“Automotive color trends: Silver remains car fans' fave - Detroit Free Press” plus 4 more

Automotive color trends: Silver remains car fans' fave - Detroit Free Press
Wichita Saturn dealer to close - Wichita Eagle
General Motors Fritz Henderson to Deliver Keynote Address at NAFA's ... - PR.com
Vehicle sales crash after August's smashing Cash for Clunkers program - Jackson Clarion-Ledger
PSAL boys soccer roundup: Dioubate leads Adams past Bryant - New York Post

Automotive color trends: Silver remains car fans' fave - Detroit Free Press

Posted: 02 Oct 2009 08:02 PM PDT

When it comes to car colors, most North Americans are pretty conservative, as silver and charcoal remained the most-popular exterior colors for the ninth consecutive year in PPG Industries' annual presentation of color trends.

Silver and charcoal were chosen by one in four new car buyers this year, followed by white (18%), black (16%) and red (12%).

But the real news is how automakers are using different color palettes, depending on the size and styling of a vehicle.

"All manufacturers are focusing more than ever on brands and establishing the distinct characteristics of their own vehicles. One way to do that is with unique colors," said Jane Harrington, PPG manager of color styling and automotive coatings.

For example, as more subcompact cars are introduced, customers will see brighter, bolder colors, partly because a large percentage of those buyers are under 30 and partially because the body designs of smaller cars allow for brighter greens, yellows and blues, she said.

PPG, which is not only a leading supplier of automotive paint but also manages some of its customers' paint shops, is showing off colors it thinks will be popular in 2012 and 2013 model-year cars and trucks.

Harrington is also showcasing what she calls "3D color" by showing how certain combinations of exterior and interior colors can more effectively work together.

While silver, whites and blacks continue to predominate, enhancing effects and tints are being added to these old standbys.

Other colors among the 60 new exterior hues PPG is presenting this week are champagne silver (with a slight copper-beige cast), outer space blue (with a sparkle effect) and haute couture (a sparkled blue mid-coat over a black base coat) and quantum red, an almost neon-like shade for interior applications.

Americans' tastes have changed dramatically in the past 15 years, PPG said. In 1994, green was the most-popular color and only 8% of buyers chose silver.

Contact GREG GARDNER: 313-222-8762 or ggardner@freepress.com

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Wichita Saturn dealer to close - Wichita Eagle

Posted: 02 Oct 2009 11:16 PM PDT

BY JERRY SIEBENMARK

The Wichita Eagle

WICHITA — Saturn of Wichita said in a statement today that the dealership that operates two locations in the city plans to close.

The announcement comes a day after Penske Automotive Group dropped its bid to purchase Saturn from General Motors. GM said Wednesday it would stop manufacturing Saturns and soon close down the brand.

"The recent Penske news came as a large shock to our Saturn of Wichita team members," said the statement, signed by owner Scott Davies.

The statement said Saturn of Wichita's service employees will move to the Scholfield Automotive Group and that Saturn owners could get their cars serviced at Scholfield Buick GMC at 7633 E. Kellogg or at Scholfield Hyundai at 757 N. Tyler.

Saturn factory warranties and warranty claims will continue to be honored at Scholfield, the statement said.

The statement said the dealership will release a closing date once it's been set.

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General Motors Fritz Henderson to Deliver Keynote Address at NAFA's ... - PR.com

Posted: 02 Oct 2009 11:59 PM PDT

Detroit, MI, October 03, 2009 --(PR.com)-- NAFA Fleet Management Association is proud to announce that Frederick (Fritz) Henderson, President and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors, will kick off NAFA's 2010 Institute & Expo by delivering a keynote address on Sunday, April 25, in Detroit, Michigan. The I&E is NAFA's annual meeting, bringing together more than 2,000 fleet industry professionals for four days of education, trade show experience, and networking. Henderson's keynote address is expected to discuss the future of GM and the role that fleets will play in the automotive industry the next five years.

Henderson was elected GM President and Chief Executive Officer in March 2009. He started his career at General Motors in 1984 as a Senior Analyst and was promoted to several positions of increasing responsibility until becoming GMAC Group Vice President of Finance in Detroit in 1992. He went on to serve as President of GM Latin America, Africa, and Middle East; President of GM Asia Pacific; and Chairman of GM Europe. Prior to his current position, Henderson had been GM President and Chief Operating Officer since March 2008 and was Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer from January 2006 to March 2008. Henderson is a native of Detroit.

The 2010 Institute & Expo coincides with the rebirth of the American car industry. Since many within NAFA's Membership source the majority of their vehicles from the Detroit Three (GM, Chrysler, and Ford), and primarily General Motors, the Association is very excited to have Henderson speak at I&E.

"NAFA is extremely honored to have Fritz Henderson deliver the keynote address at our annual conference," said NAFA's Executive Director, Phillip E. Russo, CAE. "This is a critical time for the automotive industry and Mr. Henderson is one of the key executives behind the revitalization and future of GM. We are pleased that GM's highest-ranking official recognizes the value of the fleet customer in general, and of NAFA specifically, and is making time to address our group."

The I&E will be held April 24-27, 2010 marking the first time NAFA has ever held its annual conference in Detroit. The 2010 I&E includes several enhancements designed to guarantee that the conference remains the industry's leading event of the year. Over 60 hours of fleet training, education, and workshops will take advantage of revised scheduling to offer attendees a better use of their time; popular events such as the Public Safety Roadeo, Ride-and-Drive, and Green Zone will return along with a new and improved Expo Floor featuring more than 150 companies showcasing their products and services; and top fleet industry awards by NAFA, Automotive Fleet, Business Fleet, and Fleet Financials will be presented during the conference as well.

Media registration opens January 15, 2010. The keynote address by Henderson will be open to all credentialed members of the press. Future I&E locations include Charlotte (2011), St. Louis (2012), and Atlantic City (2013). For more information, visit http://www.nafaIandE.org

About NAFA Fleet Management Association
NAFA (formerly known as the National Association of Fleet Administrators) is the world's premier non-profit association for professionals who manage fleets of sedans, public safety vehicles, trucks, and buses of all types and sizes, and a wide range of military and off-road equipment for organizations across the globe. NAFA is the association for the diverse vehicle fleet management profession regardless of organizational type, geographic location or fleet composition. NAFA's Full and Associate Members are responsible for the specification, acquisition, maintenance and repair, fueling, risk management, and remarketing of more than 3.5 million vehicles including in excess of 1.1 million trucks of which 350 thousand are medium- and heavy-duty trucks. For more information visit http://www.nafa.org

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Vehicle sales crash after August's smashing Cash for Clunkers program - Jackson Clarion-Ledger

Posted: 02 Oct 2009 08:31 PM PDT

The buoyant highs of August's auto sales, spurred by the Cash for Clunkers trade-in program, transformed in September back into the hard reality most automakers and car dealers have felt during the economic downturn.

Automakers on Thursday generally reported significant sales drops from August to September as they couldn't sustain the momentum generated by the clunkers program into September.

"It was a tough month. We're glad October is here," said Doug Wilson, president of Wilson Auto Group, which operates Hyundai and Kia dealerships in Flowood. "We were really hoping to continue that (Cash for Clunkers) momentum."

General Motors saw the number of vehicles sold drop from 246,679 in August to 156,673 in September, as the trade-in program ended.

Nissan, which operates an assembly plant in Canton, reported 55,393 vehicles sold in September versus 105,312 in August. Toyota, whose Blue Springs plant is on indefinite hold, saw sales drop from 225,088 in August to 126,015 in September.

"It's been experienced everywhere," says Cliff Mitchell, general manager of Watson Quality Ford in Jackson and Watson Quality Hyundai in Canton. "(Dealers) saw a slowdown in sales."

His own sales dropped about 48 percent in September from August. While the economy is showing some signs that a recovery is in the offing, Mitchell says it doesn't seem to have translated yet into more consumer confidence in buying new vehicles.

Jessica Caldwell, a senior industry analyst for the automotive Web site Edmunds.com, noted many automakers seemed to stress year-over-year September sales Wednesday, since steep monthly drops were bound to occur in September since the clunker program ended.

Nissan, for example, showed just a 7 percent sales decline from September 2008 to last month.

Jack Herrin, dealer principal for Jackson's Herrin-Gear Autoplex, said his sales could drop by as much as 35 percent from August to September.

But he says it's not just the clunker program's end that's contributing. He said September typically is not a strong sales month for his dealerships, as the end of summer driving season and the start of school means fewer people looking for vehicles.

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PSAL boys soccer roundup: Dioubate leads Adams past Bryant - New York Post

Posted: 02 Oct 2009 10:40 PM PDT

Morisanda Dioubate scored twice, Rodolfo Paguada assisted on both tallies and Willian Benitez made nine saves as John Adams held off William Bryant, 2-1, in PSAL Queens A West boys soccer Friday afternoon. The Spartans (6-2-0), who avenged a loss last Sunday to the Owls (4-2-1), extended their lead in the division to five points.

Long Island City 2, Aviation 0: Angel Martinez and Nikolaos Orsaris each scored once and Wilfrido Valentinmade made five saves for the shutout for Long Island City (3-3-1) in Queens A West. Aviation is 1-4-2.

Columbus 3, DeWitt Clinton 0: Michael Asante scored twice and Alhoussain Bah added a goal and two assists for Columbus (6-1-0), who won its fourth straight in Bronx A. DeWitt Clinton is 1-4-2.

FDR 1, Sheepshead Bay 0: Mario Barbosa scored the match's only goal, Valentyn Kharko had the assist and Robert Pico registered the clean sheet for FDR (3-2-2) in Brooklyn A West. Sheepshead Bay is 0-7-0.

Fort Hamilton 2, Lincoln 2: Robert Pierre and Romaine Purcell each had a goal and an assists for Lincoln (3-2-2) in Brooklyn A West. Fort Hamilton is 4-1-2.

Tottenville 3, Port Richmond 0: Allan Tarkatchev, Cihan Yildiz and Ruzhdi Alibegu each scored once and Damien Vuotto made seven saves for his fourth shutout of the year for Tottenville (7-0-1) in Staten Island A. Port Richmond is 3-5-0.

Curtis 8, New Dorp 0: Eduardo Bravo and Brayan Evo each scored twice and Camilo Vallejo had two assists for Curtis (6-1-1). New Dorp is 3-5-0.

CLASS B

Beach Channel 5, Jamaica 2: Carlos Mejia scored four goals, upping his city-leading total to 20, and Jose Baires had two helpers for Beach Channel (7-1-0) in Queens B-I. Jamaica, the defending Class B city champions, fell to 2-5-1.

Martin Van Buren 4, Far Rockaway 0: Cheval Howell had two goals and Olayinka Adekeye and Peterson Jean also struck once for Martin Van Buren (7-0-1) in Queens B-I. Far Rockaway is 4-4-0.

August Martin 8, Queens HS of Teaching 0: Necko Armstrong had four goals and an assist and Juanoy Drysdale chipped in two goals and an assist for August Martin (2-5-1). QHST is 1-6-1.

Telecommunications 9, Secondary School 0: Luis Varela had a hat trick and Christina Chirinos scored twice for Telecommunications (5-5-0) in Brooklyn B South. Secondary School is 2-7-0.

Automotive 3, Grand Street Campus 3: Juan Ortiz, Victor Dorismond and Omar Alkasimi each had a goal for Grand Street Campus (4-1-2) in Brooklyn B North. Automotive is 2-3-1.

Bard 11, Health Professions 1: Alex Muyl had four goals and Gabriel Wirz two for Bard (7-0-0) in Manhattan B-I. Health Professions is 0-6-1.

OTHER SCORES

Bushwick 2, Transit Tech 1

Washington Irving 6, Bayard Rustin 1

Springfield Gardens 3, Campus Magnet 1

zbraziller@nypost.com