DULUTH, Ga. — A "blowout March" spurred by pent-up demand and hefty automaker incentives helped Asbury Automotive Group increase its first-quarter income from continuing operations by more than $6 million from the year-ago period, the auto retailer announced Thursday. Specifically, Asbury earned $8.9 million from continuing operations, up from income from continuing operations of $2.6 million in […] [Read More]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nissan North America this week named a new director of corporate communications to replace Fred Standish, who retired on April 1 after 18 years with the company. Assuming the position as of May 10 will be David Reuter. The automaker is asking Reuter to be responsible for all corporate communications activities including manufacturing […] [Read More]

RICHMOND, Va. — As part of its commitment to education and the community, Lexus of Richmond is running its 15th Annual Pursuit of Perfection Leadership Award that will award an outstanding high school senior scholar-athlete in the area with a $10,000 scholarship. Here is how the program is designed to work. School principals, guidance counselors and […] [Read More]

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — BMW hailed the amenities of its newest franchise dealership that opened earlier this month, BMW of Minnetonka located just outside of Minneapolis. The automaker rattled off several store highlights, including 223,000 square feet of space on multiple levels and enough room to park 500 vehicles indoors and house 80 work bays. BMW […] [Read More]

TORRANCE, Calif. — The challenges continue to mount for Toyota. This time, the automaker is recalling about 50,000 Toyota Seqouia vehicles from early model-year 2003. The voluntary safety recall is to give the Vehicle Stability Control system a program logic upgrade. "The VSC system can help control a loss of traction in turns as a result […] [Read More]

DETROIT — General Motors announced plans this week to make more investments as a response to customer demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles. This latest undertaking focuses on retooling five North American plants to produce a new generation of fuel efficient, small block truck and car engines. The automaker said it will invest more than $890 million […] [Read More]

DETROIT — AOL Autos used March sales figures to compile a list of the top-selling new compact and full-size trucks. So which unit led the way?   Site editors revealed it was a staple for the industry, the Ford F-150. Two more domestic offerings were among the site's top three units, the Chevrolet Silverado and Dodge Ram. Breaking the […] [Read More]

MEDFORD, Ore. — Though Lithia Motors' net income fell by almost 5 percent in the first quarter, the company said it still saw improvement in adjusted earnings per share and enjoyed a significant lift in quarterly revenue, especially on the used side. Specifically, Lithia recorded first-quarter net income of $1.27 million, down from $1.33 million in […] [Read More]

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. — For the second time in just over a month, Penske Automotive Group has opened a new Mini store in the group's Western region, as it unveiled a 17,500-square-foot facility in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday. Mini of Austin's debut comes just five weeks after Penske opened Mini of Tempe to serve the Phoenix […] [Read More]

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Ford, which said Tuesday it earned $2.1 billion in first-quarter net profit, is on pace to move ahead of Toyota and climb back into the No. 2 spot for yearly U.S. auto sales for the first time since 2006, according to Edmunds.com. Ford has finished third in full-year U.S. auto sales in […] [Read More]