Filed under: Time Warp, Wagons/Estates, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Saab

The Sixties really was a happier time - sleeping in the back of your car was such a fine thing to do that automakers even advertised their wares that were capable of accommodating their slumbering owners.

This 1961 commercial for the Saab’s Ur-Sportcombi 95 - “Your new dream car” - has that going for it and so much more, including titchy cargo-area seats for the kids like the Tesla Model S. To see what life - and Saab - used to be like when “leech-like” handling was all the rage, follow the jump for to watch the video.

[Source: TurboNines]

Continue reading VIDEO: Vintage Saab 95 is a first-class hotel room with aircraft quality

VIDEO: Vintage Saab 95 is a first-class hotel room with aircraft quality originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hyundai

Hyundai is piling on additional incentives to boost its Assurance program as the industry heads into the dog days of summer. The newest promotion, Gas Lock, fixes the price of regular unleaded at $1.49 per gallon for the next year. The program runs July 1 through August 31, and eligible vehicles include the Accent, Sonata, Tiburon, Elantra, Elantra Touring, Entourage, Azera, Santa Fe, Tucson and Veracruz. Customers choosing to utilize Gas Lock will forgo $1,000 in available rebates, making the incentive a gamble that gas prices will remain high.

Hyundai Assurance struck at cord with the American public when it offered payment protection in the event of job loss. Now Hyundai is looking to give consumers increased peace of mind over of the volatility of gas prices, which have swung from under $2 a gallon a few months ago to nearly $3 at the beginning of summer.

John Krafcik, CEO and president of Hyundai Motor America, says the company’s research shows that “nearly 40% of potential new car buyers are staying out of the market specifically due to uncertainty around future gas prices.”

You may remember that last year, Chrysler tried a similar promotion, offering the opportunity to lock in gas at $2.99 per gallon when a gallon of petrol was at an all-time high of about $4.50. The move didn’t appear to be very successful for the Pentastar, as most opted to instead take the upfront cash on the hood. Hit the jump to pour over the particulars of Hyundai’s Gas Lock promotion, watch the two commercials, and let us know in the comments section if you feel customers would be better off taking the $1,000 or one year of $1.49 gasoline.

[Source: Hyundai | Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty]

Continue reading New Hyundai Assurance provision locks gas at $1.49/gal for one year [w/VIDEO]

New Hyundai Assurance provision locks gas at $1.49/gal for one year [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Economy, Euro, Green, Marketing/Advertising, Safety, Hatchbacks, FIAT

We’ve seen some pretty cool advertising in our time, but a new European marketing campaign from Fiat is surely one of the more memorable efforts from an automaker in recent memory. In an effort to underscore the safety of its diminutive 500 - both to its occupants and the animals we share our planet with - the Italian automaker has unleashed a new series of images depicting the retro hatchback in various crash test scenarios.

The interesting part comes from the car’s occupants, which includes a panda bear, a walrus (goo goo g’joob) and a couple of penguins. Equally as clever is the tagline, “Engineered for a lower impact on the environment,” after which the ad reminds the viewer that Fiat - with 133.7 grams of C02 per kilometer on average - is the brand with the lowest carbon emissions in all of Europe.

[Source: Fubiz.net via Jalopnik]

PETA Alert: Fiat underscores eco-friendliness using unique advertising campaign originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Humor

TBS will be airing The World’s Funniest Commercials 2009 tonight (Friday, June 26) at 9/8c. We’ve joined forces with the team behind finding and collecting the most gut busting television advertisements in the world to share with you some of the funniest car commercials that aired this year.

We’ll start with this one from a company called Hydro, the message of which is apparently to encourage young people to enter the field of engineering. Turns out, engineering can be a useful way to keep a group of bored little kids entertained in the summer, all at the expense of Dad and his 5 Series Touring. Follow the jump to watch the commercial and check out more funny adverts at veryfunnyads.com.

[Source: veryfunnyads.com]

Continue reading Funny Car Commercial of the Day: Remote Control Dad’s Car

Funny Car Commercial of the Day: Remote Control Dad’s Car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Convertibles, Marketing/Advertising, Ford

Click above to view the video after the jump

Most of us take for granted the ability to enjoy driving cars. Whether it’s with a clunker or a supercar, there is a wonderful freedom that comes with getting behind the wheel of an automobile. No one knows that more than Roger Keeney, a man from Athens, GA who lost his sight twenty years ago. As we reported earlier, Keeney caught Ford’s attention with his application for the ‘10 Unleashed’ program, and decided to fulfill his dream of driving a Mustang. Ford had the cameras rolling during the whole thing, and will be posting a series of videos on the 2010 Mustang web site. Both the trailer and chapter one have already been released, and we’ve embedded them after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading VIDEO: Ford previews blind man unleashing inner Mustang

VIDEO: Ford previews blind man unleashing inner Mustang originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Coupes, Contests, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford

For the second installment of Ford’s “The ‘10 Unleashed” contest, the Mustang is going to the drag strip. Last time, Ford gave a blind man the opportunity to drive, and this time around, a kid fresh out of high school is going up against one of his teachers in the quarter-mile. Derek Murrell just graduated from Lake Mary High School north of Orlando, Florida, a school where his auto shop teacher Bill Rosenblum apparently loved to share his drag racing exploits with his students.

Being a typical teenager, Murrell wanted to show up his elders and compete with Rosenbleum at the track. Since Ford is heavily promoting the 2010 Mustang in motorsports, the automaker decided to give him the chance to win a new Mustang GT. Of course, to to do that Murrell would have to do more than write a contest entry - he’d have to outrun a more experienced racer.

The teenage would-be racer had his first competitive run during the National Mustang Racing Association meet at Michigan’s Milan Dragway. Luckily for us, the NMRA event took place concurrent with last week’s Ford Racing Invitational, and we got to spend a few minutes chatting with Murrell. Check out the video of our interview with him after the jump.

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Second winner in Mustang Unleashed contest drag races teacher on Pinks [w/VIDEO]

Second winner in Mustang Unleashed contest drag races teacher on Pinks [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Sports/GTs, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Supercars, Saleen, Special/Limited Editions

Concours Supercars retail store - Click above for high-res gallery

AB regulars will note that we just reported on the re-opening of the car-lover’s dream store at the Irvine Spectrum in Southern California. We told you how the former Saleen Store had re-opened under the banner of Concours Supercars, keeping much of the original shop’s charms, but replacing all of the Saleen merchandise with multiple brands of auto-minded clothing, apparel and toys. One nod to the store’s former owner was the Saleen Mustang parked inside. Well, cancel those plans to visit if you’ve already made them. The store is no more.

The Orange County Register is reporting that the parent operation, Concours Supercars, has already shut the store’s doors. Spokeswoman Kelly Rose Pion says the Irvine Spectrum location closed on June 17, about two months after it had opened because of “issues” with the company’s main facility in Anaheim. Concours Supercars has had to “alter its business operations,” according to Pion, and that meant closing the Irvine Concours Supercars store.

Last we checked, the sign was still up and there was still merchandise on the shelves, so we’ll have to see what comes next for this prime bit of retail space in the heart of car crazy SoCal. It’s just a stone’s throw from the weekly Cars & Coffee meet, and we even spotted a familiar face outside the store last time by: None other than Steve Saleen was there with two SMS Challengers and his daughter Molly in her Molly Pop pink Saleen Mustang. Might Steve be considering another go at it? We’ll keep you posted.

Gallery: Concours Supercars Retail Store

Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: The Orange County Register]

Curiously quick Concours closure creates consternation originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Toyota

By now, we’ve all probably seen the commercials from Toyota’s latest marketing campaign for the 2010 Prius hybrid… and we’ve all probably developed an opinion about them. Any time an advertising campaign is as interesting and different as this one, there are bound to be opposing viewpoints either favoring or strongly disliking them.

Fortunately for Toyota, it seems that more people like the commercials for the 2010 Prius than not. In fact, Toyota’s “Harmony” spot topped Nielsen’s Top 10 Most-Liked New Ads list in May, and the “MPG” commercial came in at #3. For what it’s worth, an advertisement for Coke came in at #2.

If you’ve somehow managed to miss these commercials on television since the campaign was launched back in May, we’ve pasted three of them after the break for your viewing pleasure. Oh, if you don’t like the American marketing campaign, there’s always the Japanese commercials with Superman - or better still, check out Casual Mafia’s “In My Prius” sendup.

[Source: Advertising Age via Prius Chat]

Continue reading REPORT: Toyota Prius ad campaign most liked by TV viewers (w/VIDEO)

REPORT: Toyota Prius ad campaign most liked by TV viewers (w/VIDEO) originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: China, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, Toys, Lifestyle

var digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/movies/Chinese_Transformers_enthusiasts_parade_their_own_Bumblebees’; Less than one week before Transformers 2: Rise of the Fallen goes into wide release in China, fans of the morphing vehicle-turned-robot movie franchise took to the streets of Beijing in full Bumblebee regalia.

What looks to be a well-organized event was put on by website Autohome.com.cn, and it appears that they even managed to get General Motors’ Chevrolet division in on the act, with a new Bumblebee-spec Camaro to lead the procession of like-painted fan cars.

We’re not sure we’d go with the yellow-and-black stripes treatment on our own rides, but we remain impressed with both the dedication and the sheer variety of cars that have been given the ‘Full Bumblebee,’ including a couple of new Cruze sedans and a passel of Aveos, a Ford Focus, a Suzuki Swift and an SX4, a Citroen C4 - even a Mark II Volkswagen Golf. Check out the high-res photo gallery after the jump, and be sure to click on the link below for even more shots of the event. Thanks for the tip, Joe!

[Source: Autohome.com.cn via Google Translate]

We Are All Bumblebee: Beijing Transformers fans gather to celebrate Revenge of the Fallen originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising

High unemployment and plunging revenue for businesses has been toughest on the state of Michigan. Even the wildly popular Woodward Dream Cruise has been hit by the region’s economic despair. Several sponsors have reportedly dropped out, and some participating cities have scaled back their participation in light of budget shortfalls.

In an effort to raise more money for the Dream Cruise, the classic car extravaganza will take on a new name for 2009. The cruise will now be called the Woodward Dream Cruise presented by the MotorCity Casino Hotel. The casino, which is owned by the Detroit-based Ilitch family (Little Caesers/Detroit Tigers/Red Wings owners) is increasing its sponsorship profile in order to attach its name to the event. With over one million people from all over the world attending the event, the sponsorship will also give the casino some big-time exposure. The Detroit News is reporting that Dream Cruise officials are still looking to obtain two more sponsors in advance of the event’s August 15 date. Good luck with that, fellas.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Cashing In: Woodward Dream Cruise gets new name originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Coupes, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Kia

Kia came strong with some good looking hardware when it introduced the production Koup in New York. The Koup is a stylish, fun-looking two-door that will likely draw the attention of the much coveted younger car buyer demographic. To seed the minds of said youngins, Kia is embarking on the prerequisite pre-launch ad blitz that starts with a single commercial.

Beyond the jump is the first commercial offering to tout the wares of the all-new Kia Koup. While the car may look ready for action, we’re not quite so sure about this 30 second spot. The theme? Two. As in two doors. We kinda thought that calling the Forte-variant the Koup was more than enough of a hint for customers that it was, in fact, a coupe. On the bright side, the Koup looks as good in moving pictures as it does on the New York Auto Show. Hit the jump to judge from yourself, and let us know what you think of the ad in the comments. Thanks for the tip, Christian!

[Source: Paultan]

Continue reading VIDEO: First Kia Koup commercial hits the interwebs

VIDEO: First Kia Koup commercial hits the interwebs originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Marketing/Advertising, Toyota

The third generation Toyota Prius is just ramping up its marketing mojo, and one place you’ll see plenty of the gold standard hybrid is at the gas pump. Toyota is hooking up with Gas Station TV to present “Prius Neighborhood” television program to the over 1 million unique pumpers viewers that stare at the company’s pump-mounted LCD screens while they fuel up.

Prius Neighborhood is the latest effort to intertwine social media with traditional communication tools. Anyone can submit grassroots and community events via the GSTV website, and select events will actually appear at the pump, sandwiched between ads for the 50 mpg hybrid.

Those interested in following events on Prius Neighborhood can do so on Facebook, as well as Twitter at @GSTVevents. The site contains a calender of charity and community events searchable by zip code, and some of the events will be chosen for airing. GSTV airs in over 1,000 gas stations in the US, hitting 22 of the 25 top markets. Hit the jump to view the official press release after the jump.

[Source: IT News Online]

Continue reading Get ready to see more Priuses at the pump in your neighborhood this summer

Get ready to see more Priuses at the pump in your neighborhood this summer originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, GM

Michael Jackson was hired by General Motors in 2000. In 2006, he was made the VP of marketing and advertising. Less than a year later, he retired. In a recent column in Automotive News, he wrote a commentary calling on the bankrupt automaker to “overhaul marketing,” saying “GM needs passion and creativity - not incentives.” Now, in an interview with Advertising Age, he says that GM’s bureaucracy doused the fire of innovation.

His specific indictments were that “U.S. operations have too many layers for approval of ads,” that GM is a “bureaucracy of meetings culture,” that GM put “engineers and finance people with no marketing training in key marketing positions,” and that GM doesn’t “treat its ad agencies like partners but rather as vendors. If an agency doesn’t fall in line with the marketer’s demands, the client threatens to move the business.” That turned agencies into factory stampers that would “present work they know will get approved, not cool, risky creative.”

We can all see how that could have been true at GM. Yet before anyone aims the truncheon at GM, as one of the Ad Age article commenters wrote, “Mike Jackson’s comments are emblematic of many large, lumbering companies that place process above performance.” Anyone who understands the comic strip Dilbert knows exactly what Jackson speaks of. If his sentiments are accurate, it doesn’t excuse what GM has become, but it’s certainly fair to say that the automaker is far from alone. The point of bankruptcy is to let GM start over. Hat tip to Grahm!

[Source: Advertising Age]

Ex-VP of marketing says GM is “so bureaucratic it stifles all passion and creativity” originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Buick, GM

Surviving the initial bankruptcy shakedown, yet still struggling to stay afloat, the Buick division of General Motors is introducing a new advertising campaign starting this weekend - adding to the handful of all-new campaigns it has launched since 2002. The new offensive, aimed directly at the intended audience of baby-boom drivers, carries the theme “Take a look at me now.”

Before you start humming that familiar Phil Collins song, GM wants to assure all of us that we are heading down the wrong path. After all, Mr. Collins actually named his hit “Against All Odds” (and it served as the title song for an Eighties movie bearing that same name). This is a different agenda, unrelated to the song, conceptualized by the company’s hired ad agency to drive traffic into the showrooms and get warm bodies behind the wheel. This campaign delivers a pointed approach, says GM. We’ll buy it… until they tell us next year’s ad campaign is “Take me home.”

[Source: The New York Times]

Against all odds, Buick to say: “Take a look at me now” originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Chrysler, LLC., FIAT, Humor

Chrysler and General Motors have been on the receiving end of more than a few skits by late show comedians recently, and new Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien took his latest shot at the Pentastar’s tie-up with Fiat. O’Brien’s latest gag is a mock Fiat-created Chrysler commercial for the Jeep Liberty.

The spot itself features a voice-over of a man with a thick Italian accent talking about how great the Liberty is on- or off-road, or even just driving in a circle. Hit the jump to view the video for yourself. Thanks for the tip, Jacob!

[Source: The Tonight Show]

Continue reading VIDEO: Conan shows off first Fiat/Chrysler commercial

VIDEO: Conan shows off first Fiat/Chrysler commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, BMW

Following on the heels of Mercedes-Benz launching an updated bicycle line, rival BMW has done the same thing. Bimmer’s pedal power lineup isn’t quite as extensive in terms of styles as the one from Stuttgart, with the new models consisting of a pair of adult-size cruising bikes targeted at day trippers, along with a little machine for youngsters.

The cruiser features a hydroformed aluminum frame. Hydroforming is a technique commonly used for shaping tubular structures like truck and car frames. A metal tube is placed inside a mold and then filled with pressurized oil until it conforms to the mold. The result is a strong, yet lightweight structure. The 27-speed Cruiser is designed for comfortable long distance riding and it starts at €849 ($1,200 USD).

BMW’s so-called Kidsbike is designed to help tikes go from developing basic coordination on two wheels to full fledged riding. As shipped, the bike has no chain or pedals installed for the youngest kids. However, included in the box are a chain and pedal set that are easily installed for when the child is ready. Official press releases are after the jump.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW introduces new pedal power machines

BMW introduces new pedal power machines originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Videos

Ah, viral marketing. We have this modern form of guerilla advertising to thank for so many funny You Tube videos. The latest comes courtesy of Red Bull via its Red Bull Racing NASCAR team. The pit crew along with driver Brian Vickers were forced to pit in an unusual location this week when the car required a tire change outside of the McDonald’s in Times Square. Hey, when a driver needs new rubber, he needs new rubber, tourists be damned. so the RBR pit crew performed a full donut swap right there on the street in Times Square. Hundreds of onlookers stood in amazement at the site of a car actually finding a space to park in Times Square, even it was for only 20.6 seconds. Follow the jump to view this NASCAR craziness for yourself. Thanks for the tip, phil!

[Source: YouTube

Continue reading VIDEO: Red Bull Racing performs full NASCAR pit stop in Times Square

VIDEO: Red Bull Racing performs full NASCAR pit stop in Times Square originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, GM, Lifestyle

Bankruptcy is often not a clear-the-books-and-start-over process, but a continuation of one’s troubles with people still piling on top of a business on its knees. Evan Dando, founder of alt-rock band The Lemonheads, is the latest to throw himself onto the GM scrum.

The songwriter is suing General Motors for allegedly copying the group’s song It’s a Shame About Ray for a series of Chevy and Buick commercials from 2008. Dando is said to be seeking damages and a share of the profits from the campaign. You can check out the commercials with the alleged ditty swipe after the jump.

[Sources: The Associated Press (via Google); YouTube | Image: Saltlick]

Continue reading It’s a Shame: Songwriter Evan Dando reportedly suing GM over music copyright [w/VIDEO]

It’s a Shame: Songwriter Evan Dando reportedly suing GM over music copyright [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Trends, Hybrids/Alternative, Trucks/Pickups, Marketing/Advertising, Volkswagen

Remember when Volkswagen just named their cars for different winds? Scirocco, Jetta, Corrado, Santana - they all had a certain clean, sweeping quality about them, even if it wasn’t immediately clear where the names came from. More recently, however, VW has gone further afield, invoking cryptic names like Touareg (a nomadic Saharan tribe) and Tiguan (Tiger + Iguana). Add this to the list: Amarok.

That’s the official name for VW’s forthcoming overseas market pickup truck. According to the automaker’s press release, Amarok means “wolf” in the language of the hearty, frigid-dwelling Inuit. Alternatively, VW says the appelation “translates into ‘he loves stones’ in the languages spoken in South America.” We’ll have to take their word for it, but we can certainly see some sort of stoning at work here.

For its part, Volkswagen actually hasn’t unveiled the production version of the Amarok yet, although it did display the fetching concept version (labeled simply as ‘Concept Pickup’) seen here at last September’s IAA Commercial Vehicles Show in Hanover, Germany, and a prototype example was even spotted running around the Nürburgring in April.

In any case, VW promises the Amarok will launch as a double-cab, four-wheel drive pickup, with a smaller single-cab variant to follow. Built in Argentina, the diesel pickup will hit South America early next year, with Central America coming on stream in the spring, followed by Russia, Europe, Africa, and Australia. As expected, North America isn’t in the model’s plans at this time. Check out the full press release after the jump.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Volkswagen continues inscrutable naming practice with new Amarok pickup

Volkswagen continues inscrutable naming practice with new Amarok pickup originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Hyundai

The Hyundai Assurance program may well go down as the most innovative and perhaps successful marketing campaign of 2009. The program was so perfect for our economic times that General Motors and Ford eventually followed suit with very similar offers. But according to The New York Times, Hyundai’s marketing magic may have worn out with the South Korean automaker’s newest offer - an incentive that sounds great until you dig just beneath the surface.

The new Hyundai campaign promises to pay customers during the first six vehicle payments on any model purchased before June 30. As you likely already know, the payment paradigm usually works the other way around, and the new Hyundai plan sounds like a real winner for the customer. In fact, though, the payment basically takes the place of a lump sum cash incentive that would normally be due at signing. That’s right, we’re talking about the repackaging of existing customer rebates. In this case, you get six small payments (on a Visa card) spread out over six months instead of one big rebate that you would traditionally receive up front. When considering the fact that the standard lump sum rebate can often be used to lower your car payments - while also taking a bite out of interest payments through the life of the loan - we’ll take our rebates the old fashioned way.

[Source: The New York Times via Kicking Tires]

New Hyundai ‘We pay you for buying our cars’ campaign really just deferred incentives? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler, LLC., Ford, Earnings/Financials

Ford is primed to receive a bump in sales as a result of the bankruptcies of General Motors and Chrysler, and the Dearborn-based automaker is picking and choosing where to take share from its domestic competition. One area ripe for conquest are customers who’ve purchased vehicles from soon-to-be closed Chrysler dealerships. Ford is banking that those customers are going to feel left out in the cold, and the automaker is going to provide some sweet deals to bring those consumers over to the Blue Oval.

The incentives range between $500 and $1,000, but they’re only available in select regions at this time. The extra cash will help customers that currently own Chrysler vehicles since resale values of Pentastar-branded vehicles have plummeted over the past few months. Many Chrysler dealers that are losing their stores also own Ford dealerships, and the incentives should also help those dealers keep the customers they’ve cultivated over the years.

According to Automotive News, Ford officials are trying to be very careful not to send the message out to customers that the automaker is gloating about its comparatively positive position. With Chrysler still knee-deep in bankruptcy hearings and Ford still fighting for profitability itself, a bloodthirsty Blue Oval wouldn’t look all that graceful.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req. | Image: Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty]

Ford offering extra incentives to “orphaned” Chrysler owners? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Toyota

Here’s a little problem to solve: Although budgets are shrinking, it still costs million to run a Formula One team. On the other hand, the teams go through spare parts like a rib joint does napkins. Meanwhile, collectors and enthusiasts have proven willing to shell out big bucks for authentic memorabilia. Found the magic solution yet? Several F1 teams have, opting to sell off parts of last year’s cars for big bucks. And the latest to join the fold is Toyota.

Now available for purchase from the Toyota F1 team’s online merchandise shop is a wide variety of spare parts and bodywork at various price points, ranging from a 200-euro alloy wheel (around $280 USD), brake disc or suspension wishbone all the way up to a full engine cover bodywork assembly pictured above, complete with underfloor and rear wing aerodynamic elements, for 5,000 euros (nearly $7,100). If that seems pricey, consider that’s just a fraction of what you’d have to shell out for parts from a race-winning Ferrari, for example. In sports memorabilia, pedigree is worth its weight in gold, but when you consider that Toyota is ahead of Ferrari in the standings this season, now may be the best time to get that F1 nose-cone up on your wall. Think of it as an investment.

[Source: Toyota F1 via Inside Line]

Carbon Offset: Toyota sells F1 spare parts originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Lamborghini

Some merchandising efforts are forced, while others you can see coming from a mile away. Swiss watchmaker Blancpain’s sponsorship of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series certainly falls in the latter category, especially with huge pictures of their timepieces emblazoned on the side of the Gallardo spec racers. So it came as no big surprise when Blancpain launched its Super Trofeo chronograph. The only surprise was the total lack of branding on the wristwatch itself. (Though that should have been expected as well from a company whose name means “white bread”.)

Evidently having gotten it out of its system on the race cars, the Blancpain Super Trofeo Chronograph is decidedly low-key, if decidedly automotive in style: the case is covered in a material called Diamond Like Carbon (DLC), secured with wrist straps of Alcantara. The numbers 9 and 12, in the same style as the numbers identifying the racers themselves, dominate the watch face along with the sub-dials powered by Blancpain’s own Calibre F185 automatic chronograph movement, operated by push-buttons (one in carbon, the other in red) on the right side of the case in classic style. Mirroring the thirty-car grid in the Super Trofeo series, only 300 examples of the timepiece will be made - also like the exclusive Lamborghini racing series, if you have to ask the price, you can’t get in on the action. Sorry.

Obviously Subtle: Blancpain Chronograph for the Lamborghini Super Trofeo originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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