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Industry Looks for Sales-Pumping Buzz from Detroit Auto Show
By Bill Visnic January 7, 2011"Somber" might best describe the atmosphere of the past two Detroit auto shows, the international auto show that opens and often sets the tone for the new year. Automakers aren't prepping for a re-visit of the rollicking Detroit-show days when the industry was booming along at 16 million-plus sales, SUVs were smashing through plate-glass walls and cattle were driven on downtown-Detroit's Jefferson Avenue, but the 11-percent U.S. sales rebound in 2010 is enough to maybe lift the cloud that's hung over the domestic automakers' hometown auto show. At least a bit. more
Lux-taposition: 2010 Premium-Brand Finish Means 2011 Up for Grabs
By Bill Visnic January 6, 2011In one of the luxury market's closest finishes in years, fewer than 10,000 sales was the difference between the industry's top luxury player in 2010 - still Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus - and the second- and third-place finishers, German standard-bearers Mercedes-Benz and BMW. That suggests the luxury sales crown is up for grabs in 2011. more
December Provides Industry-Stirring Finish to 2010
By Michelle Krebs January 5, 2011By Dale Buss, Michelle Krebs, and Bill Visnic Last month showed up for automakers like a luxury sedan wrapped in a huge red bow in one of the many holiday-sales promotions that have dominated TV advertising for weeks. In fact, propelled by seasonal promotions and by the momentum of an increasingly sturdy industry recovery, U.S. automakers sold about 2.2 million vehicles in December, for a 12.48 million Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of sales, the highest rate for any month of the year. In fact, except for the Cash for Clunker-juiced August 2009, it was the highest monthly SAAR since more
Industry Sees 2010 as Prelude to Even Better 2011
By Michelle Krebs January 4, 2011By Dale Buss, Michelle Krebs and Bill Visnic Don't look now, but U.S. automakers may be counting on a stronger-than-expected finish to 2010 to launch a stronger-than-hoped-for beginning to the new year. Industry-wide U.S. sales reached about 11.5 million units, automakers reported on Tuesday, up 11 percent from 2009 sales of about 10.4 million units. That final tally was about what auto executives were predicting throughout 2010. But their confidence grew during a particularly robust fourth quarter, when the Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of sales (SAAR) actually exceeded 12 million units in each month. This means that the American more
November Sales Uptick Feeds Industry Expectations
By AutoObserver Staff December 1, 2010Holiday spirits are bright across most of the U.S. auto industry this week after carmakers posted November sales about 18 percent higher than a year earlier, and at a strengthening seasonally adjusted annual rate sales pace of about 12.2 million units for the second consecutive month. more
2011 Kia Optima Enjoys Biggest Lift from LA Auto Show
By Michelle Krebs November 24, 2010The 2011 Kia Optima got the most boost of any vehicle from the Los Angeles Auto Show, based on Edmunds.com's analysis of shopper consideration during the show's press days. The Fiat 500, Nissan GT-R and BMW 6 Series also got a lift from the show. But for all of the hoopla surrounding Chrysler's revamped line of vehicles, neither the Chrysler nor the Dodge brands enjoyed much, if any, increase in shopper consideration. more
Major Makers Report Encouraging Sales for October
By AutoObserver Staff November 3, 2010Traditionally, October is a relatively uneventful month in the U.S. automotive calendar, stuck between the new-model excitement of September and retailers' typical end-of-the-year push for sales. That's why major American automakers were just fine with industry-wide October sales of 949,644 units. Though they were about flat with September's sales, October results improved by 14 percent over October 2009 sales of 763,050 units, representing yet another increment of year-over-year improvement in a market that now is sustaining a modest but firm recovery. October sales, always the third lowest month for unit sales, clocked at a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) more
BMW to Supply Engines to Saab
By Bill Visnic September 27, 2010A report from Europe today says newly revived Saab Automobile and BMW AG plan to announce a deal prior to this week's Paris motor show for Saab to purchase BMW engines for a variety of new Saab models. A Bloomberg story today said Saab will first purchase an all-new BMW engine for the upcoming Saab 9-3, a new generation of the company's critical entry-level sedan targeted for launch in 2012. The two companies reportedly will announce the agreement on Wednesday, before the Paris show kicks off. Neither BMW or Saab would comment, but a statement from Spyker Cars NV, more
BMW, Saab Talking Partnership To Build Saab 9-2, Reports Say
By Michelle Krebs June 11, 2010BMW and Saab are discussing parts and technology sharing for a new Saab 9-2 small car, according to media reports. The potential partnership calls for BMW to provide Saab with engines, gearboxes and the Mini platform for Saab's much-needed small car, according to sources quoted by Bloomberg News, which added that talks were in the early stages and no agreement was imminent. An agreement would take at least two months, one source told Bloomberg. more
Detroit Auto Show: What Worked. What Didn't
By Bill Visnic January 14, 2011The 2011 edition of the Detroit auto show, coming at the start of what may be a long, gradual industry rebound, certainly wasn't as downtrodden as the 2010 version. The 2011 Detroit show was, in fact, surprisingly interesting if one discounts the fact the three headline unveilings - Honda Civic, Volkswagen Passat and Toyota Prius V - all could broadly be described as comparatively mundane family cars. Here's how AutoObserver grades the Detroit auto show's most significant vehicles: more