Live from ASOTU CON 2026, David Long brings together an all-star panel featuring Rob Dell of Bob Ruth Ford, John Ellis of Agile Auto, Brian Kramer of Cars Commerce, Jaden Abad, and Michael Porro for a deep dive into the strategies reshaping vehicle acquisition. The conversation explores what separates elite acquisition operations from average ones, highlighting the role of discipline, accountability, process ownership, and leadership involvement in scaling a successful buy-center strategy.

From buying more than 300 vehicles per month in a town of just 2,700 residents to creating customer experiences that allow consumers to sell a vehicle in under 10 minutes, the panel shares practical lessons learned on the front lines. Topics include private-party acquisition, appraisal confidence, inventory turn, data-driven decision-making, customer experience, and why the most successful operators remain deeply involved in the daily execution of their acquisition strategy.

Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 Intro and Welcome to All Things Used Cars

1:40 Rob Dell on Scaling Vehicle Acquisition

3:17 Why People and Process Drive Results

5:16 Defining Accountability and Performance Expectations

6:45 The Owner's Role in Buy Center Success

7:55 John Ellis on Building Agile Auto

9:08 Curiosity, Discipline, and Execution

10:57 The Impact of All Things Used Cars

12:09 From 312 Cars to 1,000 Cars Per Month

13:04 Inventory Turn and Acquisition Efficiency

14:04 Common Buy Center Mistakes Dealers Make

17:34 Brian Kramer on Digital Appraisals and Consumer Expectations

25:35 Jaden Abad on Customer Experience and Acquisition Growth

27:32 How to Buy a Vehicle in Under 10 Minutes

28:53 Competing With Carvana and CarMax

33:50 Building an Acquisition Culture Across the Dealership

41:52 Final Advice for Dealers Building Buy Centers

42:37 Why Data and Exit Strategy Matter

43:31 The Pandemic of Positivity

Connect with David Long at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjlong/

Learn more about All Things Used Cars+ at https://www.linkedin.com/company/all-things-used-cars/