A Strong December Closes Out 2011 Car Sales
As automakers are reporting December 2011 sales, a recovery that began early last year seems to be growing more steady, and stronger.
Each of the Big Three automakers--Ford (NYSE:F), General Motors (NYSE: GM) and Chrysler--reported sales increases for the month and for the year, as retail vehicle sales bested levels last seen in the depths of the financial crisis. Asian automakers are yet to file their numbers, but with Korea's Hyundai and Kia and Japan's Subaru likely setting annual sales records, only Toyota and Honda, the companies most affected by the March earthquake, may be poised to break rank.
Total light-vehicle sales for 2011 are expected to come in at nearly 12.8 million units, with 10.3 million of those sold to retail customers. In December alone, the retail-sales figures should top one million units; according to J.D. Power and Associates, that would be a first since August of 2009, when Cash for Clunkers drove demand temporarily out of recession.
Power now expects 2012 sales to rise to 13.8 million units, with retail sales accounting for 11.7 million of those.
"Next year, the automotive industry will look to build upon the strong finish to 2011," said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive, in a release. "But the real test in 2012 will be weathering a summer selling slowdown and posting a full year of a progressive recovery."
Those numbers are in line with most automakers' expectations, including those of General Motors. However, Ford's range puts 2012 sales volumes somewhere between 13.5 million and 14.5 million units--hedged against political uncertainty in an election year, but still a signal that the year ahead could be a good one.
The numbers for 2011, and for the final month of last year:
General Motors: GM (NYSE: GM) says each of its brands increased sales in 2011. Cadillac grew slowest, at 3.7 percent and 152,389 units, while Buick was up 14.3 percent, to 177,633 units. Chevrolet rose 13.4 percent in 2011 to total sales of 1,775,812 vehicles, while GMC was up 18.8 percent on annual sales of 397,986 units.
For the month of December 2011, GM sales rose 4.7 percent, with Chevrolet up 8.9 percent at 161,158 units sold. GMC moved 41,960 vehicles for a 0.5-percent decrease from December 2010. Buick's sales dropped 12.4 percent from the same period in 2010, to 14,974 vehicles. And Cadillac fell 2.7 percent on the month, to 16,259 units.
GM says its sales highlights included a 54-percent boost for the Chevy Cruze, a 20-percent lift for the Camaro--and a record month for the Volt, which sold 1,529 units, for a total of 7,671 on the year, against a stated goal of 10,000 units.
Ford: Ford (NYSE: F) sales were up 17.4 percent in 2011, with a total of 2,062,915 vehicles, giving the company its third market-share increase in a row--something it hasn't done since 1970. The Fusion sedan accounted for 248,067 units, a record for the four-door, while the Explorer ended the year up 123.6 percent. Even the dated Escape pulled off a 33-percent year-over-year increase, but the Flex was off 19.9 percent. Ford also sold 584,917 trucks in 2011. For December 2011, Ford sales totaled 201,737 units, an increase of 15.6 percent.
Ford's Lincoln brand watched its sales rise 4.3 percent in December, but was off 0.2 percent on the year, for a total of 85,643 units. December's sales of 8,403 units were helped by a 22-percent boost in MKZ sales and a 6.7-percent increase with the MKX, but the MKS sedan was off 15.3 percent and the MKT crossover was down 32.4 percent.
Toyota / Lexus / Scion: Toyota ended a difficult sales year down 7 percent, much of the decrease due to supply problems after the March 11 earthquake in Japan. U.S. sales totaled 1,644,661 vehicles; Toyota accounted for 1,446,109 of those, down 6.1 percent. Lexus' yearly total reached 198,552 units, down 13.7 percent, while Scion sold 49,271 vehicles in the U.S. in 2011, an increase of 7.5 percent.
For the month of December 2011, Toyota sold 152,776 vehicles, a 1.9-percent boost; Lexus reported 25,355 sales, an 8-percent slide. Scion sold 4,159 units, for an increase of 5.1 percent.
Chrysler: Sales of Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Fiat vehicles totaled 1.37 million units in 2011, for a strong 26-percent increase over an abysmal 2010. Chrysler says that's the biggest boost for any full-line manufacturer.
In December 2011, Chrysler says it sold 138,019 units in the U.S, an increase of 37 percent, and its best month since May 2008. The Chrysler brand moved 23,974 units, up 83 percent, with strong numbers for the 300 and 200 sedans--up 661 percent and 242 percent, respectively.
Jeep rose 41 percent on the month with 43,577 units sold; the company sold more Grand Cherokees last month than in any month in the past six years.
Dodge's numbers were up 28 percent in December, to 41,548 units, with a 227-percent sales boost for the Charger sedan. Ram trucks rose 10 percent to 26,595 units, and the Fiat 500 caught a ray of hope with sales up 44 percent over November 2011 to 2,325 units moved in December.
Honda / Acura: Honda says it sold a total of 1,147,285 vehicles in the U.S. in 2011, a slide of 7.1 percent from 2010, with sizable sales losses due to the Japan earthquake last March. Honda accounted for 1,023,986 units, off 6.9 percent; Acura was down 8 percent, to 123,299 units. The Honda Accord tallied 235,625 sales, fewer than the Nissan Altima and Ford Fusion; the Civic hit total sales of 221,235 units, and the CR-V, 218,373.
For the month of December, Honda sold a total of 105,230 units, down 18.8 percent over the same period in 2010. Honda brand accounted for 92,101 units, off 19.3 percent; Acura sold 13,129 vehicles in December 2011, off 15.2 percent from the same year-ago period.
Nissan / Infiniti:Nissan says it sold a total of 1,042,534 vehicles in the U.S. in 2011. Of that, 944,073 units were moved by the Nissan brand, a boost of 17.3 percent. The Altima narrowly beat out the Hyundai Sonata as the fourth-best-selling passenger car, with volumes of 268,981 units. Infiniti sales were off 4.8 percent on the year at 98,461 vehicles.
For the month of December, Nissan sales of 89,937 marked an increase of 10.7 percent over the same period in 2010. Infiniti sales fell 12.1 percent, to 10,990 vehicles. The electric Nissan Leaf accounted for 954 units in December, for a total of 9,674 deliveries since launch, a handful arriving in customer garages in December 2010.
Hyundai: In advance of an official sales release, Hyundai USA CEO John Krafcik sent his company's results out via Twitter. "It's official: 50,765 new Hyundai owners in Dec (+13% over last yr) & 645,691 in 2011 (+20% over '10). Thanks all, and welcome aboard! ^jfk" Of the numbers, 225,961 units were Hyundai Sonata sedans, which likely makes the four-door the fourth-best-selling passenger car, to retail customers, Krafcik added.
Kia: Kia says it sold 485,492 vehicles in the U.S. in 2011, a new all-time record surpassing the one it set in 2010, and also a 36.3-percent increase. December 2011 sales totaled 43,390 vehicles, a 42.5-percent increase. Kia's share of the U.S. market is now up to 3.8 percent.
Volkswagen: Volkswagen says its sales soared in December 2011 by 36 percent. The monthly tally of 32,502 units marked its best December since 1972 (!). On the year, VW sold 324,402 vehicles, up 26.3 percent versus 2010, for its best U.S. sales year since 2002. The Jetta continues to post huge sales increases--in December, it's up 54.5 percent--and the Passat keeps its streak going as well, with a 124-percent boost in December 2011. Diesel sales are starting to shrink across its lineup, at least temporarily: December's share for diesels at VW was 18.4 percent, versus a year-long average of 21.6 percent.
Mercedes-Benz: not yet reported
BMW / MINI: not yet reported
Subaru: Subaru reported sales of 266,989 units for 2011, another all-time record for the Japanese automaker and an increase of 1.2 percent--despite supply problems it had in the wake of the Japan earthquake. Subaru says it's within striking distance of 300,000 units in 2012. December sales were up 26.3 percent, to 33,701 units.
Mazda: Mazda posted total U.S. sales of 250,426 units in 2011, an increase of 9.1 percent. In December, the Japanese automaker sold 22,353 vehicles, up 4.1 percent over the same period in 2010. The big winners: the CX-9, up almost 28 percent, and the Mazda5, with a sharp 52.5-percent sales increase over December 2010.
Audi: Audi says it sold 117,561 vehicles in the U.S. in 2011, for an overall gain of 15.7 percent. In December, Audi sold 12,655 vehicles, up 20 percent over the year-before numbers.
Volvo: Swedish automaker Volvo reported total U.S. sales of 67,240 vehicles, a 24.6-percent improvement over 2010. For the month of December 2011, sales hit 5,342 units, up 12.3 percent from a year before.
Mitsubishi: The Japanese automaker posted 2011 U.S. sales up 41.9 percent over 2010, at a total of 79,020 units. In December, Mitsu sales of 5,032 units marked a 3.2-percent increase over December 2010.
Porsche: Porsche had a banner year in the U.S. in 2011, with total sales of 29,023 vehicles, up 15 percent. For December of 2011, sales totaled 1,834 units, down 28.6 percent as the Cayenne slipped in the final month of the year.
Jaguar/Land Rover: not yet reported
Suzuki: not yet reported
Saab: not yet reported
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Total Recall: Automakers Issue Fewer Safety Fixes In 2011
No matter what brand of vehicle you have, chances are it is—or will be—affected by some sort of recall.
Recalls, while a necessity for safety, mean lost time and money for both the automaker and the customer. And the good news is that there were fewer this past year.
According to a WardsAuto analysis of data from the federal government, automakers issued 130 recall campaigns in 2011 (not including the few issued this week), affecting about 13 million light vehicles and reversing a two-year trend of record vehicle-recall levels.
That total for 2011 is also well below the 2010 total of 136 campaigns and 17.2 million vehicles, as well as the 2009 total of 105 campaigns and 18.4 million vehicles.
Toyota issued the most recalls again in 2011
In 2011, Toyota was for the third year in a row the automaker with the most recalled vehicles—more than 3.5 million in all, covered by 13 different campaigns. However, it’s worth noting that its totals were a fraction of the total for 2010, when the automaker issued the bulk of its accelerator-related recalls, covering 11.5 million vehicles in all.
Ford remained second after Toyota, with ten recall campaigns, covering 3.2 million cars and trucks overall (about 2.7 million of them covering older F-150 trucks). Honda was a close third, with eleven campaigns covering about two million cars—with a single transmission-related recall covering about 1.5 million of those vehicles.
As we reported last summer, 30 percent of recalled vehicles aren’t fixed within 18 months after a recall, and dealerships will still be performing some of these recalls for many years.
WardsAuto points out that even though the totals for the last couple of years have been high for recalls, they’re well below the levels of 2000—the same year that the Ford/Firestone tire-recall issue broke.
Visit the federal government’s vehicle recalls page to see if your vehicle is affected by an issue, and click over to page two to see some of this year’s most interesting recalls.
2013 Buick Encore Crossover: 2012 Detroit Auto Show Preview
The 2012 Detroit Auto Show is fast approaching, with press days on January 9 and 10, 2012. With many important new-product reveals already announced--including the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, 2013 Dodge Dart, and Acura NSX Concept--this year's show promises to be anything but disappointing.
Now we can officially add the 2013 Buick Encore to the list of reveals, as a teaser image has just been released by Buick. The GM brand's being coy with the details, the new compact crossover seems to share some of the details with today's Enclave, while predicting where that seven-seat crossover might go in its next redesign.
Details are few in this teaser shot provided by Buick, but we can see a blue ring around the HID headlight, like the one on the Enclave. We also see the Buick logo stamped onto the high-beam reflector. A dark gray waterfall grille and portholes on the hood round out the Buick styling cues. While the vent below the headlight looks odd in the picture, we'll reserve final judgement until we've seen the whole picture.
We are told the Encore will feature Buick's Quiet Tuning technology along with other features that are expected in a Buick. The styling will be contemporary, a spokesperson says, and in line with the rest of the current Buick lineup.
Buick plans to reveal a section of an image on its Facebook fan page each week leading up to the reveal on January 10. Stay tuned for more on the Encore, and for more coverage of the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
NTSB Recommends Nationwide In-Car Phone, Texting Ban
It shouldn't take a government agency to figure out that texting while driving is dangerous. There's ample evidence to support the claim. But today the National Transportation Safety Board nonetheless recommended a nationwide ban on the use of handheld cell phone and text messaging devices while driving.
Handsfree systems, passengers, and emergency circumstances are exempted from the recommendation, according to CNN. It's also important to note that the NTSB's recommendation is just that--it's not a mandate, regulation, or law. Individual states will have to take action with their own legislatures to put the recommendation into effect.
The recommendation will be welcomed by safety advocates, but several states already have rules in place that meet the recommendation, and many more--most, actually--have some form of texting or cell phone use ban already. In some states, cities and counties have enacted their own bans in addition to state law, though Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, and Oklahoma prohibit local ordinances on cell phone use and texting.
Though the data on the dangers of texting or using handheld phones while driving appears to be clear, there is some evidence that laws don't deter the activity, particularly among teens. Others argue that raising penalties for violation of such laws amounts to creation of a "nanny state."
According to the Governor's Highway Safety Association, currently only eight states, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia have a general in-car cell phone calling ban (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington). In all but Maryland, using a phone while driving is a primary offense, meaning it's reason enough on its own to cause a traffic stop and ticket.
Another four states have limited-case bans on cell use, including Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, which ban use by young drivers (Arkansas, drivers aged 18-20), learner or intermediate license drivers (Louisiana and Oklahoma), or state vehicles (New Mexico).
Overcoming the current state bias against banning hand-held cell phone use in the remaining 38 states may prove difficult, even with the weight of the NTSB's recommendation.
Texting, on the other hand, has seen much wider bans: all but 15 states ban it outright as a primary offense. Of the states that allow texting while driving (Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, Missori, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia), six have partial bans for learning drivers (Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas, and West Virginia).
Only three states specifically prohibit school bus drivers from texting while driving, but the general ban on texting covers school bus drivers in the other text-ban states.
Rounding up the remaining less-than-full ban states on texting while driving may be a less imposing hurdle to clear given the wider acceptance of its danger and non-necessity behind the wheel, though as with the recommendation on cell phones, seeing any change will come down to whether individual states find a need to change their current laws in light of the NTSB recommendation.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
New Toyota & Lexus Pricing: 2012 Corolla Goes Up, 2012 Venza Down
If you're planning to buy a new Toyota or Lexus in the near future, pay attention. The automaker just announced pricing on a range of vehicles, and several popular models -- including the 2012 Toyota Corolla, Highlander, and Tundra -- are due for a price increase. Others, like the 2012 Matrix, will drop. And the 2012 Venza is a little bit of both. Here's a breakdown:
GOING UP
2012 Toyota Corolla
The MSRP on the base model Corolla, which comes with a five-speed manual transmission, will rise $230 to $16,130. That's a jump of about 1.4%, and similar increases will fall throughout the model range.
2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser
The Cruiser will see a modest increase of $125 across the entire model line, putting the base-model FJ Cruiser at $26,115.
2012 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid
Pricing on all conventional Toyota Highlanders will increase $150, from the base STD model (starting at $28,240) all the way to the upper-end LTD ($37,195). The Highlander Hybrid will see a steeper price jump of $400, with the lower-end STD ringing in at $38,540.
2012 Toyota Tundra
The Regular Cab Tundra will see the steepest Toyota price increase in pure dollars, surging by $720 throughout the entire model range. The base model will now set you back $25,155, a jump of 3%. Increases on the Double Cab and CrewMax Tundra are a more modest $250, with the base STD Double Cab starting at $27,365.
2012 Lexus LS 460, LS 600, CT 200h Premium
MSRPs on all three of these models will see an increase of $500. At the low end, that brings the CT 200h Premium to $31,750, and the LS 600 to at tidy $112,750.
STAYING FLAT
2012 Toyota Matrix
Pricing on the Matrix will remain flat for the foreseeable future. That means bargain-shoppers can still nab the base L model for an MSRP of $18,845.
2012 Lexus CT 200h
Hybrid luxury fans can continue rolling over to the darker side of green for $29,120.
MIXED BAG
2012 Toyota Venza
Pricing on the 2012 Venza is both up and down. If you're eyeing one of the less-expensive LE models, you can expect a price increase of $240, making the base model $27,425. On the other hand, if you're shopping for an XLE model, prices will start at $29,775, which is a drop of $880. Limited models, which start at $36,465, will see a lower price drop of $460. Note, however, that the delivery, processing, and handling fee for the Venza has increased by $50 to $810.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
TrueCar Picks Biggest Black Friday Car Bargains
Thanksgiving's schedule includes three NFL games and one other major contact sport: Black Friday sales busting the doors earlier than ever. For diehards it's all about the deals, mashed up (sometimes literally) with the rush from conquest.
There is a way to save thousands more than even the most intense Black Friday shopper--without sacrificing civility or personal safety. TrueCar.com suggests you and your dignity sleep in, pass up the retail stores and head for new car dealers the day after Thanksgiving. However counterintuitive, it reports this single day beats every other with predicted MSRP average savings of 9.5 percent and often more.
Why so much and such a limited time frame? Don't confuse this with a typical seasonal clearance promotion. It may be a contributing factor, but there's a lot more at play. We're approaching the end of the month and the end of the year. The 2011 cars have to find homes as 2012 models arrive. Sales goals still have to be met, even as most consumers in a buying mood camp on cement to save a few hundred bucks on an off-brand television.
They could instead ride the leather seats of a 2011 Chevrolet Corvette after saving several thousand--around 18 percent--on a cash deal. Nearly 30 percent savings can be had on a 2011 Nissan Titan, too.
Several finance specials wind down at the end of the month, but not before offering zero percent financing for 60 months on a 2012 Nissan Altima or 1.9 percent for 60 months on a 2012 Toyota Sienna.
Likewise, a number of tempting lease promotions go away in a few days. A 2012 BMW 1-Series is semi-yours for three years at $349 per month, while a 2012 Hyundai Veloster goes home with you for three years at $179 per month.
TrueCar also identifies several other vehicle specials and buyer's tools on their website, with real-time updates. In any case, the potential new-car savings are more compelling than wrestling a stranger over a panini maker.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Good News: 7 Auto Trends And Headlines We Were Glad To See In 2010
It's the end of another year—in this case, a year when we've slogged through countless recall updates, worrisome issues like driver distraction in the spotlight, and confirmed the demise of several major automotive brands, hundreds of dealerships, and overall, some of the worst-ever economic conditions.
That said, it's not worth dwelling on these. There's been a lot of good news, too. Page through the following and celebrate some of the positive headlines of 2010:
2011 IIHS Top Safety Picks Highlight Roof-Protection Improvements
Ten all-new vehicles including the 2011 Ford Explorer, 2011 Kia Optima, and 2011 Chevrolet Cruze earn Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick Status right from the start, while a total of 66 vehicles earn the distinction for 2011.
Automakers with the most Top Safety Picks include Hyundai/Kia and Volkswagen/Audi, both with nine 2011 winners. GM, Ford/Lincoln, and Toyota/Lexus/Scion each has eight, while Subaru was the only automaker to have a Top Safety Pick in every vehicle class in which it competes. Several models from Ford, Hyundai and Kia stood among the most improved this past year
For 2010, the IIHS added a new stipulation for the top award: that models also needed to earn a 'good' rating in the new roof strength (rollover) test in order to be named a Top Safety Pick. At the beginning of the model year—partly because of the small number of vehicles tested at that time—there were 27 that qualified, but by the end of the year there were ten with the Top accolade and most of the vehicles recently tested have earned top scores. Side-impact scores have also improved quite dramatically since the IIHS began that test in 2003.
Going from 2010 to 2011, no models have lost the Top Safety Pick status, but ten more vehicles earn it. As last year, models must achieve top 'good' ratings in front, side, rollover (roof strength), and rear crash tests, and be available with electronic stability control.
Here are the ten new 2011 Top Safety Picks:
Chevrolet Cruze
Ford Explorer
Hyundai Santa Fe
Kia Optima
Mercedes-Benz GLK
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe
Scion tC
Volkswagen Jetta sedan
Volkswagen GTI
Volkswagen Touareg
For a list of all 66 models that are 2011 Top Safety Picks, visit IIHS.org—and browse the safety pages of our full reviews for more information on how models stack up with respect to safety features, crash tests, and other safety issues like outward visibility. The list for 2011 includes 40 cars, 25 SUVs, and a minivan—though no pickups.
For 2011, electronic stability control is standard on 100 percent of SUVs, 92 percent of cars, and 72 percent of pickup trucks; while head-and-torso side airbag systems are standard on 94 percent of SUVs, 92 percent of cars, and 56 percent of pickups.
The IIHS reminds shoppers that while Top Safety Picks help shoppers single out the safest models on the market, larger, heavier vehicles typically offer better protection than smaller, lighter vehicles in major crashes.
[IIHS]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Toyota Best In Fleet MPG; Ford Claims Most Improved, Best In Class
While Toyota still ranks at the top in fuel economy across its passenger-car fleet for the 2010 model year—led by vehicles like the 2011 Prius—Ford Motor Co. [NYSE: F] is moving on up. Ford says that from 2004 to 2009, its fleet-average fuel economy improved more than any other automaker; it posted nearly double the improvement of top rivals.
A few weeks ago, the federal government released its periodic Summary of Fuel Economy Performance, indicating that Ford still officially has middle-of-the-road fuel economy figures according to the federal government's Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) calculations. But it's actually much better than that, now with four 40-mpg vehicles for the 2011 model year—more than any other full-line automaker, it says, with the likes of these segment leaders:
- 2011 Ford Fiesta - 40-mpg highway with the dual-clutch automatic
- 2011 Ford Mustang - 31-mpg highway with the 305-hp V-6
- 2011 Ford Ranger - 22/27 mpg, the best of any pickup
- 2011 Ford F-150 - best in class mpg for V-6 and V-8 engines
- 2011 Ford Escape Hybrid - best mileage of any SUV
In addition, next year Ford plans to introduce more fuel-efficient EcoBoost engine options to both the F-150 and Edge. The 2012 Ford Focus is also expected to be rated up to 40 mpg.
Passenger cars for 2010 are expected to have a CAFE of 27.5 mpg—as has been required since 1990—while light trucks need to have a CAFE of 23.5 mpg.
Admittedly, CAFE isn't a straightforward measure of fuel economy either. There are a number of CAFE exceptions—including a 1.2 mpg credit for flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs).
That said, it's expected that the industry will average 29.2 mpg over model-year 2010, including 33.7 mpg for passenger cars and 25.1 mpg for light trucks; that's well ahead of the federal standard, but in anticipation of tighter standards being phased in, leading up to a 34.1-mpg average in 2016.
To help you take the pulse of where automakers are in their attempts to green their fleets, here are CAFE ranking lists for each category for 2010:
Import Cars (27.5-mpg requirement)
Toyota 44.4
Honda 40.9
Kia 36.6
Hyundai 36.0
Mazda 34.5
Suzuki 34.5
GM 34.0
Volkswagen 32.9
Nissan 32.5
Mitsubishi 31.7
Subaru 29.7
BMW 28.7
Ford 27.6
Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) 26.9
Porsche 25.7
Lotus 24.5
Jaguar 23.8
Spyker 19.5
Fiat (Ferrari and Maserati) 18.0
Domestic Cars (27.5-mpg requirement)
Tesla 346.8
Toyota 36.4
Nissan 34.8
Honda 34.7
Ford 32.3
Mazda 31.4
GM 30.6
Chrysler 28.0
Light Trucks (23.5-mpg requirement)
Hyundai 30.0
Subaru 29.9
Mitsubishi 28.3
Honda 26.9
Mazda 26.6
Suzuki 26.3
Toyota 26.0
Kia 25.7
GM 25.4
Volkswagen 25.2
Nissan 24.9
Chrysler 24.1
Ford 24.0
BMW 23.6
Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) 21.5
Porsche 20.5
Land Rover 18.7
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
