Turntables and Handshakes: The Timeless Truths of Selling Cars
Digital or in-person? The future of car sales is both. In this episode of Leap Forward, we sit down with Robert Hazelwood, Non-Executive Director at Citygate Automotive and a 40-year veteran of the automotive industry. From leading major brands to advising today’s startups, Robert shares how dealerships are blending cutting-edge digital tools with personalized service—and why human connections still drive sales in an era of online retail.
Exploring the shift toward electric vehicles and evolving customer expectations, he offers hard-won insights for professionals navigating this transformation. Whether you’re in automotive retail or simply fascinated by industry change, this episode is a must-listen for anyone rewriting the playbook on the future of car buying.
00:00
Introduction.
02:26
City Gate’s origin story (Volkswagen-sponsored retailer)
05:36
Robert’s job at Peugeot: wholesaling cars pre-mobile phones
08:45
Nissan GB takeover story (terminating legendary importer)
12:30
Mazda France chaos: Presenting phonetically in French
16:45
Running Inchcape Retail (managing Ferrari/Maserati handback)
20:12
MG Rover collapse: Dealers selling 79K cars during bankruptcy
23:40
Skoda’s turnaround: From "joke brand" to human touch success
27:17
Volkswagen UK: Why agency models failed ("bricks, clicks, people")
31:52
Industry diagnosis: Digital complexity vs. customer needs
36:41
Hiring secret: "Energy beats experience" (Skoda sales director story)
41:10
AutoWorks demo: Fixing terrible car listing photos with AI
46:05
Online car buying’s limit: "People still want human handoff"
Address
UK
Cambridge House, Henry St.
Bath BA1 1BT, United Kingdom
USA
2950 Buskirk Ave, Suite 300
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
Korea (South)
Kyobo Building, 15th Floor, 1 Jongno,
Seoul 03154, Korea
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