True Confessions of a Car Guy

Send us Fan Mail Born Free. Born Car Guy. Roundtable | 1 Year Strong Welcome to our special Independence Day Roundtable as we celebrate 1 Year Strong with True Confessions of a Car Guy. Join us for an honest conversation about the automotive industry, dealership life, and the people who have dedicated their careers to the car business. From memorable stories to industry insights, this July 4th spe...

Send us Fan Mail After decades on the floor and in the GM's chair, Mike "Lado" Ladowitz just walked away from the car business — and he's not holding back. The recently retired General Manager joins True Confessions of a Car Guy to talk war stories from a career spent running a dealership, and what's changed in the business since Lado stepped away. Old school instincts, re...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are joined by John Gavin & Drew Pearlman  Sponsored By:  Pearl Auto Advocates https://pearlautoadvocates.com/ Drew Pearlman started in the car business at 14 years old. He worked every seat — sales floor, finance office, sales management — all the way to General Manager. Now he runs Pearl Auto Advocates, consulting with dealerships to fix their operations fr...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are joined by John Gavin & Bagi Sponsored By:  Zenzio AI https://www.zenzio.com Summer's the busiest stretch in the car business — and the easiest one to blow if you're not working smart. Bagi and John Gavin break down what actually moves the needle when the lot heats up: hunting deals in the service drive, ditching the old-school games for real tr...

Send us Fan Mail  On The Road takes True Confessions out of the studio and onto the floor. John Gavin and Richard Luciano visit working dealerships in real time — showrooms, used car lots, the desk — to see how business is actually flowing. Bagi produces from the ground as it happens. You hear the deals, the pace, the read on whether the store is hot or dead, straight from the people living it. Ra...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are joined by John Gavin & Richard Luciano Sponsored By:  Zenzio AI https://www.zenzio.com Some salespeople don't close deals — they hold people in place until it happens. In the car business, they had a name for it. And the guy who perfected it had customers leaving deposits in microwaves, shop vacs, and floor-model TVs. That was just Tuesday. Then a w...

Send us Fan Mail There are stories from the car business that never get told. Not because they aren't real — but because nobody thought anyone would care. We do. True Confessions of a Car Guy is a podcast built around the people, the deals, and the moments that shaped an era of automotive retail that most people never saw — and that those who lived it will never forget. Hosted by John Gavin,...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are joined by John Gavin & Richard Luciano Sponsored By:  Zenzio AI https://www.zenzio.com John Gavin and Richard Luciano have 80+ years in the car business between them. This week they talk about the one "reward" no dealership would ever put in writing. The van was real. Tommy was real. And on a good Saturday — you went to see him. 🎙️ True Confess...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are joined by John Gavin & Richard Luciano Sponsored By:  Zenzio AI https://www.zenzio.com Richard Luciano has 42 years in the car business — and a family background you don't ask too many questions about. Born on the East Coast, now living in Las Vegas, Richard is one of the most seasoned voices in the automotive world. Old school instincts. Real exper...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are joined by John Gavin & Anthony Palermo Sponsored By:  Zenzio AI https://www.zenzio.com Before the apps, before the algorithms — deals were done with a handshake and a stack of titles in the glovebox. John Gavin sits down with his long-time friend Anthony Palermo to talk about the wild west era of wholesale. The characters, the chaos, and the raw instinct...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are joined by John Gavin & Bagi Sponsored By:  Zenzio AI https://www.zenzio.com   In this episode of True Confessions of a Car Guy, we break down how top dealers stay profitable during inventory shortages. From protecting gross to creating urgency and selling smarter — this is the real playbook for winning when supply is low. No cars. No excuses. If you’re i...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are joined by John Gavin & Bagi Sponsored By:  Zenzio AI https://www.zenzio.com Units and gross still matter—but they’re no longer the whole story. In this episode of True Confessions of a Car Guy, we break down the metrics today’s dealers can’t afford to ignore in the AI era. From lead response time and follow-up consistency to data quality, conversion sign...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are joined by Lance Campbell CEO of Zenzio AI Sponsored By:  Zenzio AI https://www.zenzio.com lance@zenzio.com AI isn’t coming for your job… but the dealer down the street using it might be. In this episode of True Confessions of a Car Guy, we break down why AI isn’t some Silicon Valley buzzword—it’s the next competitive edge on the lot. From follow-ups that act...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode its John and Bagi Sponsored By:  Zenzio AI https://www.zenzio.com/ Sales gets the applause, managers get the credit—but F&I cashes the checks. In this episode, we break down why the finance office is the backbone of every successful dealership. War stories, hard truths, and real-world lessons on how F&I saves bad deals, boosts gross, and turns “maybe” into...

Send us Fan Mail It’s December on the lot—cold coffee, colder weather, and everyone swearing this is their last deal before Christmas. In this holiday edition of True Confessions of a Car Guy, we take you back to the days when year-end meant no days off, managers living in the tower, and salesmen fighting frostbite for one more signed buyer’s order. From last-minute shoppers to “I gotta talk to Sa...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode its John and Bagi Month-end at the dealership: where pencils fly, egos clash, and every ‘almost sold’ car suddenly becomes a miracle. Watch managers sweat, salespeople hustle, and coffee disappear faster than a Suburban in January. In this episode, we laugh through the chaos, the wild deals, and the sheer madness that only happens when the month is about to close....

Send us Fan Mail Step onto the showroom floor with us for a live Q&A about the car business where the deals are wild, the stories are crazier, and the challenges are all too real. We’re talking to people in the car business past and present: sales pros, managers, finance folks, and anyone who’s lived the grind. From outrageous customer stories to the hurdles dealerships face today, nothing’s o...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are joined by Tom McGovern Some deals come together quick… and then there’s this one. In this episode of True Confessions of a Car Guy, we tell the tale of a customer who “just had a few questions” and somehow stayed until closing time—three days in a row. It’s the kind of deal that drains your coffee pot, burns your lunch break, and makes you question your care...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are joined by Glen Connor Step back in time to the untamed golden era of car dealerships—when the engines were loud, the deals were fast, and the showroom smelled like gasoline, cigars, and aftershave. Wild West on the Dealership Floor, we share the raw, unfiltered stories from a time when classic cars ruled the lot, the coffee was spiked, and salesmen lit up in...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are joined by Larry Malitz an insurance professional.  Before fax machines and compliance departments ruined the fun, insurance binders in the ’80s were a dealership's side hustle goldmine. In this episode, we’re talking backroom deals, mysterious premiums, and how some sales guys couldn’t spell "deductible" but sure knew how to mark one up. Buckl...

Send us Fan Mail  A no-BS ride back to the finance desks of the 1980s car business. This show dives into the high-octane world of dealership F&I when interest rates were wild, deals were done on cocktail napkins, and every customer was “a laydown if you worked it right.” Join us for stories of rate bumps, payment packing, repo roulette, and the kind of finance managers who lit cigars with cred...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we dive deep into the $216 million lawsuit filed by the FTC against auto industry figure James Douvas. What led to one of the biggest consumer protection cases in recent memory? We break down the allegations, the reactions from the car business community, and what this case could mean for dealers across the country. If you're in the car business—or ever bough...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are joined by Tim Mathisen—whose journey started as a young man in the car business. From the showroom floor to launching his own company, Tim shares how the lessons he learned in sales, service, and hustle helped him build Fruition Supply. If you've ever wondered where a career in the car biz can take you, this episode is for you. If you are a car guy or c...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we dive deep into the $216 million lawsuit filed by the FTC against auto industry figure James Douvas. What led to one of the biggest consumer protection cases in recent memory? We break down the allegations, the reactions from the car business community, and what this case could mean for dealers across the country. If you're in the car business—or ever bough...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we hang out with Frank Gavin — a service writer who’s been in the dealership game for over 12 years. He’s done a bit of everything, from sales to finance, and brings some great stories and solid insights from life on the drive.