Jeff Bezos may come after the auto industry, Volvo CEO warns dealers

Anders Gustafsson, chief executive officer of Volvo Car's US unit, said the auto industry needs to shape up

Volvo Car isn’t letting up on pushing for sweeping changes to how new vehicles are sold -- whether auto dealers like it or not.

At a conference affiliated with this week’s New York International Auto Show, Anders Gustafsson, chief executive officer of Volvo Car’s U.S. unit, stood up for the vehicle subscription service the company started last year with the XC40 SUV.

While dealers in California have called the program illegal and filed a 199-page petition to the state’s department of motor vehicles to block it, Gustafsson said the industry “needs to shape up." Speaking on stage at the event hosted by the National Automobile Dealers Association and J.D. Power, a slideshow behind him flashed a quote attributed Amazon.com Inc. CEO Jeff Bezos: “Your margin is my opportunity."

At a conference affiliated with this week’s New York International Auto Show, Anders Gustafsson, chief executive officer of Volvo Car’s U.S. unit, stood up for the vehicle subscription service the company started last year with the XC40 SUV.

“We need to be open to new ideas," Gustafsson said. “Otherwise, I think the guy that is chasing our margins, he will find out far faster than we do."