Universal Auto Sales

What Universal Auto Sales does

Universal Auto Sales Inc is a privately held, independent used car dealership operating a single retail location at 299 Lancaster Drive NE, Salem, Oregon, adjacent to Dick's Sporting Goods. Founded in 2013, the company sells pre-owned vehicles across more than 25 brands — including Ford, Chevrolet, Ram, Dodge, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Jeep, Chrysler, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan — in body styles ranging from pickups and SUVs to sedans, minivans, hatchbacks, and convertibles, with featured inventory priced from approximately $5,195 to $36,195.

The business runs on an off-the-shelf dealer technology stack rather than proprietary systems: a Carsforsale.com-powered website provides inventory management, searchable listings, an online loan application, and call recording; Credit Union Direct Lending (CUDL) integration enables financing across the credit spectrum, including ITIN holders and other non-traditional credit profiles; Carfax vehicle history reports are offered on every unit; and Google Calendar is used for test drive scheduling. Bilingual English/Spanish sales support extends the addressable buyer pool locally.

Universal Auto Sales generates revenue primarily through one-time used vehicle sales sourced from dealer auctions and private parties, complemented by financing facilitation fees via CUDL and instant trade-in valuations. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the physical lot and the Carsforsale.com digital storefront, with inquiries handled by phone, text, and email. The customer base consists entirely of individual retail buyers in the Salem, OR market, and there is no evidence of fleet, B2B, or institutional revenue. Ownership is concentrated with operator Alex Salazar, and the company has not raised external capital.

Name

Universal Auto Sales

Legal name

Universal Auto Sales Inc

Website

https://universalautosalesinc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Universal Auto Sales is a privately held, single-location used car dealership in Salem, Oregon, founded in 2013. It sells pre-owned vehicles from 26+ brands and serves individual retail buyers with CUDL-backed financing for all credit types, including ITIN holders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Used Vehicle Sales: One-time sale of used vehicles from inventory sourced through dealer auctions and private party purchases. Vehicles span multiple price ranges from under $10k to over $30k, with body styles including pickups, SUVs, sedans, minivans, and convertibles.
2. Financing Services: Facilitation of auto loans through Credit Union Direct Lending (CUDL) partnerships. The dealership serves as an intermediary connecting buyers with credit union financing options for all credit situations.
3. Trade-in Services: Instant trade-in valuation and vehicle purchasing services where customers can sell their current vehicles to the dealership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Universal Auto Sales is a single-location used car dealership in Salem, Oregon that sells hand-picked pre-owned vehicles across 25+ brands and multiple body styles (pickups, SUVs, sedans, minivans, convertibles). The dealership facilitates vehicle purchases through on-site sales, an online Carsforsale.com storefront, Credit Union Direct Lending (CUDL) financing for all credit profiles including ITIN holders, instant trade-in valuations, Carfax vehicle history reports, and Google Calendar-based test drive scheduling. Bilingual English/Spanish sales support is available.

Product overview

Universal Auto Sales is a used car dealership operating as a single-location dealer in Salem, Oregon since 2013. The company offers a curated inventory of pre-owned vehicles across multiple brands and body styles, complemented by financing services, trade-in valuations, and Carfax reports. The core offering consists of used vehicle sales supported by financing options through Credit Union Direct Lending (CUDL), instant trade-in valuations, and test drive scheduling capabilities—all presented through a Carsforsale.com-powered website platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Used Vehicle Sales Sale of quality hand-picked pre-owned vehicles including cars, trucks, SUVs, minivans, and crossovers from over 25 different automotive brands such as Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, RAM, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Jeep, Chrysler, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and more. Inventory is categorized by price range (under $10k, under $20k, under $30k) and body style.
• Vehicle Financing Flexible vehicle financing facilitated through Credit Union Direct Lending (CUDL) partnerships for all credit situations, with loan terms ranging from 24 to 84 months and options for customers with rebuilding, fair, good, or excellent credit. Includes a secure online loan application with trade-in valuation, credit score selection, and term length options.
• Instant Trade-In Valuation Trade-in valuation service allowing customers to get immediate estimates for their current vehicles, with each trade-in carefully inspected and serviced to meet quality standards before resale. Customers can apply trade-in value toward a new purchase or sell outright to the dealership.
• Test Drive Scheduling Online appointment scheduling service allowing customers to book test drives at convenient times through Google Calendar integration, available via the dealership's website.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hand-picked quality inventory sourced from dealer auctions and private parties
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Carsforsale.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform provider powering the dealer website with inventory management, vehicle listings, loan application integration, and customer communication tools. The platform also enables call recording for business purposes.
• Credit Union Direct Lending (CUDL)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFast, Friendly Credit Union Direct Lending partnership enabling the dealership to offer financing options to customers through credit unions. The dealership is a CUDL dealership with financing options for all credit types.
• CarfaxcoreTechnology or IntegrationVehicle history report provider offering Carfax reports for every vehicle in inventory, providing transparency on vehicle history including accidents, ownership, and service records.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Carvana: Pure-play online used-vehicle retailer with home delivery and a 7-day return policy. Comparable as a used-car seller to retail buyers, but with national scale and a fully online model versus Universal Auto Sales' single-lot operation.
• CarMax: The largest U.S. used-vehicle retailer with hundreds of stores and a strong online sales channel. Comparable as a used-car dealer serving credit-diverse customers, though vastly larger and operating nationally.
• Sonic Automotive: Large U.S. dealer group with EchoPark used-vehicle stores and franchise new-car dealerships. Comparable on used-vehicle retail and F&I offerings at multi-store scale.
• Hertz Car Sales: Rental fleet operator selling late-model used vehicles through dealer locations nationwide. Comparable as a multi-brand used-car retailer, though sourcing inventory from its own rental fleet.
• AutoNation: Largest U.S. automotive retailer operating new and used vehicle dealerships plus finance products. Comparable on used-vehicle retail and financing, but with national footprint and franchise new-car operations.
• Avis Car Sales: Used-vehicle sales channel for Avis rental fleet. Comparable as a used-car retailer, though limited to ex-rental inventory from a single parent.
• Lithia Motors: One of the largest U.S. dealer groups with a large used-vehicle and finance business, including Driveway online used-car platform. Comparable on used-car retail with F&I integration, but operates hundreds of stores.

Direct peers

• Vroom: Online used-car retailer offering home delivery and financing. Comparable as a used-vehicle seller with digital storefront, though focused entirely on e-commerce rather than a physical lot.
• DriveTime: National used-car dealer specializing in financing for subprime and credit-challenged buyers. Highly comparable to Universal Auto Sales' CUDL-backed, all-credit-types value proposition, though at chain scale.

Regional players

• Ron Tonkin Family of Dealerships: Pacific Northwest dealer group operating new and used vehicle stores in Oregon and Washington. Comparable as a regional used-car competitor in the same geography Universal Auto Sales serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@alexsalazar-universalautosales
• Xx.com/uasi299
• Facebookfacebook.com/100067117745270
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universal-auto-sales-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Universal Auto Sales