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Courtesy of WardsAuto
Reporter Notebook: Almost Like Good Old Days
WardsAuto writers pass along the buzz at this week’s SAE 2012 World Congress in Detroit.
By By WardsAuto Staff • April 25, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Lithia Steps Up Used-Car Sales
Publicly owned Lithia, a perennial top player on the WardsAuto Megadealer 100, sold 58,398 used cars in 2011, nearly 10,000 more than the year before.
By Steve Finlay • April 25, 2012 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Courtesy of Toyota
TrendlineAutomotive Manufacturing
Production strategies are changing rapidly as tariffs and shifts in consumer buying patterns affect the industry.
By WardsAuto staff -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Mexico Production, Sales Climb in March
Total light-vehicle sales rose 7.2% to 83,454 units, with new cars up 14.1% to 54,707 and light-trucks down 3.8% to 28,747.
By Byron Pope • April 24, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Job Harassment Wrong, Rude, Potentially Costly
Not only is discrimination costly in financial terms, but publicity surrounding lawsuits hurts a dealership’s reputation. It carries costs, too.
By Terry Dortch • April 23, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Scion Killing xB, xD in Favor of All-New Models
Harkening back to the original brand tenet of “one-and-done” models, Scion won't carry over the names of the xB and xD and likely won't replace them with another box and hatchback, the brand’s top executive says.
April 20, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Sale of Malaysian Proton Delays Future Lotus Models
Malaysian law compels buyer DRB-Hicom to make an offer to purchase all remaining Proton shares it does not presently own. This is preventing development work on five future Lotus models unveiled at the Paris auto show.
By Herb Shuldiner 1 • April 17, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
U.S. Big-Truck Sales Rise for 27th Straight Month in March
Class 8 sales powered the overall increase, although Class 5 also was a strong performer. Most Class 8 manufacturers posted gains, led by the Volvo Truck brand, up 70% from year-ago, followed by PACCAR’s Peterbilt, up 67.8%.
April 13, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Microtechnology Bonds Chrome to Plastic
The process could benefit the auto industry as it looks for ways to cut vehicle weight without compromising design quality.
By Keith Nuthall • April 9, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Viper Super Car Strikes Back
The return of the Viper super car reflects Chrysler’s striking recovery.
By Steve Finlay • April 5, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Fisker Unveils Midsize Atlantic Sedan
The Atlantic is 90% complete, according to co-founder and design director Henrik Fisker. “We don’t show cars without delivering,” he says.
By By Eric Gallina • April 4, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
’14 Chevy Impala Shakes Off Rental Car Past
Chevy’s global marketing chief admits the 54-year-old Impala name briefly knocked at death’s door because the current model grew stale after GM’s bankruptcy delayed the arrival of the 10th-generation model.
By James M. Amend • April 4, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Greener Vans Need Nurturing, U.K. Group Says
The report says incentives such as grants for electric-van purchases and the London congestion-charge exemption must be sustained to offset the higher long-term cost of ultra-low-emissions van ownership.
By Alan Harman • March 30, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
March Sales to Reveal New Momentum for Chevy Volt, Exec Says
“There was a bit of a hangover from the investigation last year, but for the most part our research tells us that’s behind us,” Chevrolet marketing chief Chris Perry tells WardsAuto.
By James M. Amend • March 29, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Chevy Ad Account Goes to New JV
The latest move comes on top of GM’s recent selection of Carat to be its single agency for media planning and buying. Combined, the two consolidations will save the auto maker $2 billion over the next five years.
By By WardsAuto Staff • March 27, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
J.D. Power: The Man Behind Famous Awards
Thanks largely to JDP surveys, competition among all auto makers to boost their scores, win bragging rights and increase sales has raised the bar to the point of near-parity in many rankings.
By David C. Smith • March 27, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ring Up Sales From Incoming Calls
The process is the same as if the customer actually is at the dealership: gather information, help select a vehicle and ask for the sale.
By Darin George • March 21, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
MG Opens Doors to U.K. Manufacturing Site
Visitors will be shown inside the state-of-the-art technical center where 300 engineers work on new cars and components.
By Alan Harman • March 20, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
U.S. LV Sales Volume to Hit 55-Month High in March
The WardsAuto forecast calls for U.S. auto makers to sell 1.45 million light vehicles this month, lifting the first-quarter SAAR to 14.7 million units, well above industry analysts’ early projections for 2012.
By John Sousanis • March 16, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Winds of Change Blow Through Global Design Studios
Bentley, BMW, Chery, Hyundai, Volvo and Volkswagen will see new faces in their design departments.
By Eric Gallina • March 16, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Australian Auto Industry Relevant, Not Relic, Industry Group Says
“Economic purists may call our industry archaic, past our use-by-date,” FCAI CEO says. “The term ‘rust bucket’ seems to flow easily from…poisonous pens. But this characterization could not be further from the truth.”
By Alan Harman • March 16, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
New Owner Looking to Reinvent Embattled Proton
The Malaysian auto maker is burdened by outdated technology, massive overcapacity, lack of scale, a limited model lineup, a reputation for poor quality and bad management.
By Mack Chrysler • March 15, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Canada Big-Truck Rides 23-Month Win Streak
Class 6 truck deliveries climbed 172.6% in February, the steepest upward trend, in percentage terms, of any big-truck segment.
By Eric Mayne 1 • March 14, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Valmet to Build Russian Marussia Sports Car
The Finnish contract assembler, which also produces the Fisker Karma, will provide the project management and a wide range of engineering and manufacturing services.
By Peter Homola • March 14, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Noteworthy Insights From Olivier Francois
Editor's note: This story is part of the WardsAuto digital archive, which may include content that was first published in print, or in different web layouts.GENEVA – Olivier Francois takes consumer feedback to heart. Literally.Four weeks after “Halftime in America” made its debut during this year...
By Eric Mayne • March 13, 2012 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Global Auto Makers Keep Pushing for Inroads Into India
Strategies for boosting market share in India range from technology upgrades and expanded dealer networks to posh new showrooms and a lottery.
By Sudhakar Shah • March 13, 2012
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