The Car Dealership Guy, Yossi Levi, Kicks off the 2025 Zeigler University Speaker Series
Zeigler Auto Group kicked off its 2025 Zeigler University Speaker Series with Yossi Levi, host of the Car Dealership Guy podcast and owner of the media platform of the same name. Levi spoke to Team Zeigler on his success journey at the Zeigler Honda Locker room this past Tuesday, March 11, 2025.Â
KALAMAZOO, MICH. (March 12, 2025) -Â The Zeigler University Speaker Series kicked off its 2025 program with special guest Yossi Levi. Using the moniker "The Car Dealership Guy." Levi's identity was a mystery until last year at NADA when he revealed himself to be the host behind the successful podcast of the same name.Â
Besides the popular podcast, the Car Dealership Guy brand also encompasses a media platform which provides insights to automotive dealerships looking to stay informed and ahead of the curve. Among its offerings are two Zeigler Auto Group collaborations: the Daily Dealer, and the weekly Industry Spotlight, both hosted by COO Sam D'Arc.
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During the presentation-which was done interview style with Sam D'Arc, Zeigler's COO and Driving Vision host- Levi detailed how he started building the successful platform through social media almost three years ago.Â
Levi's journey in the car business started at 14, working at his father's small used car lot in Philly, he saw a clear need for more transparency in the industry.
Although the Car Dealership Guy brand wasn't yet a business, Levi laid the foundation for it by sharing insights into the car dealership industry. He credits a lot of his success on the fact that for the first two years he offered free, authentic content without trying to monetize right away.
During this time he was posting content anonymously as well in order to safeguard his company at the time. In 2018, he launched Gettacar, a fully online auto retailer that sold over 3,000 cars a year nationwide, backed by $50M in funding from investors like 3L Capital, Luxor Capital, Headline, and Torch. By 2021, sales had grown 270% year-over-year, reaching $80M annually. But, as life would have it, the market shifted, competition became brutal, and by 2023, he had to shut it down.
It was then that he decided that it was the right time to put his plan in motion to reveal his identity at NADA in 2024. Although posting anonymously had been a big part of the for a lot of the appeal for his audience, Levi felt that he had proven himself and was ready to let the world know who he was. Levi wanted a chance to own his story and show the world how he was able to do something unconventional coming from a used car dealership background. In order to introduce himself he decided on a 13 minute documentary, which he spent six months producing and eventually debuting at NADA that year.
During his time posting anonymously he loved the fact that he was judged by the quality of his thoughts and his data-driven analysis. Since revealing his identity Levi's business has quadrupled in size. As for his audience, it continues to be made up of the largest engaged automotive dealership centered audience, which consists of dealership owners, analysts, and other media, surpassing even Automotive News and NADA on social. Today Levi reaches over 30 million impressions monthly and earns features in Apple News, the NY Post, and Forbes.
Additionally, Levi has been honored with awards like EY Entrepreneur of the Year and recognition as one of Goldman Sachs' Top 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs.
 
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About Zeigler Auto Group
The Zeigler Automotive Group is one of the largest privately-owned dealer groups in the U.S. with 84 franchises across 41 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Vehicle brands represented include all of the domestic and the majority of the imported manufacturers.
Besides its extensive automotive portfolio, the organization owns and operates Zeigler Motorsports, an 85,000-square-foot motorsports dealership and action park, offering 19 different powersports brands, plus its own onsite restaurant: Trak Houz Bar & Grill. Additionally, Zeigler Motorsports houses the Elevate Leadership & Team Building Academy, an executive training company.
The Kalamazoo-based dealer group also owns and operates Zeigler Pre-Owned of Chicago, three Byrider franchises, three finance companies, several insurance firms, and a leasing firm.
Founded in 1975, the organization employs over 2,500 people, ranking among the top 1% of automotive dealers in the nation with estimated annual sales of $2.2 billion for 2023.
The family-owned and operated company is well known for its commitment to both customer service and employee satisfaction. Zeigler is regularly recognized as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in the Nation, also earning similar accolades in Wisconsin, Chicago, and Michigan. Besides these prestigious accolades, Zeigler is also one of Glassdoor's 100 Best Places to Work in the U.S. for 2024, and among Glassdoor's top 10 U.S. companies for work-life balance.