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WEEKLY VIDEO: Understanding child booster seats - IIHS

October 17, 2008: Like a Hurricane – The week that was

by Michael Pistol

Well, well… What a week! Again.
It all started on Monday, when Dow Jones Industrial Average broke all records and rose no less than 937 points, approximating - in one single day - the entire gains for the first 70 years of its history. Now that’s quite a stock market dead cat’s bounce, by any measure… Same day, puff – Sterling Truck brand goes to heaven. By Tuesday, the Canadians, fresh and stuffed after the Thanksgiving weekend, nixed Liberal’s controversial Green Shift – and we get another minority Conservative government. On the 15th, EU leaders commit Euro 2.2-trillion – about US $3 trillion - to rescue European banks. That’s with ‘T’ for trillions. By mid week, oil drops under $70 pbb ($69.15), and the rumors swirling around a possible merger between GM and Chrysler are starting to gain traction. The end of the week brings more negative data: BMO’s Capital Markets / econoFacts: US Manufacturing - Like A Hurricane, and Conference Board of Canada's consumer confidence falls 11.9 points, to 73.9, the lowest level since the early 80’s.
Even the only potential bright spot - Canada-European Union Summit centred on a meeting between Prime Minister Harper, Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso was overshadowed by the global financial situation.

Meanwhile, the stock market (which has lost $25-trillion of wealth, year to date) is so bad, that the joke is Dick Cheney has invited his stockbroker for a hunting trip! Go figure…

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Ipso Facto - Fundamentals October 2008

CONSUMER: Consumer confidence plummets to lowest level since 1982 - Conference Board

After three consecutive months of increases, the index fell 11.9 points to 73.9 (2002=100). That is the lowest level since the third quarter of 1982, when the Canadian economy was mired in a recession...
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RETAIL STRATEGY: "Forget high gas prices. Smart money is in bigger used vehicles”

Looking at the big picture, for the little extra you may pay annually in gas between a four and six cylinder, even a small eight, not only can you buy something more solid, with a smoother ride, more spacious and luxurious, safer...
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INSURANCE: State Farm Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Private Full-Coverage Auto Insurance Providers – J.D.Power and Associates

Despite a high level of public scrutiny and industry focus on premiums, customer service overshadows price as the most important driver of satisfaction among auto and home insurance policyholders...
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ECONOMY: Canada’s Federal Government facing Significant Deficits - TD Economics Special Report

While some of the latest Canadian indicators have been positive, such as September’s astonishing employment surge, it is only a matter of time, and not much time, before the worsening situation in the U.S. economy spills over to Canada...
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RESOURCES 2009

CANADIAN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY RESOURCES

Need results? Meet our industry's key players.
Essential data, contacts, website.

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NEWS - Seven Days___________Oct.18 - Oct.24, 2008

MOBILE MARKETING: Lexus of Canada launches Lexus IS F new mobile site

TIRES: Bridgestone Americas Restructures Tire Operations

BRAND DISCONTINUED: Daimler Trucks North America to terminate Sterling brand. St. Thomas, Ontario plant to close.

INSURANCE: Aegis Mobility Unveil New Technology to Address the Problem of Driving While Distracted

PARADIGM SHIFTS - Open Source for Automotive Business Leadership /October

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Happy Birthday GM!

Fascinating week – don’t you think? The third week of September 2008, will be remembered for a long time, no doubt, and it won’t be much related to September 16 General Motors’s 100 anniversary...
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Creative Destruction - And an update on alternative fuels

While the business world is gripped by venerable banks deathwatch, hair-raising Wall Street’ cliffhangers, Detroit Three’s bailout schemes and oil’s sudden abandonment by your pension plan or investment bank...
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