Final Edition - Thursday Jan 31, 2019 NADA Auto News Wrap-up - New Car Sales OK, Ghosn Interview, UAW Vs. GM, VW EV DB

Final Edition End-of-Day Auto News Recap

Despite the government shut down that cost the U.S. economy roughly $6 billion since Christmas, according to economists estimates, early indicators suggest new vehicle sales are expected to inch up in January, compared with year-ago results. “The current posture of the U.S. economy is strong,” NADA Senior Economist Patrick Manzi said at a press briefing during the NADA Show in San Francisco.
Source: The Detroit Bureau

Nissan’s former chairman Carlos Ghosn, in his first interview since his arrest in November, blamed fellow executives opposed to forging closer ties with the automaker’s French alliance partner Renault for scheming against him, the Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported Wednesday.
Source: The Associated Press

The UAW is increasing its efforts to persuade General Motors not to end production at four U.S. plants in 2019. The union this week released two videos on social media, with promises of more videos and other efforts on the way, according to UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg.
Source: Automotive News

Volkswagen is going back to the future with a ‘60s-tinged concept coming to the Geneva Motor Show in a little more than a month. The show car is modelled after the classic dune buggies that hit American roads and beaches back in the 1960s and 1970s.
Source: The Detroit Bureau