2008 Special Finance Hall of Fame Inductees

The first individual award goes to two brothers still working in a dealership, who figured out a long time ago how to really make a subprime department excel. It goes to Kevin and Terry Murphy, Co-Special Finance Directors of the Mr. Ed Department, Earnhardt Automotive Group in Phoenix, Ariz. The Murphy brothers have built their special finance operation into one that is second to none. Operating in a highly competitive market area, they have consistently averaged several hundred SF units per month at benchmark gross profits and solid customer satisfaction – for years – and are a shining example of dealer excellence.

Kevin and Terry Murphy started the special finance operation at the Earnhardt Automotive Group in 1992. Since then, they have developed a special finance training program, Mr. Ed University, which is one of the best in the country.

These gentlemen learned early that the only way to get better was to track their progress in everything they do. Advertising is just one of the things they track, and they do so religiously. Tracking every source without fail allows them to quickly make adjustments for any underperformers or changes in the market.

Along the way, they have had to change some aspects of marketing to meet the needs of their customers, including the Internet shopper. Their most recent major Web site launch was in 2006, and like so many things at the Earnhardt Automotive Group, they made sure the Web site ( MrEd.com) addressed the needs of their subprime customers.

Additionally, they understand the importance of relationships with their customers and just as importantly, their finance sources. They work closely with finance sources to ensure that both sides make money, an essential component to keeping finance companies long term.