Being deeply trenched in the auto industry, as an online marketing partner with dealerships across the country, it is funny to watch how it fails and works inside this very tight niche. There are tons of service providers and solution partners and most are always at each others throats due to the nature of the car business and the fickleness of dealers.
Just recently I collaborated with a quasi competitor, an automotive crm software provider, on different aspects of our business. When discussing this arrangement with close friends in the auto industry they all said this is unheard of. It was comical to say the least when others asked me why help them and why would they help you.
Online networking is a give and take proposition and that is why the car business is having such a hard time with it. It puts people out of the dog eat dog environment and into a collaborative mode, it breaks status quo.
I have had recent experiences with some of the larger vendors that are sickening, because I dispelled a myth they preach, then after they offered to educate me have failed to hold up their end of the bargain. But then again they are still drinking their dealer.com search engine marketing cool aid!!