The Automotive Advantage

We Built an Automotive Prediction Market?1 | EP036

No guest this week, just Jamie and Justin working through what's actually going to happen in the automotive industry in 2026. We introduced a new segment: a live prediction market where we debate five real automotive questions and put our takes on the record. New vehicle sales, Detroit Big Three moves, the Camaro's return timeline, NASCAR manufacturer titles, and aftermarket revenue. One of us had to legally abstain from a question. You'll know which one when you get there. From there we recapped some of our recent guest episodes — Donnie Walsh Jr., Les Rudd, Ty Damon, and Johnny D — and what's been sticking with us since those conversations. We got into automotive photography as a brand strategy tool, the event season that's ramping up, what we're planning at HPX, and our ongoing AI Watch segment including shop robots, Claude throttling, and what $10,000 a month in AI spend actually looks like for a real business. Drop your own automotive prediction in the comments. We want to build this market out. Automotive Advantage | Where serious automotive professionals come to think bigger, build smarter, and grow faster. #AutomotiveAdvantage #AutomotivePodcast #AutomotiveBusiness #AftermarketIndustry #HPX

What Manufacturer's Reps Actually Do & Why Your Shop Needs One | SEMA Hall of Famer Les Rudd | EP034

What does a manufacturer's rep actually do and why does your shop need one? If you've ever been to SEMA, PRI, or HPX and wondered who those guys wearing branded shirts are covering every aisle, this episode is the answer.SEMA Hall of Famer Les Rudd of Bob Cook Sales joins Justin and Jamie on Automotive Advantage for a masterclass on the manufacturer's rep model. Nearly 50 years of relationships, territory, data, and deal-making that most shop owners and small manufacturers never fully tap into.What you'll learn in this episode:* What a manufacturer's rep is and how the model works in the automotive aftermarket* How new manufacturers should approach finding and working with a rep agency* Why a bad program is harder to recover from than a defective product* What shops are missing by not leveraging their reps (market intel, event support, product access)* How to read the aftermarket economy: fuel prices, consumer confidence, and why "flat is the new up" in 2026* The role of private equity in the aftermarket and why passion can't be managed by spreadsheet* Why Les thinks HPX will fill the Charlotte Convention Center within five years* The give-back culture of industry associations — SEMA, HPX Advisory Council, North Carolina Motorsports AssociationLes Rudd is the President of Bob Cook Sales, a manufacturer's rep agency covering the Southeast and Southwest and a SEMA Hall of Fame inductee. Bob Cook Sales has represented brands like ARP, Edelbrock, Comp Cams, DZ, Headman, and dozens more over nearly five decades.Contact Les: lesrudd@bobcooksales.com | bobcooksales.comAutomotive Advantage is a business-first automotive podcast for shop owners, brand leaders, and operators who take this industry seriously.New episodes drop weekly! Subscribe so you don't miss one.#automotiveaftermarket #manufacturersrep #automotivebusiness #performanceindustry

He Built a 36-Year Performance Shop Starting in His Basement | Donnie Walsh Jr. | D&D Performance

How do you build a performance shop that lasts 36 years? Donnie Walsh Jr. of D&D Performance in Wixom, Michigan has the answer and it starts with a dad, two slicks, a jack, and a trunk full of nitrous bottles in the late 1980s. In this episode of Automotive Advantage, Justin sits down with one of the most respected names in Mustang and performance transmission history. Donnie and his father started D&D Performance out of their basement building T5 transmissions running a single print ad with hours from 6 to 9 PM. Today, D&D is a full-service performance shop specializing in Tremec and BorgWarner transmissions, driveline builds, supercharger and turbocharger installs, and dyno tuning — and they're up 20% year over year. In this episode: * Donnie's drag racing career competing in Fox body Mustang classes from the nitrous era through Pro Mod, and why he was considered the best driver in NMRA Mustang history * How D&D Performance started: basement-built rear axles, a T5 transmission niche, and a BorgWarner deal that launched a 36-year business * The real margins on performance shop work: why building cars is passion-driven, not profit-driven, and where the real money actually comes from * What separates shops that last from shops that close: customer experience, staying on the phone, and rebuilding a transmission overnight at a car show * Reading the market right now: economic headwinds, the return of the $40K fun car, and why D&D is up 20% while others are tightening * The Fox body Mustang legacy and what the new Mustang is getting wrong: why attainability built the aftermarket, and why that's being lost * The future of D&D: a new mainline hub dyno, a revamped website with install videos, and why private equity isn't the answer for shops like this D&D Performance is one of the most trusted names in Ford performance and Tremec transmission builds in the country. If you're a shop owner, performance enthusiast, or automotive business operator this conversation is a masterclass in staying relevant, staying profitable, and staying true to why you started. Subscribe to Automotive Advantage the podcast built for serious automotive business professionals. New episodes every week on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. #AutomotiveAdvantage #PerformanceShop #DDPerformance #DonnieWalsh #FoxBodyMustang #TremecTransmission #MustangDragRacing #NMRA #AutomotiveBusiness #PerformanceAftermarket #BorgWarner #T5Transmission #SuperchargerBuild #DynoTuning #AutomotivePodcast #ShopOwner #AftermarketBusiness #MustangPerformance #CarBusiness #PerformanceAftermarketPodcast

Is a Manual C8 Corvette Actually Happening? TREMEC's Aftermarket Chief Tells All... EP031

The Tremec Manual Transaxle stopped SEMA cold. Phones are ringing off the hook. And yet... the Corvette world isn't sure what to believe.In this episode of Automotive Advantage, we sit down with Mike Kidd, Aftermarket Business Unit Manager at Tremec, to get the straight story on the manual transaxle that became the most talked-about Corvette product and why the internet's assumptions about it being a factory C8 option were dead wrong.Mike sets the record straight, breaks down what this transmission actually is, who it's built for, and when you can get your hands on one. We also dig into why manual transmissions are dying in production vehicles but why the aftermarket demand has never been stronger.What We Cover:* The C8 Manual Transaxle: How fake is it?* Why Tremec built it (and what it's NOT)* When can you actually buy one? (The 2027 timeline)* What else can it fit? GT500, GTD, and beyond* Manual transmissions are down to 2% of production vehicles — here's why that's a lie* Why a C7 Grand Sport manual is worth $10–15K more than an automatic right now* Tremec's full product lineup: TKX, Magnum, T5, and the new aftermarket DCT* How Tremec uses vehicle registration data to spot market opportunities* 37 shows a year: how Tremec wins the floor at SEMA, Power Tour, and Mustang Week* How to get a Tremec sponsorship (and what actually gets you renewed)🔗 Find Tremec:Website: tremec.comTech Line: 800-401-9866Automotive Advantage is the podcast for automotive aftermarket owners, operators, and builders who take the business side of this industry seriously. New episodes drop weekly.🔔 Subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next.👍 If this was useful, leave us a like, it helps other serious automotive professionals find the show.#C8Corvette #ManualTransmission #Tremec #CorvetteGrandSport

5 'Golden Rules' of the Auto Industry That Are Total BS in 2026 | Automotive Advantage EP030

Sacred cows of the automotive industry... we're putting them on the chopping block. In this episode, Jamie and Justin take the biggest "golden rules" of automotive marketing, product strategy, and business and test whether they still hold up in 2026. Spoiler: most of them don't.We kick things off with what's happening in the real world right now: rising fuel prices driven by the conflict in Iran, shaken consumer confidence, brutal job reports, and what all of that means for performance shops, aftermarket brands, and the events industry. Travel costs are through the roof, hotel rooms are skyrocketing, and hard drives doubled in price in three months. Something's got to give.Then we get into the AI conversation you need to hear. Jamie shares a mind-bending party trick from an Amazon AI executive... ask any AI to pick a random number between 1 and 25, and the answer is always 17. What does that tell us about the tools we're trusting with business decisions? We also break down real-world AI use cases that are closing deals at 2AM, and why this technology is a force multiplier, not a job killer.We recap the 2026 Detroit Auto-Rama, the Riddler Award winner "Elegant Lady," and have an honest conversation about where this legendary car show needs to go to stay relevant in the modern era.And then the main event. Sacred Cows of the Auto Industry:🐄 Win on Sunday, sell on Monday: Does motorsport still move the needle for manufacturers?🐄 Kids just aren't into cars anymore: We bust this myth wide open🐄 Only market to young people: Why ignoring boomers is the most expensive mistake in automotive marketing🐄 No one buys cars anymore, it's all SUVs and trucks: Is the sedan really dead?🐄 Double down on marketing in a down economy: Smart strategy or agency upsell?Whether you run a performance shop, manage a brand, or just want to know what's really happening in the auto industry right now... this one's packed.