568 episodes
He Sold His Dealerships to a $1.8 Billion Ponzi Scheme. Then Bought Them Back! | Charlie Caprara, Owner of FX Caprara
17/09/2026 | 55 mins.Charlie Caprara is the Owner of FX Caprara, a nine-store dealer group he has built with his family over 52 years in the car business.
He started selling cars out of the family's home in Watertown, bought his first store in 1990, and grew it into a multi-brand group before watching most of it sold out from under him when the new majority owners turned out to be running a massive Ponzi scheme.
He speaks candidly about buying several of his stores back for no premium once the scheme collapsed, the currency exchange trick that saves him thousands on new trucks bought in Canada, and why he sent all five of his kids to start in the wash bay before letting them run a store of their own.
Topics:
00:20 $1.8B Ponzi Scheme Ate The Stores.
05:35 Odometers Rolled Back On Jerome.
08:20 Hitchhikers Moved Cars Nationwide.
17:00 65 Cars A Month From Home.
41:20 Used Cars Make The Money.
48:55 Kids Started In Wash Bay.
This episode is brought to you by:
1. TARGIT - TARGIT is an end-to-end business intelligence platform that gives dealers complete visibility and control over their data.
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Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.comRicart on Ford Pro Elite, DeCecco on AI, Le on China Entrance | Daily Dealer Live
16/09/2026 | 56 mins.Today's show features:
- Jared Ricart, President & Chief Executive Officer at Ricart Automotive Group
- Mike DeCecco, Director, Partner Management at Impel
- Tu Le, Founder at Sino Auto Insights
This episode is brought to you by:
Experian Automotive – Experian AutoCheck is the only vehicle history report available across top consumer shopping sites, helping dealers build shopper confidence and drive more local leads. Visit https://carguymedia.com/4iWIBaA
Impel – Impel is harnessing the power of AI to transform automotive retailing and has become one of the largest vertical AI companies in the world. The company’s industry-leading Automotive AI Operating System helps more than 8,000 retailers and OEMs unify the entire customer journey — fueling faster decisions, deeper connections, and measurable impact at every step along the way. To date, Impel has delivered more than 42 billion shopper interactions, influencing over $12 billion in sales and service revenue across 51 countries. Visit https://impel.ai/
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Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com"I Was Hungry!" From Bronx Projects to Launching a Dealership Empire & What It Takes to Build It | Frank Pena, President at Dare to Dream Automotive
15/09/2026 | 39 mins.Frank Peña grew up sleeping on a relative's floor in Washington Heights after his family immigrated to the United States when he was two years old, and by the time he left the company that gave him his start, he had spent twenty years working his way from used car salesman to company president.
He walks through how he took over three dealerships without losing a single employee, and argues that most owners lose their people not because of pay, but because they disappear the moment things get hard.
Topics:
06:35 The Organization That Built A Dealer
08:35 The Knowledge Gap For New Dealers
16:35 Why F&I Is A Puzzle
19:15 Why Frank Kept Every Employee
20:55 Surviving A Dealership War Zone
29:30 Successful Operators Have To Be Crazy
38:20 Why Frank's Son Won't Get A Free Ride
This episode is brought to you by:
1. TARGIT - TARGIT is an end-to-end business intelligence platform that gives dealers complete visibility and control over their data.
Download your copy and learn more about TARGIT @ here.
Headed to the 2026 Digital Dealer Conference? Come meet TARGIT at Booth #737. Visit @ here for more info.
2. OPENLANE - The world’s best online dealer marketplace for used cars, bringing you exclusive inventory, simple transactions, and better outcomes. Learn more @ here.
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
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Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
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Fix your dealership’s social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
For industry vendors:
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Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
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Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.comHill on Vendor Trust, McCormick AI Compliance, Lundy/Strosnider/Guy Panel | Daily Dealer Live
14/09/2026 | 59 mins.Today's show features:
- Beth Hill, General Counsel/COO at The Shop FordDirect
- Ryan McCormick, Compliance Officer at Preston Automotive Group
- Glenn Lundy, President at 800% Elite Automotive Club
- Kevin Strosnider, Dealer Operator / General Manager at Strosnider Chevrolet
- Brooke English Guy, General Manager at Coastal Chevrolet Cadillac Nissan
This episode is brought to you by:
Experian Automotive – https://carguymedia.com/4iWIBaA
800% Elite Automotive Club – https://www.800percent.life/cdg
Digital Dealer 2026 – Register here: https://luma.com/75lj88rv
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Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.comFixed Ops Friday w/ Dave Rogers, Tully Williams, Ed Roberts, & Richard Lupo | Daily Dealer Live
11/09/2026 | 1h 3 mins.Today's show features:
- Dave Rogers, Fixed Operations Director at Piazza Management Company
- Tully Williams, Fixed Operations Director at The Niello Company
- Ed Roberts, COO at Bozard Ford Lincoln
- Richard Lupo, Fixed Operations Director at Apple Tree Honda and Acura
This episode is brought to you by:
Presidio – Today’s episode is brought to you by The Presidio Group, one of the automotive industry’s leading buy-sell advisors. Visit Presidio’s new Research & Reports portal for M&A insights, blue sky multiples, exclusive benchmark data with NCM Associates, dealer sentiment, and analysis of the trends shaping automotive retail at thepresidiogroup.com.
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
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Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
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The Car Dealership Guy Podcast Network is your front-row seat to the people, companies, and trends shaping the future of automotive retail—delivered across three focused formats:
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