Bucking the trend
Fredericton's Big Three car dealerships say sales are good despite the doom and gloom coming out of the auto industry in the United States and elsewhere in Canada.

Cash back, interest rates designed to drive customers to dealerships
DES MOINES, Iowa - By all accounts it's a great time to buy a new car. Manufacturers are willing slash thousands off sticker prices and offer interest-free money.

Auto dealer Harrelson will plead guilty in fraud case
(By Gary L. Wrightand Kirsten Valle) Louis F. Harrelson, one of Charlotte's best-known auto dealers, has agreed to plead guilty to aiding in the filing of false auto loan applications with financial institutions. The 79-year-old Harrelson won't likely spend any time behind bars. The plea deal with federal prosecutors calls for him to be placed on probation for two years. He'll also have to pay a ...

U.S. auto sales plunge in December
DETROIT #8212; Huge rebates and zero-percent loans couldn't overcome economic uncertainty as U.S. auto sales plunged 36 percent in December, capping a dismal year that saw sales free-fall by 2.9 million vehicles from 2007.

Auto Deal To Deal With Downturn
If you lose your job after buying a new car, one manufacturer will let you take it back to the dealer. Industry-wide, car sales were down more than 10% last year. That's why Hyundai started its Assurance Program this week.

Markquart merging dealerships; combined firm to be in Lake Hallie
Some layoffs will be made after Markquart General Motors dealerships in Chippewa Falls and Lake Hallie are merged as of Monday, Feb. 2.

U.S. auto sales plunge whopping 36 percent in December
Huge rebates and interest-free loans couldn't overcome economic uncertainty as U.S. auto sales plunged 36 percent in December, capping a dismal year that saw sales free-fall by 2.9 million vehicles compared with 2007.

State?s 2008 auto sales look weak
California, the nation's No. 1 car market, is still compiling the final numbers on 2008 new-vehicle sales, but few in the state's auto industry are looking forward to seeing them. No matter what the last three months bring, "it's not going to be a pretty quarter," said Peter Welch, president and chief executive of the Sacramento-based California New Car Dealers Association. On Monday, ...

Car dealerships slash prices to drive traffic
By all accounts it's a great time to buy a new car. Manufacturers are willing to slash thousands off sticker prices and offer interest-free money. But there's a catch. Those deals won't do you any good if you can't qualify.

Franchise Owners May Close 10,000 Stores in 2009, Group Says
Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Franchise owners may close 10,000 stores, restaurants and car dealerships this year as U.S. consumers spend less amid the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

U.S. Auto Sales Stall In 2008, Recovery Unclear
After auto sales tumbled 18 percent this year amid slack demand fueled by economic downturn and job worries, automakers are reluctant to predict when a recovery might happen.

Auto sales plunge hits Kentucky, too
A dismal year. No question. Automakers reported their sales figures for December on Monday and 2008 became the worst year for the industry since 1992. Dealers in Central Kentucky said they felt optimistic for the future but relayed tales of just how difficult it is to persuade people to drive away in a new car. It was a year that claimed nearly a thousand dealerships nationally, with ...

US auto sales drop in 2008, recovery unclear
After a year in which U.S. auto sales tumbled 18 percent and GM had its worst year in nearly a half-century amid slack demand fueled by a terrible economic outlook and growing job worries, automakers are reluctant to predict when a recovery might occur. An even sharper sales decline in December alone means that record high [...]

Auto loan business in full gear: Experts
Want to buy a car? Then step right up. There's no lack of loans for cars in Canada, say auto industry insiders.

Local auto sales mixed
U.S. auto sales fell steeply in 2008 amid consumer uncertainty about the economy, although local dealers reported mixed results, officials said Monday.

DeVoe to consolidate car dealerships
The auto industry economic crisis hits Southwest Florida, as a long time dealer makes plans to restructure and consolidate.

Businessman faces charge in sex ring
Charlotte businessman Skipper Beck, who owns one of North Carolina's leading Mercedes-Benz dealerships, has been charged with soliciting for prostitution ? the fourth alleged ?john? charged in connection with a now defunct call-girl ring called HushHush. Beck, 48, has been ordered to appear in state court in Charlotte on Feb. 6. The solicitation charge is a misdemeanor and carries a maximum ...

Vehicle sales weaken by 31 percent in December 2008
New car sales dropped 31.48 percent in December 2008 as the islands' three auto dealerships-Microl Corp., Joeten Motors, and Triple J Motors-sold only 37 units last month compared to 54 during the same month in 2007.

Charlotte businessman faces charge in sex ring
Charlotte businessman Skipper Beck, who owns one of North Carolina's leading Mercedes-Benz dealerships, has been charged with soliciting for prostitution - the fourth alleged "john" charged in connection with a now defunct call-girl ring called HushHush.

U.S. Auto Sales Plunge, Yet Optimism Remains
Huge rebates and zero-percent loans couldn't overcome economic uncertainty as U.S. auto sales plunged 36 percent in December, capping a dismal year that saw sales free-fall by 2.9 million vehicles...