Buy Cars Online, Gladiator Mojave, Kelley Earnhardt Miller

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Have you ever wondered why the car market has been so resistant to joining the rest of us in the digital age? Well, that time may be coming to an end. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced dealerships to turn to other methods selling to their customers. Executive Publisher for Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, and Dealer.com, Karl Brauer, chats about this change, and gives us an update on how Autotrader is faring during the pandemic. We also learn about the industry’s effort to chip in to the Coronavirus relief efforts. Up next, Co-founder of Cartender, and Freelance Automotive Journalist for CarGurus, Boston Globe, and U.S. News & World Report, George Kennedy III, has been driving the new Jeep Gladiator Mojave and is blown away. Find out why this Swiss Army Knife of automobiles is a must have for any dune-trekking adventurers out there. Changing gears, Part owner and General Manager of JR Motorsports, and Dale Earnhardt’s daughter, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, joins us to discuss her life, lessons, and new book “Drive: 9 Lessons to Win in Business and in Life”. Then, we discuss the amazing fortitude of the Earnhardt siblings, and how their stories can inspire others to seek the help they need as well, with Automotive Journalist for Autoweek, Automobile Magazine, Grassroots Motorsports, Steven Cole Smith. Closing out the show, Automotive Journalist and Voice of Reason, BJ Killeen, urges people not to do stupid stuff during the pandemic, like blast down the streets of New York in your expensive sports car and wreck into four other cars, totalling yours in the process. We also discuss the struggle of the car market during these uncertain times, and Alan gives us a prediction for the RV market that makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Tune in for more COVID, automotive, and other news.

·[00:00:00] Buying Cars Online is the Future

·[00:06:31] State of Car Market on Autotrader

·[00:12:30] Industries Uniting to Make Ventilators

·[00:19:51] Desert Specialized Gladiator Mojave

·[00:28:36] The Swiss Army Knife of Trucks

·[00:35:52] Non-Trail-Rated Jeep?

·[00:42:13] Who is Kelley Earnhardt Miller?

·[00:47:57] Kelley Earnhardt Miller’s Story

·[00:54:44] 9 Lessons to Win in Business and in Life

·[01:02:05] Picking Up the Pieces

·[01:10:41] Use Your Brain, Don’t Be Dumb!

·[01:18:06] Car Market Hit Hard/ RV Prediction

[00:00:00] Buying Cars Online is the Future

Thanks to the novel Coronavirus, car dealerships can’t sell in person – so they are turning to web-based services to keep sales going. Executive Publisher for Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, and Dealer.com, Karl Brauer, discusses how these online services are changing the way we buy cars; we can do everything short of test driving the car over the internet! Tune in to learn more.

[00:06:31] State of Car Market on Autotrader

Dealerships are filled with vehicles but no people right now. Dealerships must be struggling right now except maybe the ones that buy and sell online. There are many great deals right now 0% interest and no payments for 4 months. Executive Publisher, Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book & Dealer.com, Karl Brauer, says the traffic for Autotrader has significantly increased this week. People are looking at buying and selling.

[00:12:30] Industries Uniting to Make Ventilators

The automotive industry hasn’t been a united front since the efforts for World War 2, but now they are uniting to make ventilators to help with the COVID-19 pandemic. The automotive sector isn’t the only industry pitching in, vacuum companies are also making ventilators while pillow companies are supplying masks. Executive Publisher for Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, and Dealer.com, Karl Brauer, ruminates that perhaps the United States should be more self reliant, instead of leaning on other countries to make everything for us, from food to medicine.

[00:19:51] Desert Specialized Gladiator Mojave

Desert terrain is different from any other off-road terrain which requires a special suspension setup. That’s why Jeep released the new Jeep Gladiator Mojave with a new revised suspension specifically for the desert. Co-founder of Cartender, and Freelance Automotive Journalist for CarGurus, Boston Globe, and U.S. News & World Report, George Kennedy III, has been driving this vehicle and says he noticed the difference in the comfortability of the drive experience. Get more first impressions from George.

[00:28:36] The Swiss Army Knife of Trucks

Jeep has always had a reputation for being an extremely reliable, Swiss army knife, off-road machine. It can be a convertible, a four-door, or a truck, all packed into one nice, neat Jeep package. Co-founder of Cartender, and Freelance Automotive Journalist for CarGurus, Boston Globe, and U.S. News & World Report, George Kennedy III, tells us that even though the Jeep Gladiator has the highest base price compared to other trucks in its class, you get more for your money, with four doors and a V6, which not a lot the car manufacturers can offer for $33,000. Tune in for more.

[00:35:52] Non-Trail-Rated Jeep?

The new Jeep Gladiator Mojave is not trail-rated, it’s desert rated. There hasn’t been any news on whether it will get a diesel engine option yet, but if it does it could give it that extra kick it needs. Co-founder of Cartender, and Freelance Automotive Journalist for CarGurus, Boston Globe, and U.S. News & World Report, George Kennedy III, gives his assessment of the driving experience. The Mojave had a lot of body roll, especially on the freeway on-ramps, but this is just a side effect of it’s desert specialization. Are you getting a Jeep Gladiator Mojave?

[00:42:13] Who is Kelley Earnhardt Miller?

Kelley Earnhardt Miller is Dale Earnhardt’s daughter and a very accomplished businesswoman in her own right, and recently wrote a new book called “Drive: 9 Lessons to Win in Business and in Life”. Automotive Journalist for Autoweek, Automobile Magazine, Grassroots Motorsports, Steven Cole Smith, shares the history of her life and tells us about JR Motorsports. She has trained some great drivers through this program and it has proven very successful.

[00:47:57] Kelley Earnhardt Miller’s Story

One of Alan’s greatest heroes was always Dale Earnhardt, but the day he got to meet him was that fateful day he died. Now, he gets to chat with Part owner and General Manager of JR Motorsports, and Dale Earnhardt’s daughter, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, about her new book “Drive: 9 Lessons to Win in Business and in Life”, her mentors, and how she handled the death of her father. Tune in to hear more.

[00:54:44] 9 Lessons to Win in Business and in Life

From her experiences growing up to her experiences in business, Part owner and General Manager of JR Motorsports, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, has a lot of knowledge to bring to the table; that’s why she wrote her book, “Drive: 9 Lessons to Win in Business and in Life”. We learn about Kelley’s early life, the death of her father, and her success in business. Tune in to get some distilled knowledge and advice to win in business and in life.

[01:02:05] Picking Up the Pieces

The Earnhardts are an endearing, persevering family that have been through a lot. Automotive Journalist for Autoweek, Automobile Magazine, Grassroots Motorsports, Steven Cole Smith, rejoins us to discuss the difficult early lives Kelley and her brother, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had and their success found later in life. Kelley credits her therapist for her success in her recent book, and we talk about how genuine of a person you have to be to put that out there, to give confidence to others to seek the same kind of help.

[01:10:41] Use Your Brain, Don’t Be Dumb!

While the Coronavirus is many things, including a serious situation that will define our futures, it is not a license to drive recklessly! Automotive Journalist and Voice of Reason, BJ Killeen, tells the story of a man who found out the hard way that just because the streets of New York are empty, doesn’t mean you should go tearing through them in your Gemballa Mirage. If you guessed that he destroyed his car, along with others, you’d be right. BJ urges everyone to keep their brains active, don’t do stupid stuff like this!

[01:18:06] Car Market Hit Hard/ RV Prediction

If there’s one thing people are doing less of during the COVID-19 epidemic, it’s buying stuff. Perhaps one of the biggest markets affected by this is the auto industry. Automotive Journalist and Voice of Reason, BJ Killeen, reports that some manufacturers are seeing drops in sales as high as 33%. But Alan has a prediction for an industry to keep an eye on for a big bounce back – the RV and outdoor industry. Tune in to find out why.

Explore More with Helpful Links:

·Contributor: Karl Brauer | Executive Publisher, Kelley Blue Book/ Autotrader/ Dealer.com

·Contributor: George Kennedy III | Co-founder, Cartender | Freelance Automotive Journalist, CarGurus/ Boston Globe/ U.S. News and World Report

·Contributor: Steven Cole Smith | Automotive Journalist, Autoweek/ Automobile Magazine/ Grassroots Motorsports

·Contributor: BJ Killeen | Automotive Journalist, Voice of Reason

·Special Guest: Kelley Earnhardt Miller | Part Owner/ General Manager, JR Motorsports

Credits

Host: Alan Taylor
Producer: Dave Milligan
Audio Engineer: Dave Milligan
Copy Editor: Cody Castleberry
Copy Editor: Caleb Hayward
Contributor: Karl Brauer
Contributor: George Kennedy III
Contributor: Steven Cole Smith
Contributor: BJ Killeen
Special Guest: Kelley Earnhardt Miller

Our Sponsors & Supported Charities:

·Austin Hatcher Foundation

·Brembo

·Dodge

·Foundation of Human Understanding

·Shell

·Subaru

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This episode was produced by Entertainment Right Now (ERN). If you found value in this episode, and you’d like to hear more, please consider leaving us a review on iTunes and be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss a beat. Your feedback helps us to reach more enthusiasts around the world! If you have a question you’d like us to answer, please leave a comment below or e-mail us at info@ernlive.com.

About THE DRIVE with Alan Taylor

THE DRIVE with Alan Taylor puts you in the driver’s seat for a unique, fast paced look at today’s automotive industry. This is your pedal-to-the-metal, two-hour thrill ride devoted to the latest car news and test-drive results, how-to tips, car maintenance tips, auto show coverage, expert insights and behind-the-scenes race day action. Don’t miss exclusive interviews with top auto executives, athletes, celebrities and prominent newsmakers from around the world.