Tag: happy

By the Numbers – January 2011: Happy New Year Indeed Edition

Filed under: By the Numbers

Automakers Start New Year Off With Big Gains

Who can argue with a January sales performance like that? Even Smart posted a sales gain! And Saab! Way to go, guys. You’d have to feel pretty bad about yourself right now if you’re one of the five brands that failed to post positive sales numbers last month (really four brands, since Mercury is a dead brand selling).

We’ll let the numbers do most of the talking this month, though we will point out the stellar performance of General Motors and its brands. GM, up 23 percent in January, used more incentives during the month than its competition, which helped gives brands like Cadillac, up an astonishing 49%, healthy bumps.

Check out the table below to see how the rest of the industry performed and draw your own conclusions in the comments.

Brand/Company Vol. % January 2011 January 2010 DSR%* January 2011 January 2010
Cadillac 49.05 12,580 8,440 49.05 524 352
Jaguar 48.18 935 631 48.18 39 26
Jeep 46.86 23,079 15,715 46.86 962 655
Mitsubishi 37.03 5,714 4,170 37.03 238 174
Buick 31.89 13,269 10,061 31.89 553 419
GMC 29.83 27,658 21,303 29.83 1,152 888
Smart 28.78 358 278 28.78 15 12
Saab 28.77 658 511 28.77 27 21
Kia 25.61 27,789 22,123 25.61 1,158 922
Suzuki 25.59 2,562 2,040 25.59 107 85
Toyota 23.68 102,996 83,279 23.68 4,292 3,470
Mini 22.43 2,751 2,247 22.43 115 94
Hyundai 22.00 37,214 30,503 22.00 1,551 1,271
Dodge 21.86 24,314 19,953 21.86 1,013 831
Ford 21.65 121,511 99,888 21.65 5,063 4,162
BMW 20.83 15,905 13,163 20.83 663 548
Subaru 20.80 18,858 15,611 20.80 786 650
Porsche 20.38 2,150 1,786 20.38 90 74
Audi 20.00 7,812 6,510 20.00 326 271
Chevrolet 19.08 125,389 105,294 19.08 5,225 4,387
Ram 18.02 13,020 11,032 18.02 543 460
Land Rover 15.99 2,271 1,958 15.99 95 82
Nissan 15.36 64,442 55,861 15.36 2,685 2,328
Mercedes-Benz 13.95 17,273 15,158 13.95 720 632
Honda 13.19 68,308 60,347 13.19 2,846 2,514
Acura 11.62 7,961 7,132 11.62 332 297
Infiniti 10.34 7,405 6,711 10.34 309 280
Volvo 3.59 4,276 4,128 3.59 178 172
Volkswagen 2.12 18,401 18,019 2.12 767 751
Chrysler -7.07 9,705 10,443 -7.07 404 435
Mazda -9.09 14,267 15,694 -9.09 594 654
Lexus -17.12 12,860 15,517 -17.12 536 647
Lincoln -21.01 5,558 7,036 -21.01 232 293
Mercury -95.48 248 5,482 -95.48 10 228
COMPANIES
Jaguar Land Rover 23.83 3,206 2,589 23.83 134 108
GM 23.29 178,896 145,098 23.29 7,454 6,046
Chrysler Group 22.71 70,118 57,143 22.71 2,922 2,381
BMW Group 21.06 18,656 15,410 21.06 777 642
Toyota Mo Co 17.27 115,856 98,796 17.27 4,827 4,117
Nissan N America 14.82 71,847 62,572 14.82 2,994 2,607
Ford Motor Company 13.27 127,317 112,406 13.27 5,305 4,684
American Honda 13.03 76,269 67,479 13.03 3,178 2,812

*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 24 selling days in January 2011 versus 24 selling days in January 2010, so the change in monthly sales volume will be the same as the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

By the Numbers – January 2011: Happy New Year Indeed Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Happy New Year from Autoblog!

Filed under: Etc.

Happy New Year graphic

Now that we’ve officially closed the books on the year 2010, it’s time to look ahead at all of the prospects that 2011 has to offer. Here at Autoblog, we’re looking forward to yet another year of obsessively covering the auto industry and bringing you exciting reviews, features, breaking news and unsurpassed auto show coverage (reminder: the Detroit Auto Show is just over one week away).

2010 was quite a year, so be sure to reflect on it by taking a look at our lists of the ten best concept cars and best/worst automotive trends of the year. Additionally, we’ve put together lists of our most popular stories, the content we’re most proud of and our 100 greatest photos from the past year.

From all of us at Autoblog, we wish you all a happy and healthy 2011. And hey, if you’ve got any automotive-related resolutions for 2011, be sure to let us know in Comments!

[Source image: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images]

Happy New Year from Autoblog! originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 01 Jan 2011 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Happy Holidays from Autoblog!

Filed under: Etc.

Hood Wreath

It’s the holiday season once again, and we here at Autoblog send our best wishes to all of you during this especially festive time of year. Like you, we’ll be spending plenty of quality time with our family and friends, but never fear, we’ve got a whole weekend’s worth of content lined up before we’re back in full force on Monday.

In the meantime, be sure to scroll through our Car Gifts for Christmas holiday gift guide. Not only do these items – large and small – make great gifts for the season of giving, they’ll still be available well into the new year just in case you have some extra holiday cash left over. Read all three parts of our gift guide here, here and here.

From all of us at Autoblog, have a very happy holiday!

[Image: chargrillkiller via Flickr]

Happy Holidays from Autoblog! originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Dec 2010 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: BMW Motorrad wishes the world happy holidays

Filed under: Videos, BMW, Motorcycle, Humor

BMW Motorrad holiday greeting

BMW Motorrad holiday greeting – Click above to watch video after the jump

The weather outside may have a rather large portion of the country’s motorcyclists pining for spring, but that hasn’t stopped the two-wheel obsessed crew over at BMW Motorrad from wishing the world a very merry Christmas in its own special way. Using a little electric guitar and some Stomp-esque percussion work by a team of helmeted riders, the Bavarian motorcycle maker has turned out a special holiday tune just for the occasion. You can check out the flick after the jump, but that’s not all.

If you like what you see, you can even work up your own version of the video to send as an e-card to that certain someone special. Nothing says, “Honey, I want an R1200 GS Adventure under the tree this year,” quite like a holiday greeting from a gaggle of leather-clad motorcycle heathens. You can even upload a photo of yourself into the card and craft your own personalized message. Head over to the BMW Motorrad site to get started.

[Source: BMW Motorrad]

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Video: BMW Motorrad wishes the world happy holidays originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to build your own hidden racing sim setup and keep your wife happy

Filed under: Etc., Toys/Games

DIY Racing Cockpit Ottoman

DIY Racing Cockpit Ottoman – Click above for high-res image gallery

Two things have prevented us from installing a full-blown racing-wheel, pedals and seat in our living room for the likes of Gran Turismo 5 – the aggravation of having the hardware soak up space in the living room and the threat of endangering hard-earned household peace accords for such a folly. One enterprising soul over at OverClockers has come up with the perfect solution by genetically splicing attractive furniture and functional gaming hardware into one vastly superior being. Using a little MDF and some excellent upholstery work, user Lyshco has managed to create a racing cockpit that’s a little larger than your run-of-the-mill F1 throne, and he’s done so without shelling out nearly $7,000 for a convertible coffee table.

The trick is that the whole kit-and-caboodle folds up into a very attractive ottoman when not in use, saving everyone’s eyes from having to suffer through staring at the evidence of our dweeby past time. It turns out that old gem about necessity’s momma turns out to be true. Thanks for the tip, Bloop!

Gallery: Racing Wheel Ottoman

[Source: OverClockers]

How to build your own hidden racing sim setup and keep your wife happy originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Happy 30th anniversary, airbag!

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Technology, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Airbag 30th Anniversary

The airbag turns 30 – Click above for high-res image gallery

No, the above headline isn’t a greeting for your spouse on his or her special day – Daimler is celebrating the airbag’s 30th anniversary. Three decades ago, the very first production car with the life-saving safety tech rolled off the line, kicking off an industry-wide push for ever safer vehicles in the process. That car was an S-Class sedan, and Mercedes-Benz says that the company had poured a total of 13 years of research and development into the project before it ever hit the street. Today, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says that airbags have helped to save around 28,000 lives since the technology was first introduced – and that’s just in the good old U.S. of A.

The government safety authority also says that in a typical accident, a driver wearing his or her seatbelt in a vehicle with an airbag is 61 percent less likely to be injured than those who skip the belt in vehicles with no airbag. There’s no arguing that we’ve come a long way in a relatively short period of time.

These days, you’d be hard pressed to find a vehicle without at least some form of supplemental restraint, and Mercedes-Benz says that all of its products have featured a standard driver airbag since 1992. Hit the jump for the full press blast – but not before checking the high-res gallery below for some retro S-Class fabulousness.

Gallery: 30th Anniversary of the Airbag

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

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Happy 30th anniversary, airbag! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Happy 100th birthday to the RV

Filed under: Classics, Etc.

100th Anniversary of the RV – Click above for historical high-res image gallery (69 images)

It seems appropriate while we celebrate the last vestiges of summer on this Labor Day weekend that we also acknowledge the 100th anniversary of the recreational vehicle, also known as the RV. The summer season and RVs go hand in hand, and people have motored across America in mobile homes since 1910. RV historians say that year was when just a few companies began building the precursors to what we now know as recreational vehicles, thus marking the birth of the RV industry. Those companies include Pierce-Arrow from New York (above, 1910 Touring Landau), the Los Angeles Trailer Works and Michigan’s own Auto-Kamp Trailers of Saginaw.

2011 Sunseeker RVThe RV industry has survived wars, tough economic times and oil crises and still come out no worse for wear. Credit the American spirit of adventure, our love of travel or maybe just the unique freedom one experiences while traveling without a tether to your permanent residence.

If I’m waxing too poetic about what some consider to be just ill-constructed boxes of balsa wood on wheels, know that I am an RV owner myself (right, 2011 Forest River Sunseeker) and have known the joys of sitting around a campfire in the forest roasting s’mores one minute and playing Rock Band in an air-conditioned living room the next. It may sound like sacrilege to hard-core outdoorsmen who like sleeping on the ground, but it makes perfect sense to an RV enthusiast.

So, in honor of the RV’s 100th birthday, we’ve assembled r a gallery chronicling its history courtesy of the RV industry’s centennial website. Enjoy the trip through time.

Gallery: 100th Anniversary of the RV

Touring Landau, 1910Popular Mechanics ad for Pop-Up Camper, circa 1910Adams Motor Bungalo, 1917Tampa, FL CampgroundHistoric Campground

[Source: NY Times, RVcentennial.org]

Happy 100th birthday to the RV originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Happy Birthdays: Chopard celebrates Alfa Romeo with special line of timepieces

Filed under: Etc., Alfa Romeo, Design/Style

Chopard GT XL Chrono Alfa Romeo (above) and table clock (below right) – Click either image for high-res image gallery

In a field of automotive-inspired wristwatches, one marque stands above the rest as the connoisseur’s choice: Chopard. From its ongoing sponsorship and participation in the annual Mille Miglia revival rally to exquisite timepieces like the LUC Engine One Tourbillon, Chopard’s made a name for itself among lovers of classic cars. And this year they celebrate their 150th anniversary, conveniently in the same year as Alfa Romeo marks their 100th.

To celebrate, Chopard has rolled out not just a single model, but a whole line of timepieces honoring Alfa Romeo. The range includes the Gran Turismo XL Alfa Romeo and the GT XL Chono Alfa Romeo (available in either stainless steel of carbon-coated steel), both of which feature COSC-certified in-house automatic movements, 46-hour power reserve, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, 44mm cases and Chopard’s signature vintage Dunlop-inspired rubber straps. Only 500 of each of the three variants will be offered, along with a table clock in PVD-coated steel and a black leather, red-stitched case, and an additional travel alarm clock.

All in all, not a bad way to celebrate a birthday. Read about ’em in the press release after the jump and take a closer look in the gallery below.

Gallery: Chopard for Alfa Romeo

[Source: Chopard]

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Happy Birthdays: Chopard celebrates Alfa Romeo with special line of timepieces originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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