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Honda poised for growth, Detroit to hold steady, Car Wars study says

The automotive industry is expected to keep booming in the US over the next several years, but the train might start running out of steam in the long term, according to 2015's Car Wars report from Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst John Murphy. The forecast focuses on changes between the 2016 and 2019 model years, and the latest trends appear similar in some cases to the past predictions. Sales are expected to keep growing and reach a peak of 20 million in 2018, according to the Detroit Free Press. The expansion is projected to come from a quick pace of vehicle launches, with an average of 48 introductions a year – 26 percent more than in 1996. Crossovers are expected to make up a third of these, maintaining their strong popularity. However, Murphy predicts a decline, as well. By 2025, total sales could fall to around 15 million units. As of May 2015, the seasonally adjusted annual rate for this year stands at 17.71 million. Like last year, Honda is predicted to be a big winner in the future thanks to products like the next-gen Civic. "Honda should be the biggest market share gainer," Murphy said when presenting the report, according to Free Press. Meanwhile, in a situation similar to Car Wars from 2012, a lack of many new vehicles is expected to cause a drop for Hyundai, Kia, and Nissan. Based on this forecast, Ford, General Motors, and FCA US will all generally maintain market share for the coming years. The report does make some future product predictions, though. The next Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra might come in 2019, which is earlier than expected. Also, Lincoln could get a Mustang-based coupe for 2017, a compact sedan for 2018 and an Explorer-based model in 2019, according to the Free Press. Related Video: News Source: The Detroit Free PressImage Credit: Nam Y. Huh / AP Photo Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat Ford GM Honda Lincoln Car Buying fca us

Pininfarina launches Classiche certification program for vintage cars

Pininfarina is focused on its future as a carmaker, but it's not forgetting about its past as a design house and contract manufacturer. The brand launched a certification program called Pininfarina Classiche that aims to give enthusiasts valuable details about their vintage car. Only two cars will initially be certifiable by Pininfarina: the four evolutions of the Alfa Romeo Spider built between 1966 and 1993 and the different versions of the Fiat 124 Spider sold from 1966 to 1985. Pininfarina designed both roadsters, and it notably took over production and sales of the Fiat model in 1982. American sales of the Pininfarina-badged Spider started for 1984 following Fiat's exit from our market. The certification service aims to provide collectors with production-related data about their car. This includes the chassis number, the market it was built for, the original paint and upholstery colors, the date that the car left Pininfarina's factory, as well as any and all other details that are available, such as the engine number and, for convertibles, the color of the soft top. Pininfarina notes that it waited until 2024 to offer this service because providing it required cataloging its archives, which took about two years, and using an archive management software. Enthusiasts who want to get their car certified need to reach out to Pininfarina. The firm will look through its archives and give the customer a list of what's available. The certification costs ˆ400 (about $430) for cars built before 1980 and ˆ300 (around $330) for post-1980 models.  Pininfarina has designed and built dozens of cars since its inception in 1930, and it plans to expand its Classiche service in the near future. It notes that its archives department includes production serial numbers for over 700,000 cars and more than 20,000 historical documents such as design sketches, technical blueprints, photos taken on the assembly line, and correspondence with the carmakers it worked with. Related video: Featured Gallery Pininfarina classics View 11 Photos Alfa Romeo Fiat Convertible Classics PininFarina

Aurora lands Fiat Chrysler as a client of its self-driving technology

SAN FRANCISCO — Self-driving car software startup Aurora said on Sunday it would partner with Fiat Chrysler to build autonomous platforms for commercial vehicles, the latest collaboration with an automaker for the fast-growing Silicon Valley company. The deal with one of the Detroit Three will expand Aurora's scope, "allowing us to offer a variety of solutions to strategic customers in logistics, transit and other use cases," the Palo Alto, California-based company said in a brief statement. Besides for ride-hailing fleets, automakers and others are interested in self-driving technology for commercial applications, such as delivery vans. Financial terms were not disclosed. Aurora already has partnerships with Volkswagen AG, Hyundai and China's Byton to develop and test self-driving systems for a range of applications for automakers, fleet owners and others. The company is among dozens of startups, automakers and large technology companies working on self-driving car systems, eager to capitalize on a sea change in the transportation industry brought by developments in machine learning. Fiat Chrysler has an existing partnership with Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving unit, in which it supplies Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans for Waymo's driverless fleet, which is currently in operation in Arizona. In February, Aurora said it had raised $530 million in new funding.