ACOFORD is the National Association of Ford Dealers in Spain and is one of the member associations of Faconauto. Its purpose is to bring together business owners from the official Ford network to address common interests.
A business organisation for the Ford network
ACOFORD is listed in Faconauto as the representative association for Ford dealers. Furthermore, its existence as a business association is documented in the public registry and in resolutions of the BOE (Official State Gazette).
What value does it hold for the network
Ford dealers operate under the same brand, but they are individual companies with their own profit and loss accounts, staff, and investments. An association allows two levels to be kept separate: the individual commercial relationship with the manufacturer and the collective defence of matters affecting the network.
This second level can involve issues regarding distribution, profitability, investments, after-sales services, or regulatory changes.
What information is worth requesting
ACOFORD's public service offering is less visible than that of other associations. If you are a Ford dealer, the most useful approach is to ask directly for information regarding working bodies, advisory services, meeting schedules, and services available to members.
And what is its relationship with used vehicles?
Official dealerships also buy, trade-in, and sell used cars. Therefore, although the association primarily represents the relationship of the official network, many of its members have direct interests in used vehicles: valuation, stock, turnover, warranties, and remarketing.
For that part of the business, a useful read is how to reduce the turnover time of used vehicles.
What a dealership should review before assessing the association
Beyond the name, it is advisable to ask about:
governing bodies and working groups;
frequency of meetings;
advisory services;
relationship with the manufacturer;
participation in Faconauto;
access to information reserved for members.
The exact role may change over time, so the primary source should always be the association itself or Faconauto.
The relationship with AECOVI
AECOVI does not represent dealerships before a brand and, therefore, does not replace this association. Its role lies in another part of the business: used vehicles, digitalisation and peer learning. For a dealership with a used vehicle business, it can be useful to compare practices with operators from other networks and independent dealers, whilst keeping the brand association as a specific representation channel.
Related reading
Editorial note
This content is part of AECOVI, a private and free association and community promoted by Dealcar—a software company for used car traders and dealerships—with the goal of sharing knowledge, educating, and helping to digitalise and professionalise the independent used vehicle market. Learn about the initiative.
