Auto Knight

Ford Sales In China Up 47% In First Quarter

Ford sold 90,791 vehicles in China, and increase over the prior year of 47%. The sales represent a definite sweet spot for the company.

Changan Ford Mazda Automobile, the company’s passenger car joint-venture, posted quarterly sales of 61,789 units, which has increased by 58 per cent compared with the same period a year earlier.

Jiangling Motor Corporation, Ford Motor’s commercial vehicle investment in China, delivered 23,785 commercial vehicle sales for the first quarter, including Ford Transit sales of 6,908. The company introduced a new Ford Transit in January, which boasts a class-leading design, features and advanced technology.

Ford has grown for 4 straight quarters in China.

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CarMax Wins Gallup Great Workplace Award

CarMax has won a couple of awards, indicating that it really is the place to work.

The two awards gives were: The 2008 Gallup Great Workplace Award and earned a spot on the 2008 Honor Roll from The Center for Companies That Care.

“Receiving these recognitions is a testament to our company culture and commitment to our associates,” said Tom Folliard, president and CEO of CarMax. “Our culture was founded on the principle of integrity and going above and beyond for our customers and each other. It’s why we continue to be a company where our associates have pride in their work, respect for one another, and value each day they come to work.”

“The winners of the Gallup Workplace Award have established a new global standard for engaging employees,” said Tom Rath, who leads Gallup’s Workplace and Leadership Consulting practice. “When compared to the millions of workgroups we have studied around the world, the awardees have
worked tirelessly to create an environment that values people.”

“Being named to the Honor Roll requires a steadfast commitment to employees and communities and detailed proof that a company adheres to all 10 Characteristics of Companies That Care,” said Marci Koblenz, co-founder and president of the Center for Companies That Care.

It was the first year that CarMax applied to win the awards.

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Passat Recall

Volkswagen recently issued a voluntary recall of 1999-2005 Passats for three separate issues. The voluntary recalls affect about 410,000 cars.

Here are the recall details

• Passats that have automatic transmissions and run on gasoline are being recalled to have their heat shields inspected to prevent damage to the exhaust system.
• Passats that have 1.8 liter engine are being recalled to inspect the fuel line for damages. If needed, Volkswagon will be replacing them.
• The last issue is specifis to Volkswagen Passats’ that have 4Motion all-wheel drive. These cars will have the fuel tank ventilation valves inspected and replaced if needed.

Volkswagen will be sending out recall notices to affected consumers on May 30, 2008, but owners can take their vehicles in now if they smell gas. No injuries have been reported as a result of this voluntary recall.

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BMW Hydrogen 7

The new BMW Hydrogen 7 was on display at the 2008 National Hydrogen Association Conference in Sacramento, California. You can see it again at the SAE World Congress coming to Detroit soon.

The new vehicle’s internal combustion engine will be fueled by hydrogen alone. The Hydrogen 7 runs on both hydrogen and gasoline. The mono-fuel car, equipped with a V-12 engine, is a result of more than 25 years of hydrogen development by BMW, said Tom Baloga, vice president of engineering for BMW in the United States.

“It demonstrates BMW’s support for a hydrogen infrastructure by producing an internal combustion engine that produces truly near-zero emissions and simultaneously cleans the air of certain pollutants.”

The car is not a prototype, yet. It represents a conceptual plan that BMW is using to show their support for Hydrogen. For more information: Hydrogen 7.

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Operating A New Car Increases To 54.1 Cents Per Mile

Back when I was learning how to drive a car, I remember my Grandpa preaching to me “Now just remember that it costs .25 cents for every mile you put on the car.”

That was back in the mid 1980’s when gas could still be found for under a dollar a gallon and you were only required to drive for 8 hours before getting a driver’s license.

Fast forward 22 years and Grandpa’s “quarter a mile” rule has been more than doubled to over .54 cents a mile. John Nielsen, director of AAA’s Approved Auto Repair network said “While the cost of some driving expenses declined since the start of 2007, higher gasoline prices have more than offset these savings and pushed the overall cost of vehicle ownership and operation higher this year.”

To get a copy of the “Your Driving Costs” brochure by AAA, please visit AAA Exchange.

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US Auto Sales Expected To Recover By 2009

US Auto sales have been in the dump due to the ongoing tough economic times the nation has been facing. But analysts expect an upswing as early as next year. Car and truck sales are expected to rebound as tax stimulus checks get to cash hungry car buyers.

Sales of cars and light trucks totaled 16.1 million in 2007, the lowest level in a decade, and automakers and analysts expect a further slide in 2008. Northville, Michigan-based CSM’s projection was part of a report prepared for auto executives.

Interest-rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and economic stimulus from U.S. tax rebates “will lay the groundwork for recovery” in the second half of the year, CSM said. Most of the increase between 2009 and 2014 will go to Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co., as sales shift to smaller vehicles, CSM said.

U.S. light-vehicle sales fell 12 percent last month as record gasoline prices and concern that the economy is in a recession kept customers away from showrooms. Ford Motor Co. said the second quarter may be the most difficult period for sales this year.

The economy has been expanding at the lowest rate since the 2001 Recession.

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2008: Year Of The Car

Several of Detroit’s big auto makers have teamed up in order to celebrate their lengthy service in the auto industry. Ford and GM have organized several events in “2008: Year of the Car”.

Year of the Car is a collaborative effort being organized and sponsored by MotorCities National Heritage Area, an affiliate of the National Park Service, dedicated to preserving, interpreting and promoting the automotive heritage of Michigan. Additional Year of the Car partners include Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, The Henry Ford, Travel Michigan, and dozens of other organizations that celebrate automotive heritage throughout the region.

“Detroit has always been mecca for auto enthusiasts worldwide,” said Gary Familian, Executive Director, MotorCities National Heritage Area. “With the ‘2008: Year of the Car’ program, we have hit a high-water mark with an incredible itinerary of new, once-in-a-lifetime visitor experiences. We are thrilled to be a part of this fabulous summer-long experience.”

For more information about all of the events planned for this year: MotorCities.

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Toyota Hybrid PR Mess

Toyota has ran into a bit of snag concerning their hybrid vehicles. Jim Press is the Co-President of Chrysler. He once worked for Toyota. He has made two contradictory statements concerning his time there which have stirred up a hornet’s nest of controversy.

n an interview published Thursday, March 24, Press told BusinessWeek that the Japanese government “paid for 100 percent of the development of the battery and hybrid system that went into the Toyota Prius.”

On March 14, 2007–when he was still Toyota’s top U.S. executive–Press told something else to a subcommittee of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce committee. U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, questioned Press about the seven years of r&d that went into Toyota’s hybrid technology:

Burgess asked: “That seven-year interval, was any of that research and development funded by the government?

Press answered: “No, sir.”

Burgess responded: “So that was all just done under your own initiative.”

Press changed his story several times. Chrysler says it’s all a big misunderstanding and they didn’t mean any harm by the comments.

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GM Feels Positive Developments Coming For Auto Giants

GM has been feeling the pinch of an economic slowdown that has lingered on. But representatives from the company say the worst may be over.

G.M.’s chief sales analyst, Michael C. DiGiovanni, called the economic stimulus checks, which will be at least $600 for most individuals and include an extra $300 for each dependent child, “the most important reason we haven’t changed our forecast.”

“We don’t expect to see nirvana in the next 60 days, but we expect to see some positive signs,” said Mr. DiGiovanni, who estimated that 40 percent of consumers would spend their checks rather than save them or pay down bills.

It remains to be seen what impact, if any, the tax stimulus refund checks will have on the industry.

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Ford Sales Up For Focus And Edge

Ford says sales of their Focus and Edge lines bucked a global trend, and were up.

Retail sales for the Ford Focus were the highest for any month since August 2005 — with retail sales up 36 percent in March and 35 percent in the first quarter compared with the same periods a year ago.

The new Focus has helped Ford increase its share in the growing small car market and is attracting younger buyers. Compared with the previous model, buyers are equipping the Focus with more features, like SYNC, Ford’s exclusive, in-car connectivity technology that fully integrates most Bluetooth-enabled cell phones and MP3 players by voice activation.

Edge sales were also up impressively for the same quarter. Edge retail sales were up 35 percent in March and 52 percent in the first quarter, thanks in part to stronger sales on the coasts. The
California region accounted for more than 10 percent of Edge sales in the first quarter of 2008, versus 7 percent in the first quarter 2007. The company did even better on the West Coast.

Ford is attempting to restore themselves to profitability. Ford employs 250,000 people worldwide.

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