Category Archives: news analysis

Offshore Brands Down Slightly in U.S. Market Share in April

Posted on 2 May 2012 by Ken Zino

Auto brands from offshore automakers held a 55.3% of the U.S. auto market in April, a slight decrease from a 56.3% in March. In raw numbers this accounted for 654,086 units, compared with 791,169 in March.

This is hardly a ‘Buy American’ trend though, because in the first four months of 2011, foreign-owned brands averaged a strong 55.6% share of the U.S. auto market. Simply put the Detroit Three in spite of the demonstrably best most fuel efficient car offerings in history haven’t laid a glove on the invaders. Continue reading →

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PBGC, Bendix Reach Settlement, End Litigation over Pensions

Posted on 2 May 2012 by Ken Zino

Critics of the federal agency say it has been lax and ineffective in protecting pensions. Under today’s settlement, PBGC won’t require Bendix to put up collateral for the remaining $8.4 million in pension liability, provided the company remains financially strong until the end of the year. Continue reading →

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Ford Motor U.S. Sales Drop 5% in April. Car Sales off 11%

Posted on 1 May 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor U.S. sales decreased 5% in April to 180,350 vehicles, with car sales dropping 11% at 64,790. Fleet sales were 37% of the mix. Overall, Ford Motor Sales were buoyed by trucks and sport utilities, but Ford is now facing a strong challenge from Toyota Motor Sales, which is expected to be up almost 12% in April when Toyota reports later today. Toyota is closing in on Ford’s Number Two U.S. sales ranking. Continue reading →

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Air Fares Soar 10% in Q4 as 2011 Prices Highest on Record

Posted on 30 April 2012 by Ken Zino

The slow economic recovery the U.S. is enduring isn’t all good for embattled consumers as the average price of U.S. domestic air fares increased to $368 in the fourth quarter of 2011, up 10% from $335 in the fourth quarter of 2010, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today. The latest price hike was far above $320 average fare during the same period in 2009 as the Great Recession took hold. Continue reading →

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Ford Motor Q1 Profit $2.3 Billion, Down $500 Million

Posted on 27 April 2012 by Ken Zino

With successful businesses in North America ($ 2.1 billion profit) and Ford Credit ($452 million profit), Ford has now been profitable on a pre-tax operating basis for 11 consecutive quarters. The North American operating margin was 11.5% compared to overall results of a 6.4% margin. Continue reading →

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Ford Moves to Decrease Its $15 Billion in Unfunded Pensions

Posted on 27 April 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford took another step today to solve its huge problem with unfunded global pension plans, by announcing that it will offer to about 90,000 eligible U.S. salaried retirees and U.S. salaried former employees the option to receive a voluntary lump-sum … Continue reading →

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Another DENSO Exec Guilty of Price Fixing and Bid Rigging

Posted on 27 April 2012 by Ken Zino

According to the latest charge, Hattori participated in the conspiracy from at least as early as July 2005, until at least July 2008. During the conspiracy, Hattori was an assistant manager in the Toyota Sales Division at DENSO from July 2005 until December 2006, and a manager in the Toyota Sales Division from December 2006 until at least July 2008. Continue reading →

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Mazda BT 50, Ford Ranger Pickup Capacity Upped in Thailand

Posted on 26 April 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor, of course, once dominated the compact pickup truck market in the U.S. until years of product neglect combined with an assault by Toyota and Nissan pushed it to a footnote in the segment. This first forced the closing of Ford’s Edison, New Jersey plant. The remaining plant in Minnesota did not survive the Ford UAW contract last year. It was and remains a stunning amount of business to cede to the competition. Continue reading →

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Chrysler Provides Most of Q1 Fiat Group Profits of €866m

Posted on 26 April 2012 by Ken Zino

The weak consolidated Fiat-Chrysler Group return of 4.2% on sales of more than €20 billion stood in stark contrast to Chrysler Group’s return of 7% on €872 million in revenues during the quarter reported earlier in the day. Simply put, courtesy of U.S. and Canadian taxpayers, a reorganized Chrysler, now 58.5% owned by Fiat, is providing the profits for the newly created Fiat-Chrysler Group. Continue reading →

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AutoNation, Penske Report Strong Q1 Earnings from Dealers

Posted on 25 April 2012 by Ken Zino

The two largest auto dealer groups operating in the United States reported large increases in Q1 earnings and profits today. It was the latest sign that a slow recovery is well underway in the auto industry. However, the new luxury vehicle business, where broken out, had relatively weak results compared to other segments. Luxury cars, of course, were once thought to be recession proof and discount proof, but that is no longer the case as discounts are increasing along with competition from non-luxury autos with high levels of equipment. Continue reading →

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Fitch says Ford Motor Company Debt is No Longer Junk

Posted on 24 April 2012 by Ken Zino

Fitch Ratings has upgraded the Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) for Ford Motor Company (Ford) and its Ford Motor Credit Company LLC (Ford Credit) captive finance subsidiary to BBB- from BB+. This means that Ford Motor and Ford Credit debt is investment grade for the first time since 2005 when Ford Motor was losing billions of dollars. Continue reading →

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Cadillac to Build New XTS in China at Shanghai GM

Posted on 24 April 2012 by Ken Zino

Cadillac will build the new XTS luxury sedan in China in conjunction with its mandated joint-venture partner Shanghai General Motors (SGM) starting this fall. Cadillac sold a record 30,000 vehicles in China in 2011, compared with 17,000 in 2010 even … Continue reading →

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Earth Day Milestones – History of Auto Air Pollution Regs

Posted on 22 April 2012 by Ken Zino

As we celebrate Earth Day here’s a list of important dates in the fight against automotive or so-called mobile source air pollution. In 1970, Congress passes the first major Clean Air Act, requiring a 90% reduction in emissions from new automobiles by 1975. Congress also establishes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), giving it broad responsibility for regulating motor vehicle pollution. Continue reading →

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EPA Issues Tougher Rules for Oil and Natural Gas Production

Posted on 18 April 2012 by Ken Zino

EPA – sensitive, if not given over to election year politics and high energy prices – also said the standards would enable companies to collect additional natural gas that can be sold. The updated EPA standards include the first federal clean air rules for natural gas wells that are hydraulically fractured, specifically requiring operators of new fractured natural gas wells to use what it says are cost-effective technologies and practices to capture natural gas that might otherwise escape the well. Continue reading →

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Ford China Sales Drop Again in Q1 as March Continues Slump

Posted on 17 April 2012 by Ken Zino

This is the third straight monthly decline for Ford in China, and it comes at a time when Ford is aggressively expanding its capacity there, an unfortunate development for shareholders and the Ford balance sheet, which needs the cash flow from increasing sales to build new plants. All major automakers have announced ambitious expansion plans in China, the world’s largest auto market. However, in 2011 the Chinese auto market only grew by 5%, by far the lowest growth rate of the 21st century, as the communist central government deliberately slowed the economy in an attempt to fight inflation. Continue reading →

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