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Mixed sales results, but automaker stocks rise on need for cars in Houston

DETROIT — The Big Three Detroit automakers on Friday reported better-than-expected August sales and issued optimistic outlooks for demand as residents of the Houston area replace flood-damaged cars and trucks after Hurricane Harvey, sending their stocks higher. General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler posted mixed August U.S. sales, with GM up 7.5 percent and Ford and Fiat Chrysler down. Japanese automaker Toyota improved sales by nearly 7 percent, while Honda fell 2.4 percent. Still, analysts focused on the potential for Detroit automakers to cut inventories and stabilize used vehicle prices as residents of Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, are forced to replace tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of vehicles after the devastation from Hurricane Harvey. Mark LaNeve, Ford's U.S. sales chief, told analysts on Friday that following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 "we saw a very dramatic snapback" in demand. That said, Ford sales fell 2.1 percent in August. It sold 209,897 vehicles in the United States, compared with 214,482 a year earlier. Sales were down 1.9 percent in the Ford division and off 5.8 percent at Lincoln. Demand was down for cars, crossovers and SUVs. It was not clear how many vehicles in the Houston area will be scrapped, LaNeve said, saying he had seen estimates ranging from 200,000 to 400,000 to 1 million. Ford's Houston dealers may have lost fewer than 5,000 vehicles in inventory, he said. Ford is the No. 1 automaker in the Houston market, with 18 percent share, according to IHS Markit. The company plans to ship used vehicles to Houston dealers and has "every indication we would have to add some production" of new vehicles to meet demand, LaNeve said. Investor concerns about inventories of unsold vehicles and falling used car prices have weighed on Detroit automakers' shares most of this year. Now, automakers can anticipate a jolt of demand from a big market that is a stronghold for Detroit brand trucks and SUVs. "It's got to be a positive for the industry," LaNeve said. Investors appeared to agree. GM shares rose as much as 3.3 percent to their highest since early March. Ford increased 2.8 percent at $11.34, and Fiat Chrysler's U.S.-traded shares were up 5.2 percent $15.91, hitting their highest in more than five years. GM reported a 7.5 percent increase in U.S. auto sales in August, helped by robust sales of crossovers across its four brands.

Honda may recall up to 1M vehicles for airbag issue, following Toyota's lead

It seems Toyota won't be the only one recalling the faulty Takata airbag inflators for long. Honda insiders in Japan claim that the company is getting close to announcing its own worldwide campaign that would begin before the end of June.
Unnamed sources close to Honda in Japan tell Automotive News that the company is pursuing an internal investigation into possibly affected models and is working with Takata to gather more information. They claim that it could involve even more than the 1.14 million cars worldwide that the automaker covered under the first recall for the problem in April 2013, including 561,000 vehicles in the US.
Toyota jumpstarted this process last week when it recalled over 2 million cars worldwide, including 844,277 in the US. Soon after, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began a preliminary evaluation into the issue following six reported incidents, and started assembling data about potentially affected models from Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Chrysler. NHTSA also began investigating Takata itself.

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club Edition sharpens, styles the new roadster

One could argue that any iteration of the last-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata was worth having. But were it our money on the line, we'd have likely driven home with the Club, a simple trim that, for a reasonable $28,665 (for the retractable hardtop model), added a number of performance and aesthetic features. The 2016 MX-5 Miata Club Edition should prove to be a successful followup. Like last year's model, it adds a limited-slip differential, a retuned suspension with Bilstein shocks and a tower brace under the hood. On the aesthetic side of the game, 17-inch gunmetal wheels are included, along with a new rear spoiler and a front splitter. For those that demand an even sharper Club Edition, though, Mazda will also offer even lighter wheels, courtesy of BBS, along with Brembo brakes and the aero kit from the MX-5 Global Cup racer. Check out our full original post on the MX-5 Miata Club Edition, as well as a complete gallery of live images from the 2015 New York International Auto Show. Related Video: 2016 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA CLUB MAKES WORLD DEBUT AT NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW - Performance-focused MX-5 Club has trim level-exclusive Bilstein suspension, limited-slip differential - NEW YORK (April 1, 2015) – Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today introduced the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club at the New York International Auto Show, marking the world debut of the North American-focused Club model. Lighter, smaller, quicker and more nimble than its predecessor, MX-5 has adopted Mazda's full suite of SKYACTIV Technology and KODO-Soul of Motion design. In the process, MX-5 has shed approximately 150 pounds from its predecessor, with a curb weight of 2,332 lbs. when equipped with SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission (2,381 lbs. with the six-speed automatic transmission). The MX-5 Club heightens performance with trim-level exclusive: - 17-inch gunmetal alloy wheels wrapped in 205/45R17 tires - Limited-slip differential when equipped with SKYACTIV-MT - Bilstein shocks when equipped with SKYACTIV-MT - Shock tower brace when equipped with SKYACTIV-MT - Front air dam and rear lip spoilers Standard equipment on MX-5 Club models includes MAZDA CONNECTTM infotainment system with a seven-inch color touchscreen display and multi-function commander control, HD and SiriusXM Satellite Radio, two USB ports, piano black side mirrors and seatback bars and a nine-speaker Bose audio system with headrest speakers.