car sales

Ford Earnings: F-Series Pickups Drive Profits for the Blue Oval

Ford's earnings report Tuesday revealed the automaker's best fourth-quarter results in more than a decade. But credit doesn't go to the fuel-efficient small cars the company has recently emphasized: The profit source was the old faithful F-Series pickup truck.

Toyota Speeds Past GM to Grab the Global Auto Sales Crown Again

Toyota has dethroned General Motors as the world's top-selling automaker. Though both companies' sales increased in 2012, Toyota bounced back from a manufacturing slowdown caused by Japan's 2011 earthquake to sell 9.7 million cars and trucks, while GM's sales rose just 2.9% to 9.29 million.

Chrysler Reports Best Sales Year Since Before the Great Recession

Chrysler's U.S. sales jumped 21 percent last year, the carmaker's strongest performance since 2007. The company's sales growth, which outpaced the U.S. auto industry overall, was a strong sign that Americans were feeling more confident about the economy last year.

U.S. Consumer Borrowing Rises to Record $2.75 Trillion

Americans swiped their credit cards more often in October and borrowed more to attend school and buy cars. The increases drove U.S. consumer debt to an all-time high. The Federal Reserve said Friday that consumers increased their borrowing by $14.2 billion in October from September. Total borrowing rose to a record $2.75 trillion.

Hurricane Sandy Boosts Car Sales in November

The auto industry wins the silver lining award from the affects of Hurricane Sandy: November car sales jumped 15 percent on strong demand from people replacing cars destroyed by the storm, Americans feeling more confident in the economy, and an easier access to credit.

GM Profits Beat Estimates as Favorable Signs Appear

General Motors on Wednesday reported a third-quarter profit that exceeded analyst expectations by a wide margin. GM's profit was less than it turned in a year ago, with earnings hurt by ongoing losses in Europe. But elsewhere, its business is showing strong signs for the future.

GM's Mickey Mouse Plan to Boost Car Sales: Be More Like Disney

It has long been clear that GM would have to get creative to win back customers. Decades of shoddy cars drove off GM loyalists, and just as its cars started to get better, the economy tanked. But now GM has a plan to lure you back, and it involves a lot of help from Disney.

Gas Prices, Cars Push US Retail Sales Up 0.9%

U.S. retail sales rose in August from July because consumers paid higher gas prices and bought more cars and trucks. They were more cautious elsewhere, suggesting the weak economy has made many selective about spending.

Automakers Look to Rev Up Sales Growth in Russia

Luxury cars to pamper your inner oligarch caught the eye as the Moscow motor show opened on Wednesday, but it is the Russian of more modest means who has the attention of the world's carmakers, keen to profit from one of Europe's few growing markets.

Lousy Credit? Need a Car Loan? No Problem!

Banks are still being pretty stingy about extending credit these days, when it comes to things like credit cards and mortgages. But there's one big exception: Banks are giving out car loans like they're going out of style.

How Ford Can Export Its Turnaround Magic to Europe

The second quarter brought good news and bad news for auto icon Ford. The good? Ford's U.S. sales and profits continued to be strong. The bad: Overall profits were down 57% because of the challenges it faces overseas.

Yo-Yo Financing: Don't Fall for This Car-Buying Speed Trap

When car buyers take possession of a vehicle before their financing arrangements are complete, they're risking a big money mess if the loan falls through. And some less scrupulous dealers will take advantage. Here's what you need to know to avoid the yo-yo financing trap.

GM's Not Unplugging Chevy Volt ... But It's Low on Juice

Bad news for GM: The Chevy Volt still isn't selling the way the automaker hoped it would, so it's temporarily halting production of the battery-powered hybrids for five weeks. Worse news for GM: Shutdowns like this only make the Volt a harder sell.

What Today's Booming Auto Sales Mean for Car Shoppers

U.S. car sales just hit their highest level in four years, and that's good news for economy watchers. Falling unemployment, more cooperative lenders, and rising consumer confidence all contributed to the boom. So if you're looking to buy, what does this all mean for you?

BP's Prediction: Your Old Car Is Almost Obsolete

When a major oil company predicts that the era of gas-powered cars is coming to an end soon, the rest of us might want pay attention. According to BP, you've got maybe 18 years left before your car is obsolete -- and probably a lot less than that.

US Auto Sales Rise in January, Led by Chrysler, VW

U.S. auto sales are off to a strong start this year, continuing the brisk pace from late 2011. Chrysler had its best January in four years while Ford got a boost from small cars and SUVs. Volkswagen, which wants to aggressively expand in the U.S., reported much higher sales. One sour note was GM, where sales fell.

Why Does Wall Street Hate AutoNation?

America loves cars, but Wall Street analysts don't have much affection for the country's leading auto showroom operator. AutoNation has beaten its targets, is making strong profits, and is poised to grow. So what's wrong with its stock?

GM's Next Big Problem: Making Europe Profitable

GM made $2.2 billion in North America in the third quarter, but it couldn't expand on that number with earnings abroad. Now the bailed out, revamped and much-improved automaker has to find a way to make Europe profitable -- because the Continent is essential to its global operations.

Hyundai and Kia See Accelerating Sales in September

Hyundai and its stablemate Kia have been taking U.S. auto market share gradually for more than two decades. Lately, though, those chunks have gotten bigger. The South Korean car makers' sales are expected to surge almost 25% in September compared to the same month year ago.

Toyota Accelerates Toward a Market Share Recovery

Toyota will announce Friday that by September, it expects to have all of its North American plants back to their normal production levels. Then, it can begin attempting to recoup the U.S. market share it lost due to shortages related to the Japan earthquake and tsunami, as well as a slew of recalls.

Six Reasons the Economy Needs Memorial Day

The origins of Memorial Day date to the aftermath of the Civil War, when people would decorate the graves of fallen soldiers to honor their service. The holiday still retains its reverential and patriotic spirit, but its economic consequences, though smaller than those of other holidays, cannot be overlooked.

Why Wall Street Is Betting Against General Motors

Short sellers have significantly increased their bet that GM shares are going to drop: Short interest in the No.1 U.S. car company jumped 26.5% to 41.5 million shares in the two-week period that ended May 15.

Is GM's Rebound the Real Deal?

Detroit's revival is nearly complete: Chrysler recently made its first profit in five years, Ford has posted its best results since 1998, and GM is poised to retake the crown as the world's biggest automaker. But to hold onto that position, GM will have to adjust to a rapidly shifting auto market.

Automakers' Next Big Worry: A Sales Slowdown in China

The major players in the auto industry have had it rough in the past few years, first with the massive sales declines caused by the recession, and more recently, with the disaster in Japan. But the next challenge they face is already looming on the horizon: A slowdown in Chinese car sales.