In addition to announcing several record-setting production and sales results for June and the first half of this calendar year, as a part of touting its recovery from the Japanese natural disasters, Nissan Motor Co. determined its first-quarter operating profit for the 2011 fiscal year totaled 150.4 billion yen, which equals $1.84 billion or 1.28 […] [Read More]

AiM, a new- and used-vehicle inspection services company, announced Wednesday the launch of a grading system to help customers easily determine the quality and condition of a car or truck. The grading system is based on AiM’s used-vehicle inspection report and AutoCheck Score history report. “Determining which 2010 Ford Mustang or 2009 Nissan Altima to […] [Read More]

In what turned out to be the company’s best second quarter for earnings per share in five years, Lithia Motors achieved double-digit gains in same-store used revenue and same-store used sales, the company revealed Wednesday. Furthermore, Lithia more than doubled its adjusted net income from continuing operations, which totaled $14.6 million ($0.54 per share), up […] [Read More]

AutoNation notched a significant gain in used-vehicle gross profit during the second quarter, which along with a major lift in new gross profits, helped the retailer’s operating income climb double digits. In other good news for its used operations, AutoNation moved 42,833 retail-used sales during the period, an improvement of almost 6 percent from the […] [Read More]

Chevrolet revealed today it will be involving its fans and customers in its 100th birthday celebration. As the countdown to the big day — Nov. 3 — begins, the automaker will be encouraging its followers to vote for their favorite Chevy cars and trucks and “take the birthday party to their communities with the help […] [Read More]

Reporting second-quarter earnings on Tuesday morning, three of the country’s largest dealer groups — Asbury Automotive Group, Group 1 Automotive and Sonic Automotive — enjoyed lifts in their used-car operations from a year ago, helping all three succeed in an auto environment that was limited due to the Japanese disasters. [Read More]

Though the company still incurred a net loss in the second quarter, Chrysler’s top boss was upbeat about the automaker’s progress and where it may be headed. When quarterly results were released Tuesday — which marked the first time Chrysler and Fiat have unveiled results together — not only was Chrysler’s progress highlighted, but officials […] [Read More]

Ford’s second-quarter results released Tuesday revealed that the automaker’s North American wholesales in the second quarter came in at 736,000, up 77,000 from a year ago. This is some good news for auctions that have been seeing lower wholesale volumes for some time. Moreover, North American revenue came in at $19.5 billion, up $2.6 billion […] [Read More]

CBS MoneyWatch thinks a three-year-old Toyota model is a better choice than alternative makes in three different vehicle segments, according to recently posted commentary. CBS MoneyWatch’s Jerry Edgerton also doesn’t have much faith in a pair of used Volkswagen models. The site’s auto columnist offered an alternative over what VW has in two segments, small car and […] [Read More]

Penske Automotive Group’s significant uptick in used sales helped overcome what was a modest drop in new sales, as the company enjoyed a “solid quarter” despite the inventory pressures it faced in the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake. Reporting second-quarter results Thursday, Penske said it achieved $39.9 million in income from continuing operations attributable to […] [Read More]