RetailINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Veteran Texas dealer mines data to sell pickups 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  It takes something special to get Hayden Elder's attention now that he has run a Chrysler dealership in Texas for decades. But software installed at Elder Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in the past month has turned his head.... Read More »
It's official: Tundra is a bit player in pickups 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013 Gone are the days when Toyota expected to challenge Detroit's dominance in full-sized pickups. "We're never going to challenge the Big 3 in terms of volumes," said Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota's North American region.... Read More »
Dealers 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Dealerships in this report: Majestic Honda in Lincoln, R.I.; Heritage Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram Owings Mills in Owings Mills, Md.; Miller's Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in Martinsburg, W.Va.; Maita Toyota in Sacramento, Calif.; and Gilroy Toyota in Gilroy, Calif.... Read More »
Europe car sales rise for first time in 19 monthsMay 17, 2013 08:34 CET European car sales rose for the first time in 19 months on strong demand in the UK and a rebound in Germany. Registrations in April increased 2 percent to 1.08 million vehicles from 1.06 million cars a year earlier, industry association ACEA said.... Read More »
ANDREW THURLOW Nissan lures feathered pickup customers with fish, no rebates 10:57 am U.S. ET | May 17, 2013  If Nissan wants to portray its made-in-the-U.S.A. Frontier compact pickup as more, well, American, the company's marketing team should take a gander at YouTube.... Read More »
European car sales post 1st gain in 19 months 5:19 am U.S. ET | May 17, 2013  European car sales rose for the first time in 19 months as a gain in consumer sentiment in countries using the euro led to rebounds in Germany and Spain. Still, the European auto market is at a two-decade low, and industry executives are forecasting a drop of about 5 percent for 2013 amid a recession in the 17-nation euro zone.... Read More »
Russian car sales down 8% in AprilMay 17, 2013 06:01 CET  Russia's year-on-year car sales fell 8 percent in April after a decline of 4 percent in the previous month, the Association of European Businesses (AEB) said.... Read More »
Jaguar launches plan to spruce up U.S. storesMay 17, 2013 06:01 CET  Jaguar is rolling out a plan to refurbish its U.S. dealerships in preparation for a wave of new products. Regional Jaguar teams are going "door-to-door" to discuss the new corporate identity standards, starting with about 50 older stores.... Read More »
At Fiat-Chrysler 'it's all about differentiating the brands'May 17, 2013 06:01 CET  Olivier Francois, chief marketing officer for Fiat and Chrysler, has helped rehabilitate Chrysler Group's image since its 2009 bankruptcy. Chrysler has racked up 37 consecutive months of year-over-year U.S. sales increases, thanks in part to memorable commercials, such as rapper Eminem's coup during the 2011 Super Bowl.... Read More »
Audi shifting to high-performance models to propel salesMay 16, 2013 10:34 CET  Audi is counting on bigger sales of high-performance cars like the RS5, as well as the new version of the A3 compact, to propel volume this year amid intensifying economic headwinds.... Read More »
Fiat: Shift of headquarters to U.S. not on agenda 8:04 pm U.S. ET | May 16, 2013  Fiat said the idea of moving the group's legal headquarters to the United States following a planned merger with Chrysler Group is not on the company's agenda.... Read More »
Audi shifting to high-performance models to propel sales 4:34 am U.S. ET | May 16, 2013  Audi is counting on bigger sales of high-performance cars like the RS5, as well as the new version of the A3 compact, to propel volume this year amid intensifying economic headwinds.... Read More »
AMY WILSON For AutoNation's Jackson, Penske sets pace for retirement 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 16, 2013  AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson's employment contract with the country's largest dealership group is up in September. Jackson will turn 65 next February, but he has no intention of walking out the door any time soon.... Read More »
Skoda's global April sales hit by switch to new OctaviaMay 16, 2013 16:10 CET  Skoda said today that its global sales fell 4.6 percent to 77,600 in April due to a switch to a new Octavia compact model and continued weak demand in some European markets.... Read More »
Volkswagen starts construction of 300,000-vehicle plant in ChinaMay 16, 2013 09:04 CET  Volkswagen has begun construction of a new factory in Changsha, China, with an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles, the company said in a statement today. The plant is one of seven factories being built by the company as it seeks to expand annual capacity in China to 4 million vehicles by 2018 in order to meet growing demand.... Read More »
DOUGLAS A. BOLDUC Is the S in the new Mercedes S class for Shanghai? 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 15, 2013  The new Mercedes-Benz S class made its world premiere today in Hamburg, Germany, but Shanghai might have been more appropriate. Why? China accounted for nearly half of all S-class sales from 2010-2012.... Read More »
JIM HENRY 'Last resort' means something good 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 15, 2013  In a recent blog, I referred to GM Financial as a “lender of last resort” for parent company General Motors. I meant simply that GM regards GM Financial as a lender GM can count on, no matter what.... Read More »
AMY WILSON Rebranding effort aids AutoNation's community giving 11:57 am U.S. ET | May 15, 2013  AutoNation has rebranded nearly 40 percent of its dealerships with its coast-to-coast AutoNation name. And, contrary to early fears within the nation's largest auto dealership group, AutoNation says it is maintaining or increasing share in those converted markets.... Read More »
DOUGLAS A. BOLDUC Is the S in the new Mercedes S class for Shanghai? 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 15, 2013  The new Mercedes-Benz S class makes its world premier today in Hamburg, Germany, but Shanghai might have been more appropriate. Why? China accounted for nearly half of all S-class sales from 2010-2012.... Read More »
VINCE BOND JR. Shaq: No grease needed to slide into my LaCrosse 4:21 pm U.S. ET | May 14, 2013  Can Shaquille O'Neal really fit into a Buick LaCrosse? The debate continues, but Buick has to love the humorous PR its giant pitchman generates.... Read More »
DIANA T. KURYLKO Can battery rental reduce consumer jitters with EVs? Smart thinks so 2:02 pm U.S. ET | May 14, 2013  Consumers have a lot of gripes about the battery life in high-tech products. Batteries seem to conk out way before the products do. Small wonder there's even more anxiety about electric vehicle batteries.... Read More »
Americans, especially young, continue to drive less, report says 5:36 pm U.S. ET | May 14, 2013  Americans, in a worrisome sign for automakers, continue to drive less, with more and more younger people choosing to forgo a driver's license altogether, a major new study released Tuesday found.... Read More »
VW brand sales rise 5.4% in April as China demand offsets Europe dropMay 14, 2013 14:41 CET Volkswagen Group said sales of its core VW brand rose 5.4 percent in April, powered by gains in China which helped offset weaker global markets including the U.S. and Europe.... Read More »
U.S. used-vehicle sales drop 6% in first quarter 4:04 pm U.S. ET | May 14, 2013 Industry-wide used-vehicle sales dropped 6 percent in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the same quarter last year, according to Edmunds.com's new Used Market Quarterly Report.... Read More »
James Lawrence, NADA Used Car Guide publisher, dies 5:15 pm U.S. ET | May 14, 2013 James Lawrence, former publisher of NADA Used Car Guide, died May 6. He was 90.... Read More »
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