Category Archives: results

Five of the Top Ten U.S. Best Sellers in September Are from Offshore Brands. Only One Detroit Three Car Makes the List

Posted on 4 October 2011 by Ken Zino

Five of the top ten selling vehicles in September were from offshore brands, an increase of one from August and only three in July as the new vehicle market continues its slow shift away from traditional trucks and SUVs. Continue reading →

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UAW has Deal at Ford Pending Local Approvals. 5750 Jobs Added or Retained During Contract. Shared Prosperity Claimed

Posted on 4 October 2011 by Ken Zino

The tentative agreement is based of Ford’s promise to add another 5,750 new jobs and invest what’s said to be $16 billion to produce new models and upgraded vehicles and components by 2015, of which, $6.3 billion will be invested directly into retooling and upgrading plants. As is the current management practice in the ailing U.S. economy, the jobs claim includes so called retained jobs, as well as some new ones. All of this is contingent upon contract approval by local union members. Continue reading →

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Authorized Dealer Used Vehicle Sales Jump 11.5% in September

Posted on 3 October 2011 by Ken Zino

Overall, the U.S. used vehicle market is at 30,155,128 units year-to-date, compared to 8.6 million new cars and light trucks. It was the best performance y-t-d since 2007 before the collapse of the global financial markets. This begs the question – are new vehicle prices too high? Continue reading →

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Nissan Up, Toyota and Honda Down in U.S. September Sales

Posted on 3 October 2011 by Ken Zino

Year-to-date Honda remains in the Number Two spot at 859,797 compared to Nissan’s 774,079. Honda’s strong sales of light trucks at 45,723 surpassed its car sales for the month (43,809) and a building supply of newly revised Civic models bodes well for Honda hanging on to Number Two for the 2011 year. Continue reading →

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Ford Motor Company September Sales Up 9% – Weakest Sales Performance among the Detroit Three

Posted on 3 October 2011 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor September sales totaled 175,199, up 9% versus last year, significantly trailing gains made by General Motors and Chrysler during the month. As with the other two members of the Detroit Three, Ford’s increase was largely the result of sales of pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Continue reading →

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General Motors September Sales Up 20%, Led by Pickup Trucks

Posted on 3 October 2011 by Ken Zino

Based on early results GM is maintaining a market share of about 20%, which means it remains solidly in first place even as the Japanese maker are now back in full production. It also appears to prove the wisdom of the U.S. Treasury Department’s insistence on killing four brands, as part of the taxpayer bailout, and concentrating on the remaining four – Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac in descending sales order. However, Cadillac (+1%) and Buick (+5.6%) appear to be badly trailing overall industry growth basis. Continue reading →

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Chrysler Group U.S. Sales Up 27% in September, Led By Trucks

Posted on 3 October 2011 by Ken Zino

Chrysler Group’s Retail sales were up 50%. Chrysler Group has beaten the average industry sales increase in eight of nine months this year, and is in a dead heat with Toyota Motor Sales for the Number Three position in the U.S. Continue reading →

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Facebook Posting Costs Chicago BMW Salesperson His Job

Posted on 30 September 2011 by Ken Zino

A National Labor Relations Board Administrative Law Judge ruled this week that Knauz BMW, a Chicago area car dealership, did not wrongfully terminate an employee for his Facebook postings. Back in May the NLRB alleged unlawful termination of an employee … Continue reading →

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Competition in Chinese Auto Market Results in Cross Shopping Record. U.S. Brands Suffer Because of Poor Fuel Economy

Posted on 30 September 2011 by Ken Zino

Fuel economy is also among the top rejection reasons, particularly given the sharp increases in gas prices that have occurred in recent years. Fuel economy is becoming a challenge for nearly all manufacturers, but particularly so for U.S. brands. Approximately one in four rejecters (24%) say they rejected a model of a U.S. brand because they expected better fuel economy. Continue reading →

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U.S. September SAAR Projected at Weak 10 Million Vehicles

Posted on 30 September 2011 by Ken Zino

September could be the first time that new-vehicle retail sales have remained strong throughout the month in the U.S. since the stronger selling rates at the beginning of 2011 before the economy stalled, according to projections from consultancy J.D. Power and Associates. Continue reading →

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Four-Cylinder Engines Now Made at Toyota Alabama Plant

Posted on 29 September 2011 by Ken Zino

Total annual engine capacity of four-cylinder, V6 and V8 engines is now more than 500,000. TMMAL is the only Toyota plant in the world making four-cylinder, V6 and V8 engines. Continue reading →

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S&P Raises General Motors to Highest Junk Grade – BB+

Posted on 29 September 2011 by Ken Zino

The upgrade came one day after the GM’s 49,500 UAW employees ratified a new four-year contract that will not raise GM’s labor costs, and will provide bonuses based on profitability instead of automatic pay raises. GM at this time appears to have the lowest labor costs among the Detroit Three since both Ford Motor and Chrysler UAW contracts are unresolved. It’s ironic that it took a Democratic President to curb the union – in essence breaking it – under the forced bankruptcy reorganization of GM, which included a no strike clause. Continue reading →

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Labor Demand Down Again, Continuing Unemployment Trend

Posted on 28 September 2011 by Ken Zino

nline advertised vacancies were down 43,500 in September to 3,947,100, according a Conference Board study released today. The September drop follows a decline of 164,000 in August and a decrease of 217,000 in July. The Supply/Demand ratio stands at 3.50, meaning there were 3.5 unemployed for every online advertised vacancy in August, the latest monthly data available for unemployment. Nationally, there are 10 million more people officially unemployed (9.98 million) than advertised vacancies under the “no jobs” Obama Administration. Continue reading →

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New Porsche Paint Shop for New 911s at Zuffenhausen

Posted on 23 September 2011 by Ken Zino

The opening of the new paint shop this week in Zuffenhausen coincides with the start of production of the new Porsche 911, arguably the most famous sports car in the world since its 1964 début. The revised 911 bodies are painted inside and out in a dust free environment at the enclosed plant, which is located in a densely populated urban area of Stuttgart. Continue reading →

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U.S. September Sales Up from ‘10. SAAR Weak at 12.9 Million

Posted on 22 September 2011 by Ken Zino

This is the first time the retail selling rate would be above 10 million units since the 10.8 million-unit rate in April, if the J.D. Power and Associates projection holds up. Nonetheless, sales are far, far below the 16-17 million unit SAARs of last decade as a jobless recovery continues with record levels of long-term unemployment. Continue reading →

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