The Dealer 5 | November 18, 2014

If Johnnie Walker scotch and Carling's beer have "black labels," then so can Lincoln. Ford's luxury brand is rolling out the black carpet at select dealerships.

Close, but, yes, there's still a cigar for U.S. dealers. Auto sales are smoking, and NADA predicts they'll come in just short of 17 million units next year. That sure beats 2009's dismal 10.6 million

So how come we're not seeing those heady 17-million-plus vehicle sales of a decade or so ago? Blame the under-performing pickup truck segment. So says our prof with a past as an auto exec. Here's his point. 

Critics say it offends Native Americans. Defenders say it's been around for years. No, we're not talking about the name of Washington's NFL team. Rather, the spat is over a dealership's "Big Indian" sign.