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.

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.

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.

 

 

Clunker Fallout

The big three have shown considerable drops in numbers after the buying frenzy. General Motors showed the biggest dip in sales posting a 45 percent downturn after the end of the clunkers program. Chrysler was right behind them with a 42 percent loss. Ford Motor Company, the fittest of all, showed a modest six percent drop in sales. The big winners from this program appear to be the Japanese corporations doing business here. They accounted for more than 50 percent of overall sales from the clunker program. Overall numbers show not quite five million fewer units were sold in September than in August.

General Motors, Ford, and Toyota reps are optimistic though. The slump was expected and the sales will start to rise in the near future. Fourth quarter numbers might start out slow, but the overall outlook of annual sales is expected to be better than in the previous three years. All manufacturers are expecting annual sales to be anywhere from the low nine millions to upwards of eleven million units sold this year, depending on which manufacturer is talking. Economic expansion and consumer confidence are two areas the experts are keeping a close eye on. All are hopeful that with the rise in these two areas, sales, not only in the auto industry, but across the board will continue to climb.

The health risks associated with workers in the automotive industry were highlighted by a recent asbestos-related case in the United Kingdom. The recent case comes after a suit involving Kelvin Parker, a former installer of insulation and suspended ceilings at the Longbridge manufacturing plant.
Parker, 54, was originally diagnosed with mesothelioma in August 2007 and passed away on November 19, 2008. His family continued to pursue legal action against the company to blame for his asbestos exposure.

 

 

The primary cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that typically develops in the lining of the lungs, heart or abdomen. In most cases, the victims are unaware of their condition until symptoms arise and the cancer has already reached the latest stages of development, leaving the patient with a poor prognosis.

The newest case involves another man who was formerly employed at the Longbridge site in Birmingham, England during the early 1960s.

In another effort to grant aid to the already struggling U.S. auto economy, Congress overwhelmingly approved government funding for green vehicle research. The approval of additional funding comes on the heels of another proposal that would increase fuel economy by 4.3 percent starting with model year 2012. New fuel requirements are estimated to cost the auto industry 60 billion over the span of four years.

 

 

The green vehicle research bill is sponsored mainly by Rep. Gary Peters, a democratic leader in Michigan. According to Peters, the bill would lead to “faster development” of advanced technologies. The bill swept through the house with a vote of 312-114, and it is now set to go to the Senate. 2.9 billion over the next five years with a 550 million start in October is up 200 million per year for the next five years. Allocation of the funds will go to the Energy Department which researches and develops battery, hydrogen fuel cell, hybrid and electric vehicles, and other engine management systems.

According to Peters, intense global competition will determine who will build the cars and trucks of the future, and if this new technology is developed and produced here in the United States it will create new American jobs. Peters also said that with strong bipartisan support, this bill could be fully funded this year.

 

 

Are you thinking that no one would want to steal your auto? Think again. Auto theft is still a booming business in America and her neighboring countries. You or someone you know has been a victim, and if certain precautions have not been followed, you could be again. Between 7 billion and 8 billion dollars is lost every year in this country to auto theft alone. Very sobering numbers, indeed. Auto thieves are not interested in style, they are interested in substance. Ease of opportunity is the key factor in an auto theft. How easy a car is to boost certainly plays a factor on if it stays in the driveway or will come up missing in the morning.

With the passing model years, security defenses have increased. Smart keys, auto alarms, and fuel cut off switches have all been introduced in the recent years. General Motors and the OnStar system has been a big boost with their line up, as well. One aftermarket company LoJack offers a tracking device easily installed on your auto and claims an impressive 90% recovery rate on the vehicles installed. Good old common sense still plays an important role on keeping your auto your auto. Never, ever leave the keys inside the vehicle while unattended. This includes the sun visor, glove box, and the most common, the ignition. If you have a G.P.S. mounted in the dash of the auto, take it out, too. Thieves know how to access the data and then know where you live. A house burglary could be next on their list. Same thing goes with the automatic garage door opener. If they know where you live, a simple push of the button will grant them instant access to your house.

Cash For Clunkers Over

On Monday past, the government backed Cash For Clunker program officially ended. After a spirited few weeks of buying by the American public, the 3 billion dollars set aside for the program has all been allocated. Experts are still analyzing all the numbers and it will be some time before the full economic impact will be realized. As expected, numbers of new auto sales are drastically up, but many are cautious about long term growth in the auto industry.

Many are optimistic that as many as 42,000 new permanent jobs will be created by the end of 2009. The gross domestic product is also looking up and is expected to be up 0.3 to 0.4 percentage points in the third quarter. This means that the infusion of the 3 billion dollars will have a return of over 10 billion after all is said and done. While both G.M. and Ford have recalled many laid off workers to help with the sudden demand, some are cautioning that unless sales stay up, the up swing could quickly level out and then start dropping. This could equal the start of layoffs all over again.

Final data released for the month of July totaled 690,000 new car sales and the program ended up under budget with 2.88 billion dollars actually being spent. The Obama administration has declared the program a success, with Ray Lahood pointing out that most of the autos sold were more fuel efficient, and that would save America more money in the long run while improving the environment. Not surprisingly, it was the Japanese who benefited the most from the program. Toyota, Honda, and Nissan accounted for 41 percent of total sales, while the big three accounted for 39 percent. General Motors made a strong showing, raking in 17.6 percent behind Toyota who had 19.4 percent. Ford followed with 14.4 percent.

The Toyota Carolla was the most popular model being sought after, with the Honda Civic, Toyota Camry, and Ford Focus rounding out the list. All four models are built in the United States. Top trade ins were the Ford Explorer, two and four wheel drive models, Jeep Cherokee, and full size pick up trucks. Mired by reimbursement paperwork at the start of the program, dealers had until late Tuesday to get the documents submitted. Lawmakers are in agreement that all transactions will be paid in a timely manner.

More jobs, increased profits, and a brighter future hopefully are in store for all involved. Increased metal for manufacturing through recycling efforts will soon be available for even more industries. Soon, the trickle down effect will be felt all across the nation. Some time will have to pass to see if this program was a success or failure, but at least the auto industry is moving in the right direction now.

A well kept secret in the Long Island, New York area is home of the original “cash for clunker”, or cash for cars program. This place has been in business long before the government run program was even thought of. Alright already, you are saying, what is this place? I’m talking about Quick Cash Auto. The criteria are very simple – own a car. How much simpler can that be? Is that auto currently financed, and you want out of the monthly payment? No problem, Quick Cash Auto specializes in this area. See another car or truck of your dreams, but have to move your current car to get it? Sell it outright, on the spot with Quick Cash Auto, and go straight over and buy it.

As the name implies, these guys and gals are all about buying your unwanted autos. Clear out some space in the garage and drive that hardly used auto to Quick Cash and create your own little stimulus plan. Or better yet, go green and use that stimulus plan for a better, more efficient auto. It’s all the rage, you know. Almost everyone will qualify for this program, and a quick, honest deal will be yours. Gather up the title, all the maintenance records you can get your hands on, and don’t expect to stay very long while selling your car. 8 minute transactions are the norm for these guys.

Drive that new beauty home, and when someone asks you if this was a cash for clunker deal, just smile and say yes, the original.

As of Thursday, more than 220,000 trade-ins have been recorded, totaling more than 923 million in reimbursement payments. Government hot lines have been over loaded with requests for vouchers for the transactions.

Not everyone is on board with the President about this program. Conservatives have been worried all along that this will only add to the swelling of the national deficit. Another concern is the shift of future demand to the present. Experts are in agreement that although good for now, this may create another downturn in the future for auto makers. Even in light of this, a shortage of autos due to demand is something that has not been experienced for a long time.

The most prevalent clunker trade is as expected; the larger SUV’s and full size pick up trucks. Ford Focus, Dodge Caliber, and Chevy Cobalt are the top selling models being traded for.

Whether this is a successful stimulus program or a shift of future demand into the present; we will not know that answer for some time. One thing is for certain, people are at least talking of a new auto purchase once again.