January 2012

'Chevy Happy Grad' wins Super Bowl ad contest

(January 20, 2012) DETROIT – “Chevy Happy Grad,” an ad submitted by 26-year old Long Island resident Zach Borst, will be aired during the telecast of Super Bowl XLVI, beating out submissions by independent filmmakers from around the world as part of Chevrolet’s Route 66 Super Bowl ad contest.

The ads had more than 32 million total online views between Dec. 22 and Jan. 14.

Ford to auction 2013 Shelby GT500 track durability prototype

(January 20, 2012) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford is giving muscle car enthusiasts a rare opportunity to bid on the racetrack durability car used to develop the 2013 Shelby GT500 production Mustang. The car will be auctioned at the 41st Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction Saturday in Scottsdale, Ariz.
 
The sale will raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). On the auction stage will be Ford’s President of The Americas, Mark Fields, and members of SVT. The event will be televised live on SPEED Channel.

Lexus goes pro active for Super Bowl

(January 19,2012) TORRANCE, Calif. — With a host of new vehicles coming to market in 2012, Lexus is poised to be one of the fastest-growing luxury brands this year. To kick off the product onslaught, the company will debut its first-ever Super Bowl commercial for Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5 on NBC.

Chevrolet achieves best-ever global sales in 2011

(January 19, 2012) DETROIT —– Chevrolet sold 4.76 million vehicles around the world in 2011, setting a global sales record and driving General Motors global sales to more than 9 million vehicles, a 7.6 percent gain compared with 2010.

GM gained four-tenths of a point of market share to 11.9 percent of the global vehicle industry. Sales were up in all four reporting regions — North America, South America, Europe and International Operations — as GM sold a total of 9,025,942 vehicles compared with 8,385,484 in 2010.

L.A. Audi dealer leads in U.S. selling more than 2,000 new, used Audis in 2011

(January 19, 2012) HERNDON, Va. —  Audi has announced that Los Angeles dealer Keyes Audi was the number one Audi dealer in the nation in 2011.  Keyes Audi was the only dealer in the U.S. to sell over 2,000 combined new and Certified Pre-Owned vehicles last year.

"The Keyes organization is one of the most progressive, customer-focused and strategically-aligned dealer groups I have had the pleasure of working with," said Mike Cagle, Director, Western Region for Audi of America. 

Kia's Slovakia factory produces record 252,000 cars

(January 19, 2012) Kia Motors produced a record 252,000 cars at its Zilina, Slovakia factory last year, a 10per cent increase over 2010.  The plant also achieved a 12 per cent year-on-year increase in engine production, with more than 359,000 petrol and diesel engines rolling off the production lines in 2011.

Dealer showrooms next stop for Buick Encore

(January 18, 2013) DETROIT — The Buick Encore passed a milestone this week as shipments began to dealers. Within the next few weeks, test drives will be available at Buick dealers around the country allowing prospective customers to experience the first luxury small crossover from Buick.

GM explores windows of opportunity

(January 18, 2012) DETROIT — Got backseat boredom? DVD players and Game Boys are so five years ago, but a new concept in rear seat entertainment technology that uses the windows themselves could replace squirminess and snoozing with interactive scribbling, sweeping and pinching.

General Motors Research and Development put that challenge before researchers and students from the FUTURE LAB at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel. The task: Conceptualize new ways to help rear seat passengers, particularly children, have a richer experience on the road.

Average age of vehicles reaches record high, according to Polk

(January 18, 2012) SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — The average age of cars and light trucks currently in operation in the U.S. has increased to 10.8 years, according to Polk, a global automotive market intelligence firm. Passenger cars showed a modest increase in age since 2010, from 11 years to just 11.1 years at the end of June 2011. Light trucks — including pickups and SUVs — showed a more sizable gain in the same time frame, from 10.1 years to 10.4 years.

Polk