Canadian new vehicle sales in August up 3.1 percent

August new vehicle sales of 158,394 units were up 3.1 percent over the same month a year ago, according to industry analyst, Dennis Desrosiers. Passenger car sales were up 2.2 percent while light truck sales (including minivans) were up 4.2 percent. "This is the highest August sales total in the history of the auto sector in Canada so the liquidity crisis (in the U.S.) does not appear to be affecting Canadian vehicle sales just yet," said Desrosiers. August sales were likely even higher because some Canadians are buying directly from U.S. dealers and these numbers are not included in the official data releases, said Desrosiers. "We don't know how many new vehicles were purchased in the U.S. in any one month but we estimate it to maybe be as high as a couple thousand per month."August was the only month this year where GM, Ford and Chrysler sales collectively picked up market share from the import nameplates, said Desrosiers. Ford was slightly ahead of the market in August with sales up 8.6 percent, Chrysler slightly behind the market with sales up 1.2 percent and GM pretty much at the market with sales up 3.4 percent. Desrosiers attributes fleet sales, deep discounting, and product availability as the reasons for the domestic automaker's improved sales performance. Two of the hottest import brand automakers in 2007 were down in August: Toyota sales were down 5.2% and Mazda down 4.7%. Kia, Mitsubishi and Suzuki however, were on fire in August, up 31.3%, 47.3%, and 26% respectively. The big losers in August were Smart down 38.5%, Saab down 29%, and Volvo down 29.2%.

Fawcett Movie Car Collection to be auctioned in Ontario

The Fawcett Movie Car Collection, touted as "the largest private collection of picture vehicles in the world" - featuring a diverse assortment of classic cars, trucks and special purpose vehicles used in major motion pictures, television shows and commercials over the last 40 years - will be auctioned by RM Auctions, September 14-16 in Enniskillen, Ontario. Over 400 of these collectable vehicles will be offered "without reserve" at this three-day event. Some of the featured stars of the collection include the following:
• 1925 Lincoln 7 Passenger Limousine - used in the movie "Cinderella Man" - starring Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger
• 1925 Hupmobile Roadster - used in the movie "Chicago" - starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere
• 1931 Auburn 8-98 Conv. Coupe - rare convertible rumble-seat model in striking two-tone blue, Lycoming straight 8 engine
• 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Ville - used in the movie "Truth, Justice & The American Way"- starring Ben Affleck and Diane Lane
• 1970 Cadillac Convertible - used in the movie "Evel Knievel" - starring George Hamilton
A complete list of the Fawcett cars and specialty vehicles is available at RMAuctions.com . The Fawcett Movie Car Car Auction event takes place at 1774 Concession Road 7, Enniskillen, Ontario from Sept 14th to 16th, 2007.

Honda Prize 2007 awarded to French surgeon

The Honda Foundation has announced that the Honda Prize 2007 has been awarded to Dr. Philippe Mouret, a French surgeon and pioneer in the field of endoscopic surgery. Dr. Mouret becomes the 28th laureate of the prize. Historically, surgeons relied primarily on open surgery to remove tumors in the abdomen and chest; in 1987, Dr. Mouret successfully removed a patient's gall bladder by using a video-assisted laparoscope. In so doing, he became the first person to use the technique, previously used only for gynaecology, to an area of general surgery. The method was previously thought to be unsafe, but following Dr. Mouret's use, it became the cornerstone for the development of endoscopic surgery. The Honda Foundation's recognition of Dr. Mouret is consistent with his philosophy of "taking pains" to reduce those of patients. The award ceremony will be held in Tokyo in November; the doctor will receive a medal and prize of 10 million yen.

More bad news for Connecticut car dealer

Unusual marketing ploy contributes to problems for dealerships. It’s a mess, that’s for sure. In a move that surprised the turnaround manager brought in to sort things out at Crabtree Dodge and Subaru in Connecticut, the state Department of Motor Vehicles delivered investigative subpoenas for records from the stores, which closed suddenly last month, according to a report in the New Haven Register. The subpoenas seek the records for dealership operations over the last two years. On July 10, state officials filed a lawsuit against the Shelton dealerships alleging almost 300 instances of false and misleading advertising, including phony testimonials. More charges are likely, according to the authorities. Kevin Tierney, of Workout Solutions, Inc., was brought in by the dealership owner to sort the issues. The dealerships made up the Crabtree Auto Mall at 405 Bridgeport Ave. The dealerships ran an unusual marketing campaign over the past 1½ years, under which a customer could buy a car and the dealership would give the buyer a check up front that would cover the entire first year of monthly payments on the car loan. The buyer could then return the car at any time during the first year and the dealership would cancel the debt, assuming fewer than 12,000 miles had been driven and only normal wear and tear was evident.

Washington Lexus Dealer refuses to sell car to customer – because he’s Canadian

There is more to this story than meets the eye. Read on to find out why the dealership turned down an easy sale. Like many Canadians, reports the Canadian Broadcasting Company, Ken Wang, from Calgary, Alberta, planned to take advantage of the strong Canadian dollar and buy a car in the U.S. He intended to trade in his Buick for a new Lexus, figuring he could save as much as $20,000 if he bought the car in the states. But when he contacted a Lexus dealership in Washington state, he made a rare discovery: A car salesman who refused to sell him anything. He was especially surprised as to the reason why: The dealer says his franchise agreement prohibits him from selling to residents of another country. While Mr. Wang may feel he is a victim of discrimination, the practice is not unheard of. There's nothing illegal about the practice. A spokesperson for the Canadian Competition Bureau said it's generally done to foil "arbitragers" — people who buy cars in the U.S. just to bring them back to Canada to sell at an inflated price. Arbitragers stand to make good money by the practice since some U.S. and Canadian car prices are vastly different. For the Lexus ES 350 that Mr. Wang had in mind, he would have saved over $7,000 by buying it in the U.S. A new Honda Accord sedan costs over $3,000 more in Canada than the U.S., with a base price of approximately $24,000 in Canada.

Car Dealer Arrested for Offering Lower Payment for Sex

A Tennessee auto dealer was arrested and charged with patronizing prostitution. He is accused of offering a $100 reduction in the monthly payment for an 18-year-old customer. According to an Associated Press report, Gene Wilson of Wilson Motors in McMinnville, Tennessee made the offer in the process of negotiating the final details of a vehicle purchase. Apparently he was caught on tape saying that he has done this sort of thing many times before. The victim reports that she of course was taken by surprise when the offer was made and immediately left the dealership. Alarmed by what had taken place, she then contacted local police who arranged for her to go back to the dealership wearing a wire. The police monitored her return to the dealership. The 68-year-old Wilson then repeated the offer and claimed that this was a not unusual arrangement. The police then moved in and arrested him. He is free on $1,000 bond. The charge of “patronizing prostitution” is a bit curious, and makes you wonder if some other more serious charge may be in the works. Regardless, Wilson’s troubles may just be beginning.
Will other victims now step forward? And this cannot be good for business. Not to mention the negative press he is receiving, what about the offer to reduce the payment by $100? There may yet be more charges pending on that front as it seems certain that his finance source will not be pleased either.
An AP picture of Wilson shows him as a less-than-fit man of almost 70 years, whose appearance would not qualify him for a cover shot in Gentleman’s Quarterly - more like the “before shot” in a fitness ad in the AARP magazine.