February 2, 2010
Toyota Goes on Offensive, Seeks 100% Response to Recall
Toyota Motor Corp., spurred by criticism that previous recalls failed to prompt enough owners to seek fixes, hopes to distribute mailings this week to the 2.3 million owners targeted in a January recall. According to Automotive News, Toyota says it will be vigilant in reaching each of the affected customers and hopes to have all repairs done within 90 days. Click here for answers to questions about Toyota's repair plans at the New York Times. Toyota has begun shipping repair parts to U.S. dealers and training them how to conduct the fix. The effort involves installing a steel reinforcement bar into the gas pedal's friction device, a mechanism that controls the pedal's return to the idle position after being pushed down. In rare cases, the pedal sticks, leaving the throttle partially open, Toyota said. The actual repair will take about 30 minutes, and Toyota said it will cover all costs associated with the work. Drivers shouldn't notice any change in the feel of the pedal, the company said. Click here for a photo of Toyota's planned repair. Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales, said existing customers will be serviced first. Vehicles that have not yet been sold and need the repair will be addressed later. For complete coverage of what Toyota is doing to address issues with its pedals, click here.
Robert McElwaine, Founder of AIADA, Dies at 86
Robert McElwaine, who helped found the American International Automobile Dealers Association, died Sunday morning after battling Alzheimer's. According to Automotive News, McElwaine, 86, grew the organization into a respected trade association from a band of Volkswagen dealers in 1970. He retired from AIADA in 1989 after a 20-year career. The National Journal once referred to him as "Washington's lobbyist deluxe," said son Andrew McElwaine in an announcement of his death. The dealers who knew him said he was an eloquent spokesman for the auto import business. "He was very intelligent and articulate," says Fritz Hitchcock, owner of three Toyota dealerships and two BMW dealerships. Hitchcock, of City of Industry, Calif., is a past chairman of AIADA. Tom Nemet, a Jamaica, N.Y., international dealer, worked closely with McElwaine in his early years at AIADA. Nemet says McElwaine played a critical role in promoting internationals' transplant manufacturing operations in the United States and building a dealer lobby to communicate the connection between international vehicle sales and U.S. jobs. McElwaine is survived by his wife Alexandra McElwaine, son Andrew McElwaine and grandsons Mark and Robert. Click here for more the death of AIADA founder Robert McElwaine.
January U.S. Car Sales on Tap amid Signs of Improvement
Major automakers are expected to post on Tuesday an improvement in January U.S. sales from last year's brutal tally. According to the Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch, Edmunds.com is looking for a seasonally adjusted annual rate of sales to come in at 10.7 million vehicles, down from 11.2 million in December but up from 9.6 million in January a year earlier. "December is generally one of the strongest sales months of the year, while January is typically one of the weakest, and that held true this season," Edmunds.com analyst Jessica Caldwell said. On the other hand, J.D. Power and Associates forecast that a total of 659,000 cars and trucks were sold in January, up 9 percent from 655,302 a year ago. That would amount to a SAAR of 10.1 million units, vs. last year's 9.6 million. "January is typically a weak selling month, but this month is particularly impacted by December's strong close and extra selling weekend," J.D. power analyst Jeff Schuster, said. "However, the sales pace has been improving as January continues, which is an encouraging sign for the recovering industry." Check FirstUp on Wednesday for full coverage of January's sales figures for the U.S. auto market. For more on what experts are predicting for January sales, click here.
World's Most Expensive Cars
If you're looking to travel in style and money's not a concern, you could opt for shares in a private jet, invest in a Louis Vuitton leather luggage set, or spend six figures on any of a handful of street-legal, ultra-luxe cars. To compile its list of the world's most expensive cars, Forbes reviewed price lists from all the ultra-luxe ($300,000 and above) automakers who might have produced a contender this year for the top spot. Forbes then chose only cars that are currently in production and street legal, which eliminated the discontinued $653,000 Ferrari Enzo, as well as the $500,000 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster. Prices do not include taxes, destination charges, or upgrade options; some prices have been converted from euros to U.S. dollars. Not all of the vehicles on our list are sold in the U.S. Click here to view a slideshow of Forbes' list. One similarity between last year's list and this year's? The brands themselves. While last year's tally saw more entries from Maybach and Pagani, they, as well as Koenigsegg, Bugatti, and Lamborghini, still produce the world's most expensive vehicles. These cars typically serve two purposes: as a posh chauffeured livery car, like the $1.4 million Maybach Landaulet, or as a screaming track machine, like the $1.3 million Koenigsegg CCXR. Click here to read Forbes' complete coverage of the world's most expensive vehicles.
Elantra Touring Fills Jack-of-all-Trades Role
According to Scott Burgess at The Detroit News, the Elantra Touring joined the Hyundai family last year as a spinoff of the compact Elantra. The vehicle provides good mileage for daily driving, up to 65.3 cubic feet of space in the back for flexible packing, and enough space in the second row to load up three kids for an afternoon of errands. It's a jack-of-all-trades kind of vehicle. Click here for a photo. Its performance was good. For a compact car, it still offers a fairly long wheelbase of 106 inches. That helps smooth out the ride. While the engine is far from overpowering, Burgess writes that the car was still fun to drive, especially around town; its compact body allowed him to zip through traffic. In the city, its smaller stature means it can squeeze into tighter spaces, and you'll finally get a chance to try out one of those "compact only" parking spaces without feeling guilty. While inexpensive, the Elantra Touring doesn't feel cheap. The interior cabin is comfortable with a thoughtful design. Overall, the Elantra Touring fills many roles. Click here for Burgess entire review of the Hyundai Elantra Touring.
Reduce Risk by Eliminating Distracted Driving: Learn more in Orlando
There are now 250 million cell phone subscribers in the U.S. - most of whom operate vehicles on our nation's roadways. The increase of cell phone usage and cell phone capabilities has led to an exorbitant number of distracted drivers on our roads. And cell phone usage is only one element in the distracted driving spectrum! If you will be attending the NADA Convention next month, don't miss the opportunity to attend Distracted Driving - Your Dealership Can't Afford It! - an interactive session for dealers presented by Dave Cameron of AIADA's Affinity Partner, Federated Insurance. This workshop will present the best risk-management practices to implement at your dealership. Learn how to create and enforce responsible driving commitments for use with demonstrators, parts runners, car runners, shuttles, and customer loaners. There are three opportunities to attend a Distracted Driving session: Friday, Feb. 12 from 3:15 - 4:30 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 14 from 3:30 - 4:45 p.m.; or Monday, Feb. 15 from 10:30 - 11:45 a.m. Learn more details about the sessions by clicking here.
Our Publications: 
