Autoblog

Volvo buyers have best credit scores among all auto shoppers

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Volvo, Earnings/Financials

Experian, the US credit reporting agency, recently concluded a study into the financing and credit scores of US car buyers. One of the prime findings was that Volvo buyers enjoy the strongest credit scores among new car shoppers from all brands (nota bene, these are Experian's own numbers and can differ from other agencies). Unlike the Forbes report on the same story, though, we don't find that surprising at all, nor do we think it necessarily helps Volvo's upscale brand aspirations. The Gothenburg-based carmaker has sold its wares on tank-like safety for decades, so it seems natural that its buyers would be just as safe with and attentive to their credit scores as they are with their choice of vehicle.

Audi was ranked fourth by consumer credit score, Porsche seventh and Mercedes-Benz ninth, yet the fact that Volvo outranks them in this metric is probably a plus to its bottom line but not necessarily its image. It's not unfair to say more people desire those other luxury brands - Volvo itself has admitted as much - and people in the throes of desire have been known to be a little more let-it-ride about things like credit scores. The differences aren't huge, though: compared to Volvo's 818, Audi shoppers scored at 813, Mercedes shoppers 802. Lexus and Acura intenders took the other two steps on the top-credit-scores podium.

Mitsubishi took the honors at the other end of the charts, Experian finding that its potential customers, with an average of 604, had the lowest scores. Mitsubishi was followed by Suzuki and Dodge. On the other side of the financing table, Toyota led the way in how many of its vehicles were bought with bank assistance, followed closely by Ford, Chevrolet taking third place. Also of note, and for whatever it's worth, not one automaker made both the 'top ten by financing' and 'top ten by credit score' lists, but four made both the financing and 'bottom ten by credit score' lists: Chevrolet, Nissan, Kia and Dodge.

Other interesting findings? The average amount that consumers financed in the third quarter of 2012 for a new vehicle purchase was $25,963 - up from $25,873 a quarter ago. On the used car side of the equation, the average amount financed was $17,577 - up from $17,359 a year ago.

You'll find a lot of other interesting car financing tidbits in the official press release by scrolling down.

Continue reading Volvo buyers have best credit scores among all auto shoppers

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Subprime financing on the rise in new car sales, leasing too

George Kennedy — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 08:44:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Chevrolet, Ford, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Volvo, Earnings/Financials

We all remember the financial crisis that began several years back. At its core was a splurge of subprime lending for housing loans. The housing bubble burst, triggering a collapse of the mortgage-backed securities market. Apparently, those types of loans still exist in the automotive industry, and the market share for these types of "nonprime, subprime, and deep subprime," loans has grown 13.6 percent compared to the third quarter a year ago.

According to an Automotive News report, high-risk lending expanded to 24.8 percent of total loans in Q3, up from 21.9 percent for this time last year. As this level increased, average credit scores of borrowers dropped to 755, down from 763 a year ago. In that time, the average financing amount increased $90 per vehicle, to $25,963.

At 818, Volvo maintains the highest per-owner credit score, while Mitsubishi has the lowest, at 694. The highest rate of borrowers was at Toyota, with 14 percent of the market, followed by Ford with 13.1 percent and Chevrolet at 11.1.

Part of the growth in lending is the willingness to offer longer-term loans. Dealerships are starting to offer 60, 72 and 84 month borrowing periods. Carmakers are reluctant to do so, as it takes the customer off the market too long, yet the seven-year loan period is the fastest-growing category in automotive borrowing.

It all points to an industry that is eager to maintain the wave of recovery even at the risk of potentially aggressive lending practices.

Subprime financing on the rise in new car sales, leasing too originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Dec 2012 08:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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General Motors buys Ally Financial foreign operations

Dan Roth — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, GM, Earnings/Financials

In a move that welcomes former pieces of General Motors back into the fold, GM Financial has reached a deal with Ally Financial, formerly GMAC, to buy a piece of the company's international operations. The $4.2 billion deal is for Ally's Latin America, Europe and China operations.

"GM is entering the most aggressive rollout of new vehicles in its history, and this acquisition will make us an even more formidable competitor by ensuring that competitive financing is available to our customers and dealers around the world," says General Motors CFO Dan Ammann. The ability to finance from a captive unit will let General Motors extend better loan terms to potential customers, which the automaker sees as key to closing a sales gap that's between 10 and 15 percent versus automakers who already have their own financing divisions.

GM will be handing over more than $2 billion in cash to GM Financial, and the unit will more than double its liabilities from $12 billion to $27 billion while also doubling its assets to about $33 billion. GM Financial expects to bolster its yearly pre-tax earnings by $300-$400 million. It will take at least six months to wrap this deal up, provided it gets approvals from various oversight agencies. For more information on the deal, check out the official press release below.

Continue reading General Motors buys Ally Financial foreign operations

General Motors buys Ally Financial foreign operations originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Nov 2012 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler sales growth fueled by subprime loans?

Zach Bowman — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Chrysler, Earnings/Financials

Automotive News reports Chrysler owes some of its recent sales success to a resurgence of subprime loans. Chrysler has a history of working with customers burdened with questionable finance histories, and lenders have begun to loosen credit restrictions. As a result, 29 out of every 100 auto loans for new Chrysler models went to buyers with a credit score under 680 in the first quarter of this year. Experian Automotive classifies loans tied to that credit score as subprime. What's more, nearly 21 percent of Dodge sales through May went to buyers with annual interest rates of 10 percent or more on an average term of 71 months.

The report says that on the whole, just eight percent of all new car loans have interest rates of 10 percent or more. Even so, Chrysler's sales are up 33 percent through the first five months of 2012, besting the industry average by around 20 percent. On the whole, Automotive News reports subprime lending in the new car market has returned to its pre-recession levels.

Chrysler sales growth fueled by subprime loans? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who pays the highest auto loan interest rates in the country?

Zach Bowman — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Earnings/Financials

It's that time of the year again, kids. Manufacturers are busy trying to put people in cars in order to move leftover stock and make room for incoming models, and many are doing so with ridiculously low financing rates. But who's the fairest of them all? As it turns out, that depends entirely on where you live. The crew over at Kicking Tires has compiled average loan interest rates from across the country and organized the data into the incredibly handy map you see above.

As it turns out, car buyers in places like Los Angeles and Las Vegas are getting the short end of the financial stick when it comes to their loans, with buyers dealing with 9.55 percent and 9.58 percent APR, respectively. Meanwhile, those in places like Oklahoma City are shouldering a much more reasonable 3.65 percent APR.

The Kicking Tires study is based on a $22,000 loan for 60 months, with 10 percent down. It also assumes a borrower with a credit score of 700 or better.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Who pays the highest auto loan interest rates in the country? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: GM decides not to create its own finance unit, will investigate teaming with banks

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, GM, Earnings/Financials

Another piece of General Motors' IPO puzzle has been solved: in spite of CEO Ed Whitacre's desire to add a captive finance arm to GM's operations, the company looks set to go without. Acquiring in-house financing always stuck out in Whitacre's aggressive battle plan for getting an IPO done later this year and the hurdles of getting back in with GMAC required untangling enough knots to make King Gordius say, "Skip it..."

Instead, GM will partner with banks that would make the loans to GM customers. Some of those banks are the same ones that GM is working with on a $5 billion credit line, and the idea would be that the banks offering financing would be presented as doing so under the GM banner.

At heart is that in order for GM to unlock its potential, and the potential of the new products it has rolling into showrooms, it needs to be able to finance more customers. Being at the mercy of banks who can choose their own risks means customers leave GM showrooms because they can't get financing or can get a better deal on another car. Also, GMAC won't lend to subprime borrowers. Although they only make up seven percent of GM's target borrowers, in line with other automakers, a seven percent of sales isn't a number you want to leave on the table.

[Source: BusinessWeek | Image: AP/Paul Sakuma/Getty]

Report: GM decides not to create its own finance unit, will investigate teaming with banks originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM offering 0% financing for month of March

Steven J. Ewing — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, GM

General Motors just posted a 12-percent sales increase for the month of February, and now the automaker is hoping to continue its strong sales trend by offering 0 percent financing for 60 months on sales that occur during the month of March. Curiously, this announcement comes just a few days after Toyota started its own 0 percent campaign. GM's vice president for U.S. marketing, Susan Docherty, argues that the Toyota incentives had nothing to do with The General's decision to offer similar financing options, saying, "We're going headstrong into truck month for both Chevrolet and GMC, which is a traditional play that we have normally done during March."

GM's program will cover roughly 55 percent of all 2010 models on sale. What's more, the company is also offering 0 percent financing for 72 months on its remaining 2009 model inventory, covering about 97 percent of what's left on dealer lots.

We'll be interested to see if these incentives help boost sales for both Toyota and GM throughout the next month. We're also wondering if any other manufacturers (ahem, Ford) will follow suit.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req.| Image: David McNew/Getty]

GM offering 0% financing for month of March originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche loan request rejected by Germany's state bank

Chris Shunk — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:27:00 EST

Filed under: Porsche, Volkswagen, Earnings/Financials

Porsche is profitable and it owns a big chunk of the far larger Volkswagen, yet cash seems to be in short supply. Automotive News is reporting that the world-renowned luxury sports car maker's 1.75 billion euro ($2.45 billion USD) loan request from German state bank KFW has been rejected, leaving Porsche to search elsewhere for funding. Porsche secured 10.75 billion euros ($15.1B) in financing from banks in March to feed its 9 billion euro debt ($12.6B) mountain, but it's looking for alternative means for financing its cash crunch.

Porsche has already looked outside of Europe for funding to handle its mounting debt, as it worked with the Arab emirate of Qatar to secure a sizable stake in the company. VW, smelling blood in the water, reportedly gave Porsche an ultimatum, offering up 3-4 billion euro ($4.2-$5.6B) for 49% of the sports car maker in exchange for not forcing the repayment of a 700 million euro loan ($983M) in September. Porsche responded by saying that ultimatums don't belong in the 21st century. Unfortunately, bankruptcies are all too common in the new economy, so the proud German company may have to dig a bit deeper to keep themselves from falling into the financial abyss.

[Source: Automotive News (subs req'd) | Image: Michael Latz/Getty]

Porsche loan request rejected by Germany's state bank originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Ford offering dealerships for $1

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Ford, Earnings/Financials

Ford's dealer development program works to help people become dealer principles who might not otherwise have the chance. The 64 members of the program, most of them black or Hispanic, are set up with stores by Ford and then buy out Ford's interest in the dealership with revenues. To give them a boost and, presumably, free up Ford money, Automotive News is reporting that Ford is offering dealers in the program an offer they'll have a hard time refusing: complete ownership of their stores for $1.

To take advantage, though, the dealers will need to have private financing for their operating capital in place by September 30. If they can prove to Ford that they have enough private resources, they will take complete control of their stores and Ford will forgive any money the dealer still owes to The Blue Oval. Even though Ford would technically lose money on any dealer who accepted the offer, the automaker would no longer need to be involved in the dealership or in its floorplan financing.

With the state of car sales, there are likely to be dealers who can't take advantage of the program. For those who haven't been able to pay Ford back at all, the decision will be taken on a case-by-case basis about what to do with their stores. For those dealers in good standing who simply can't get outside financing, the arrangement will continue as is.

[Source: Automotive News, sub req'd]

REPORT: Ford offering dealerships for $1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GMAC resumes subprime lending

Chris Shunk — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, GM, Earnings/Financials

GMAC has loosened the purse strings, with General Motors' finance arm allocating $6 billion for auto loans for the next 60 days. The 60 day mark is critical to GM, as it is the government's drop-dead date to satisfy Auto Task Force viability requirements. The cash infusion will help struggling dealers with dried up credit channels, but it will also be used to finance cars and trucks to people with credit scores under 620. The under 620 crowd is referred to as subprime, a term that is now synonymous with the words "bailout" and "recession."

Back in October, GMAC restricted lending to customers with scores over 700, and when the U.S. government provided a $6 billion in loans, the minimum score was lowered to 620. GMAC insists that the under 620 score would be approved sparingly, and buyers would still be required to qualify for financing. NADA chairman John McEleney says that the lowered credit score minimum could result in the ability to help 30-35% more Americans get into a new car or truck. And while overplaying the subprime card can lead to more trouble, at this point, the General clearly has to do something to get metal moving again.

[Source: Automotive News subs req'd | Image: Joe Raedle/Getty]

GMAC resumes subprime lending originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Polk speculates about effect of government incentives on 2009 car sales

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal

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 income taxes, Polks sees a sales increase of 94,000 units this year.

By contrast, the rebate provision in the original stimulus bill allowed buyers to deduct the interest on their car loans from their income taxes, in addition to the sales tax. Polk predicted the average rebate in that case would have been $1,250, and the U.S. light vehicle unit sales would increase by 359,000 units this year.

That would still only be a tiny bump in national volume when compared to Hyundai's gains due to its Hyundai Assurance Program: the Korean marque saw January sales rise by 14%, compared to a 37% drop suffered by the industry overall. And commenting on Germany's €2,500 rebate for people buying new cars, Polk figured the country could see 200,000 more cars sold this year, with smaller cars taking up much of that volume.

[Source: Polk]

Polk speculates about effect of government incentives on 2009 car sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: French government calls for auto execs to forego bonuses

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials, Renault, Peugeot, Citroën

The French government has put €6 billion ($7.79 billion USD) on the table for car companies. And as part of the effort to make sure that every drop of the money goes toward maximizing performance and retaining jobs, the French government has asked that Peugeot/Citroen and Renault company bosses take a pass on their bonuses.

Renault responded by saying that its execs were told seven months ago that there would be no extra fat for them. Peugeot/Citroen said its remuneration committee would determine the fate of executive bonuses when its 2008 results are known next month. The French government probably won't make executive compensation a key component of the deal, but just as in the U.S., French auto execs are likely looking at their banking industry counterparts and wondering: "Why is all the heat on us?"

[Source: Automotive News, sub req'd]

REPORT: French government calls for auto execs to forego bonuses originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Dealers say bailout hasn't made for more GMAC loans

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 07:28:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal, GM, Earnings/Financials

Show me the money. With apologies to Cuba Gooding Jr., that is exactly what many General Motors dealers are saying to GMAC Financial Services.

Despite being given $5 billion from the U.S. Government last month, GMAC apparently hasn't loosened its purse strings enough for dealers' likings. Some, in fact, are reporting that GMAC keeps rejecting their credit applications. This is somewhat surprising because GMAC previously agreed to lower the necessary minimum credit score ratings from 700 to 621 for new vehicle loans, so presumably more requests should be going through. Dealers are frustrated and although some preferred dealers have seen loan rate reductions, others are saying that GMAC is still as much as 1.5 percent higher than the competition.

In response to this problem, dealers have come up with a wish list of sorts. They are asking that GMAC return to leasing, approve some sub-prime loans and cut interest rates for loans to dealers to help finance their inventory. Also of concern is the fact that customers are increasingly upside down on their trade-ins. As a direct result, these consumers are having trouble getting approved because GMAC requires bigger down payments than it once did.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req.]

REPORT: Dealers say bailout hasn't made for more GMAC loans originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not Saved By Zero: Toyota looking to ramp up rebates

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Toyota

Remember that horrible "Saved by Zero" campaign (no, not that one) that Toyota ran late last year? Besides producing some of the worst commercials the world has ever seen, it was a failure when it came to its singular goal of selling more cars and trucks. Toyota was the only automaker in the top five that actually lost market share at the end of the year, despite running its 0% financing deals. So, what's next? Incentives.

According to Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales here in the States, "The shift that you'll see in January from December is more consumer cash and less APR and lease support through our dealers."

These days, the biggest rebates come on big trucks like the Tundra, but we should also expect some great on everything from subcompacts like the Yaris to hybrids like the Prius. So if you're thinking of buying a new Toyota, you might want to hang on a little while longer.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Not Saved By Zero: Toyota looking to ramp up rebates originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Does Washington's GMAC bailout hurt Ford?

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:32:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials

The Wall Street Journal puts forth the case that the government's $5 billion lifeline to GMAC has given GMAC a competitive advantage compared to its rivals. After the taxpayer cash was received, GMAC dropped the required credit score to get a loan and began offering 0% financing on several models, and rates from about 1% to 6% on a host of others. While doing so, it admitted that "without this [loan] . . . we would not be able to do this today."

The Journal cries foul, saying that because GMAC is essentially doing this with -- or at least, because of -- government money, "the feds have now put the muscle of the state behind one company's products." The Journal also considers that the government might do what it can to make sure the horses it bet on win the race, saying "the Washington temptation will be to take other steps to help the two companies gain market share at the expense of their private competitors."

As to the issue of granting the loan to GMAC at all, the government didn't have much choice unless it wanted its previous investment in GM to potentially get flushed by a GMAC bankruptcy. As to 0% fiancing, it's being offered on SUVs and Saabs, none of which are making the cash register overheat. A quick comparison between financing in Southern California through GMAC or Ford Credit found similar rates on other cars: the 2009 Malibu gets 4.9% APR, the same as the 2009 Ford Taurus SEL AWD.

Will the government try to otherwise help GM and Chrysler (beyond pushing more money their way)? The airlines got $15 billion after 9/11, yet would anyone accuse the government of otherwise aiding the industry? As to intervention in the free market... well, when was the last time the market was truly free? And Does GMAC's ability to offer the new incentives give it a competitive advantage over the other companies? It only lasted until January 5th, and some GM dealers did say they were moving metal -- but if the benefit really was that lopsided, we're sure those competitors will let us know about it soon enough.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

Continue reading Does Washington's GMAC bailout hurt Ford?

Does Washington's GMAC bailout hurt Ford? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fed grants GMAC bank holding status

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, GM, Earnings/Financials

GMAC - and ergo General Motors - just got another Christmas present: the Federal Reserve has granted GMAC bank holding status. GMAC has billions of dollars of bonds coming due over the next 12 months, but doesn't have the liquidity to cover the obligations. As of last week, the financing company was in the midst of a bond buyback effort in order to raise enough money to qualify for bank holding status. Now that it's been granted, GMAC can tap the Troubled Asset Relief Fund intended for financial institutions, pay its debts and (probably) avoid bankruptcy.

It isn't clear, however, whether or not GMAC actually raised enough money through the bond buyback. The Fed said "emergency conditions" justified its actions, which makes us think the Fed just said "Here, take it." Looked at from a dealer perspective, it makes sense: if GMAC had gone under, one dealer estimated that it would have taken 30-40% of GM dealers down with it, and that could imperil GM itself. It wouldn't make much sense to let that happen when the government just loaned GM a bunch of money to stay in business.

And while GM is still a long, long way from getting the kind of money that any number of banks have, it's still beginning to add up. As a result of the new status, both GM and Cerberus are required to lower their stakes in GMAC. Cerberus has been told to lower its share to 33%, down from 51%; GM has said it will go below 10%. As for Cerberus' other headache, Chrysler Financial, it has said that if dealers don't stop making a run on its funds, it will cease financing for dealer inventories.

[Source: Yahoo!]

Fed grants GMAC bank holding status originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GMAC rushes to conclude bond buyback and avoid bankruptcy

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, GM, Earnings/Financials

GM doesn't just have its eye on auto bailout funds -- its GMAC division (of which it owns 49%) is looking for cash from among the $700 billion pledged in the Wall Street bailout. Through the end of next year, GMAC has roughly $12 billion in bonds maturing. But to have any chance at getting Wall Street funds to address those maturing bonds, GMAC wants to become a bank holding company. And to do that, it must raise $30 billion, with $2 billion of that tapped from new sources.

GMAC is looking for 75% of its bondholders to participate in a bond buyback, whereby a bondholder would return bonds worth $1,000 and get about $800 worth of bonds with a higher dividend in return. If it gets participation from 75% of it's bondholders, that will give it $28.5 billion, which it can add to $750 million GMAC says has been pledged by shareholders as part of the $2 billion requirement. That's not quite $30 billion, but closer is better than nothing.

The problem is that, for the moment, GMAC has only 25% participation. GMAC said it had a fresh round of bondholders willing to swap, but didn't make it clear whether that would get it to 75%. If it doesn't get the financing to become a bank holding company, GMAC would likely need to declare bankruptcy. And if that happens? Well, GMAC provides inventory financing for 80% of GM vehicles worldwide. Without that source of financing, said Martin NeSmith,"There's so many dealers on the edge, if GMAC goes out of business 30 to 40 percent of dealers won't be able to get financing from anywhere else." And that spells even more trouble -- and bankruptcies -- for everyone.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

GMAC rushes to conclude bond buyback and avoid bankruptcy originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla secures $40 million in financing

Michael Harley — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:31:00 EST

Click above for a high res gallery of the Tesla Roadster v1.5

Despite recent negative news surrounding Tesla Motors, the all-electric automaker has just secured $40 million in financing to move forward with ramping up production of its battery-powered sports car, the Tesla Roadster. It was just last month when Tesla was unable to secure a $100 million investment round and was forced to cut nearly 25% of its work force. The failure to fund also slowed work on its second model, an all-electric sedan known as the "Model S." The San Carlos, California-based automaker has more than 1,200 orders for the $109,000 roadster, but has delivered just over 50 to date. With early transmission problems solved and plenty of cash on hand, the high-profile automaker seems to have finally found itself in a position to zip forward.

Gallery: 2009 Tesla Roadster v1.5

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

Tesla secures $40 million in financing originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM launches new campaign to ease credit worries

Michael Harley — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, GM, GMC, Earnings/Financials

After announcing earlier this week that GMAC would only finance customers who hold credit scores higher than 700, General Motors has decided it would be prudent to reassure consumers that they are still in the business of securing loans and selling vehicles. Starting Friday, GM will launch a "Financing That Fits" campaign on a national level. Through advertising on television, newspaper, radio, and the Internet, GM will promote dealer financing with GMAC Financial Services and, for the first time, with other lenders. To further restore consumer confidence, the ads are also designed to promote the experience and expertise of the dealership professionals who work in finance and insurance. The economy has taken a serious toll on GM's showroom traffic over the past few weeks, and the announcement Monday of stricter lending policies dried up business even further. The automaker is hopeful that its new ad campaign, and cash-back deals of up to $6,000 on every 2008 vehicle left in stock, will bring them back in.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

GM launches new campaign to ease credit worries originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get your 2009 Dodge Rams with zero-percent financing

Chris Shunk — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:25:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Chrysler, Dodge

UPDATE: We've been informed that the 0% financing for 72 months offer is only available for the 2008 Dodge Ram. Financing details for the 2009 Dodge Ram will be announced at a later date.

The 2009 Dodge Ram appears to be a top-notch competitor in the light truck market, but that won't keep the soon-to-be-released model from feeling the pinch of high gas prices. Chrysler told dealers in a July 8th conference call that the new Ram would be launched with 0-percent financing... for 72 months. To put this into perspective, an all-new $30,000 vehicle with 7-percent financing would translate into a $511 per month car payment over 72 months. With 0-percent financing, the payment would be only $417, for a savings of nearly $7,000.

When the 2009 Dodge Ram was unveiled to the public at the Detroit Auto Show, it was looked at as a potential savior for the Pentastar. Only seven months later and two months before its scheduled to go on sale, It's going to be launched with the same financing as the slow-selling outgoing model. Ouch.

[Source: Automotive News (subs req'd)]

Get your 2009 Dodge Rams with zero-percent financing originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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