Note 9 - Notes Payable and Variable Interest Entities - Schedule of Notes Payable at Face Value and Notes Payable to Related Parties (Details) (Parentheticals) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2019		Dec. 31, 2018	Oct. 31, 2015
Other Secured Debt [Member]
Amortizing securitization facility, maturity date		Sep. 08, 2023	[1]	Sep. 08, 2023
Loan, interest rate		5.50%	[1]	5.50%
Phoenix [Member]
Amortizing securitization facility, maturity date	[2]	Aug. 26, 2024	[1]	Aug. 26, 2024
Loan, interest rate	[2]	8.00%	[1]	8.00%
Amortizing Debt Facility Two [Member]
Amortizing securitization facility, maturity date	[2],[3],[4],[5]	Sep. 30, 2021	[1]	Sep. 30, 2021
Loan, interest rate	[2],[3],[4],[5]	6.20%	[1]	6.20%
Senior Secured Term Loan Facility [Member]
Amortizing securitization facility, maturity date	[2]	Nov. 21, 2019	[1]	Nov. 21, 2019
Loan, interest rate	[2]	9.00%	[1]	9.00%
Revolving Credit Facility Expiring November 1, 2020 [Member]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	[2],[5],[6]	$ 55,000	[1]	$ 55,000
Revolving credit facility, expiration date	[2],[5],[6]	Nov. 01, 2021	[1]	Nov. 01, 2021
Revolving Credit Facility Expiring October 30, 2022 [Member]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	[2],[3],[4],[5]	$ 50,000	[1]	$ 50,000
Revolving credit facility, expiration date	[2],[3],[4],[5]	Oct. 30, 2022	[1]	Oct. 30, 2022
Revolving Credit Facility Expiring March 31, 2020 [Member]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	[3],[4],[5]	$ 20,000	[1]	$ 20,000
Revolving credit facility, expiration date		Mar. 31, 2020	[1],[3],[4],[5]	Mar. 31, 2020
Revolving Credit Facility Expiring February 8, 2022 [Member]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	[2],[3],[4],[7]	$ 70,000	[1]	$ 70,000
Revolving credit facility, expiration date	[2],[3],[4],[7]	Feb. 08, 2022	[1]	Feb. 08, 2022
Revolving Credit Facility Expiring June 11, 2021 [Member]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	[2],[3],[4],[7]	$ 100,000	[1]	$ 100,000
Revolving credit facility, expiration date	[2],[3],[4],[7]	Jun. 11, 2021	[1]	Jun. 11, 2021
Revolving Credit Facility Expiring July 15 2021 [Member]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	[3],[4],[5]	$ 15,000	[1]	$ 15,000
Revolving credit facility, expiration date	[3],[4],[5]	Jul. 15, 2021	[1]	Jul. 15, 2021
Revolving Credit Facility Expiring November 16, 2020 [Member]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	[2],[3],[4],[7]	$ 100,000		$ 100,000
Revolving credit facility, expiration date	[2],[3],[4],[7]	Nov. 16, 2020		Nov. 16, 2020
Revolving Credit Facility Expiring November 15, 2023 [Member]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	[2],[3],[4],[7]	$ 167,300	[1]	$ 167,300
Revolving credit facility, expiration date	[2],[3],[4],[7]	Nov. 15, 2023	[1]	Nov. 15, 2023
Revolving Credit Facility Expiring December 15, 2022 [Member]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	[2],[3],[4],[7]	$ 200,000	[1]	$ 200,000
Revolving credit facility, expiration date	[2],[3],[4],[7]	Dec. 15, 2022	[1]	Dec. 15, 2022
Revolving Credit Facility Expiring May 15, 2024 [Member]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	[2],[3],[4],[7]	$ 152,024,000	[1]	$ 152,024,000
Revolving Credit Facility Expiring December 21, 2020 [Member]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	[2],[3],[4],[5]	$ 15,000	[1]	$ 15,000
Revolving credit facility, expiration date	[2],[3],[4],[5]	Dec. 21, 2020	[1]	Dec. 21, 2020
Revolving Credit Facility Expiring September 19, 2021 [Member]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity		$ 50,000	[1]	$ 50,000
Revolving credit facility, expiration date		Sep. 19, 2021	[1],[2],[3],[4],[5]	Sep. 19, 2021
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity					$ 50,000
Amortizing securitization facility, weighted average interest rate		6.00%	[1]	7.60%
Amount of securing assets		$ 740,400	[1]	$ 468,800

[1] As of December 31, 2019, the LIBOR rate was 1.75% and the prime rate was 4.75%.

[2] See below for additional information.

[3] Loans are associated with variable interest entities.

[4] Loans are subject to certain affirmative covenants tied to default rates and other performance metrics the failure of which could result in required early repayment of the remaining unamortized balances of the notes.

[5] These notes reflect modifications to either extend the maturity date, increase the loan amount or both, and are treated as accounting modifications.

[6] Loan is subject to certain affirmative covenants, including a coverage ratio, a leverage ratio and a collateral performance test, the failure of which could result in required early repayment of all or a portion of the outstanding balance by our CAR Auto Finance operations.

[7] Creditors do not have recourse against the general assets of the Company but only to the collateral within the VIEs.