Will The US Overtake UK As #1 Consumer Of MINIs?
January 13th, 2007
Maybe while trying to give its new, second generation Mini Copper sales a shot in the arm, Mini suddenly announced that they could see the US overtaking the UK as Mini’s number one market. At the Detroit Auto Show, Mini of North America vice-president Jim McDowell described the US as being on the fast track.
Whatever that means. The US accounted for more than 20% of the 188,000 units moved worldwide. Mini hopes that the recent changes at the Oxford plant will help boost production capacity to 240,000 next year and feels the US will get the lion’s share.
2006 Chicago Auto Show
December 26th, 2006
Something big is blowing into the Windy City: the 2006 Chicago Auto Show. America’s longest-running auto show enters its 98th season this week, filling the enormous, 1.2-million-square-foot McCormick place with 20 concept vehicle reveals, and 18 world automobile introductions, not to mention more than a thousand other production vehicles spread across the dealer displays.
Chrysler Shows Strong at Auto Show
January 14th, 2006
When it comes to the fine art of using show business to launch new cars, Chrysler once again ran rings around Ford and General Motors at the North American International Auto Show.
The gulf between Chrysler and its GM competitors was downright yawning.
In the buildup to the launch of the Buick Enclave SUV, GM executives breathlessly (and with a complete lack of irony) cited such product icons as the Gibson Les Paul guitar, Eames chair and Apple iPod MP3 player.
Sorry folks, but no new Buick SUV rates a mention in the same breath as those classics. It was embarrassing.