Nutson's Nuggets: Last Week's (September 3-September 9, 2012) Automotive News

Auto Central Louisville, KY September 9, 2012 Each week Larry Nutson, The Auto Channel's Chicago Bureau Chief, along with Steve Purdy and Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau give you easy to digest nuggets of the past week's automotive news you may have missed.

If you are a car nut like we all are, you can easily "catch up" on these stories as well as the past 16 years 1,351,002 automotive stories, articles, reviews, rants and raves by just searching for the subject you are interested in The Auto Channel's Automotive News Archive. Hey South Florida TV viewers, I know you are enjoying watching The Auto Channel's TACH-TV on channel 44 WHDT-TV Palm Beach (Cable 17 and 438, channel 9 Miami and channel 32 Fort Meyers-Naples, and thanks for the positive feedback...See you next week, LN

Automotive News September 3-9, 2012

* High fuel prices and low interest rates drove August cars sales up 20%. Sales were just under 1.3 million pushing the SAAR to 14.52 million. Chrysler was up 14.1%; Ford, 12.6%, and General Motors, 10.1%. Volkswagen reported its best August since 1973 with sales up 48.2% from a year earlier. Honda (up 59.5%) and Toyota (up 45.6%) continued their rebound from 2011, when they cut production following the March earthquake and tsunami.

* Where have all the Saab owners gone? According to a Polk study Honda picked up the most buyers with Volkswagen a close second. Audi was third followed by Toyota, Chevrolet and Ford. Noteworthy is that across all GM brands, GM picked up the most…or kept them if you will, compared to any other multi-brand company.

* Some of us have been anxiously awaiting the return of Alfa Romeo to the US market, and now it seems to be getting close. We expect to see the sleek little 4C sports coupe at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show with the car being at dealers later in the year. It appears Alfa no longer intends to bring a subcompact based on the Fiat Punto to the U.S.

* The tiny but stylish Fiat 500 is poised to procreate. We'll soon be seeing two different CUV versions, a turbo and an electric. The Fiat 500 Abarth, introduced in April, sold out immediately and is one of the most fun little cars we've reviewed.

* While the auto industry likes to stay out of politics, it became wrapped in plenty of controversy these past two convention weeks. VP candidate, Paul Ryan, got in trouble for implying it was under President Obama's watch, and because of his policies, that the GM plant in his home town was closed for good. Turned out not to be the case at all. Then the Democrats blasted the Republicans mercilessly over the latter's contention that GM and Chrysler should have been left to go belly up.

* In what appears to be a courageous and risky move Ford announced this week plans to sell Mustang and two new SUVs in Europe where the auto market and the whole economy are in serous trouble. GM as well is planning new products in the small SUV segments trying to shore up Opel and Vauxhall sales. In the same breath, a Morgan Stanley analyst recommended that General Motors, which has lost money in Europe for 12 straight years, sell or even close its European operations before they undermine the company’s overall comeback.

* Audi announced this week it has selected a site near San Jose Chiapa, Mexico for a new plant to make the pricey Q5 crossover. It will be exported to markets around the world from the new plant that is near the VW plant building Beetles and Jettas. Some analysts had expected an Audi plant may go in near the new Chattanooga, TN VW plant where Passats are made.

* Big news in auto racing this week: the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and the American Le Mans Series will merge. Details on what that will mean to the business and the technology of the cars will come later and both series will run as they are for 2013. The new series begins in 2014 with the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Auto manufacturers are hailing the unification as it will lower costs and provide an opportunity to compete in one series with one set of rules.

* General Motors is recalling almost 45,000 Chevrolet Sonic subcompacts from the 2012 model year because of a potential flaw with the windshield washers. The problem became known after investigating what seemed like an abnormal number of warranty claims.

* Ford is again recalling the new 2013 Escape this time for an improperly installed part that could cause a fire in the engine compartment. It's the third recall for the new Escape and this one affects 7600 vehicles with the 1.6L engine.

* Remember the double-nickel 55mph national speed limit. Well, in Texas new 85mph speed limit signs are being installed along the new 41-mile stretch of Highway 130 that runs between Austin and San Antonio and opens on November 11.