2017 Buick Enclave Premium Group on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Neil Young to auction model train collection, classic cars

LOS ANGELES — Rock singer Neil Young is selling some of his most prized possessions — part of his model train and classic car collections. The Canadian folk-rock star is putting more than 230 of his vast collection of Lionel trains and some of his cars up for auction in Los Angeles in December. Some of the trains have estimated selling prices of up to $9,000, Julien's Auctions said on Thursday. Young, 71, known for his Woodstock-era songs as well as "Ohio," "Heart of Gold" and many, many others, has been a passionate model train enthusiast for more than 20 years. His collection and vast layouts at his California ranch took off in the early 1990s as a means of connecting with his son Ben, who has cerebral palsy, Young said. Young is also selling some of his classic car collection. They include: A first-in-production 1953 Buick Roadmaster Skylark convertible 50th anniversary special edition, with a steering wheel hub saying "customized for Neil Young," that has a pre-auction estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. A 1954 Cadillac Fleetwood Imperial eight-passenger limousine (estimate $30,000-$40,000) with the Cadillac crest styled "Broken Arrow" emblem on the rear passenger door, referring to both the Buffalo Springfield song and his ranch of the same name in Portola Valley, Calif. A 1948 Buick Roadmaster Hearse built by Flxible (estimate: $8,000-$10,000) used by Young and his band, The Squires, to haul equipment to gigs in the early 1960's. Dubbed "Mortimer," it's decorated with backstage passes and bumper stickers, and it inspired Young's song "Long May You Run." A 1941 Chrysler Series 28 Windsor Highlander two-door, three-person coupe (estimate: $15,000-$20,000), considered Chrysler's most prestigious model in its day. (For a closer look at Young's lifetime interest in cars, here's a New York Times interview from 2012, which includes an anecdote about the time he ate road tar. Or his memoir "Special Deluxe: A Memoir of Life & Cars," in which he recounts every car he ever owned, and describes how he wrote the lyrics for "Like a Hurricane" in the back of a friend's 1950 DeSoto. He promoted the book in this NPR interview. He also tipped us off to the return of the Lincoln Continental, and is known for his LincVolt plug-in biodiesel 1960 Lincoln.) As for Young's train collection, he designed a remote control that allows multiple trains to run at once, and a device that delivers realistic railroad audio to help his son get the most of out the hobby.

GM will stop reporting monthly U.S. vehicle sales

DETROIT — General Motors said on Tuesday it will stop reporting monthly U.S. vehicle sales, saying the 30-day snapshot does not accurately reflect the market, and will instead issue quarterly sales. GM will also no longer report monthly sales in China, its largest market, and Brazil. GM will provide monthly data to the U.S. Federal Reserve, industry associations and government agencies across the globe, but that data is not made public. Analysts and investors rely on monthly U.S. vehicle sales not just to track the performance of individual automakers, but as a barometer of the health of the world's second-largest auto market and as an indicator of consumer confidence in the U.S. economy overall. GM and its Detroit rivals Ford and Fiat Chrysler have relied heavily on sales of high-margin pickup truck and SUV sales to boost profits. GM's total U.S. sales, its second-largest market, are down 3.2 percent for the first two months of 2018, reflecting a 6.8 percent drop in retail sales to individual customers, the company reported last month. GM executives have expressed frustration that comparisons of monthly U.S. sales results among rival automakers are distorted by short-term discount programs, and by differences in strategy for selling vehicles in bulk to rental car fleets. "Thirty days is not enough time to separate real sales trends from short-term fluctuations in a very dynamic, highly competitive market," Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president for sales operations said in a statement. GM's actions could prompt other automakers to also switch to quarterly U.S. sales reports. Major automakers will report March U.S. new vehicle sales on Tuesday. Until the early 1990s, most U.S. automakers released sales results every 10 days. The former Chrysler Corp. stopped reporting sales on a 10-day basis in 1990, and rivals followed suit over the next three years. GM executives are betting that investors will quickly adapt to receiving U.S. sales data every three months, as investors in other retail sectors already have. Retailers such as Walmart report sales on a quarterly basis. Reporting by Joe WhiteRelated Video: Image Credit: Reuters Earnings/Financials Green Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC US

2018 Buick Regal TourX starts right around $30,000

The all-new Buick Regal is coming, and it's ditching the sedan bodystyle in favor of two liftback variants. This week, CarsDirect reported pricing on the more interesting of the two, the Regal TourX. While we're waiting on an official confirmation from Buick, at $29,995 (presumably before destination), the lifted-wagon will significantly undercut competitors from BMW, Volvo, and Audi. With standard all-wheel drive and a powerful turbocharged inline-four, the Regal TourX has the potential to steal som sales from the Europeans. CarsDirect bases its report on the latest Buick order guides. All versions of the Regal TourX come with all-wheel drive and a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four making 250 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. The only available transmission is an eight-speed automatic. Push-button start, active-noise cancellation, and 18-inch wheels are part of the package. The Regal TourX Preferred bumps the price to $33,575. For the extra few hundred dollars, you get an auto-dimming rearview mirror, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power driver's seat, and door sill plates. There are also more colors available than on the base model. Further options include a $1,240 driver's assistance package with blind-spot monitoring, rear park assist, and cross-traffic alert, and a $1,200 panoramic moonroof. A fully loaded, top-trim Regal TourX rings in at $38,860. Direct competitors are difficult to name. The pricing is above something like the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, but far less than the Audi A4 Allroad, Volvo V60 Cross Country, or a BMW 3 Series wagon. It ought to offer more power and refinement than a Subaru Outback, but we'll have to wait to drive it before we can make a final call. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Buick Regal TourX: New York 2017 View 12 Photos News Source: CarsDirectImage Credit: AOL Buick Wagon buick regal tourx