Category Archives: results

US August Sales Continue Truck, Crossover Boom

Posted on 4 September 2015 by Ken Zino

AutoData says the seasonally adjusted annual rate, aka SAAR, in August was at 17.8 million units compared to 17.3 million units a year ago. This is the highest reported SAAR since July 2005 and the highest August SAAR since 2003. Continue reading →

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One-Millionth Corvette back in National Corvette Museum

Posted on 3 September 2015 by Ken Zino

The car was damaged on Feb. 12, 2014, when it and seven other rare Corvettes tumbled into a sinkhole that opened beneath the museum’s Skydome area. After recovery from the sinkhole, the one-millionth Corvette was moved from the museum to the Design Center on GM’s Technical Center. Continue reading →

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Pork Alert! Dump Ethanol Say Voters in National Poll

Posted on 1 September 2015 by Ken Zino

Likely 2016 voters have serious concerns about ethanol’s unintended consequences as a fuel, including damage to engines, land conversion and food prices, according to a new national poll. Continue reading →

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August SAAR Projected at 17.4 Million. Labor Day Sales in September 2015

Posted on 27 August 2015 by Ken Zino

A later than usual Labor Day holiday weekend this year is pushing the impact of that major car-buying period for automakers to September. Continue reading →

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Toyota Hybrid Sales Surpass Eight Million

Posted on 21 August 2015 by Ken Zino

Toyota has now sold more than eight million hybrid vehicles, with only 10 months between this and the nine million sales milestone. Continue reading →

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Is the Tesla Bubble About to Burst?

Posted on 10 August 2015 by Ken Zino

Not surprisingly, the stock market is wary. Tesla stock has dropped for three straight days since the results – more than -5% on Thursday, almost -7% on Friday, and on Monday morning, it was trading down -9% at $236 per share. Continue reading →

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Volkswagen Downsizes Engines Once Again

Posted on 5 August 2015 by Ken Zino

Volkswagen was an early leader with the use of small displacement; highly efficient turbocharged and direct-injection engines in the U.S. Volkswagen first used the now common combination of turbocharging and direct injection in the U.S. with its TDI diesel engines in the Passat in 1996 Continue reading →

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Weak Yen Helps Toyota Motor Post Record Profit

Posted on 5 August 2015 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor posted a 10% rise in net profit to ¥646.3 billion for the Japanese Q1, but if it was not for the weak yen (¥124:$1) Toyota’s profits would have dropped. Continue reading →

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US Trade Deficit Increases in June

Posted on 5 August 2015 by Ken Zino

The U.S. goods and services trade deficit was $43.8 billion in June, up $2.9 billion from $40.9 billion in May, according to the Department of Commerce. Continue reading →

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BMW Group Posts Strong Q2 Results

Posted on 4 August 2015 by Ken Zino

The BMW Group revenues at €23.9 billion and sales volume were strong in Q2, with the Group profit before interest and taxes (EBIT) for the six-month period exceeding €5 billion for the first time. Continue reading →

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Record Sales of Car, Light Trucks Predicted at CAR Conference

Posted on 4 August 2015 by Ken Zino

Sales of new cars and light trucks will continue their post-recession recovery, reaching a record high of 17.46 million vehicles in 2016, said Steven Szakaly, chief economist of the National Automobile Dealers Association. Continue reading →

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Truck Galore! July US Auto Sales Best in Ten Years

Posted on 4 August 2015 by Ken Zino

In third place behind the Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado pickups, the Toyota Camry again led the offshore brand sales at 38,435 units. The Honda Accord was in fifth place and the Nissan Altima in sixth place, with sales up 27% to 33,842 units. Not one Detroit Three car made the Top Ten list. Continue reading →

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NADA Opposes Credit Reform on Auto Lending Practices

Posted on 29 July 2015 by Ken Zino

the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) is lobbying members of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee to pass H.R. 1737, a bill that would repeal the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) 2013 guidance on fair auto lending practices Continue reading →

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During Q2 Ford Posts Best Profits, $2.9B, Since 2000

Posted on 28 July 2015 by Ken Zino

It was Ford’s best automotive quarterly profit since 2000. Continue reading →

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CFPB Scoffs at NADA FOIA Request on Auto Lending

Posted on 27 July 2015 by Ken Zino

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, aka CFPB, has rejected a Freedom of Information Act – FOIA – request by the National Automobile Dealers Association to release a memorandum that NADA alleges shows that the agency is seeking to exercise jurisdiction over auto dealers financing, which is prohibited under the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, also called Dodd-Frank. Continue reading →

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