convention always provides the stage and lights to recognize dealers from the industry who have distinguished themselves, and the Washington area had no shortage of top flight representatives this year.

The Snooki experience comes to the WAS

The celebrity sensation that is "Snooki" (Nicole Polizzi) of Jersey Shore fame blew into The Washington Auto Show (WAS) on Monday of last week, Jan. 31, and with her came a throng of adolescent admirers that quickly taxed WAS security staff, ultimately forcing them to cut off the line for fans pursuing her autograph. Thousands queued up to meet the current rage on the pop-star circuit in the three hour window she was on site at The WAS.