Oct 10, 2008 -
News From AutoObserver.com
Hi,
Here are some highlights from Edmunds’ AutoObserver.com this week. As always, there is more available directly on www.autoobserver.com:
October Sales Remain in Freefall; Zero-Interest Financing Provides Little Lift - October automotive sales continue to be in freefall from September with zero-percent financing offered by auto manufacturers providing little, if any, incentive for people to buy cars. "The automotive market slowdown has entered a new phase," said Edmunds.com Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Anwyl. "Barraged by bad economic news, consumers, instead of hoping for the best, now are preparing for the worst, and that includes postponing even the thought of buying a car."
For more information on October sales, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/10/october-sales-remain-in-freefall-zero-interest-financing-provides-little-lift.html
Fall of the Mighty Nameplates, Chapter 1: Ford Explorer- It's the toughest of times all around the auto sector, and plunging sales for entire companies, much less individual models and nameplates, currently are the rule, not the exception. But when a staggering giant of a nameplate comes to our attention thanks to the number crunchers at Edmunds.com, cratering sales become an item that can't be ignored. Exhibit No. 1: Ford Motor Co.'s Explorer midsize SUV. The model that epitomized the mass-market SUV at the zenith of the genre's popularity now has dissipated to barely a blip on the sales charts. For Explorer sales data and more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/10/fall-of-the-mighty-nameplates-chapter-1-ford-explorer.html
Credit Meltdown Eliminating Dealers As Automakers Couldn't- The Big Three U.S. automakers have been trying to get rid of their weakest dealers for years, but the weeding-out process has gone far, far more slowly than car company executives have wanted. Now, this year's double-whammy of economic shocks - explosive gasoline prices that scared consumers away from large vehicles, followed by the current financial crisis that is constricting credit at every level - has already begun culling out U.S. car dealerships at a rate far faster than General Motors, Ford and Chrysler brain trusts could even dream was possible by their methods. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/10/credit-meltdown-eliminating-dealers-as-automakers-couldnt.html
2008 Paris Auto Show: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly- Everyone loves coming to the Paris auto show. Mostly this is because it is not the Frankfurt auto show, with which it alternates on the yearly schedule of auto shows.
Paris is the City of Lights, and the French car manufacturers like to demonstrate that they have the same competence as the Germans, only with romance and flair. The French tell you, "Yes, our cars might look funny, but we understand Joie de vivre, the joy of life. Of course our cars might look freaky and whacked out, but you are stupid if you don't understand." For Paris auto show highlights, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/10/2008-paris-auto-show-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly.html
Feel free to share this message with others who want to stay up on auto industry news. And, please send your comments and questions to autoobserver@edmunds.com.
