TTAC News Round-up: Ford Soothes Investors, Dodge Gets Its DiCaprio Moment, and Kentucky Aims for Volkswagen's Center Mass

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Ford is doing so well, you’d be a damn fool to ever think of not investing in Ford, says Ford.

That, hiring a crop of cranky old people paid off for Dodge, Kentucky joins the let’s-sue-Volkswagen party, Honda gets a Hoosier boost, and ethanol continues to suck … after the break!

Big Blue isn’t leaking green

Hey, whoa, where do you think you’re going?

Ford Motor Company is looking to calm investors who worry that people will stop buying cars, causing the money to run out at the Big Blue Oval, Automotive News reports:

Investors traded down Ford shares 3.1 percent this year through yesterday on concern that the U.S. auto expansion has peaked and earnings will be pressured. Ford, which reported record pretax profit of $10.8 billion for last year, is viewed as vulnerable to repeating its near-death experience of seven years ago when it had to close plants, cut thousands of jobs and mortgage all its assets to get life-saving loans.

Not so fast, said Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks.

Ford could now break even financially if annual U.S. auto sales fell to 11 million, a 37 percent decline from last year’s record 17.5 million cars and light trucks, Shanks said.

You heard the man. Call your broker right now.

You like me, you really like me!

The 2015 Superbowl commercial that marked Dodge’s 100th birthday by featuring a crop of bad-ass Centenarians was last year’s top automotive ad, reports Automotive News:

Neilson placed the ad, titled “Wisdom,” in the top spot based on an online survey of five million TV watchers.

The weathered — yet still vibrant — faces of the centenarians provided compelling imagery, said Mark Sneathen, managing director of Nielsen Automotive. The ad stirs emotion as well, he said, making it especially impactful in memory formation.

The ad started out as a press conference video shown at the 2014 New York Auto Show, before it found new life as a viral Internet video. Executives at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles knew they had something good, so they decided to air it during the most-watched event of the year.

You’ll pay … Oh, you’ll pay: Kentucky

The state of Kentucky has filed suit against Volkswagen and its luxury divisions, claiming it violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act with its its emissions-rigged vehicles, Reuters reports:

“Volkswagen must be held accountable for its false and misleading promotion and sales of its vehicles in the Commonwealth,” [Kentucky Attorney General Andy] Beshear said in a statement.

Beshear’s suit filed in Franklin Circuit Court also names VW’s Porsche and Audi units and seeks civil penalties for violations of the state’s Consumer Protection Act and an injunction barring similar future practices by the company.

Volkswagen hasn’t responded to the suit. Kentucky now joins four other states that are suing the automaker for installing a defeat device in its diesel vehicles designed to fool emissions-testing procedures.

Honda drops money on CR-V facility

Honda Manufacturing of Indiana really likes making its cars in the Hoosier state, so much so that it’s planning a $52 million investment in its Greensburg production facility, reports the Indianapolis Star:

The jobs and investment will support the production of the Honda CR-V, which the company announced in January would be moved to Indiana from Mexico …

“This new investment in our Indiana facility will enhance our manufacturing flexibility and better position Honda to meet customer demand for our lineup of innovative and fuel-efficient passenger cars and light trucks,” said Bob Nelson, president of Honda Manufacturing of Indiana.

Honda says 100 new jobs will be created at the facility, which began producing the Civic in 2008.

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Zoomzoomfan Zoomzoomfan on Mar 23, 2016

    I must say, I find it funny that Kentucky is concerned about the emission-defeat devices in the Volkswagens when the state itself doesn't even have vehicle inspections to begin with. But, there aren't really rolling death traps everywhere like one would suppose. I for one am glad we don't have inspections because there's no way my truck would pass right now...

    • See 3 previous
    • Rocketrodeo Rocketrodeo on Mar 23, 2016

      @MrGrieves Kentucky: the only state to join the Confederacy AFTER the war.

  • SCE to AUX SCE to AUX on Mar 23, 2016

    Ethanol question: What fuel is specified for the EPA's MPG and emissions test protocols? Pure gasoline (now rare), E10 (which is very common), and/or E85 on those vehicles so equipped? Summer or winter blend? You see, bloggers quarrel over 0-60 times, actual vs EPA MPG ratings, and driveability issues, but I've never given much thought to the differences fuel could make - amongst all the other variables.

    • Scoutdude Scoutdude on Mar 23, 2016

      The only fuel allowed for non diesel vehicle for EPA certification is E0. The fact that different cars loose different percentages of mpg on E10 is one reason that some cars just can't meet those estimates while others can. The estimates for using E85 are purely calculated from the E0 numbers and the difference in BTU's per gallon. That is why mfgs who spend the time to properly engineer their FFVs typically beat their E85 estimates and those that do it purely to get the CAFE struggle to meet their E85 estimates.

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