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Despite premium carmakers going downmarket, luxury auto sales stick at 10-11%

According to research conducted by global information company IHS Automotive, the leporine birthing of new models by luxury manufacturers over the past six years hasn't increased their market share in the US. Even as car sales reached 15.6 million units, IHS says what's happened instead is that luxury buyers are merely moving from one brand to another, moving from larger luxury vehicles into hot segments like compact luxury crossovers or leaving the market at the same rate as other buyers enter.
Whether broken out by makes or by segment, market share has rollercoastered inside a narrow band from 10.5 to 11.5 percent since "at least" 2008. Closer investigation reveals the shifting boundaries in the aspirational pond, with brands like Mercedes-Benz and Audi gaining territory as Lexus and Lincoln lost it, and Saab and Hummer were buried, dead, under it. One neat note is that Tesla has gone from a share of zip to .12 percent.
The subcompact and compact crossover segments show growth, with those little high-riders jumping from .3 percent to 1.16 percent of overall industry sales. Their rise, though, is concomitant with the decline of four other segments: compact and midsize cars and fullsize cars and SUVs. We think the next few years that will tell if the small-car expansion can overcome the large-car retraction, with a phalanx of smaller offerings like the CLA only recently hitting the market and others like the GLA, Macan and Q1 doing so in the near future.

Gooding's Pebble Beach auction tops $128 million in sales

While the million-dollar cars are now packed up for Monterey Car Week, the auction results keeping rolling in. Gooding & Co. set a two-day company record by moving over $128 million in beautiful classics during the event. Of the 115 lots that sold, three brought over $10 million, and 26 more went for over a million. In a surprise to no one, a Ferrari led the way when a 1961 250 GT SWB California Spider sold for $16.83 million. That was a new single-lot record for the auction house. In a close second place, a 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Speciale previously owned by famed auto designer Nuccio Bertone went for $16.5 million. Rounding out the top three, a 1982 Porsche 956 that won Le Mans in 1983 cleared $10.12 million. Porsche also grabbed fourth place with a 1960 RS60 going for $5.4 million, and rounding out the top five was a 1957 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series II Coupe for $5.1 million. Check out the gallery above for a look at many of the beautiful vehicles in the sale. While the press release below lists the top sellers, you can check out the prices and info for all of the lots on Gooding's website, here. Gooding & Company's Two-Day Pebble Beach Auctions Realizes More Than $128 Million 3 cars sell above $10 million, 26 cars above $1 million New auction records broken for Ferrari and Porsche Pebble Beach, Calif. (August 17, 2015) – Gooding & Company, the official auction house of Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, realized more than $128 million at its Pebble Beach Auctions this weekend, resulting in a two-day sales company record. During the two-day sale, the auction house sold 115 of 129 lots, an 89% sale rate and their highest ever average price of $1,113,896 per car. During the auction weekend, an impressive 26 cars sold over the $1 million mark including three vehicles over $10 million. World records were broken as new market standards were set for Ferrari and Porsche, including a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider (sold for $16,830,000), 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Speciale (sold for $16,500,000), Le Mans-winning 1982 Porsche 956 (sold for $10,120,000), 1960 Porsche RS60 (sold for $5,400,000), 1957 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series II Coupe (sold for $5,087,500), and a 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort (sold for $1,732,500). David Gooding, President of Gooding & Company: "New bench marks were set and our company hit a new record for highest two-day sale.

Recharge Wrap-up: Big Oil fails at renewable fuel, scientists study air with EVs, plug-in Panamera sales

Big Oil companies help keep renewable fuels out of your tank, a new report shows. No surprise there, right? The Renewable Fuels Association published a report card grading the country's largest retail gasoline chains on fuel offerings like E85 and E15. The report gave failing grades, with less than one percent of stations offering E15 or E85, to "Big Five" companies Exxon, BP, ConocoPhillips, Chevron and Shell, among other oil company and convenience/grocery store brands. The only major oil companies that didn't get an "F" were Valero (D), Cenex (B), and Marathon (A-). The eight companies that scored an A+ had at least 25 percent of their stations offering E85 or E15. Read more at Domestic Fuel.Leicester scientists are studying local air pollution using EVs. Beginning July 4, University of Leicester researchers began driving electric vehicles kitted out with special sensors to monitor air quality throughout the city (similar to how California does it). Now their emissions-free daily driving duties double as data collection for their studies. "By monitoring air quality as a seamless part of our daily transport system, we are providing a cost-effective way to help inform future policy and operational systems," says the University's Dr. Roland Leigh. Read more at Fleet News. "There is no doubt electric cars are the future." – Nissan's Andy Palmer Nissan is exploring the idea of taking its Leaf EV to India, but a lack of charging options is an obstacle. According to Nissan's chief planning officer Andy Palmer, "There is no doubt electric cars are the future. The product is there, what we need is infrastructure. Charging is a big challenge." Though Nissan stopped short of saying it (this time), this could possibly mean working with Mahindra, which said it is open to collaborating with other companies concerning EVs. Learn more in this article from the Hindustan Times and know that India is rolling out a plan to encourage the production and adoption of EVs. The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan will get over $2 billion in funding, and some of that will go toward creating a charging infrastructure (you hear that, Nissan?). This is good news for EV manufacturers, India's economy and people who enjoy breathing clean air. Read more at The Financial Express.Porsche has reported a significant sales increase, part of which is due to demand for the Panamera S E-Hybrid.