Oct. 7, 2010 at 11:27 a.m.
Filed under:
Autos
By Sandra M. Jones
Next time you’re stuck in traffic, take the time to count the number of silver and gray cars on the road. Odds are, you are seeing more than ever.
Shades of silver and gray reached a record high in popularity this year, accounting for 31 percent of the 2010 model-year vehicles, according to PPG Industries, the Pittsburgh, Penn.-based commercial coatings manufacturer. That is the highest level since PPG began recording the data in 1990, and is up from 25 percent last year and 20 percent in 2008.
While no one has done a definitive study as to why silver rates as the favorite car shade, the economic downturn could have something to do with it, said Jane Harrington, manager of color styling at PPG offices in Troy, Mich., where PPG is holding its Automotive Color Trend Show. Get the full story »
Oct. 1, 2010 at 10:01 a.m.
Filed under:
Autos,
Recalls,
Updated
A Rolls Royce car at a showroom in London, Oct. 1, 2010. BMW is recalling some of its own brand and Rolls-Royce cars because of a potential braking problem. (Reuters/Paul Hackett)
Bloomberg News | BMW, the world’s biggest maker of luxury cars, said it’s recalling almost 350,800 BMW-brand and Rolls-Royce models worldwide to repair a power-brake system fault.
The voluntary recall involves fixing brake-pressure pumps on 345,000 BMW 5-, 6- and 7-Series models and 5,800 Rolls-Royce cars built from 2002 until 2010, Frank Strebe, a BMW spokesman, said today in a phone interview from the Paris Motor Show. The new version of the 5-Series sedan isn’t affected, he said.
The fault was detected when drivers complained that they needed to push harder on the brake pedal on cars with high mileage, Strebe said. The Munich-based carmaker is telling customers to bring in their vehicles as a “pro-active” measure, and that the fault poses no safety issue, he said, adding that he doesn’t have an estimate of the cost to BMW. Get the full story »
July 12, 2010 at 4:32 p.m.
Filed under:
Autos,
Retail
By McClatchy Tribune Newspapers
A host of mystery shoppers sent to critique dealerships across the country gave luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz and Lexus high marks and put Ford and Lincoln above the industry average.
The study of dealerships, released Monday, also found that fewer salespeople offer vehicle brochures that customers can take home. Only 57 percent of dealerships offer brochures, compared with 62 percent in 2007. Get the full story »
