ON THE TABLE
Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 09:08AM January 6, 2010
Ford. The company reported that its December sales were up 33 percent - even though overall sales were down from a year ago - and it increased its market share by 1 point to 15 percent in 2009. This was the first increase in market share for Ford since 1995.
Chrysler. The company's sales were down 36 percent for the year - the worst of any major automaker - and 4 percent for the month of December. But the big news was that Chrysler sold fewer than 1 million vehicles in the U.S. market for the first time since 1962.
GM Corp. The company formerly known as GM reported that its sales were down 6 percent in December and 33 percent for the year. Not Good.
Subaru, Hyundai Group. The two automakers smiling the biggest at the end of 2009? The Hyundai Group's (including KIA) sales were up 8 percent, and Subaru sales were up a whopping 15 percent in a terrible - make that horrible - market.
Honda, Nissan, Toyota. The Japanese automakers were hammered hard in 2009 too. Honda (-19%), Toyota (-20%) and Nissan (-19%) were all down.
BMW, Daimler AG, Porsche. Ditto for the Germans in 2009 in the U.S.: BMW(-20%), Daimler AG (-18%) and Porsche (-24%). Ouch, Baby.
Jaguar, Land Rover. Tata's stars delivered sales of 38,621 in the U.S. in 2009, a staggering increase of 65%. Their sales were abysmal in 2008 but still...
Jill Lajdziak, Penske Automotive Group. Publisher's Note: Jill was named president of Smart USA three days after joining the company. Originally slated to run sales and marketing for Smart USA, Jill replaces David Schembri, who will take a yet-to-be-determined position with the Penske Automotive Group, the distributors for the Smart ForTwo in the U.S. "As we look to enhance the position of the Smart brand, Jill's background and experience will help us reinvigorate the dealer network and bring a greater awareness to the smart brand," Roger Penske, chairman of the Penske Automotive Group, said in a statement. This move is no real surprise, as signs were indicating that this was where Jill's future with the Penske Automotive Group was heading. Her work under fire while trying to put together the Saturn deal clearly proved her worth to Roger and his group. Congratulations are in order for Jill on this much-deserved move, as her talent, relentless drive, tenacity and sheer will to succeed are finally being recognized. - PMD
Chrysler. Publisher's Note: The new corporate TV spot "Coming Home" is lushly filmed and beautifully presented and executed. But the lingering impression we get is that it is a spot from another era, when Chrysler had much residual goodness in the market and people actually cared about American cars and the American automobile industry. That's not the world we live in today. We applaud the motivation behind the spot but in the end its effectiveness will be negated by the fact that people these days can't muster the energy to care about where Chrysler - and the domestic automobile industry - has been, or where it's going. The bottom line? It's a nicely executed bit of nostalgia that will not move the needle for Chrysler one iota. - PMD
(GM Corp.)
Chevrolet will pull the wraps off of the Aveo RS concept car at Cobo Hall next week. Except for a few show tweaks (the wheels, etc.), this will be the 2012 Aveo that will be built at a GM plant in Orion Township, Mich. The Aveo is currently built in South Korea by Daewoo. Dramatically better looking than the current car in the flesh, the new Aveo will be much more competitive too.
(GM Corp.)
GM will unveil the Regal GS show car at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show at Cobo Hall next week. According to Buick: "...featuring an estimated 255 turbocharged horsepower (190 kW) from its high-output Ecotec 2.0L turbocharged engine, a six-speed manual transmission and an advanced, adaptive all-wheel-drive system, the Buick Regal GS show car is a high-tech, high-performance version of the brand’s newest sport sedan." Other details include an electronic limited-slip rear differential and a 0-60 mph time in less than 6.0 seconds.
(Ford)
The new 2011 Mustang GT- which will be introduced in two weeks at the Detroit Auto Show - boasts an all-new aluminum 5.0-liter V-8, which uses advanced four-valve Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) to deliver 412 horsepower and 390 ft.-lb. of torque and projected unsurpassed highway mileage for a V8 pony car of 25 mpg. The all-new aluminum four-valve-per-cylinder heads feature a compact roller finger follower valvetrain layout leaving more room for high-flow ports for free-breathing performance. The aluminum block was developed for optimized windage and oil drainback under lateral conditions and high rpm, such as track-day outings. Increased main bearing bulkhead widths and nodular iron cross-bolted main bearing caps with upsized bolts were also employed to accommodate the significant performance increase. Other features include increased capacity and baffling of the deep-sump stamped steel oil pan to enable sustained high-rpm use and offer the convenience of 10,000-mile oil change intervals. Piston-cooling jets also were incorporated for performance-minded customers and for faster oil warm-up on cold start. And specially designed tubular exhaust headers were developed to maximize exhaust pulse separation and improve flow. A team analyst actually fabricated the tubular headers in his home workshop, bringing the CAE design to life. The six-speed automatic transmission on the 2011 Mustang GT will deliver up to an estimated 25 mpg highway and 17 in the city. This is up from 23 mpg highway and 17 city for the 2010 model. Six-speed manual transmission Mustang GT models for 2011 are projected to deliver 24 mpg highway and 16 city, matching the 2010 model but delivering significantly more horsepower and performance feel. The engine, as shipped, weighs just 430 pounds, 20 percent less than the previous 5.0-liter offering. Lower mass can be attributed to the aluminum block and heads, the lightweight composite intake manifold, composite cam covers and hollow camshafts. (12/28)
(Ford)
The 2011 Ford Mustang GT.
(Ford)
The "5.0" emblem is prominently displayed on each front fender of the 2011 Ford Mustang GT. The 2011 Mustang GT also adds specially tuned Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS), 11.5-inch front and 11.8-inch rear vented disc brakes, and an enhanced suspension with improved rear lower control arm and stiffened rear stabilizer bushings. For enthusiasts, a Brembo brake package - with larger rotors and calipers from the Ford Shelby GT500® Mustang - and unique 19-inch wheels and summer performance tires, is offered.
(BMW)
The MINI Beachcomber Concept will make its debut at the North American International Auto Show (16–24 January 2010) in Detroit. Featuring on open body design, a new all-wheel drive system - "ALL4" - and a flexible interior, the Beachcomber Concept is "ideal for a spontaneous and active experience" according to the MINI minions. With seating for four and designed without doors or a conventional roof, the Beachcomber Concept is based on the MINI crossover vehicle that will be launched later this year in markets outside of North America.
(BMW)
WE'RE OPENING THE VAULT!
The AE wearables are back - and only in extremely limited quantities and sizes, we might add - and once they're gone, they're gone! We're starting with our most popular items, the classic AE Sweatshirt and AE Hat. Click on a PayPal button below to order yours now! (If you prefer to pay by check, please send us an email with AE STORE in the subject line, and we'll reserve your item.)
AE Sweatshirt - Crewneck, sturdy 80/20 cotton/poly, in black with throwback lettering - the original AE logo in our Chiller typeface shown above. Size XL only. 40 bucks, including shipping. US orders only.
AE Hat - Black with throwback lettering - the original AE logo in our Chiller typeface shown above. 25 bucks, including shipping. US orders only.
Publisher's Note: Check-out John McElroy's daily news show covering everything about the auto biz by clicking on the graphic below. Good stuff guaranteed. - PMD
See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" hosted by Autoline Detroit's John McElroy, with Peter De Lorenzo and friends this Thursday evening, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv. By the way, if you'd like to subscribe to the Autoline After Hours podcasts, click on the following links: Subscribe via iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=311421319 http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/podcasts/feeds/afterhours-audio.xml
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