Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Housing market tied to decline in new vehicle sales...



BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS!


A report just announced at the NADA (National Auto Dealers Association) convention by the NADA's Chief Economist Paul Taylor, indicates that 2009 will rebound slightly from 2008 sales levels.

He further indicates that starting in the third quarter sales should increase to a annualized sales rate of 12.7 million vehicles. The sales rate is lower than last years sales of 13.2 million vehicles but is higher than Decembers annualized rate of 10.3 million vehicles.

There are other contrasting predictions that other analyst and automakers have predicted that are predicting sales as low as 10.5 million vehicles sold for 2009.

Mr. Taylor indicated that "auto sales are tied to the fall in Real Estate values, and in order for vehicle sales to recover in 22 states, housing values must stabilize. The states generally are located along both coasts, in the Northeast and around the Great Lakes. The states with the highest residential real estate value declines are Nevada, California, Florida and Arizona, and all of them have among the highest percentage drops in new-car registrations," Taylor said.

Taylor further predicted that 2010 should see stronger car and truck sales in 2010 as more young people reach car-buying age and get jobs.

Enjoy Today!

That Car Guy

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General Motors has allocated funding to build Saturn vehicles through 2012...


General Motors (GM) announced at the National Auto Dealers Association (NADA) convention being held in New Orleans, LA on Monday January 25, 2009 that it has allocated funding to build Saturn vehicles through 2012 and possibly till 2013. What they didn't say was if they would be building new products or if a decision has been made to kill the brand entirely.


Dealers reaction has been mixed for those that attended the meeting being held at the convention, but most are remaining optimistic that a more permanent plan can be achieved. GM's Mark LaNeve, Vice President of vehicle sales, service and marketing told dealers and "Automotive News" that "We have all the current products funded. What we told them was the biggest issue is slimming down our product cadence. We don't have enough finances to fund all these brands", these comments were made after the presentation.

LaNeve went on to say "GM is pushing hard to make a decision on Saturn in February. We're working all the options. But there is nothing definitive."

Saturn needs some options quick as this continued uneasiness among dealers and customers can continue to erode consumer confidence. A clear option is to allow Saturn to merge with GM's Opel brand a German company. The Opel brand has a defined product mix that can blend well with Saturn's appeal to import conscious buyers. In addition it can provide GM real opportunity to reduce redundancy and streamline personnel and other cost associated with operating both brands.

The Opel brand already produces the Saturn Astra and imports that vehicle from Germany, but a retooling of current plants to build some of the other models would save some labor jobs and keep some plants operational.

Enjoy Today!

That Car Guy

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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Toyota is Number 1 in Global Auto Sales Race, overtaking General Motors after GM's 77 year reign as the global sales leader...



BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS!


Toyota Motor has overtaken General Motors as the global sales leader, after a 77 year dominance by General Motors as the top automaker in the world. GM fell by 616,000 vehicles a huge number considering its market dominance over the last 77 years even after declining sales have hit automakers across the globe.


Although Toyota posted its first operating loss in over 70 years as it has been hit by the global financial crisis effecting all automakers. General Motors is reeling from spiraling cost associated with bloated capacity and other legacy issues that have reeked havoc on the company balance sheet. General Motors announced that it is expecting its next round of Federal Bailout money ($5.4 Billion) and stated at the Automotive World Congress in Detroit today that if it doesn't receive the second installment in the next few days that the company is in danger of running out of cash ( GM has been promised to loan the company $13.4 Billion for 3 years).

Enjoy Today!

That Car Guy

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Fiat takes a 35% stake in ailing automaker Chrysler... Is this enough?


BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS!


Chrysler Corporation and Italy's Fiat Automobiles SpA announced today that Fiat will take a 35% stake in the ailing Chrysler Corporation. The deal in which no money will exchange signifies a dramatic move by Chrysler/Cerberus to align its business model for the world stage. Chrysler has been struggling to find profitable small vehicle platforms and has no real presence in the global marketplace.
Chrysler hopes to gain access to gain access to Fiat's small vehicle platforms for the U.S. market and create opportunities to market in other foreign markets in which it has no distribution. Fiat, although strapped for cash has it's eye's on the U.S market to reintroduce itself to anxious Americans starving for more fuel efficient vehicles. Fiat riding the success of recently introduce vehicles has found itself swept up in recent months with declining sales like most auto manufacturers.
Daimler Benz still holds a 19% stake in Chrysler and will continue to hold that position as the proposed deal works its way through the appropriate Commerce Department channels.
This report will be updated as more information comes forward.
Enjoy Today!
That Car Guy





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Introducing Barack Obama our Nations 44th President... Making History!

BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS!

The United States is Inaugurating Barack Obama as our nations 44th President January 20, 2009.

This historical moment could not have taken place without enormous sacrifices of men, women and children that has made this country so great. The promise of this country and the hope of a nation moves forward with a great leap today, may we all be inspired to do more for this great nation and to make lasting contributions to our society.

Enjoy Today!

That Car Guy





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Monday, January 19, 2009

Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday on the Eve of President Elect Barack Obama Inauguration...


"All this is simply to say that all life is interrelated. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality; tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. As long as there is poverty in this world, no man can be totally rich even if he has a billion dollars. As long as diseases are rampant and millions of people cannot expect to live more than twenty or thirty years, no man can be totally healthy, even if he just got a clean bill of health from the finest clinic in America. Strangely enough, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the way the world is made." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Enjoy Today!
That Car Guy

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An Open Letter to Mel Karmazin...



AN OPEN LETTER TO MEL KARMAZIN

1/19/09

Re: The State of Satellite Radio

Dear Mr. Karmazin (and Mr. Scott Greenstein if your viewing this letter),

I write to you because I have watched with great fanfare both as a supporter of your platform and as a former investor (Sirius) and I am quite dismayed at the lost opportunity that your company has missed.

I have sat back and watched programming mistakes and launching of product mistake time after time and have sat back passively as it just seems no one at the top seems to understand what it takes to turn sideline listeners into engaged listeners and supporters of the platform.

With new competition coming along (Apple Iphone, Pandora, CBS Last.FM, AOL Music, Sansa and others) I am watching with amazement how the opportunity with the merger of Sirius and XM should be a slam dunk. But somebody is asleep at the wheel, in doing some basic research to get my facts straight, XM’s webpage still list outdated information on the fast facts link and other areas, I mean come on Mel, can I call you Mel. The technology application’s that you and the staff at Sirius XM must have must be staggering compared to the HP computer that I am pecking away on. Can somebody anybody change the webpages to update anything about the new and improved Sirius XM merger and just general information. But the engaged public is still subjected to last year’s web info, this is just sad Mel, did you say it was ok to call you Mel?

Now I am no radio industry executive or veteran, I am just a guy in the automotive industry that has sold the virtues of satellite radio for a few years now that gets feedback from customers. Mel have you listened to your customers recently, I mean have you talked to them personally, not your buddies you go to lunch with, I am talking about the ladies and gentlemen who drive Chevrolets and Fords to work and the young professionals and college students I would throw in some High School kids to round out who you should be targeting next since these folks set trends. I recommend you do it for a number of reasons of which I will state. These people are quite different from your generation and mine for that reason, however engaging them in some real dialogue about what they are interested in may provide you and your staff some insight into what they are looking for and trust me you have the ability to make it happen. You have at your disposal probably one of the greatest products ever invented yet it will get fretted away as a wasted exercise in modern media history if you and your staff do not do something and fast.

You see a lot of people don’t think that Satellite Radio is where they need to tune in to get there music or information and your companies don’t seem to understand that. Sure, it is a repository of Music, News, Weather, Comedy, Sports and any other channel that you have thrown together but it is not THE PLACE where folks want or must tune in too to get this vast array of programming. We know that it is a great place to tune in to catch the Basketball game and to hear some comedy or touch base with Martha Stewart and so on. And I no you are probably saying you can’t be all things to all people, but let me let you in on something that is not really a secret, people want fresh they want current they want exciting they want LOCAL.

Did I just say local, one of the loudest complaints that I hear is that your customers feel tuned out of the local happenings in there respective communities, which is why local radio is still a vital part of the media landscape. Here is a suggestion, why not create local channels or how about relevant programming that people feel engaged wherever they may live, why because your programming feels like it comes out of a New York Studio. Oh it does come out of a New York Studio, do you realize there is a large segment of the population that doesn’t really care about New York and Mel you have to reach these folks the folks that are driving mostly Chevrolet’s and Ford’s the folks by and large who are your largest audience for your product since most of the units that you sell are in these vehicles. Did someone think about that? Did someone step back and say how can we scale this thing so that we do not leave a huge chunk of Americana out, I really don’t think someone living in the Midwest or down south wants to feel like they are living on the outside of Gotham City.

Speaking of programming whose idea was it to put a Bubba the Love Sponge on after his show has already aired (Cox Radio Stations)), I mean come on. Get a personality that can provide fresh content daily, where people who are paying a premium to have your service feel that they are getting there monies worth, herein lies the problem, Sirius XM does not feel special, it doesn’t feel like it is the must have media in someone’s media arsenal and this is where Sirius XM will meet the Grim Reaper.

Make Sirius XM relevant, make it, must have, make it special, you have the capability, you have the greatest tool invented, I mean its Satellite for goodness sake, you guys can do just about anything you want. If you need a special application, invent it, if you need to regionalize the programming regionalize it, but do something and do it quick.

Have you looked at your programming, I did and it is not good, a whole lot of duplication, but where there is dysfunction and duplication there is hope and I have confidence that you can get it done.

I recognize that you have probably been distracted with the looming $1Billion Dollars that you have due on some debt coming up, but put your boys and girls on it and fast, revamp, revise and get into the 21st Century get in tuned with what folks want from Satellite radio and make it relevant otherwise you will be a distant memory of what could have been, real fast. And get Gary Parsons name off of your website, that is a shame that a large media company like yours doesn’t have someone scouring the pages and freshening up things, there is a word, freshen up Sirius XM!

That is the new mantra, lets make Sirius XM funky fresh.

Enjoy Today!

That Car Guy

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Introducing the 2010 Ford Taurus...


INTRODUCING THE ALL NEW 2010 FORD TAURUS
If you haven't checked out the styling cues and design direction that Ford is going at the Detroit Auto Show, here are a couple of pictures to see that Ford finally has some fresher ideas.
I can remember not that long ago, Ford executives telling me that they were selling to families and everyday Americans while I was telling them that everyday Americans were wanting bold and fresher design. I guess they finally listened, well probably not to me but they heard the defection finally to Toyota and I guess they heard it load and clear, because I definitely see some styling cues from some Japanese imports.
Well let's all finally see if the design turns into sales at the dealerships.
Enjoy Today!

That Car Guy


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Friday, January 16, 2009

Waiter there is a van in my soup...

I think I know what the surprise is while dining at this fine establishment...
Enjoy Today!
That Car Guy

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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Some of my favorite concepts that are being shown at the 2009 North American International Auto Show... In Detroit...

Suzuki Kizashi 3 Concept Sedan



KIA Koupe Concept Vehicle


Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept Vehicle

Audi Sportback Concept...
Ohhh... LA... La! I like this...


These vehicles represent some of my favorite vehicles that have been showcased at the 2009 North American International Auto Show going on in Detroit now through Saturday.

You can visit the show via the web at http://www.naias.com/.

Enjoy Today!

That Car Guy




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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

A Flying Car... The Terrafugia Transition has announced that they plan a test flight soon...


The challenge of aviation enthusiast and inventors alike have challenged themselves to be the first to market and sell a true flying car. From the early Moller Flying Car designs to LaBiche Aerospace (http://www.labicheaerospace.com/) these individuals and companies have been reaching for the brass ring of success, and that means getting the car to fly.

Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts (USA) (http://www.terrafugia.com/) feels it has the right model, the right design and best of all it will actually fly. The Terrafugia Transition is set to be in showrooms in about 18 months based on a current report by Fox News. Carl Dietrich, who runs Terrafugia said: "This is the first really integrated design where the wings fold up automatically and all the parts are in one vehicle."

The Transition developed in part by NASA engineers is making claims that the Aircraft/Car will be able to fly up to 500 miles on a single tank of gas at a cruising speed of 115mph on a 100bhp engine that propels the vehicle on the ground as well as in the air.

The vehicle has not made a maiden voyage to the sky, but the company claims that it has been tested on the road with speeds reaching 90mph.

I have provided a sample video of a wing deployment exhibition at the annual Oshkosh Airshow in Wisconsin for your viewing pleasure.

Enjoy Today!

That Car Guy

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Car Flipping Competition in England... Those wacky Brits...

Only in England would you find a competition that contestants risk life and limb...

I literally saw someones head hit the pavement on the flip, where are the safety straps...

It is fun until someone gets hurt!

Looks like a blast though!

Enjoy Today!

That Car Guy

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Monday, January 12, 2009

Volt battery pack will be built in Michigan by LG Chem...


General Motors and Chevrolet announced that the Chevrolet Volt battery pack will be manufactured in Michigan at an as yet named location at what will be the largest automotive battery lab in the United States, according to GM's Press Release.
This will be the first lithium-ion battery pack manufacturing facility operated by a major automotive manufacturer in association with LG Chem the battery pack's developer.
The facility is expected to start producing batteries in 2010 as announced by Rick Wagoner at The North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.
"The design, development and production of advanced batteries must be a core competency for GM, and we've been rapidly building our capability and resources to support this direction." Wagoner said. "This is a further demonstration of our commitment to the electrification of the automobile and to the Chevrolet Volt - a commitment that now totals more than $1 Billion."
"The Volt's lithium-ion battery cells will be supplied by LG Chem's subsidiary Compact Power, Inc. based in Troy, MI." This subsidiary will build the batteries for the VOLT until GM's battery facility is fully operational. "A joint engineering contract with Compact Power and LG Chem also has been signed to further expedite the development of the Volt's lithium-ion battery technology."
A specific sit has not been selected as GM is working with the State of Michigan and local authorities on incentive packages and other tax incentives.
GM will be building the complete battery packs and will take on all of the responsibility on the battery management system and power electronics, Compact Power will continue to provide GM support with the development, integration and provide other consultative support.
Enjoy Today!
That Car Guy

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Friday, January 9, 2009

I think this would be a blast!... Airboard Personal Hovercraft...

This looks like it would be a blast to ride and drive. The Airboard Personal Hovercraft built in Liverpool, England has a top speed of 20mph and no brakes, you shift your weight around to steer and stop, more thrills and spills. It boast a 5 liter engine that will allow an hour of ride time.

You can find more info at www.airboardeurope.com, check it out for yourself.

Maybe this won't solve the fuel crisis but at least we can still have some fun!

Enjoy Today!

That Car Guy

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