2003 B-series B4000 4wd 4x4 Mini Club Cab Pickup 4.0l V6 Tool Box Joe281323-3305 on 2040-cars

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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.

Mazda specs new MX-5 Miata with accessories

It's been 26 years since Mazda showcased the original Miata at the Chicago Auto Show, and now it's returned with a conceptual take on the new model, decked out with all the accessories and optional equipment your roadster-loving heart could desire. Or at least some of 'em, anyway. This show car is painted Ceramic Metallic (Zoom Zoom-speak for "white") and spec'd out with a full aero kit (including front air dam, side sills, rear skirt and lip spoiler) all done up in gloss black, 17-inch BBS wheels and Brembo brakes with red calipers. Mazda is also showcasing a carbon-fiber luggage rack for the new MX-5 that weighs less than two pounds and includes and integrated brake light. "The concept parts and accessories we have showcased at the Chicago Auto Show," said Mazda's North American chief Jim O'Sullivan, "were developed to give customers a look at what is possible for the new cars to make them truly one-of-a-kind, adding to that excitement." See them shown off in our high-res gallery of live photos, above. MAZDA UNVEILS 2016 MX-5 MIATA ACCESSORIES CONCEPT DESIGN AT CHICAGO AUTO SHOW CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2015 -- The only thing better than the all-new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata is a personalized 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. Today at the Chicago Auto Show, where the first-generation MX-5 Miata was introduced to the world in 1989, Mazda revealed an MX-5 accessories design concept of the next-generation roadster that will hit showrooms this summer. At the Chicago Auto Show, Mazda revealed a 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata accessories design concept for the next-generation roadster that will hit showrooms this summer. "There is so much MX-5 history at the Chicago Auto Show, and we wanted to continue building on that," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, Mazda North American Operations. "The MX-5 is the soul of our company, and its enthusiast following both inside and outside of Mazda drives us to keep innovating new ideas for it and the rest of our lineup." Painted Ceramic Metallic, the 2016 MX-5 accessories concept will be on display from Thursday, February 12 through Sunday, February 22 and includes an Aero Kit, BBS Wheels and Brembo Brakes as well as a Luggage Rack shown separately in Mazda's display. MX-5 concept accessories include: - Aero Kit (Front Air Dam, Side Sill Extensions, Rear Bumper Skirt and Rear Lip Spoiler): The gloss-black Aero Kit is the same package found on the 2016 MX-5 Global Cup Car that debuted at SEMA in November.

Mazda and Isuzu to collaborate on a new pickup truck

After decades, Mazda has finally untangled itself from its relationship with Ford. The last vestige of that partnership is the BT-50, a rebadged version of the global Ford Ranger pickup truck. Once the BT-50 ends production, Mazda has announced that it will collaborate with Isuzu to develop its next generation of pickup trucks. The BT-50 was co-developed with Ford's Australian division. In their current iteration, the BT-50 and its Ranger twin were never on sale in the United States. Mazda's last pickup in the US was the B-Series, itself also a rebadged version of the old Ford Ranger. Isuzu pulled out of the US passenger vehicle market in 2009, although it still sells commercial vehicles here. Isuzu, continuing a long and complicated relationship with General Motors, co-developed the diesel engine that currently powers the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. In select markets, Isuzu sells a rebadged version of the Colorado as the D-Max. Details on the Mazda/Isuzu tie-up are scarce. A single press release simply says "Isuzu will produce next-generation pickup trucks for Mazda, based on Isuzu's pick-up truck model." This isn't the first truck collaboration between the two companies. Since 2004, Mazda has sold the Titan, a rebadged version of the Isuzu Elf commercial truck. The Elf is sold in the US as the Isuzu N-Series. Those in the US hoping for a new competitor in the midsize-truck segment shouldn't get their hopes up for the new truck. There are currently no plans to bring them here. There is hope, though, that Ford will bring the Ranger replacement stateside sometime in the next few years. Related Video: News Source: MazdaImage Credit: WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images Isuzu Mazda Truck