Daily Archives: July 9, 2014

Flint Michigan ponders bankruptcy

In a June 12, 2014 photo in Flint, Mich., the skyline of the city is seen from the west side. As Detroit hopes to ride out of bankruptcy this year, a smaller Michigan city with a similarly strong bond to the automotive industry soon could drive in. Flint, like its bankrupt big brother an hour’s drive south, has suffered a spectacular drop in population and factory jobs with a corresponding rise in property abandonment and crime. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

By JEFF KAROUB

As Detroit struggles to climb out of bankruptcy, another Michigan city with strong ties to the auto industry may be about to fall into the same hole.

Audi and Mercedes narrow luxury-car sales gap with BMW

Audi’s A3 compact and Mercedes-Benz’s S-class flagship helped the two German automakers narrow their sales gaps with global luxury-car leader BMW in the first half.

Six-month auto sales by BMW’s namesake brand exceeded Audi’s deliveries by 16,997 vehicles compared with a difference of 23,760 a year earlier, according to figures released by the manufacturers this week. BMW’s lead against Mercedes shrank 6 percent to 102,827 cars.

Ford Recalls 100,566 Vehicles Over Safety Defects

Ford Recalls 100,566 Vehicles Over Safety Defects

By Shirley Li

Ford issued six recalls today of 100,566 vehicles in North America for safety defects, adding to this year’s ever-increasing list of auto recalls.

Porsche reports rising demand for plug-in Panamera S-E hybrid

2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid -- Porsche reports rising demand for plug-in Panamera S-E hybrid

Porsche reported an almost 8% increase in sales during the first half of 2014 to 87,800 units. In the first six months, the new Panamera Gran Turismo was especially in demand with around 13,500 units were delivered—a rise of 28%. Also, almost one in ten customers opted for the Panamera S-E plug-in hybrid model.

Luxury Rolls-Royce car sales soar worldwide

FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2013 file photo, models pose beside the Rolls-Royce Canton Glory at the company's booth during Guangzhou 2013 Auto Show in China's southern city of Guangzhou. Britain-based Rolls-Royce on Tuesday, July 8, 2014 said that global sales in the first half of the year were up 33 percent compared with the same period in 2013. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

By GREGORY KATZ and MATTHEW KNIGHT

They are rolling symbols of wealth and excess, starting at $263,000 a pop, with many buyers choosing custom options that can easily double the price. And they are more popular than ever before.