Auto Industry in the News
The Alfa Romeo brand is coming back to the United States later this year, with the reintroduction scheduled for this June. After several false starts, it appears that everything is finally in place for this return to come to fruition.
The last Alfa Romeo vehicles to make it to the United States were exported in 1995. Since then, there has been almost constant chatter that the brand would someday make a comeback.
When William Clay Ford Sr. recently passed away (just five days shy of his 89th birthday), he left behind a legacy that will never be forgotten. As an automotive icon, he’ll be remembered for his many innovative designs and ideas. As a man, he’ll forever be recognized for his integrity and willingness to give back to the city of Detroit.
Born in 1925, he was the last surviving grandson of Henry Ford. He was either an employee or board member in more than half of Ford’s illustrious 100-year history.
Automotive advertising is apparently working very well, though automotive dealerships remained similar in number last year. What changed significantly was the average number of new vehicles sold per dealership.
Numbers compiled by Urban Science, a Detroit-based retail consulting company, showed that as of January 1 of this year there were 17,838 auto dealerships, a dip of 0.1 percent from the January 1, 2013 figure of 17,851.
The EPA reducing sulfur levels in gasoline is a move that was not wholly unexpected. Specifically, the EPA’s new regulations mean that sulfur content in gasoline will be cut by two-thirds. It is considered to be a big benefit for automobile owners in multiple ways. The reduction of air pollution and tailpipe emissions are just the beginning.
It is good from a health standpoint, as smog has been linked to lung cancer, heart disease and even asthma. In fact, the EPA estimates that for every dollar spent raising the standards, 13 others would be saved in health benefits due to a decrease in illnesses and an uptick in workplace productivity.
The latest automotive trends present a good-news, bad-news scenario to the country’s automotive dealers. New data released by JD Power, the nation’s leading independent research company, will open some eyes.
The good news is that retail leasing is at record levels. In February, 26.5 percent of all transactions were leases. That’s better than the previous record of 26.0, set way back in May 2000.
