Retail

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 Octavia

May 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 China

May 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 drop

May 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 »

 

Former Mercedes spokesman A.B. Shuman dies at 72

4:54 pm U.S. ET | May 14, 2013
Arnold Baer Shuman, a product spokesman for Mercedes-Benz of North America for more than two decades, died suddenly Friday at his home in New Jersey. He was 72.... Read More »

 

Ally clears barrier for IPO with plan to resolve mortgage claims

1:59 pm U.S. ET | May 14, 2013
Ally Financial moved closer to repaying its government bailout as the auto lender reached agreement with creditors of its bankrupt mortgage unit.... Read More »

 

Audi sales in China exceed BMW, Mercedes on demand for SUVs

May 14, 2013 11:04 CET
Audi saw the fastest sales growth among German premium marques in China last month after deliveries rose 13 percent to 38,710 vehicles in China and Hong Kong, the company said today. BMW, the world's largest premium automaker, reported an 11 percent gain in core-brand sales to 30,311 units, while Mercedes-Benz said brand sales increased 11 percent to 16,241 units.... Read More »

 

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE E-MAGAZINE

Nissan plans potentially polarizing changes to top-selling Qashqai

May 14, 2013 06:01 CET
Nissan promises an innovative new look for the next Qashqai – the automaker's top-selling model in Europe – when the replacement debuts early next year.... Read More »

 

Volvo jabs Germans, stresses sensible luxury

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Volvo's new brand awareness campaign pokes fun at German competitors, touting Volvos as less flashy and more sensible.... Read More »

 

Jaguar launches plan to spruce up stores

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
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 »

 

Ford must switch gears, tout trucks, Mustang

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Ford-brand marketers face an interesting challenge. After spending millions of dollars over the last several years promoting a lineup of fuel-efficient small- and mid-sized cars and crossovers, two historic launches loom on Ford's near-term horizon: the next-generation F-series pickup and the 50th anniversary Mustang pony car.... Read More »

 

Hyundai sets new TV spots to reggae beat

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
A remix of the Bob Marley song "Three Little Birds" will be the soundtrack for TV spots in a campaign touting the package of safety and maintenance services included with Hyundai's Blue Link telematics system.... Read More »

 

BEST PRACTICES

Dealer pairs test driver's phone to car

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
A Chrysler Group dealer in Michigan has turned a 30-second routine into a better way to demonstrate his technology-laden vehicles.Before the start of each test drive at Extreme Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram, the salesperson showing the vehicle asks the customer in the driver's seat for his or her smartphone and -- with permission -- connects the phone to the vehicle's infotainment system.... Read More »

 

GM CFO: Cadillac won't chase 'volume at all costs'

5:45 pm U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
General Motors CFO Dan Ammann says Cadillac will steer clear of what he sees as a "volume-at-all-costs mentality" among competitors battling for the luxury sales crown.... Read More »

 

Hyundai, Mercedes, Nissan, Toyota join DOE in fuel cells push

4:07 pm U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Hyundai Motor, Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz unit, Nissan Motor and Toyota Motor have linked with the Department of Energy to prepare for the first major wave of hydrogen-powered cars, the department said today... Read More »

 

MARKETING EXECUTIVE Q&A: OLIVIER FRANCOIS

At Chrysler-Fiat 'it's all about differentiating the brands'

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
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 »