This year’s global COVID-19 pandemic has been an economic nightmare for automotive manufacturers. But, as bad the lost COVID-19 sales have been this year, the total amount of unit sales is still outpacing the economic recession of 2008 and 2009. So, maybe it is not as bad as it seems. 2008-2009, the Great Recession takes …
Ford is struggling just like other automakers during these uncertain times. However, the company is making sure to reward its workers.
A lot of people line up whenever the government announces a new program to provide help for people in need. Most of those in the line are the people in need whom the government wants to help. However, every once in awhile, there is a bad apple that sneaks in line to take advantage of …
Hooning is the name given in the automotive world for people showboating, or worse, acting recklessly in their cars for the entertainment of onlookers. Unfortunately, hooners sometimes get carried away and start damaging things or properties. That is the case with a group of car enthusiasts that gathered in a church parking lot recently. Thankfully, …
March 13th was the last day of classes for the high school graduating classes of Matanzas, Flagler Palm Coast High School, and First Baptist Christian Academy. The global COVID-19 pandemic stunted the scheduled class instruction, forcing students to finish their school year through online means. Though their proms and athletic seasons were also affected, their …
Manheim is a huge and respected automotive auction industry company. They have been around for decades and have changed to keep up with the times. Well, as the Bob Dylan song says, the times, they are a changing. The global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the auction business, and now, Manheim is changing again too. The rest of the …
During the global pandemic response to COVID-19, venues that are used to hosting large crowds have been left scrambling to make their locations attractive to consumers. Social distancing, of course, has made it difficult, but imaginative marketers have still found ways to make stadiums and racetracks a go-to destination. For example, earlier this month, Daytona International Speedway announced …
During the global COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and staying home became the things everybody was required to consider. After a while of being home, however, people have started getting cabin fever. So, many people planned their vacations. Car Camping, Overlanding, and anything else having to do with getting out but still being distant from others have …
It is no secret that the global economy took a pretty significant hit during the worldwide pandemic lockdown due to COVID-19. It is well documented that the automotive industry was hurt as well. Automotive sales and production were off dramatically due to dealership and plant closures. Now that the manufacturers are slowly starting their factories …
For the month of April, the automotive industry took a huge loss in sales. Although companies offering sales online did not suffer as much as brick and mortar companies, there were still significant shortfalls. The interesting thing though, is that during the global pandemic lockdown, sales of trucks dominated other vehicles for the few sales there actually were. It’s …
Last week I posted a story about Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s racecar going to auction. Mr. Earnhardt was a former NASCAR racing champion. Week in and week out, he would be one of the top contenders either for the individual race win or the overall season win. He was a mainstay on the NASCAR circuit. But he had a tragic death at …
The Cannonball Run record has been broken again this year. The outlaw, non-stop, coast-to-coast race, is always run under secrecy to avoid potential disruption by law enforcement. But a reliable source familiar with past Cannonball Run efforts, and acquainted with some of the teams, has confirmed that the record set last month of 26 hours 38 minutes has been broken multiple …
In 2012 a company called Carvana launched a dealership network with the aim of providing consumers the opportunity to purchase their next used vehicle through a totally online experience. During the global COVID-19 pandemic, the company has done better than most, proving that people are increasingly open to the online sales business model. When Carvana launched, they did …
Many high school seniors this year have had the misfortune of missing most of their school year in exchange for a lockdown due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Also, due to regional lockdown, many of those same seniors are not going to be able to have a normal timely graduation. But, the folks at NASCAR …
Many of us have endured weeks of stay-at-home orders to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. We’ve kept our cars parked or performed routine car care in the driveway, maybe even made car washing a family activity once or twice. Truth be told, virtual road trips are no comparison for truly being behind the …
Safety behind the wheel is always important. Auto manufacturers are constantly addressing vehicle safety but nothing replaces critical thinking and careful driving. Distracted driving is still at the top of the list for accidents along with drinking and driving. However, in light of our new normal, some new hazards are being identified. Driving While Wearing an N95 Mask Can Be …
I recently posted about how Ferrari switched from the production of cars to the production of parts to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, they fired up their production lines to create pieces for scuba masks to be converted into respirators. But, manufacturers across the automotive industry have begun talking about resuming vehicle production, as has Ferrari. In fact, Ferrari …
COVID-19 has caused the world to pause, including car designers. What they have realized is that now more than ever, a swelling amount of people are viewing their car as their sanctuary. Consequently, designers are rethinking how that sanctuary will look in the future, and how to make it more sanctuary-like. In the words of the designers In …
Every driver has at one time, or another fantasized about flooring the throttle on an open road. Reality keeps us from doing it. There are other people on the roads, some roadways that aren’t built for speed, maintenance of roadways could be questionable, the maintenance of our own cars or even our own questionable skills …
If you do not follow the different racing leagues, then you might find it surprising to know that the COVID-19 has not slowed the drivers down. Racing is still happening. But it is happening virtually. Tonight there will be another race, but this one will not be to hone driver skills as much as it will be for utter ridiculous …
Animals have taken over the streets during the worldwide COVID-19 lockdown. Morning commutes have changed during the human absence in recent weeks. The roads have, for the most part, been devoid of vehicles. But the interesting thing is that animals that once stayed away from humans are now finding their boundaries removed, and are themselves taking to the empty roads. …
Rolls Royce, an automotive company known for its expensive, elegant, and classy cars, is looking to cultivate new inspiration in design during this quarantine. To aid during this 2019-2020 global pandemic and bring something to keep those young minds active, Rolls-Royce has come up with a challenge for quarantined kids. Any child 16 or younger …
Automakers have started responding to the COVID-19 outbreak in earnest. Mazda is offering free auto service to healthcare workers, regardless of what car they drive. Daytona International Speedway has been repurposed as a drive-up testing facility. And instead of factory production lines sitting idle, several automakers have been repurposing them to make medical equipment instead. …
Health care workers, essential employees, and other staff are working round the clock, to ensure the wellbeing of others to prohibit the further spread of COVID-19. Understandably, personal vehicle maintenance might not be top of mind. Mazda wants to help ensure all health care workers, not only Mazda customers, can be taken care of as …
A post from Reuters on Thursday indicated that Ferrari has started making valves and fittings, using its 3D printing technology at its Maranello plant. The parts are used as part of a kit to fit underwater snorkel masks, converting them into respirators for patients suffering from COVID-19. Production of the parts is expected to be in the several hundred. …
Auto manufacturers across the globe have turned their efforts toward combating coronavirus (COVID-19) and examining what resources and skills can be used to help. Ford is expanding its efforts to produce respirators, face masks, testing kits, and now medical gowns. “The need to protect our medical teams is heightened – Ford’s gown production could not …
The coronavirus crisis (COVID-19) has made a financial impact on many American households. With more than 1 million worldwide cases and more than 6 million unemployed households, life is hard for many. The economic hardship has many car owners deciding between buying groceries and defaulting on their car loans. Those needing reliable transportation may put …
As of April 9, the total reported cases of coronavirus had reached over one million up to over 1 million. More than 6 million families have become jobless and are barely scraping by when it comes to bills. Many automakers, Kia, Ford, Mitsubishi, Acura, and others are offering deferred payment options at this time. Subaru …
AdventHealth just partnered up with Daytona International Speedway to create a drive-up COVID-19 testing center. The speedway is one multiple sites that are being set up by the healthcare firm. COVID-19 has a significant presence in Florida at the moment, and the speedway has traffic infrastructure in place to handle traffic to the site. 500 …
Reuters is reporting that Nissan will be cutting sales targets by one million units or more for this year. The report claims management at the ailing manufacturer has seen the need to restructure into a smaller company right away. COVID-19 is seen as a huge contributor to the need for the revision. Nissan has had a hard time in the last …
From March to the beginning of April, more than 900,000 people have been affected by the global impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19). Hundreds of thousands of households are financially affected with lost wages unable to pay for bills, groceries, or make car payments. Mitsubishi Motors is doing its part to support vehicle owners and employees in …
The COVID-19 virus is highly contagious, as most people know and is causing many households to struggle economically. Automotive companies, such as Kia, are offering payment relief, incentivized leases, low-interest loan rates, payment deferrals, and more. Kia Offers Customers Three Months Payment Relief An overwhelming amount of families are jobless these days and filled with …
The coronavirus crisis (COVID-19) has made a massive impact in the current world, that is clear. With more than 1 million worldwide cases and more than 6 million unemployed households, life is hard for many. Acura is offering customers several payment relief options due to these trying times. The coronavirus is highly contagious, and without …
In recent weeks, governments and industries around the world have been mobilizing in their fight against COVID-19. If there is one thing people get behind, is that war may eliminate a foe, but viruses can eliminate everybody. Nobody wants that. So, even arch-rival automakers have united behind the purpose of doing what they can to help …
In a recent COVID-19 conversation between two auto enthusiasts about the shortage of respirators, a question came up. The answer to the question was shockingly, and comically automotive based, and somewhat cerebral at times in its depth. The question was, what does a respirator do? The simple answer is that it is a device made …
Online buying services such as Carvana and Vroom have been trying to disrupt the traditional car-buying process for years. The Coronavirus is also a disrupter. The outbreak of the coronavirus may play into a more robust and stable future for the online services as opposed to the traditional car dealerships, at least for the short-term. Get The Lead-In Traditional …
