Each year the Z Car Club Association hosts an annual gathering of Z Car enthusiasts. This year it will be in Nashville, Tennessee, close to Nissan’s North American headquarters.

To generate buzz for the event, the Association has released the Z Legends video, a trailer for the event showing the Z car over the years.

Although the Z has seen plenty of change over the years, the current 370Z remains true to the original formula of performance and value. Washington DC Nissan dealers argue that the new model is a significant improvement over the 350Z simply because it’s lighter and more powerful, yet the price is still thousands less than comparable performance cars, such as the Porsche Boxster.

It’s this remarkable value that has attracted Nissan 370Z Auburn WA buyers. It’s also what has always attracted customers to the Z car.

To see a little more history of the Nissan Z, see the video below. Or, visit the annual Z Con this weekend if you happen to be in the Nashville, TN area.

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The popular subcompact Nissan Versa has become one of the most successful products in Nissan’s lineup. With the increasing demand for fuel-efficiency, the Versa satisfied consumers where it counts most – their wallets.

With its base price of just $9,990 USD – unchanged from 2009 – the Versa Sedan 1.6 Base remains a competitively priced offering in the ever-crowded subcompact market. In addition to providing incredible value, the Versa is packed with options, such as two distinctive body styles include a sedan and five-door model.

Despite its low base price, and high fuel economy, the Nissan Versa doesn’t lack fun and sportiness. Framingham Nissan Versa buyers continue to choose this model over the competition because it also delivers a long list of standard features, including the addition of an in-dash 6-disc CD player for the Sedan 1.8 S, and the addition of Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) for the Versa Sedan 1.6 (except 1.6 Base).

For the ultimate choice in value, car dealers Bremerton suggest that the updated 2011 Versa provides what may be the safety bet.

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As always stay tuned for more Nissan news and other automotive articles here.

Fact: Americans love their cars. We have stories about them, songs about them, and Detroit is even called the “Motor City”! So imagine cruising down the highway behind the wheel of a custom ride with the music blasting and not a care in the world; now this is an image that would make almost any American smile.

Throughout the years, we have had seen some classic American cars. These vehicles are advertised just as an American car should be; for their freedom and their strength. While Chevrolet’s are “Like a Rock” and Ford’s are “Built Ford Tough”, many of us have become emotionally connected with one or more of these vehicles throughout our lifetime.

One of the most coveted American sports cars has been the Ford Mustang. This car has had a ton of appeal since it was first unveiled and Ford is quickly becoming the most popular American car company. Now seems to be perfect time for the introduction of the newly enhanced Mustang!

The North American International Auto Show, in Detroit, was the venue of choice when Ford announced that they are introducing the new Ford Mustang GT 5-liter to market. The 5.0-liter V-8 engine delivers 412 horsepower with an estimated 25 miles per gallon. Ford teamed up with famous rapper Nelly to combine the young and hip element with the classic image of America’s favorite sports car. Look for the new Mustang to hit dealerships in 2011.

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Find more information on Ford’s new masterpiece on our blog.

Stories about the automotive industry have been in the newspapers and on the television newscasts for months now, which has been bleak stories to say the least.  Lately, there has been some positive stories from the auto industry, most notably stories about improving auto sales across the country.  In 2009, the  automotive industry struggled the most out of any other industry in the country.  There were thousands of jobs lost and hundreds of manufacturing plants closed due to the recession and Americans not buying new cars.

Both General Motors and Chrysler suffered various bankruptcy reorganizations during 2009 because of the recession.  There is hope though.  The month of December could have been the most profitable and successful month in 2009 for the automotive industry, while pending final statistics.  Various experts within the automotive industry feel that it might have posted double-digit figures in sales.  J.D. Power and Associates is one of the most well known statistic companies around.  They estimated December 2009 would be better than December 2008 for the auto industry.

It is estimated that total auto sales for the month of December should surpass 1,029,000, which is up seven percent from December 2008.  On the other side of things, Edmunds.com has predicted, based on sale results of 2009, over 11 million vehicles will be sold in 2010.  In 2009, there were only 10 million sold.  Recently, the sale of hybrid vehicles has helped the automotive industry.  Ford sold 31,000 units through the month of November.

Although the automotive industry has faced what could only be described as a bit of a speed bump in recent years, Baltimore Used Cars already sees 2010 as a turning point in the business. While automakers are changing the way they design and produce cars, consumers are also refocusing on value above all else. Even while new car sales may be rebounding, Worcester Auto Body sees that more drivers are interested in holding on to their vehicles for longer periods of time.

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Read more in depth about upcoming auto sales on our blog.

Fresh with a new lineup of brands and new models quickly heading to showrooms, the New General Motors is looking to further alter its image at dealerships. GM is encouraging dealers to remodel showrooms in order to bolster the brand’s image. Luckily, GM is offering to foot some of the bill for updates.

Should dealers require support from GM for the remolding, they must first ensure that GM brands are not sold alongside non-GM brands, which could pose issues for larger auto dealerships. Other requirements are that dealerships must have the remodeling completed within three years. Interestingly, repayment is also contingent of sales figures, not the costs associated with the remodeling. Repayment for remodeling will be made within five to 10 years.

GM‘s Essential Brand Elements program also addresses changes beyond the showroom floor. The program specifies a common website design, staff training, and coordinated marketing mailings to ensure branding and messaging is consistent in dealership marketing and in the in-person sales experience.

All of GM’s new marketing efforts are designed with a younger buyer in mind. Not only will corporate advertising be targeting a younger demographic, but dealers are expected to match the image as well.

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Check back for car dealer news and more right here.

Following the intense influx of new car sales that were spurred by the seemingly doomed Cash for Clunkers program, the program has officially ended Monday, leaving many showrooms around the country void of new car buyers once again.

Some in the car business are expecting a bit of a “hangover” effect from the close of the Cash for Clunkers program, where sales will begin to dwindle once again as they were prior to the program’s launch. As of Monday, a dealer specializing in San Luis Obispo used cars says about 625,000 Cash for Clunkers applications were submitted by dealers, accounting for about $2.58 billion.

Although the program has officially ended, the Department of Transportation has given dealers a little more time in getting rebate applications submitted for processing. Meanwhile, many dealers such as Toyota dealers Boston have been inundated with new car sales, particularly since the announcement that the program was to end early.

While some dealers wrap up last minute rebate submissions, others are not looking forward to the program’s aftermath. In a time when car sales have reached dismal lows, some such as World Hyundai Matteson fears that sales could drop off dramatically. Even automotive website Edmunds.com has projected a 40 percent drop in sales immediately following the close of the program.

Inventory is a huge problem for many dealers. There are simply not many cars left in showrooms, leaving prices high for consumers. This will leave many consumers disappointed in the near term, but there is still hope suggests a used Honda Pittsburgh dealer. Automakers are beginning to awake, and are adding shifts at plants to produce more cars and fill depleted inventories among dealers. Additionally, with a new model year approaching, all-new models and fresh products will soon be available to showrooms, to entice buyers that have been disappointed recently by the poor selection on dealer lots. Although a renewed interest in new cars may be coming soon, one used car dealer Washington DC is expecting used car demand to rise again in the near-term.

With new cars and new inventories arriving soon, incentives and car buyers may be plentiful once again.

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Giving money away is certainly one of the best ways to stimulate a frenzy. Case in point is the Cash for Clunkers program, which had quickly burned through its $1 billion budget before Congress approved the allocation of another $2 billion last week to keep the program afloat.

Interestingly, there are apparently more clunkers on the road than many on Capitol Hill initially realized, suggests Saint Paul Ford dealers. As a result, the program was temporarily suspending after only a week of running to allow lawmakers to determine the fate of the program. Ultimately, it was decided that spending more was the appropriate solution.

Cash for Clunkers, officially called Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), provides $3500 to $4500 to those that purchase a new car and trade-in an older clunker. The system is designed to get older, gas-guzzling vehicles off the road and to encourage the sale of fuel efficient vehicles.

Unlike a normal trade-in, old clunkers are required to be destroyed by the dealer. As Honda Service San Luis Obispo explains, car dealers therefore will not be able to take advantage of any remaining value the vehicle might have. While the program has certainly sent plenty of consumers to dealerships, some visitors to Philadelphia Used Cars have suggested that simply throwing away vehicles that may still have value is a bit wasteful – particularly when taxpayers are paying for the vehicle’s destruction.

While some that are not in the market for a new car, and do not own a clunker, may argue that the program has inherent flaws, Cash for Clunkers has nonetheless stimulated new car sales ( at least temporarily). This is important considering new car sales have continued to plummet in recent months. While this program may not help most drivers, it certainly is already helping new car dealers as plenty of consumers are interested in getting $3500 to $4500 off the price of a new car.

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See the latests car dealer news on Car Dealer Daily.

Toyota sales dropped about 11 percent in the month of June. While not a positive outcome, it was a signal that the industry’s recovery may be underway.

Toyota’s market share remains strong and while sales have certainly fallen compared with last year, the numbers are still comparatively healthy next to those of other automakers suggests a Toyota Washington DC dealer. Needless to say, tight credit and unemployment are still factors that are hampering new car sales.

What has helped Toyota more recently is the Cash for Clunkers program. This government program offers up to $4,500 for those who trade in a gas-guzzler for a more fuel efficient vehicle. With Toyota’s reputation for producing economical cars, the program has helped fuel new car sales. Another $2 billion may soon be appropriated for the program to maintain the influx of new car sales that one Toyota Boston dealer says the industry as a whole desperately needed.

In addition to Toyota, Ford, Honda, and Hyundai are already gaining market share from other GM and Chrysler, and look to dethrone Toyota from its dominance in the North American market observes car dealers Santa Maria. But with a recent sales gain due to steep demand for the all-new third generation Prius, Toyota is down but certainly not out of the game.

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Results of the Cash for Clunkers program can be found here soon.

About $5 billion worth of federal loans are on their way to auto-parts suppliers, helping to aid companies in the crippled automotive industry beyond Chrysler and General Motors. Drawing money from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, this new Supplier Support Program will provide auto part suppliers with the vital cash they require to stay afloat as auto sales and production sinks.

With the automakers cutting production, the effect has trickled down to auto part suppliers, which have likewise had to curb production themselves. With fewer orders for parts, suppliers are struggling to keep their doors open and cash has quickly dried up.

The auto industry has already received an influx of $17.4 billion to boost the cash flow at GM and Chrysler. However, after significant consideration, and to the delight of others in the industry such as Oklahoma City GMC dealers the Treasury decided that other facets of the automotive industry were also eligible for federal aid. Part of the concern was that auto supplier bankruptcies could also jeopardize automakers that are healthy says BMW dealer Los Angeles since many automakers share many of the same suppliers.

With the aid of both the automakers and the auto parts suppliers, the Toyota Accessories Store believe it’s evident that the current administration would not like to see bankruptcy as an option. In addition, the automotive supply chain just an important to the industry overall.

Auto parts suppliers had recently asked for about $25 billion in loans and other assistance. So far the administration is not willing to go to those lengths. But the administration does believe that the new funds will help sustain the most important companies within the supply chain, which remains vital at this time says Used Cars Albuquerque. Ultimately, the additional funds to both automakers and their suppliers will ensure that production does not become disrupted and will be saved. Since even the biggest suppliers are dangerously close to insolvency, Boston Used Cars dealers agree that the funds are a vital lifeline for an industry that has rapidly destabilized.

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The automotive bailout continues. Stay current and check back soon.

More bad news for the auto industry, as sales have been reported for the month of January. As expected, consumers were still skittish about venturing to car dealerships. Sales of cars and trucks in the U.S. plummeted 37% overall, creating a grim picture of the yeah ahead.

The economy is facing a long road ahead, and car dealers and the automakers are struggling to maintain momentum. Consumers don’t have the spare cash on hand to afford new cars. Meanwhile, Pontiac Pittsburgh know all too well that financial institutions are simply not eager to lend money, hampering car dealers’ ability to sell more cars.

General Motors sales fell 49% in the month of January, creating a terrible start for the embattled automaker as it’s busy reorganizing. Additionally, Chrysler, who also is undergoing organizational changes, saw sales fall to about half the amount from what they were last January.

Japanese automakers were a little more fortunate than domestic automakers, but certainly not immune to the dearth in consumer confidence, acknowledges one Pittsburgh Honda dealer. Toyota and Nissan sales dropped by about 30% in January.

To put these sale declines into perspective, in January 2008 the automotive industry sold a total of just over a million cars. January 2009 saw that number drop to 656,976. That’s a huge drop in new car sales, and as each month passes, those numbers seem to be on a slow yet steady decline. The total sales in January are the worst since June of 1982.

Although consumer spending is down, Westminster Toyota dealer says there are other areas that weighed heavily on the automotive industry. Specifically, fleet sales and rental car sales have plummeted, as businesses are cutting back, and consumers are traveling less. While fleet sales are typically low-profit, they make up a substantial chunk of overall sales. Declines in fleet purchases also means that more inventories may be sitting idle warns Orlando Chevrolet dealers. In fact General Motors saw a decline of about 80% in January – the lowest fleet sales level since the mid 1970s!

With numbers for January of 2009 already looking grim, many dealers and industry analysts are expecting it to be a bad omen, and a sign of a long and tough year ahead. Sales need to be improved to facilitate the success or reorganization plans underway at the Big Three automakers, but Newark Ford dealers and others wonder if that is possible in the near-term.

Despite the grim picture, there are plenty of dealers like Hartford Nissan dealers that remain optimistic. Regardless of low sales, January is normally a low sales month. Additionally, it is hoped by Louisville Chevy that the stimulus provided to the automakers by the federal government, and loosened credit, will give the Big Three in particular the ability to do business more effectively in the long run.

Among the ways the automakers and dealers are dealing with the sluggish sales is by offering incentives to car buyers. Specifially, car buyers can expect employee pricing at Hartford Chrysler dealers and other Chrysler stores, while dealers may be offering zero percent financing such as at Kingston Toyota dealers. Many buyers can also get their hands on cash back incentives. These are all efforts to entice consumers into showrooms, and thus far it has had a marginal effective overall.

Despite declines, there have been some automakers that have seen gains in January. Among these few instances is Hyundai, which posted a 14% sales increase. Hyundai is currently offering a unique incentive, providing new car buyers with the Hyundai Assurance Program, enabling consumers to return their vehicles should they lose their job or otherwise cannot make the payments. It is hoped that this program may help spur sales among frugal new car buyers at Hyundai Boston and elsewhere as the economy weighs heavily on consumers’ minds.

Another automaker that saw gains in January was Subaru. Driven largely by its recently redesigned 2009 Subaru Forester, which saw sales gains of about 115%, Subaru has seen its second straight month of sales gains.

Other sales numbers include a 32% dip for Toyota, a 30% decline for Nissan, and a 28% drop for Honda.

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