Florida court keeps Porsche in The Collection's franchise fight

AT THE DESK

The Collection clears another hurdle against Porsche

A Miami dealer's fight with its manufacturer will continue with Porsche AG still in the case: Florida's Third District Court of Appeal on October 28 affirmed the denial of Porsche's motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction. (Court opinion) The dispute involves The Collection LLC, which alleges Porsche withheld inventory during a disagreement over a new facility, according to original reporting by Law360.

This ruling resolves a threshold question about where Porsche can be sued, not whether the dealership has proved its claims. (Court opinion) The reported $300 million is the size of the lawsuit, not an award, and the opinion says it is not final until disposition of a timely rehearing motion. (Law360; court opinion)

The majority cited decisions addressing a manufacturer's purposeful contacts with Florida and claims related to those contacts. (Court opinion) In a separate concurrence, Judge Rebull also concluded Porsche had waived its request for an evidentiary hearing on jurisdiction through the way it presented the issue below. (Court opinion)

For dealer principals, the takeaway is disciplined documentation, not a prediction about the eventual verdict. Preserve the allocation history, facility requests and manufacturer communications that explain a disagreement, and involve franchise counsel before positions harden. My read: the case deserves close attention because it brings the relationship between factory leverage and dealership investment into a Florida courtroom, while the merits remain unresolved.

THE COMPETITIVE PICTURE

Carvana's growth is running through the recon shop

Carvana sold 217,385 retail vehicles in the third quarter, up 39.4% from a year earlier, according to its October 28 shareholder letter. (Carvana filing) The operating detail worth watching: it added retail production capabilities at two ADESA locations during the quarter, bringing the integrated-site total to 21, and had three full buildouts under construction that it expects to start production in 2027. (Carvana filing)

Carvana puts its fully built annual capacity at approximately 1.5 million retail vehicles, a capacity figure rather than an actual sales total. (Carvana filing) These are national company results, not a measure of Florida registrations or an allocation forecast for any local market.

The useful store-level comparison is the journey from acquired vehicle to sale-ready listing. Consider checking where your own cars sit between appraisal, transport, inspection, parts approval and photography. Competing on a lower asking price is one choice; getting the right vehicle ready sooner is another. The practical question is whether your aging report starts early enough to expose that lost time.

THE FACTORY FLOOR

Ford's truck ramp carries an allocation question

Ford's October 28 earnings presentation says the Super Duty launch at Oakville is exceeding planned daily volume and jobs-per-hour rates, while higher truck production has begun recovering losses from the Novelis fires. (Ford presentation) Ford Pro nevertheless reported third-quarter EBIT of about $1.7 billion, down 16%, with commodity costs and temporary Oakville launch costs among the pressures. (Ford results)

That combination is more useful to a truck store than the corporate profit headline alone: production is recovering, but the ramp still has costs. Treat the factory update as a reason to revisit order banks and delivery expectations with your field team, not as a promise that a particular unit will arrive sooner.

Ford's presentation also reports a 3% year-over-year decline in its U.S. portfolio's off-lease auction values, adjusted to Q3 2026 mix. (Ford presentation) Keep that narrow definition intact when discussing trades; it is not a blanket markdown for every used Ford.

THE BUSINESS OFFICE

The Fed holds; keep the payment conversation grounded

The Federal Reserve held its target range at 3.75%–4.00% on October 28, saying inflation remains elevated and economic activity is expanding at a strong pace. (Fed statement) The vote was 10–2, with both dissenters preferring a quarter-point increase rather than a cut. (Fed statement)

For the desk, my recommendation is to keep the conversation tied to the approval in front of the customer. Don't turn “the Fed held” into a promise about the next lender rate sheet, and don't build a year-end sales pitch around an assumed December cut.

If a buyer is waiting for a better payment, show the actual alternatives available today: vehicle choice, trade equity, cash down and approved terms. Make the total financing cost visible alongside the monthly number. A clear explanation is more useful than a forecast dressed up as a financing offer.