In this episode of the Used Car Dealer Podcast, Zach talks with Sanjay Varnwal, co-founder and CEO of Spyne AI, to unpack how AI-powered merchandising is helping dealers move inventory faster by getting vehicles live online sooner and with more premium visuals.

Sanjay explains why “time-to-live” is one of the most overlooked profit levers in used cars, how holding cost compounds every day a vehicle sits without strong photos, and how Spyne helps dealers publish listings earlier without waiting on traditional studio workflows.

The conversation also covers Spyne’s expansion beyond photos into conversational AI (Vini) for voice, chat, and email, plus what AI is genuinely improving inside dealerships versus where the hype still outpaces reality.

Key Questions & Timestamps

00:22 – Intro: Sanjay’s background + what Spyne does for dealers

01:16 – How did your past roles shape the way you approached building an automotive tech startup?

05:07 – What was the early moment you realized AI-powered imaging could fundamentally change vehicle merchandising?

09:26 – What does Spyne actually do in the day-to-day workflow of a dealership?

11:48 – Why was it important to expand beyond merchandising into a fuller automotive retail suite?

16:33 – What differences have you noticed between U.S. dealers and other global markets?

19:29 – Where is AI genuinely delivering value today—and where is it still mostly hype?

23:22 – What does Spyne’s longer-term vision look like in practice?

24:33 – If you were advising a dealer today, where should they invest in technology first?

26:24 – What’s one dealership process AI will completely automate in the next five years?

26:45 – What’s one mistake dealers make when it comes to digital merchandising?

27:28 – In one piece of advice: how can dealers sell more cars online starting now?

📺 Read the Transcribe: https://blog.sellyautomotive.com/defaultblog/ai-inventory-merchandising-for-dealers-with-sanjay-varnwal-of-spyne-ai
🎧 Listen to more Used Car Dealer Podcast episodes: https://www.sellyautomotive.com/podcast

In this episode of the Used Car Dealer Podcast, Zach talks with Amit Chandarana, CEO of Curbee, to unpack how mobile service is reshaping dealership retention—and why fixed ops is increasingly becoming a front-and-center growth engine.

Amit shares lessons from his career at Toyota, Edmunds, and Roadster, and how those experiences influence the way Curbee helps dealers operationalize mobile service (not just “buy software”). The conversation dives into the real adoption hurdles inside dealerships, why change management matters as much as technology, and how mobile service can protect shop capacity while capturing customers who would otherwise go to quick lube or independent shops.

They also break down Curbee’s newest platform release, M.A.R.S. 2 (Mobile and Remote Service)—including recall intelligence designed for mobile, fleet/multi-vehicle flexibility, and expanded DMS integrations—plus Curbee’s rebrand and what it signals about the company’s next chapter.

⏱️ Key Questions & Timestamps

00:12 – Intro & Amit’s background

01:34 – Career path + how OEM/dealer dynamics shaped his leadership

04:45 – Any other kind of learnings from Roadster or that time in DR that have bled into Curbee?

06:36 – Biggest shifts in dealership service culture over the last decade

08:07 – Curbee’s mission + the “16 choices” service-retention problem + ROI basics

11:30 – How do you balance building technology versus consulting dealers operationally on running a mobile service program?

13:07 – What is M.A.R.S. 2 and why it matters for dealers

16:17 – What’s the biggest obstacle dealers face in launching mobile service today — mindset, tech, staffing, or something else?

18:55 – 3–5 year outlook: how mobile service evolves with OEMs + expectations

20:28 – Are there emerging technologies that you believe will fundamentally change how fixed ops teams operates in the future?

21:29 – Do you see OEM and dealer partnerships evolving as mobile service becomes a core part of the service mix?

22:24 – Why Curbee rebranded + what’s next

🎧 Listen to more episodes: https://www.sellyautomotive.com/podcast
📄 Read the full transcription: https://blog.sellyautomotive.com/blog/mobile-service-fixed-ops-growth-with-amit-chandarana-of-curbee

In this episode of the Used Car Dealer Podcast, Zach talks with Paulo da Silva, who leads the digital commerce business at Cox Automotive—including e-commerce, CRM, marketing automation, and deal structuring—to unpack how transparency, omnichannel retail, and AI are redefining the car-buying experience for both dealers and consumers.

Paulo shares his journey from strategy and M&A into building direct-to-consumer businesses at Whirlpool and then stepping in to help Cox Automotive launch fully automated e-commerce capabilities. He breaks down the major inflection points he’s seen over the past decade—from the first dealer websites and early digital retailing to COVID and now AI—and what they’ve meant for used-car operations, dealer profitability, and consumer expectations around transparency.

The conversation dives into the most common digital-retail mistakes dealers still make, how to align online and in-store processes, and why a single, continuous funnel is critical to trust. Paulo also talks about bridging sales and F&I, the next frontier in omnichannel, how AI-driven tools will change the game for dealers and consumers alike, and the one digital retail practice every used-car dealer should adopt today.

⏱️ Key Questions & Timestamps

00:29 – Intro & Paulo’s background leading digital commerce at Cox Automotive

01:00 – What drew you into this space, and how has your background prepared you for the digital-retail challenge?

03:34 – What have been the key inflection points you’ve seen in automotive retail over the past 5–10 years?

06:02 – What are the most common digital-retail mistakes you see dealers make when they jump into online transactions?

09:29 – How would you describe your mission in terms of shifting the used-car business for dealers?

14:46 – How are you seeing dealers adapt to full omnichannel retailing from a process, culture, and technology standpoint?

18:29 – For independent and franchise dealers looking to ramp up their used-car business, which elements of the digital solution should they prioritize?

21:43 – From your perspective, how are AI-driven tools changing the game for dealers of all sizes?

25:22 – What are the key internal change-management or operational shifts dealers need to make to fully benefit from digital and omnichannel?

27:12 – How do you see the used-car retail landscape evolving for dealers who embrace digital vs. those who don’t?

31:29 – How do you see dealer-lender relationships, F&I processes, and aftermarket service evolving in an AI-driven, omnichannel world?

35:00 – What is one digital retail practice every used-car dealer should adopt today?

🎧 Listen to more episodes: https://www.sellyautomotive.com/podcast
📄 Read the full transcription: https://blog.sellyautomotive.com/blog/transparency-omnichannel-ai-with-paulo-da-silva-of-cox-automotive