GM expects sales in China to grow 20% in 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While domestic sales continue to slide, the auto market in China is thriving. Both General Motors and Ford have reported double-digit sales growth for the first-half of 2008 in the world's most populace country, with GM moving 590,126 Buick, Chevrolet, and Cadillac vehicles for a total sales increase of 12.7 percent, while Ford sold 172,411 units for 21 percent jump in growth. With China recognized as the second-largest vehicle market outside the United States, and with their economy forecasted to grow by at least nine percent this year, automakers in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. are investing heavily to expand sales and production in the Chinese market. It is worth noting that vehicle sales in China have been nearly immune to the increase in global oil prices as governmental controls keep diesel and gasoline prices among the world's lowest.

[Source: Detroit News]

GM, Ford doing well in China, despite slow sales at home originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fiat's new diminutive retromobile is selling like proverbial hot-cakes, proving right early indications of the car's initial market popularity. With an initial run of 58,000 planned for this year, the Italian automaker has already received orders for 51,000 units from its dealers in Italy alone, and another 6,000 from France... just three weeks after the car's Italian launch and one week after debuting in France. Geez, does thing emit iPhones out its tailpipe?

To meet the surging demand, this year's production will increase from 58,000 to between 65 and 67,000 units, while subsequent years' production, originally earmarked at 120,000, will be increased to 140,000. In order to support the increased output, Fiat's plant in Tychy, Poland - where Fiat also produces the Panda supermini and upcoming Ford Ka following its launch next fall - will be considerably expanded, leapfrogging Fiat's largest Italian plant in Melfi to become the conglomorate's second largest worldwide, behind the Belo Horizonte plant in Brazil.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Gallery: Fiat 500

Fiat ramps up 500 production to meet surging demand originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ford increases Edge sales projections to 120k yearly originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Jun 2007 07:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the first quarter of 2006, there were 53,328 subcompacts sold. In the first quarter of this year, 107,942 little engines that could have tootled off of dealer lots. That's a 95.1% increase. At the current pace, according to Ward's Auto, B-segment vehicles will nearly double their last year's sales of 274,272 units. That would put them at levels not seen since 1995.

Until recently, sales of subcompacts consistently declined. In 1998, 120,216 only of them were sold, which was a 26-year low, and a huge drop from the 567,210 cars sold just three years prior to that. It's a small market compared to other segments, but it's a noteworthy trend because of the multitude of factors that could be driving it. A Global Insight analyst said that "auto makers missed the ball when they aimed the latest crop of B-cars at the youth market," because Gen Y would rather have trucks or SUVs. (Has anyone told Scion or Honda that?) But if that's the case, who's buying them and why?

[Source: Sema via Winding Road]

SEMA says subcompacts sales are flying high originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 Jun 2007 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ariel Atom getting $6,000 price bump originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 May 2007 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

click the image above for the gallery

Gallery: Kenne Bell Shelby GT500

Screw You, Top Gear! - Kenne Bell pumps up the GT500 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Mar 2007 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Alan Mulally making friends fast, receives a raise originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Mar 2007 10:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Porsche's sales figures are in for the 2006 fiscal year, and profits are up by over ten percent to a staggering €7.27 billion. Production grew by nearly thirteen percent over last year, putting out more than 100,000 cars over the year.

Some would be inclined to attribute the record sales, profits and revenues to Porsche's drifting away from its core values with the Cayenne sport-ute, but the bulk of the success is attributed to the 911 and the new Cayman, pure sportscars through and through, while Cayenne sales dropped.

While most sportscar-makers are owned by larger automotive conglomerates - Ferrari by Fiat, Lamborghini by VW, Aston Martin by Ford (for now) - in Stuttgart, it's the other way around. Porsche's increasing financial success has enabled them to buy an increasing stake in the VW Group, in turn giving Porsche partial control over the full range of brands including Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Skoda, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti.

Porsche isn't planning on resting on its tire-treads either, with ambitious plans to expand in growing markets in Russia, China and the Middle East, and new models on the way .

(Follow the jump for the full press release.)

[Source: Porsche AG via Motor Authority]

Continue reading Porsche posts peak profits

Porsche posts peak profits originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Sep 2006 06:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.