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At Public Policy Day 2026, Kyle Mountsier and Paul J Daly sit down with Jamie Darvish, owner of Darcars, to unpack the growing affordability crisis facing the automotive industry. With the average new car price now hovering around $50,000, Darvish delivers a sobering reality: roughly one-third of Americans are effectively locked out of the new car market. He explains why car shows still matter more than ever, how they spark real showroom traffic, and why dealers increasingly sit at the crossroads between OEM strategy, consumer reality, and public policy.
The conversation digs deep into the long-term consequences of lost new-car production during COVID, revealing a looming shortage that will hit the used-car market for years to come. Darvish challenges automakers and lawmakers alike—calling for simpler, more affordable vehicles and cautioning that well-intentioned safety mandates quietly inflate prices. Looking ahead to NADA, he shares why AI is his biggest focus, not as a buzzword, but as a way to finally deliver truly personalized, full-lifecycle customer communication—if the industry can secure the data and use it responsibly.
0:12 – Why Affordability Is the Auto Industry’s Biggest Threat
0:46 – Why Car Shows Still Drive Real Sales Traffic
1:52 – Seeing New Cars Triggers Buying Intent (Even If You’re Not Shopping)
2:59 – The $50,000 New Car Reality No One Wants to Admit
3:32 – Used Cars Became the Affordability Solution—But Supply Is Drying Up
4:07 – How COVID-Era Lost Sales Will Hurt the Market for Years
5:08 – The Next 36 Months Will Separate Prepared Dealers From the Rest
5:32 – OEMs Need to Build Simpler, Cheaper Cars Again
6:07 – How Safety Mandates Quietly Inflate Vehicle Prices
7:08 – Why Used-Car Inspection Standards Are Stuck in the Past
8:13 – Why AI Is the Biggest Focus Heading Into NADA
8:52 – AI’s Real Power: One Continuous Customer Relationship
Public Policy Day 2026 is brought to you by Saferide. Learn more at Saferide.ai: https://www.saferide.ai/
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