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GM and Ford quarterly sales continue to slump in China

BEIJING — General Motors and Ford announced their quarterly sales in China fell, albeit at a slower pace sequentially, as the U.S. automakers were hit by a slowing economy amid the Sino-U.S. trade war. GM's vehicle sales in China for the quarter ended June 30 dropped 12.2%, while Ford's sales slumped by 21.7%. While GM also suffered from heightened competition in its key mid-priced SUV segment, Ford was hurt by the limited new models for customers to choose from. For the first quarter of this year, Ford's sales in China tumbled 35.8 percent while GM's skid 17.5 percent. Still, the numbers from GM, the second biggest international automaker in China by sales, and Ford portend more uncertainty for the industry which is trying to rebound from a downward spiral that led to its first annual sales decline last year in more than two decades. GM delivered 1.57 million vehicles in China in the January-June period this year, while Ford delivered 290,321 vehicles. China's factory activity shrank more than expected in June, highlighting the need for more economic stimulus amid higher U.S. tariffs and weaker domestic demand. Annual car sales in China fell last year for the first time since the 1990s, and they are expected to fall this year too. Sales tumbled 16.4% in May from the same month a year prior, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said. That marked the 11th consecutive month of decline and followed falls of 14.6% in April and 5.2% in March. U.S. car companies' share of total China passenger vehicles sales fell to 9.6% in the first five months of this year from 10.9% in the year-ago period, according to CAAM. Over the same period, German car makers' share has risen to 23.3% from 20.9% and Japanese auto makers' to 21.3% from 17.3%. CAAM is set to announce June sales next week, which industry analysts forecast will be negative.   New models In China, GM has a joint venture with SAIC Motor Corp, in which the Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac are made. It also has another venture, with SAIC and GuangxiAutomobile Group, in which they make no-frills minivans and have started to make higher-end cars. Sales of GM's affordable brand Baojun dropped 31.8% for the latest quarter. But luxury brand Cadillac's sales jumped 36.6%. GM sold 3.64 million units in China last year, down from 4.04 units in 2017. Ford makes cars in China through its joint venture with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co and Jiangling Motors Corp (JMC).

2015 Ford Shelby GT350, GT350R Mustang option pricing leaked [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Ford wasn't willing to elaborate on Mustang6G's pricing report, with spokesperson Said Deep simply saying, "We haven't announced pricing at this time." The limited availability of the new 2015 GT350 and GT350R isn't the only Ford Mustang news today, as a leaked report by Mustang6G has shined a light on the cost of the optional equipment we first reported on way back in January. First, we have the standard GT350. As we reported earlier, only 50 cars will get the $7,500-Tech Package, which includes magnetic ride control, navigation with Sync 3, dual-zone climate control, and heated, air-conditioned, leather-upholstered, and powered seats. The other 50 standard models will get the $6,500-Track Package. You'll still get magnetic ride control, selectable driving modes and enhanced cooling systems for the engine oil, trans and diff. Stand-alone navigation is $795, a black roof is $695, stripes are $475, and as with the standard Mustang, Triple Yellow Clearcoat paint is $495. Fancy one of the just 37 GT350Rs? You'll pony up (pun intended) an extra $3,500 on top of the price of a GT350. From there, Mustang6G cites a $3,000-SVT Touring Package, which we think references the Electronics Package (navigation, Sync 3, and dual-zone climate control). Outside of those two items, the GT350R's only additional options include a black roof, stand-alone nav, and stripes, all of which carry the same price as the standard car. Like our report earlier today, these prices appear to only be for the 2015 model. While production outputs for the 2016 will probably increase, we can't be sure whether these prices be carried over, as well. Mustang6G claims it will have a starting price "very soon," which we'll naturally bring you as soon as it's published. We've also reached out to Ford to confirm this report as well as get any info on the GT350's starting price. Stay tuned. Related Video:

Autoblog Podcast #418

Episode #418 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Brandon Turkus talk about the big news from the 2015 Chicago Auto Show, as well as the rumors that Apple is building its own car, codenamed Project Titan. Of course, the podcast starts with what's in the garage and finishes up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #418 Topics 2015 Chicago Auto Show Apple working on Project Titan electric car In The Autoblog Garage 2015 Porsche Macan Turbo 2015 Ford Expedition 2015 Nissan Juke Hosts: Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, Brandon Turkus Runtime: 01:23:23 Rundown Intro and Garage – 00:00 Chicago show – 30:08 Apple car – 51:42 Q&A – 59:16 Get The Podcast UStream – Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes