Porsche. One word that defines European quality at it’s best. A rare automobile known to all, but rarely seen, Porsches are very well pampered by their owners. One will not see a Porsche sitting outside in inclement weather and are usually housed in a climate controlled storage facility. A garage is fine, but it had better be a grand garage at that. To say that a Porsche collector is fickle is putting it mildly. The owners are a different breed, and usually know what they want out of life and out of their automobiles.

Porsche

The history of Porsche and their association with others is a complex one. Founded in 1931 by an Austrian engineer, Ferdinand Porsche, the first design was conceived a full five years earlier. Simple but exotic, the first Speedster was an instant hit. The flat horizontally opposed air cooled four cylinder engine was just enough of a powerhouse to give the car spirited performance. This design was also fitted into the Volkswagen design that Porsche owns a majority of. This four cylinder model was eventually expanded to a six cylinder, but the air cooling has remained the same.

Where does someone go to buy a collectible Porsche? Anyone who currently owns one or more in a private collection is a good start. These types are hard to find, but they do exist. Sometimes they even show up in the local want ads, although not too often. If really wanting to jump in over your head, turn on your television. Big name auctioneers such as Barrett-Jackson and Mecum Auto Auction services specialize in the higher end exotic super cars such as this. These are turnkey examples, worth every penny spent, and no disappointments will be found.

As expected, and stated before, the owner of a Porsche is a different personality type. The finer things in life surround them, and they most likely will have other collectable cars in their stable. The rarer Corvettes, Hemi powered ‘Cudas, and perhaps a Bentley or two. The rich and famous have always been associated with a Porsche, and legendary actor James Dean raced the cars and was ultimately killed in one driving to a weekend race. Stand up comedian and television star Jerry Seinfeld is said to have one of the largest Porsche collections in the nation. An eclectic group to say the least.

The legendary Porsche and their owners. Sleek, sexy, and desirable. If ever you have the chance to become a collector yourself, do not pass it up.

After a roller coaster ride for all domestic automakers in 2009, most are not too unhappy to see the year go. Bankruptcy courts, federal bailouts, and a less than encouraging government backed program, cash for clunkers. Many dealerships were forced to close, resulting in the job losses of highly trained automotive technicians, parts personnel, and sales consultants. After the infusion of hard earned tax payer funds, three billion to be exact, and the upswing of sales that followed, 2009 ended with a small increase in production for all domestic automakers.

2010

Experts are hopeful that this recovery trend will continue through 2010, but are cautious with their predictions. With unemployment still hovering at the ten percent mark nationwide, this will be the key factor on how well the industry does this year. Domestic automakers have not seen this bad of a year in almost three decades, 1982 was just as bleak for them and recovery then was a slow process, too. General Motors posted a 6.1 percent drop from the previous year, while Chrysler Corp. dropped four percent for the same time frame.

Ford Motor Company, the only domestic company to not receive federal aid and no bankruptcy court, was the strongest of all automakers. Overall the Blue Oval was down 16 percent for the year, as compared to Nissan’s drop of 19.2 percent. The Japanese giant Toyota fell to a staggering 20.2 percent compared to last year. Overall, all competitors took a big hit, but as demand once again rises, the production numbers will follow suit.

2009 is gone, but not forgotten. Hard lessons were learned by all companies, whether foreign or domestic. These lessons will be applied in the future, and the wheels will start rolling again, in a big way.

After a rocky year of many up’s and down’s, it appears that the stabilizing U.S. economy is a direct benefit for the big three in Detroit. As the cash for clunkers program winds down to the final end, auto sales are starting to stand on their own merit without an incentive. Initially, sales were lower, but as the economy grows, and the American public grows more confident within it, sales are once again creeping up.

Auto Sales Ford

Ford Motor Company shows to be the strongest of the three domestic auto makers, once again. Higher quality comparable to the imports and not having to receive tax payer bail out money are the major factors. The Big Oval showed a 3% market share gain for this month and has recorded gains in 12 of the last 13 months. Ford has also shown brand loyalty customers going over to their side.

As General Motors phases out the now dropped Saturn and Pontiac line, the company can now direct all of its attention on the remaining lineup. A slimmer corporation with less overhead will surely benefit the company. Chrysler Corp., like G.M. have a surplus of left over models to clean out before full attention can be focused on current production. Older fleets needing to be replaced by higher mileage vehicles will only add to the production numbers.

The largest winners in the U.S. auto industry are, not surprisingly, the Japanese competitors. Toyota, Nissan, and Honda all showed a gain across the board. The biggest mover was the Korean manufacturer, Hyundai. Sales skyrocketed 49% for the last month. New government tax incentives, designed to level the tax paying field for all manufacturers, are long overdue and needed for the big three to survive.

Unemployment rose to double digits this week, leveling out at 10.2%, but hopefully, as the economy gets some sure footing; this number will start to drop. As America gets back to work, the demand for domestic autos will surely rise.