by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 19, 2020
What started out seeming to be just a small, downward blip quickly has turned into a rout. Last Sunday, U.S. car sales were off 36% and could be down 41% for the entire month of March, according to Tyson Jominy. But that’s just likely the start of a systemic shock...
by TDB Staff | Mar 19, 2020
Affiliate Disclosure x The Detroit Bureau and its partners may be compensated if you purchase the recommended services. This allows us to provide in-depth research at no cost to you. CarMax is a Fortune 500 used-car retailer. The company has more than...
by Joseph Szczesny | Mar 19, 2020
The pandemic has all but shut down cities such New York and San Francisco, it’s also affecting oil prices that are falling at a rate where producers are hoping for relief from what analysts describe as a “perfect storm.” Gas Buddy noted this week the national average...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 18, 2020
The Detroit Three automakers on Wednesday announced plans to shut down production until at least March 30, a move largely driven by the need to protect workers’ health at their parts and assembly plants. But GM, in a statement, noted that it also needs to...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 18, 2020
(This story has been updated to include FCA’s planned production closure and the ordering of Tesla to close its Fremont plant.) The nation’s three largest domestic automakers have announced plans to start an “orderly” shutdown of their North American...
by Joseph Szczesny | Mar 18, 2020
The United Auto Workers said Detroit’s automakers will cut production in half by using rotating shifts that carmakers hope will give them more time for cleaning to keep the threat of COVID-19 at bay. Rory Gamble, UAW president, said after a meeting with executives...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 17, 2020
You might get a sense of déjà vu in the coming weeks as you watch automakers struggle to kickstart fast-falling sales while also taking steps to prevent a wave of repossessions as job losses mount and owners struggle to pay their car loans and leases. If anything,...
by Joseph Szczesny | Mar 17, 2020
ALG, a subsidiary of TrueCar, updated its 2020 new vehicle sales forecast, calling for a major downshift in car sales in what it described as the longer-term economic slowdown as the economic wreckage from the COVID-19 hits home. The forecast calls for a 14.2% decline...
by Joseph Szczesny | Mar 16, 2020
As auto plants in China closed by COVID-19 struggle to re-open, car plants in the U.S. and Western Europe are beginning to shut in face of the spreading virus, which in less than three months claimed thousands of victims around the world. Volkswagen of America said...
by Joseph Szczesny | Mar 16, 2020
Facing increasing volume of complaints from workers ordered to stay on their jobs in manufacturing plants, the United Auto Workers, General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced they are forming a COVID-19/Coronavirus Task Force to study...
by Joseph Szczesny | Mar 13, 2020
General Motors cleared the way for all of its salaried and contract employees to work from home starting March 16, in a bid to shut down the spread of COVID -19, which has disrupted life across the United States. However, the company plans to keep operating the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 12, 2020
Robert Bollinger is an unlikely automotive pioneer. While he started out as an industrial design student, his career took some decidedly eccentric turns in marketing, advertising and then organic hair care products. But it was only when he decided to move to the...
