Midwest Car Titan Bob Rohrman, Known for His Wacky TV Commercials, Dead at 87
Bob Rohrman, an AIADA board member and the lushly mustachioed car dealer whose charisma and flair for sales built one of the biggest family-owned auto groups in the nation during a 65-year career, died Tuesday night at 87 of complications of age, according to his company. But, reports the Chicago Sun-Times, his wacky commercials — punctuated by the deep baritone of an actor roaring, “Bob ROHR–man!” — will live on in the memory of many Midwesterners. For Halloween, he’d dress up as a caped vampire to pitch a “savings spooktacular.” For a Christmas-in-July sale, he dressed as Santa and Ho-ho-hoed about “low-low-low” prices. He spoofed one of the biggest movie franchises with his “Car Wars” commercial, telling a Princess Leia lookalike, “I’m Bob Rohrman. I’m here to rescue you from high prices!” When he was at his dealerships, people would ask to take photos with him. If he was at a sports event or enjoying a night out, it was rare to end an evening without someone greeting him with a shout, echoing the commercials, of “Bob ROHR-man!” Read more here (Source: Chicago Sun-Times).
Hyundai's Next-Gen Tucson Adopts 2 Wheelbases with Bold Makeover
Hyundai's next-generation Tucson crossover will feature a new design language, a "waterfall" inspired center stack and two wheelbase options, short and long, reports Automotive News. Teaser images of the redesigned vehicle – Hyundai’s best-selling nameplate in the first half -- depict angular exterior styling with fender flares that cue off the Vision T concept shown at last year's Los Angeles auto show. Hyundai dubs it an "avant-garde 'Parametric Dynamics' design theme." Hyundai said the fourth-generation Tucson will be the first nameplate in the compact crossover segment to be offered with two wheelbase options. U.S. sales of the Tucson rose 1.2 percent to 57,941 units in the first half, ranking it No. 8 in the compact crossover segment behind such heavyweights as the Toyota RAV-4, Honda CR-V and Chevrolet Equinox. Read more here (Source: Automotive News).
Ivanka Trump Touts White House Support for American Workers in Visit with GM CEO Mary Barra
White House advisor Ivanka Trump touted President Donald Trump’s support for American workers Wednesday in Michigan, reports CNBC. General Motors CEO Mary Barra led Ivanka Trump on a tour of a new GM training facility at the automaker’s global tech and design headquarters in suburban Detroit. Ivanka Trump actively engaged with employees and trainees, including an elbow bump with at least one and discussions with several others. She also heard about initiatives the automaker is taking to train new and veteran employees. Barra invited the president’s daughter to visit the facility last year and this was one of the first opportunities for both to attend due to the coronavirus pandemic. “This has been a trip we’ve been wanting to do for some time,” Ivanka Trump said. “Since the earliest days of the administration, Mary and I have been discussing the critical importance of investing in America’s students and workers.” Read more here (Source: CNBC).
Mercedes-Benz Unveils New Flagship S-Class Sedan
Daimler AG on Wednesday unveiled the new version of its Mercedes-Benz S-Class luxury sedan, the company's most important model and one it hopes will generate fat profits to help the Stuttgart-based automaker through the COVID-19 recession and wrenching structural changes to the auto industry. According to The Detroit News, Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius called the long, sleek S-Class “the heart of our brand” during an on-line event Wednesday in which he touted the car's highly personalized luxury technology. The company will be relying on profits from its internal combustion-driven luxury vehicles like the S-Class and SUVs to finance investment in new, low-emission technology. Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research in Duisburg, called the S-Class “very important” for Daimler and its Mercedes-Benz luxury division because it generates 15-20% of operating earnings from only 3% of sales. Read more here (Source: The Detroit News).
Ford Looks to Trim 1,400 Salaried Employees in U.S. Through Buyouts
Ford Motor Co. is offering buyouts to salaried employees in the U.S., a move that comes as the car maker works to rebound from coronavirus-related factory closures earlier in the year and prepares for new executive leadership, reports The Wall Street Journal. Ford will offer the buyouts to certain salaried employees who are eligible for retirement as of Dec. 31, according to a memo the company distributed Wednesday that was viewed by The Wall Street Journal. Ford hopes to trim about 1,400 workers through the buyouts, a company spokesman said. It has about 30,000 salaried U.S. workers total. Eligible employees can accept offers to leave the company up to Oct. 23, with those approved to leave departing by the end of the year, Kumar Galhotra, president of the Americas and international markets, said in the memo. The company could terminate workers if the buyouts don’t meet company goals, Mr. Galhotra said. Read more here (Source: The Wall Street Journal).
Webinar: An Update on COVID-19's Impact on U.S. Auto Sales
Cox Automotive Senior Economist Charlie Chesbrough returns to AutoTalk for an update on Thursday, September 10 at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
Topics to be reviewed include:
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Economic forecast and impact going into the fourth quarter
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Consumer sentiment and buying behaviors
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Stock market, interest rates, and employment
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An outlook for vehicle sales
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Current view of new and used retail sales and prices
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