Blog

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

2 million extra doors was the best call Daimler made during 'marriage of equals'

12:35 pm U.S. ET | May 17, 2013
It's easy to criticize the way Daimler AG ran and ultimately left Chrysler during the disastrous "marriage of equals" era. I know because I've done it on a regular basis. But even the worst marriages can produce spectacular kids -- or in this case, products.... 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 »

 

BRADFORD WERNLE

In the Land of Many Buicks, one in particular stood out

3:59 pm U.S. ET | May 17, 2013
If you were an alien from another world and your spaceship landed in Shanghai, you would immediately conclude that Buick is a planetary titan among automotive brands.... Read More »

 

DIANA T. KURYLKO

With Mercedes, there's nothing bigger than S-class launch

10:46 am U.S. ET | May 16, 2013
If you're going to unveil a flagship that will sell for nearly $100,000 in the United States, go big -- really big. That's what Mercedes-Benz did for the debut of the 2014 S class here on Wednesday. The launch was staged in a customer delivery center used for the Airbus A380 -- a plane its creators modestly call the "queen of the skies."... Read More »

 

DOUGLAS A. BOLDUC

How a pope inspired Zetsche to become a Mercedes man

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 16, 2013
A religious experience set Dieter Zetsche on his path to becoming CEO of Mercedes-Benz.... 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 »

 

DOUGLAS A. BOLDUC

How a pope inspired Zetsche to become a Mercedes man

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 16, 2013
A religious experience set Dieter Zetsche on his path to becoming CEO of Mercedes-Benz.... 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 »

 

LINDSAY CHAPPELL

How GM and Nissan avoided a UAW thorn

3:15 pm U.S. ET | May 15, 2013
A labor taboo still exists in the North American auto industry, and Nissan and GM sidestepped it this week. GM revealed that it will buy Nissan's compact commercial vans to provide Chevrolet with a competitor to Ford's Transit Connect compact van.... 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 »

 

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 »

 

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 »

 

LINDSAY CHAPPELL

The auto boom -- without new jobs

2:49 pm U.S. ET | May 14, 2013
Bill Strauss has some very good news for the American auto industry. Or he has some very bad news. You can take your pick.... Read More »

 

DOUGLAS A. BOLDUC

Audi outsells BMW brand globally for 2nd time in 4 months

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Audi has won rounds two and four of its 12-round fight with BMW brand, but the world luxury-car champ is still ahead on the overall scorecard.... Read More »

 

GABE NELSON

Why Wednesday hearing could be connected cars' moment of truth

4:12 pm U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
In the software industry, people talk about vaporware -- products that are heavily promoted but never seem to go on sale. Automakers are at the point that they must prove that connected cars, which talk to each other over Wi-Fi to stay out of fender-benders, are more than just vaporware.... Read More »

 

DOUGLAS A. BOLDUC

Audi outsells BMW brand globally for 2nd time in 4 months

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Audi has won rounds two and four of its 12-round fight with BMW brand, but the world luxury-car champ is still ahead on the overall scorecard. The battle to finish 2013 as the global leader in premium-car sales will remain tense.... Read More »

 

DAVE GUILFORD

Next hurdle for hot Tesla is pushing EVs mainstream

11:47 am U.S. ET | May 10, 2013
Tesla has had one hell of a week. It reported its first quarterly profit. It's brainstorming self-guided cars with Google. The stock is sizzling.... Read More »

 

LUCA CIFERRI

Europe will end 18-month sales slump with positive April

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 10, 2013
Strong April UK car sales and a solid rebound in Germany last month will help western Europe end 18 consecutive months of year-on-year declines, analysts predict. Despite this, market watchers have stopped short of saying Europe is on the verge of an extended turnaround.... Read More »

 

MIKE COLIAS

Silverado hand-wringers should relax -- for now

12:15 pm U.S. ET | May 9, 2013
There was hand-wringing, even some flat out panic, when General Motors unwrapped its next-generation Chevrolet Silverado in December. Many dealers, enthusiasts and writers questioned whether the pickup's design went far enough. Did GM whiff on its most critical vehicle launch since its 2009 bankruptcy? No.... Read More »

 

LINDSAY CHAPPELL

Slow and steady wins at Subaru

10:32 am U.S. ET | May 9, 2013
Score one for the tortoise. Subaru's plan to invest $400 million to expand its Indiana auto factory is evidence that a long-term business outlook and a steady commitment to growth are worth more than neon headlines and Wall Street drooling.... Read More »

 

CHARLES CHILD

Are car salespeople, journalists all that different?

4:49 pm U.S. ET | May 8, 2013
A strange thing happened to me here at the Digital Dealer Conference. I've concluded I could be a car salesman.... Read More »

 

JAMES B. TREECE

Is Akio Toyoda cut from the Steve Jobs mold?

12:48 pm U.S. ET | May 8, 2013
Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda wants to take personal responsibility for injecting design and performance pizazz into the Lexus brand.... Read More »

 

JIM HENRY

Subprime scrutiny could open a real can of worms

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 8, 2013
Here's a disturbing thought: As much as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has upset auto lenders and dealers, it hasn't even gotten around to the vast category of subprime auto lending.... Read More »