Tag Archives: Wall Street Journal

Subaru On Track to Beat Sales Goals

SubaruSubaru is having the best problem any company can encounter. As sales have skyrocketed in the United States, they are having trouble keeping up with demand.

In the first quarter of 2013, Subaru’s US sales went up 17 percent. January 2013 was 21 percent higher than January 2012; February was 11 percent higher; March was 13 percent higher; April was 25 percent higher; and May was 34 percent higher. According to Subaru, almost half of its global sales are here in the United States, and they have projected that the company will surpass its 2016 sales goal of 380,000 US units sold before the end of the 2013 business year.

With Subaru selling so well, however, production plants are running at full capacity so that they don’t run into dealer shortages. Subaru CEO recently told the Wall Street Journal, “If this situation persists, we’ll face a supply shortage.” If that is true, car shoppers who are considering getting a Subaru would be wise to purchase sooner than later this year.

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LA Auto Show: Honda Announces New Civic Premiere

In 2 weeks, Honda will unveil the new Civic at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and early word that Honda listened to its fans and critics with the newest model of one of their most popular cars.

Almost 50 vehicles will debut during the show including world premieres from Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler, and Honda will be showing off several new vehicles including the Civic. Some members of the press, though, got an early look this week to stir up excitement for the official premiere at the show.

On the outside, the 2013 Civic will have an open-mouth lower bumper, a black mesh grille with integrated fog lights, and larger jewel-style tail lights, but reports are saying that it is what’s on the inside that counts with the new Civic. According to the Wall Street Journal, Honda has updated the interior, turned their focus to the driver’s comfort, and overall aimed to give it a feeling of luxury and youth.

Will the new Civic live up to the hype? We won’t know for another two weeks yet, but looking at the LA Auto Show line-up, it will have to bring its A-game to stand out from the pack. Then again, Honda has a history of excellence with awards from Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book, and Green Car Journal, not to mention About.com’s 2012 Best New Car award. They just might be up to the challenge.

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Family Sells Classic 94-Year-Old “Honeymoon Car”

At Approved Loan Store, we love a good classic car, which is why we were so intrigued by a beautiful 1918 Chevrolet D-Series that will be up for auction in Hershey, Pa. next month.

What makes this particular car special besides its age and pristine condition is that the family selling the car is the same family who originally bought the car nearly a hundred years ago. According to a profile in the Wall Street Journal, the car has been passed down in the family for generations. The first owner was Elam Becker who received it as a gift from his father John Becker. Throughout the years, it was a good car for the family, and it was dubbed the “Honeymoon Car” after Becker drove to Washington D.C. and eloped with his then-fiancée.

When Becker bought a new car in 1928, he put the “Honeymoon Car” in storage and didn’t bring it back out until 1949 when he began restoring the car. He started doing car shows and events with his wife, and they always brought along their 1918 Chevrolet. In 1974, they even celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the Hershey Fall Meet with their beloved car. After that, they gave the car to their son who is now selling it nearly 40 years later.

For car enthusiasts and anyone who loves a healthy dose of nostalgia, this car is a dream. It will probably sell for around $35,000 to $45,000 and will come with the original order sheet, bill of sale, and owner’s manual. The auction is scheduled for Thursday, October 11 thru Friday October 12 in Hershey, Pa., and you can get more information on the auction by contacting RM Auctions.

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One-Half Boat, One-Half Sports Car, 100 Percent Awesome

Stevie Johnson owns what I’m sure will be the most envied powerboat ever. It might seem strange to be discussing a boat on a car blog, but this particular boat is different. This is a boat built for a car lover.

One half lobster boat, one half 1994 Pontiac Sunbird convertible, the water has never seen anything like Stevie Johnson’s unique creation. The cool blue Pontiac Sunbird is mounted to the top of the boat, and the vehicle is rigged up so that Stevie can drive the boat from the front seat of the car. While it is not the fastest boat in the Maine lobster boat races, Stevie’s boat dubbed the “Sunbird” is drawing crowds and admirers wherever he goes.

Stevie has a history of racing unconventional vehicles in Maine lobster boat races. He has taken on competitors in a seaplane, and back in 2009, he told the Wall Street Journal that he was looking into purchasing an Oscar Mayer Weinermobile. There is no word as to whether he successfully acquired that Weinermobile, but I can only imagine what kind of boat he planned to build out of it.

If you want to see more of the Sunbird, check it out over at Jalopnik, and keep up with the latest auto news and trends by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook and following Approved Loan Store on Twitter.