Fiat Strada 1.6 Adventure Crew Cab 2011 © order_242

The Brazilian car market ended 2012 as the best year in its history, with a volume of 3,634,510 units sold (cars + LCVs), an increase of 6.1% compared to 2011. Read more »

2012 has been succesfull for carmakers: they all made money selling cars! Read more »

The Joys of Driving © @ANDYwithCAMERA

Yes, you read correctly, and it is no use you get excited – I’m referring to the pro Germans (VW e.n.). The numbers speak clearly, whether you like it or not!
But what is surprising is how the news is virtually absent from any type of media; then perhaps we can find some painful – but true – explanation without a particular effort. Read more »

Prius jumps to lightspeed © Roger H. Goun

For the first time in the automotive history an Hybrid vehicle is the world’s best selling model, as reported by focus2move.com research team, with over 256.000 vehicles sold in the first quarter 2012, ahead of former leader, Toyota Corolla (253.000) and Ford Focus (231.000).

Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric vehicles introduced in the 1997 in the Japanese market and progressivelly launched all over the world (it is actually sold in more than 70 countries). Read more »

While in Italy manufacturers, importers and dealers are losing dozens of employees and millions of euro every day – and Fiat develops his worst results in the last 30 years – in Russia the Carmakers seems to play war games.

The Russian market is a great opportunity for manufacturers and dealers: last year, 2,652,000 cars were sold with a growth of 39.1% over 2010. As reported by Focus 2 move, the first quarter of 2012 ended with another growth of 22.7%, despite statements of analysts praising the CIVETS and giving BRICS markets for finished! Read more »

Quality Seafood © by JD Hancock

Using the same parts for different models of cars, and for different brands in the case of auto groups, is definitely an intelligent solution for cost containment and the allocation of fixed costs on a larger number of vehicles, besides the reduction of merchandise in stock by adopting a just in time production system. Read more »

With trumpets and drums Mr. Rob Kurnick announces the landing of the Penske Group into the land of Fiat: “In Italy the economy is recovering and there are opportunities to grab!”

A few days ago the associations of Dealers and Manufacturers – Federauto and Unrae – had spoken a “bit differently” regarding the dramatic situation of all those spitting blood in the italian automotive: fearing the loss of 15,000 jobs in dealerships and 200,000 in the entire segment. Read more »

For the last few days I have been hearing the ad on the italian radio for the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta and the part about maintaining its value in the used car market according to Eurotax and Quattroruote (the most important italian automotive newspaper) really caught my attention. Read more »

photo credit: godzillante|photochopper

“2012 started full of uncertain for OEMs in the automotive industry” this was how I started my article last month. At that time reports on January Chinese market performance were not yet available and when they arrived, with an incredible 26% lost year on year, Car OEMs Top Executives become really nervous. Read more »

General Motors Corporation exhibit showing the Firebird III, Century 21 Exhibition

The recent announcement by PSA and GM of their intended strategic alliance is one of many such alliances between various manufacturers.

But when do these alliances start diluting brand equity? Read more »