Tag Archives: auto news

If Vehicles are So Appealing Why Aren’t they Selling?

Posted on 27 July 2011 by Ken Zino

The J.D. Power survey – financed by automakers – begs the question: if the new cars and trucks are so bloody enticing why is the U.S. auto market stuck in the doldrums? Continue reading →

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Ford Motor Q2 Profit Drops 8% to $2.4 Billion on $4.2 Billion Revenue Increase. Ford Credit, all Regions Except N.A. Decline

Posted on 26 July 2011 by Ken Zino

Ford’s second quarter net income was affected by so called “unfavorable special items” of $272 million – $177 million more than a year ago. The special items include personnel reduction actions as Ford continues to retrench. The closing of Mercury and other dealer-related actions in North America, as well as pension settlements in Belgium also negatively affected the results. Continue reading →

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Chrysler Group Q2 Revenues up $3.2 B but Profit Down

Posted on 26 July 2011 by Ken Zino

By Chrysler’s accounting, Chrysler said it would have reported a $181 million profit in the second quarter, but took a $551 million one-time charge to repay loans from the U.S. Treasury Department and the Canadian government. Continue reading →

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OnStar Aftermarket Mirror – $299 – at Best Buy Next Week

Posted on 18 July 2011 by Ken Zino

OnStar is now offering its telematics services in the aftermarket for older General Motors cars and the most popular non-GM vehicles. It’s the first time owners of other makes of automobiles could subscribe to OnStar through a Chinese built electronic mirror. Continue reading →

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Debt Causes U.S. Treasury to Suspend Reinvestment in Exchange Fund. Last Stopgap Measure Taken before Default

Posted on 15 July 2011 by Ken Zino

The fund is a crucial financial tool because it includes purchasing or selling foreign currencies to stabilize international financial markets and thereby prevent damage to U.S. exports and the national economy.

Automakers had no immediate comment, but the uncertainty surrounding the effects of a default on U.S. debt – potentially turning the “almighty dollar” into a third world currency – has left executives cautious about predicting sales for the remainder of the year. U.S. sales declined in June for the second straight month. Continue reading →

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Volkswagen Starts Production of the New Beetle in Mexico

Posted on 15 July 2011 by Ken Zino

The German built Beetle was particularly successful in the United States, of course. The original and updates sold almost five million units between 1949 and 1981. The New Beetle continued the success, with a total of 1.15 million units built in Puebla selling between 1997 and 2010. Continue reading →

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Blue Angels Mustang to be Auctioned at EAA Oshkosh

Posted on 15 July 2011 by Ken Zino

The Blue Angels Mustang pays tribute to 100 years of naval aviation, which will be celebrated all week at AirVenture 2011, arguably the biggest gathering of aviation enthusiasts in the world. Continue reading →

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Resale Value of Smaller Vehicles Goes Up with Gas Prices

Posted on 15 July 2011 by Ken Zino

As fuel prices rise so does the trade-in value of smaller vehicles. Most of this is common sense, but it is backed by historical data. The consultancy ALG has modeled the effect of a 1$ per gallon change in regular gas price on 36-month resale/residual values. Continue reading →

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FAW-GM Launch Kuncheng Pickup Truck in Jilin

Posted on 15 July 2011 by Ken Zino

In April Wale predicted that GM would double its sales volume in China from about 2.35 million units in 2010 to around 5 million units by 2015. China has been GM’s largest market for the past two years where it is the Number One automaker. Continue reading →

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Passenger Car Sales Down in EU Again as Economy Struggles

Posted on 15 July 2011 by Ken Zino

However some winners are emerging. Volkswagen Group remains the powerhouse in Europe with 23% share year-to-date of the EU and European Free Trade Areas. BMW group also posted strong double digit gains, as did Nissan, although both are on relatively small basis. The same could be said for Hyundai and Kia, which now have combines sales of more than 345,000 units year-to-date, compared to Volvo’s 138,000. Continue reading →

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Volkswagen Group Posts Record Sales for First Half of 2011

Posted on 15 July 2011 by Ken Zino

The Volkswagen Group said today that it delivered more vehicles in the first six months of 2011 than eve before. A total of 4.09 million vehicles were delivered from VW, Škoda, Seat, Audi, Bentley and Porsche to customers worldwide from January to June of this year. Continue reading →

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Volvo Shows Electric Vehicle Range Extender – a Gas Engine!

Posted on 14 July 2011 by Ken Zino

If engineers keep this up, they could arrive at a lightweight, front-drive gasoline (or diesel powered) car that would be much less expensive by eliminating the electric motor, power controls, recharging gear, battery cooling, battery back and sundry other EV components. However, it wouldn’t qualify for taxpayer subsidies or meet increasingly stringent government standards for reducing CO2 emissions, which correlate with increased fuel economy. Continue reading →

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European Brands Gain Momentum in U.S. Consumer Interest

Posted on 14 July 2011 by Ken Zino

Overall interest for domestic brands actually decreased by 4.4% while sales increased 1.9% during the second quarter of 2011 – which the NADA analysts think may be an indication that sales for the domestic brands may see a decrease in the near future. Consumer interest in Japanese brands increased by 1.8% in Q2, while sales numbers for the brands dropped 3.5% during the second quarter. Continue reading →

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Ten Honda Plants in North America Achieve Zero Landfill Waste

Posted on 14 July 2011 by Ken Zino

While all automakers have environmental initiatives well under way, Honda and GM appear to have the most sweeping company-wide programs in place. Continue reading →

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Freight Shipments Decline in May for Second Straight Month

Posted on 13 July 2011 by Ken Zino

Worse, from an economic point of view, freight declined three out of the past four months, and reached the lowest level in since November of 2010. In May 2011 freight shipments were approximately the same as they were in October 2008 after the global markets collapsed. Continue reading →

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