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AUTOS' COMMENTS & OPINIONS
* Analysts forecast slight sales gain for February
DETROIT,Ill,USA -Automotive News, by Dale Jewett -Feb 24, 2006: -- The U.S. auto industry is expected to post a slight sales gain in February, compared with the same month last year, analysts say. Japanese automakers are likely to bite off a bigger chunk of the market... Two analysts -- David Healy of Burnham Securities Inc. and Jesse Toprak at Edmunds.com -- foresee February sales rising between 1 and 2 percent above the 1.25 million units sold in February 2005... If they are correct, it would mark a higher level of sales in the latter half of the month. U.S. retail auto sales through the first 12 days of February were down 8 percent compared with a year earlier, the Power Information Network unit of J.D. Power and Associates said on Tuesday, Feb. 21... Among the Big 6 automakers, only American Honda Motor Co. posted a retail sales gain in the first half of the month, the research firm said...
* Downbeat news paints false portrait of industry
Toronto,Ont,Canada -The Toronto Star, by Paul Stern: President of the Toronto Automobile Dealers Association -Feb. 25, 2006: -- During the past six months, the automotive industry has attracted some sensational headlines across North America... High energy costs, restructuring efforts, coming losses of manufacturing jobs and the volatility of the SUV market are some of the big news stories that have generated a lot of press... The media generally do a thorough job covering our industry and providing consumers with balanced reporting and insight into a highly complex sector. When it comes to understanding the ins and outs of the auto business, people today have access to a wealth of information... But is too much information always a good thing, at least where car buyers are concerned?... The only constant in the car industry is change; new-car dealers adapt to new situations all the time. It takes up to four years for auto makers to plan a new vehicle launch, during which time any number of factors could affect the eventual success — or failure — of that vehicle... In many cases, manufacturers get it right and a model's sales are strong. Sometimes, they aren't so lucky... If you feel overwhelmed by the plethora of models out there, try creating a manageable short list of your top choices... Remember, you are the ultimate decision maker when buying a car. Don't allow dramatic news stories or market predictions to interfere with your purchasing decision... Throughout the selection process, your lifestyle, your driving habits and your budget should be foremost in your mind — not the latest headlines...
* GLOBAL TRADE: Tariff on trucks backed
Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit Free Press, by Justin Hyde -Feb 23, 2006: -- Thailand pact could result in flood of pickups... Detroit's automotive industry is raising a ruckus over trade talks that it says threaten thousands of American jobs by opening the U.S. market to cheap pickups from Thailand... The carmakers, the United Auto Workers and their allies in Congress are reviving efforts to pressure the Bush administration to retain a 25% tax on imported pickups as it tries to reach a free-trade agreement this year with Thailand -- a deal that would normally do away with all such taxes... The union also notes that 200,000 auto jobs have disappeared since 2001, with GM and Ford prepared to pare another 60,000 this year... But opponents of the tariff note that large foreign automakers already build a variety of pickups in North America, and that the smaller, diesel-powered trucks assembled in Thailand aren't suited to the U.S. market...
posted by Unknown @ 12:02 PM
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