Tag Archives: auto news

Ford Q3 Income, Profits Down as Volume Increases. No Dividend Yet, But Sooner Rather than Later Promised

Ford continues to struggle globally by posting losses in moribund European economies, and – surprisingly – the growth markets of Asia Pacific and Africa. North America, where Japanese competitors have been out of the market since the March earthquake and tsunami disrupted production, and South America reported pre-tax profits for the third quarter. Continue reading

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Pontiac Owners Show Loyalty to Remaining GM Brands

One year after Pontiac dealers permanently closed on 31 October 2010, General Motors has managed to maintain or increase the loyalty rate of Pontiac owners, according to by Edmunds.com. Edmunds found that 39.9% of Pontiac owners who traded in for … Continue reading

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Chrysler Up, GM Sideways, Ford Down in Consumer Reports Annual Reliability Survey Revealed Today at APA in Detroit

Chrysler staged a quality comeback of sorts. General Motors did not sustain last year’s trend of improvement. Ford slipped badly in the 2011 Consumer Reports Reliability Survey revealed today at APA. Japanese brands continue to dominate Consumer Reports survey’s best rankings. Japanese brands took the top nine spots. They were led by Scion, Lexus, Acura, Mazda, Honda, and Toyota. Continue reading

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Honda Closed, Toyota Cuts Japan Production from Thailand Floods. After Effects Continue to Worsen for Japanese Makers

Honda Automobile Thailand – HATC – continues to be shut down since October 4th because of the Thailand floods. “Due to the inability to access its facility in, Ayutthaya , HATC does not currently have a clear outlook for when production will resume.

Toyota Motor Corporation has also “adjusted” production in Japan this week due to Thailand parts shortages at least through Friday, as the after affects of the Thailand Floods – responsible for at least 300 deaths – continue to grow. Continue reading

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Kia Adds Carfax Vehicle History Reports to Used Cars

Kia’s decision means that 32 manufacturer brands that have chosen Carfax for their Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. Continue reading

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All Honda Plants at Full Production Post Earthquake

Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, HMIN, today began a second production shift for the first time, which increases output at the plant to its full annual capacity and adds approximately 1,000 new associates to Honda’s operations in Indiana. HMIN opened in 2008 just as the global auto markets were collapsing due to the financial crisis caused by the reckless practices of Wall Street firms, banks and rating agencies. Continue reading

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Standard & Poor’s Raises Ford Motor to Highest Junk Level, Credit Watch Removed after No Cost Increase UAW Contract

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its corporate credit rating on Ford Motor and Ford Motor Credit to ‘BB+’ from ‘BB-‘. This is just one notch below investment grade. Ford bonds have been appropriately rated as “junk” since 2005, … Continue reading

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Japan Auto Industry to decline 14% in 2011 JAMA Predicts

Total demand for passenger cars and commercial vehicles in Japan for calendar year 2011 will be 4.25 million units, down 14.2% from the previous year, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association – JAMA, which has now its first official forecast since December of 2010. Continue reading

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Ford Common Stock Dividend Coming Next Year?

Ford previously maintained it would not restore the divided until it achieved an investment-grade rating, CFO Lewis Booth said, omitting that a dividend payment was forbidden under covenants for previously issued bonds that kept it out of bankruptcy during the Great Recession. Those bonds presumably have been or will be paid off. Ford still has $14 billion in debt according to its latest SEC filing. Continue reading

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NADA Chairman Announces New Economic Study about Automakers Forcing New Car Dealership Improvements

“Each year dealers collectively invest billions of dollars in facility upgrades, much of it mandated by the auto manufacturers,” said Stephen W. Wade, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association while speaking to the Automotive Press Association in Detroit. In normal times this would be a classic dealer versus automaker squabble. However, with consumers strapped, long term unemployment at record Great Depression highs and the economic recovery tenuous at best – if it is occurring at all – the affordability of new vehicles is at stake.

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Thailand Floods – Worst in 50 Years – latest Tragedy to Hurt Auto Industry as Honda, Toyota and Ford Production Disrupted

Thailand has been inundated by floods, the worst it’s estimated in at least 50 years. Aside from the real human tragedy, once again the auto industry is negatively affected since Thailand has an annual vehicle production capacity of almost 2 million units, extensive exports, as well as numerous component parts manufacturing operations. The disruptions will also have some unknown effects on production in other countries, which will become clearer during the next few weeks. Continue reading

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Ford UAW Workers Ratify 4-Year No Cost Increase Contract

The Ford UAW 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 revised vehicles and components by 2015. About $6.3 billion will be invested directly into retooling U.S. plants.

Ten years ago the there were more than 102,000 UAW jobs at Ford. Today there are 40,000. 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. Continue reading

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Holden Hurricane Concept Restored to its 1969 Self

Nothing even remotely like it ever saw production in Australia, although – ironically – former GM executive John Z. DeLorean marketed something sort of like it under his own name decades later. Nonetheless, Hurricane has been restored as a labor of love by a dedicated group of Holden designers and engineers. The restored Hurricane will be on display at the Motorclassica car show at the Melbourne Royal Exhibition Building from October 21-23 Continue reading

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General Motors China Sales Top 2 Million. Again!

For the second time in its history, General Motors has sold more than 2 million vehicles in China in a calendar year, reaching the milestone this week. China has been GM’s largest market for the past two years where it is the Number One automaker. GM is on track to sell 5 million vehicles in China by 2015. And it might just be a question of time before Chinese companies mount a takeover of GM via its publically traded stock, and move GM headquarters to Shanghai, where GM China already has substantial space in a huge office tower. Continue reading

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EU Car Sales Still trending Down for Fourth Straight Year

During the first nine months of 2011, 10,121,423 new cars were registered in the region, or 1.1% less than in the same period a year ago. Fiat, the owner of Chrysler, Ford and General Motors are all struggling to keep their European operations viable as all are losing market share. Continue reading

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