Retail

MEDFORD, Ore. — Lithia Motors expanded the company's presence in its home state as three Bend, Ore., stores will become part of the dealership network. Honda of Bend has been purchased by Lithia, which also agreed to have the Cadillac and Chevrolet brands from Bob Thomas Chevrolet Cadillac transferred into the network. Officials estimated that the […] [Read More]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Treasury's decision-making process regarding the dealership network reductions at General Motors and Chrysler has come under fire in an audit released Sunday by the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. And the automakers themselves were not spared from critique, either. The report from SIGTARP — titled […] [Read More]

KENSINGTON, Md. — Fitzgerald Auto Malls recently received a mixed bag of resolutions concerning the future of its franchise operations tied to Chrysler and General Motors. First, the company learned Chrysler had reinstated its Chrysler and Jeep franchises in Florida. According to the company, the Florida arbitrator described owner Jack Fitzgerald as a consumer advocate. Fitzgerald […] [Read More]

DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford said the order pace for the 2011 Shelby GT500 is quickly approaching the cap. The automaker indicated that more than 3,300 orders have been placed for the Shelby GT500. To ensure exclusivity, Ford mandated U.S. sales of this vehicle be limited to 5,500 units. "We are pleased with the pace of retail orders for […] [Read More]

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — BMW Group shuffled part of its senior management team late last week, including the appointment of a new chief operating officer for BMW Group Financial Services Americas. The automaker first revealed that effective Sept. 1, Wayne Orchowski — currently vice president of the Eastern region for BMW of North America — will assume the […] [Read More]

PALO ALTO, Calif., and TOKYO — Telsa Motors and Toyota Motor Corp. officially signed an agreement late last week stemming from a May announcement. That's when they revealed collaboration toward development of an electric version of the Toyota RAV4. Tesla's Elon Musk and Toyota's Akio Toyoda are aiming for their companies to bring an electric version […] [Read More]

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. —The Big 3 enjoyed some good news on Thursday, as it was revealed that their brands earned a stronger average vehicle appeal score from J.D. Power and Associates than their import counterparts. This is something that hasn't happened since 1997. Specifically, the average score for domestics in J.D. Power's 2010 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout […] [Read More]

DEARBORN, Mich. — Among several senior leadership shifts announced Thursday, Ford said that the role of Jim Farley, who serves as the automaker's group vice president of global marketing and Canada, Mexico and South America operations, will be significantly more comprehensive and far-reaching starting next month. On Aug. 1, Farley will become what Ford called its "global […] [Read More]

DETROIT — Dealers with a customer who is an extreme Chevrolet Corvette enthusiast and knows how to get around a garage might have the perfect buying option. For purchasers who want to be personally involved in creating their Corvette, Chevrolet's new Corvette Engine Build Experience can allow them to enjoy what the program name indicates. General […] [Read More]

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Because the one-year anniversary of General Motors' emergence from bankruptcy arrived last Saturday, Edmunds.com analysts are pondering the automaker's strategy behind a push toward an initial public offering for its new stock. The site recognizes the progress GM has been made but questions the rush to have an IPO. "This is certainly not […] [Read More]