Archive for the ‘pickup’ Category

The good news  for the auto industry -- or at least, the less terrible news -- keeps on coming: according to projections from J.D. Power & Associates, new vehicle sales for October 2009 are expected to ring in just 6% below the same period in 2008. That's the best year-over-year improvement for U.S. auto sales in 17 months (apart from the 13% increase of August 2009, which was an aberration due to Cash-for-Clunkers). Much of the lift seems to have come from pickup trucks, which now make up about 14% of the overall vehicle market. It's probably too early to start doing the Charleston on cafe tables just yet, but we're going to dust off...

It's no secret that pickup sales have been suffering for some time. The segment's troubles hit full-tilt when fuel prices spiked during the summer of 2008, and those problems were magnified by the economic turmoil that began walloping the globe last fall. But there is some light at the end of the tunnel for pickup fans and manufacturers: the folks at Barclays Capital see growth in the truck segment's near future.

Barclays' analysis is based on two key predictions: (1) that manufacturers and dealerships will slather truck-buyers with loads of incentives this fall, and (2) that the slowly rebounding U.S. economy will result in more...

Over the past several months, throughout the global economic downturn in general and Detroit's meltdown in particular, we've often sung the praises of Ford Motor Company. Not only did Ford manage to avoid embroilment in the bankruptcy/bailout crisis plaguing Chrysler and GM, but Ford has also managed to leverage the misfortunes of its competitors to its own advantage. While expressing concern for Chrysler and GM, Ford has managed to reiterate its own solid financial position (e.g. "Yes, congress, you ought to help our competition, but no, don't worry about us -- we're smart and sensible, so we'll be just fine.") As a result the public's...