auto industry


REPORT: Automotive advertising plummets 30.8%

Automobile manufacturers and dealers spent $7.5 billion on advertising during the first six months of 2009, says TNS Media Intelligence. The company that keeps track of nearly every form of advertising for all industries is reporting that the figure represents a 30.8% drop compared to the same period last year, when it was $10.8 billion in spending. Not surprisingly, the plummet nearly mirrors the decline in motor vehicle sales (which dropped 27.4% during the exact same period). The decline in advertising expenditures isn't is exactly new ... Read more →

Nine Out of 10 Nigerian Princes Agree: Auto industry spammed more than any other Jonny Lieberman

Want to know a fun fact that can probably win you a free round at the bar? P.T. Barnum didn't say, "There's a sucker born every minute" – a man named David Hannum did. But before that, we ...

Border Drive? Umm... No. Mexico car production reportedly down nearly 40% Jonathon Ramsey

Mexico hasn't accounted for nearly as much ink as the U.S. and Canada in recent discussions of the auto industry. But in case anyone was wondering, they're in a big hurt south of the border as well. ...

REPORT: Analysts chide GM for boosting production [*UPDATED] Jonathon Ramsey

General Motors has announced its planned production for next year: 2.8 million vehicles. That's a 45% increase over its production this year – 1.9 million cars and trucks – and according ...

Mint.com flowcharts the state of the auto industry Chris Shunk

We all know the state of the auto industry right now, especially with regard to the Detroit three. We'd say it's somewhere between normal and completely screwed. Sales volume has been mostly woeful, ...

AP: Chrysler definitely filing for bankruptcy after debt talks "crumbled overnight" 7 months ago on Autoblog

Building on speculation that first leaked yesterday is word this morning that a pair of Obama administration officials have told The Associated Press that Chrysler will indeed file for bankruptcy. The decision was apparently reached after debtor negotiations with hedge funds "crumbled overnight." ...

GM and AIG: Why bondholders might want bankruptcy 8 months ago on Autoblog

Before we begin, let us state clearly that this is speculation by Karl Denninger at The Market Ticker. Examining the various stakeholders' interests in General Motors, Denninger has come up with a scenario that supposes GM's bondholders might actually want the automaker to file for bankruptcy. The ...

Putin Power: Even Russian automakers to get a bailout? 8 months ago on Autoblog

According to The Detroit News, Avtovaz, Russia's largest car maker and the home of Lada, is in line for government help. The Russian car industry is faring even more poorly than its counterpart in the U.S., with a 60% drop in sales being predicted. To assist Avtovaz with payments to creditors, ...

Mulally on Ford: "We are competitive now." 8 months ago on Autoblog

If we were cynics, we could say that Ford just happened to get stuck in deep doo-doo when America's credit markets were still reasonably flexible. When Ford leveraged all of its assets, right down to its logo, the most difficult part was probably not getting the money, it was probably swallowing ...

Early March sales figures said to be down around 40% 9 months ago on Autoblog

While there are folks predicting a turnaround in car sales and general economic fortunes by the end of this year, for now the status quo remains, and it can be summed up as: "Ouch." J.D. Power has put the early returns for March sales down 40% compared to the same month last year. It predicts sales ...

So Cold in the D: Motown student pleads for auto aid in documentary 9 months ago on Autoblog

Nicole Pentis is a high school junior in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan who has been making videos for five years. When C-SPAN sent out a call for students to make a video address to President Obama and tell him what they thought were the most pressing issues facing the U.S., Pentis grabbed her camera. ...

France's Sarkozy urges verification that U.S. auto aid jibes with world trade rules 9 months ago on Autoblog

The European Union made noises last year about having the WTO verify that the U.S. auto industry assistance package doesn't violate any international trade rules. Now French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said he will ask the World Trade Organization to stick their hands into the matter. Critics ...

Dj Vu: Letter to Obama suggests Steve Jobs to head GM, Chrysler 9 months ago on Autoblog

Back in November, a New York Times columnist thought it would be a good idea for Apple CEO Steve Jobs to come to the auto industry's rescue. Jobs is worshiped by many in the tech world, and many feel that he pretty much saved Apple in the 1990s. But thinking that a brilliant tech guy can right the ...

Polk speculates about effect of government incentives on 2009 car sales 10 months ago on Autoblog

In light of the automaker benefits and car buyer assistance in the recently-passed stimulus package, analysts at R. L. Polk & Co. estimate there will be an average rebate of $330 for every vehicle sold this year. By allowing buyers to deduct the sales tax from a new vehicle purchase from their ...

How the compromise stimulus bill affects the auto industry 10 months ago on Autoblog

Automakers appear to have help on the way as several industry incentives appear to have survived the final $789 billion stimulus bill. The controversial bill includes a tax break for new car buyers, $300 million for hybrid-powered government vehicles and a forgiveness of the $7 billion tax bill ...

British Bailout: UK gives 2.3B to domestic auto industry 10 months ago on Autoblog

When the U.S. domestic auto industry asked its government for billions of dollars in loans, it made world-wide news. Many other foreign nations have pitched in with funding for their own industries, as well. The UK has just gotten in on the act by promising £2.3 billion for the cause, with ...

Nardelli confirms Chrysler hard at work on new Durango, 300 and Charger 11 months ago on Autoblog

Chrysler chieftan Bob Nardelli sent a letter to "all employees, dealers, suppliers and other stakeholders" to explain what's happening at the smallest of the Detroit trio. Everything done now falls under one of three umbrellas: enhancing the core, which is improving products, quality, and dealer ...

Obama faces immediate challenges with Detroit 11 months ago on Autoblog

To be fair, the new president faces a lot of immediate challenges. But when it comes to the auto industry, the biggest four challenges could be the bridge loans, fuel economy mandates, the EPA vs The California 14, and the board of czars that will oversee the fortunes of GM and Chrysler. The ...

Russia expected to be third largest global market by 2012 11 months ago on Autoblog

Russia has long been included under the "emerging markets" umbrella that carmakers have been saying would lead to future industry growth. The economic fallout put an end to those predictions, with Russia suffering just as badly – and if you include the oil sector, some would say even worse ...

U.S. car sales in the doldrums to infinity until 2012 and beyond 11 months ago on Autoblog

There were about three million fewer cars sold in 2008 than 2007. Based on 2007's numbers, it would be the same as if Acura, Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Lexus, MINI, Porsche, and Saab all closed their doors in 2008. In terms of pure automotive carnage, that's not the kind of damage you can ...

Chinese government to reward scrapping your car and buying a new one 11 months ago on Autoblog

China, just like the U.S. of A., is worried about its auto industry. Last year Chinese auto production topped 8.8 million vehicles, and this year the country was on track to reach 10 million sales. Then everything went all pear-shaped, and now Chinese automakers are asking their government for help. ...

Industry crunch hitting design students hard 12 months ago on Autoblog

Another casualty in the collateral damage of auto industry woes: Graduating car designers are no longer finding jobs. The LA Times reports that in years past, manufacturer representatives would attend the Pasadena's Art Center College of Design's senior showcase and welcome a few visionaries into ...

SNL takes on the Detroit 3 bailout 1 year ago on Autoblog

Saturday Night Live has been on a roll of late, with a string of strong skits centered around the Presidential election and the ongoing financial crisis. So it was only a matter of time before SNL took on the auto industry to task, using last week's Congressional hearings as the backdrop. As ...

Toyota expected to post first annual sales decline in 10 years 1 year ago on Autoblog

We knew the auto industry was in bad shape and it didn't take long to extend its poisoned-tipped tentacles into the world's automotive juggernaut. In August came news that the Japanese automaker had cut its sales forecast for 2008 from 10.4 million vehicles to 9.7 million. A Japanese newspaper, ...

Friday fun: Cartoons that take a crack at auto industry 2 years ago on Autoblog

While blogs are known for not holding any punches when addressing the ills of society, a well done cartoon can rip right through all the B.S. and illuminate the real issues. Autoblog reader Brian sent us a link to the Cartoon Box of Slate.com, where 46 good old fashioned newspaper cartoons about the ...

UAW chief flames Bush for failure to help automakers 3 years ago on Autoblog

Ron Gettelfinger, president of the United Auto Workers union, took a shot at President Bush Tuesday for his failure to put forward a national industrial policy addressing issues affecting U.S. automakers, ranging from out of control health care costs to Asian monetary policies. Speaking at the ...

Chevy and Saab set sales records in Europe 3 years ago on Autoblog

Some of GM's European executives can sleep soundly these first few weeks of August, with Saab hitting record numbers in Europe, Chevrolet being up by 9.5 percent and overall sales in Eastern Europe growing a staggering 75 percent over July of 2005 on the performance of Chevy and Opel in the ...

Good for GM on the merger thing, now what about Ford? 3 years ago on Autoblog

Bloomberg's Doron Levin shifts focus away from the media frenzy surrounding the plan to merge General Motors with Renault-Nissan and points out something quite interesting: poor credit, escaping market share, reliance on gas-guzzlers, and a bleeding cash flow sheet are problems Ford shares with its ...






Autoblog Podcast #157: Mike Levine trucks along with us.

Mike Levine from PickupTrucks.com joins Chris, Sam, and Dan this week and gets a chance to talk about cars, too! 

 
 

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