AllTheRides.com offers statistics on every classified
For those of you that wondered what the upcoming changes were at AllTheRides.com, you would be pleased to note that we now offer statistics on every ride that is listed. This means that you as a user would be able to see how many users visited your classified and which one of your classifieds is getting the most attention. This data is compiled on each and every ride as listed at AllTheRides.com and is yet another reason why AllTheRides.com is the best automotive community out there.
Many more interesting changes to come.
100% Free Automotive Classifieds at AllTheRides.com
AllTheRides.com is 100% Free automotive classifieds. That means that in order for you to list your automotive, you will not get charged a single penny and this includes dealers. However if you do wish to market your vehicle a little better and be two levels above the pack, then you can get premium listings that will ensure a quick sale. I mean lets face the fact that time is money.
AllTheRides.com was designed from the bottom up to be user friendly for users that wanted to sell their vehicles but did not wish to pay the premium $45.00 to $100.00 bucks that AutoTrader.com and/or Ebay.com were charging.
We wanted a community of users that not only interacted with one another but also engaged in automotive related transactions with one another. With the ability to list a car with ease and actually be able to get feedback from fellow members in itself is a great achievement. Not to mention are the automotive reviews that are readily available that can help guide you towards a wise purchase.
We have had several users compliment us on the fact that we are providing a service that far surpasses other classified sites as we actually provide a better interface and customer service. Now it does not stop here as we are constantly getting feedback and our making improvements to the site. Unlike most other classified sites we are not publicly funded but are a private venture. We appreciate your feedback and thank you for making AllTheRides.com the best automotive classified site.
Partner Profile: DealerSquared.com
dealersquared.com
DealerSquared.com specializes in increasing productivity and exposure for small to medium sized automotive dealerships by leveraging advanced pay-per-click campaigns, search engine marketing & optimization, custom website development, and marketing strategies geared to promote your brand identity. We have partnered with industry experts to provide you top notch solutions that will help you move your inventory fast and quick while we do the legwork for you.
We are proud to partner with them in their automotove marketing ventures.
So what does a automobile CEO private jet look like from inside?
must be nice
Did Warren Buffet actually buy CarMax stock?
The story as reported by many news outlets isn’t accurate that Buffet purchased CarMax stock. This is because Buffet was not directly involved in purchase. The stock was bought by GEICO, the auto insurer and a subsidiary of Buffett’s company, Berkshire Hathway.
A close reading of the 13-F SEC filing by Buffett’s company, Berkshire Hathaway (Charts, Fortune 500), suggests that Buffett wasn’t directly involved. First of all, the size of the investment - less than 14 million shares worth $258 million - wouldn’t be big enough to interest Buffett. That’s pocket change for him. Berkshire recently had investments worth $108 billion so Buffett has to take big stakes in order to make a significant impact on his portfolio. Also GEICO has its own portfolio of stocks, as well as its own stockpicker, Lou Simpson, president and CEO of capital operations. But Simpson takes smaller positions than Buffett because he has less capital to invest. And, as people familiar with the operations of Berkshire Hathaway know, Simpson makes his own investment decision and does not rely on others like Buffet.
The fact that Geico bought CarMax stock was highly exaggerated and resulted in shooting up the stock price up $1.62.
Auto industry executives ride corporate jets to ask for bailout
if you are headed to Washington, D.C., to ask the government to bail out your ailing industry with taxpayers’ money, you might want to consider not flying in on your corporate jets.
That ABC report says the jet ride cost one of the CEOs, GM’s Rick Wagoner, an estimated $20,000 roundtrip.
The way I see it, the auto industry is failing in large part because foreign companies make better cars. Detroit, the solution is - improve your product, and people will buy it. Now I realize that the recent economic problems have increased the auto industry’s woes. I get that. And I can see that if we don’t bail out the auto industry the ensuing layoffs would be very bad for the nation as a whole.
The auto industry by its arrogance gives an impression of a spoiled child, who feels it deserves a big handout and a big thank you. Detroit, you don’t. I don’t agree with Mitt Romney, who says we should just let you hang, so you’ll change your ways. But I’m tempted. Especially, if you show no sign that you might realize that your extravagant wastefulness and corporate greed might be part of your problem.
Upon being confronted by one of the senators, the auto executives replied candidly that they did it because of security reasons. What?
An Auto Bailout Would Be Terrible for Free Trade
Does anyone really expect other countries to ignore our subsidies?
Congress is now considering a federal bailout for America’s Big Three automobile companies. Many want to grant them at least $25 billion from the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program on top of $25 billion in low-interest loans approved earlier this year.
But these figures represent only a fraction of what the total cost of the bailout could be. In a global economy, a federal bailout of the automotive industry could cost Americans jobs as well as foreign markets to trade in. There are at least three important ways an industry bailout could damage America’s engagement in the global economy and hurt U.S. companies, workers and taxpayers.
The first global cost of a bailout could be less foreign direct investment (FDI) coming into the United States. On Sunday, President-elect Barack Obama asked, “What does a sustainable U.S. auto industry look like?”
Well, it looks a lot like the automotive industry run by “foreign” car companies that insource jobs into the U.S. In 2006 these foreign auto makers (multinational auto or auto-parts companies that are headquartered outside of the U.S.) employed 402,800 Americans. The average annual compensation for these employees was $63,538.
At the head of the line of sustainable auto companies stands Toyota. In its 2008 fiscal year, it earned a remarkable $17.1 billion world-wide and assembled 1.66 million motor vehicles in North America. Toyota has production facilities in seven states and R&D facilities in three others. Honda, another sustainable auto company, operates in five states and earned $6 billion in net income in 2008. In contrast, General Motors lost $38.7 billion last year.
Across all industries in 2006, insourcing companies registered $2.8 trillion in U.S. sales while employing 5.3 million Americans and paying them $364 billion in compensation. But as the world has grown smaller, today the U.S. faces increasingly stiff competition to attract and retain insourcing companies. Indeed, the U.S. share of global FDI inflows has already fallen. From 2003-2005 the U.S. received 16% of global FDI. That’s down from 31.5% it received in 1988-1990.
Will fewer companies look to insource into America if the federal government is willing to bail out their domestic competitors?
The answer is an obvious yes. Ironically, proponents of a bailout say saving Detroit is necessary to protect the U.S. manufacturing base. But too many such bailouts could erode the number of manufacturers willing to invest here.
The bailout’s second global cost could hit U.S.-headquartered companies that run multinational businesses. In total, these companies employ more than 22 million Americans and account for a remarkable 75.8% of all private-sector R&D in the U.S. Their success depends on their ability to access foreign customers. They do this two ways. They export goods from their U.S. parent companies. And they sell goods locally through foreign affiliates. These foreign affiliates are built by direct investment of American companies in other countries. In 2006, U.S. parent companies exported $495.1 billion to foreign markets. That same year their majority-owned affiliates earned over $4.1 trillion in sales — $8.33 for every $1 in exports.
This access to foreign markets has been good for America. But it won’t necessarily continue. The policy environment abroad is growing more protectionist. Multilateral efforts to liberalize trade in the Doha Development Round died in July with no prospects for restarting. Even more worrisome are rising FDI barriers. In 2005 and 2006, the United Nations reported a record number of new FDI restrictions around the world — even in major recipient countries such as China, Germany and Japan.
Will a U.S.-government bailout go ignored by policy makers abroad?
No. A bailout will likely entrench and expand protectionist practices across the globe, and thus erode the foreign sales and competitiveness of U.S. multinationals. And that would reduce these companies’ U.S. employment, R&D and related activities. That would be bad for America.
Rising trade barriers would also hurt the Big Three, all of which are multinational corporations that depend on foreign markets. In 2007, GM produced more motor vehicles outside North America than in — 5.02 million, or 54% of its world-wide total. That year in China, the world’s second-largest and fastest-growing automobile market by volume, GM continued to lead in market share and became the first global auto maker to surpass the one-million mark in single-year unit sales in China.
The bailout’s third global cost could fall on the U.S. dollar. For 32 years the U.S. has run trade deficits and offset it with sales of U.S. assets to foreign buyers. A critical foundation of foreign-investor confidence in U.S. assets has been transparent competition in our product markets — competition that spurs economic growth and rising average standards of living. To keep that up, it is important to address concerns related to allowing foreign companies to compete on U.S. soil, not by bailing out struggling companies but by taking care of workers who are dislocated in the give-and-take of a competitive market.
Will a federal bailout that politicizes American markets bolster foreign-investor demand for U.S. assets?
Not likely. Instead, America runs the risk of creating the kind of “political-risk premium” that investors have long placed on other countries — and that would reduce demand for U.S. assets and thereby the value of the U.S. dollar.
Reduced foreign demand for U.S. assets would be troubling at any time. Its prospect is especially troubling now, when the federal government’s fiscal 2009 deficit is widely forecast to reach something near or exceeding $1 trillion — up from $456 billion last year. With net saving still near zero for U.S. households and falling profits for U.S. companies, financing that deficit will require attracting foreign capital.
This week Congress is weighing the cost of the bailout. Let us hope that lawmakers realize that the true cost of such a bailout is far larger than any check the U.S. Treasury will have to write in the coming months.
Source: Wall Street Journal
New car versus Used car
There are still the uber wealthy that will still be paying out for brand new cars and some bargains can be had here while suppliers are desperate to pull in new custom. However, one thing that should be considered when buying a new car is that the moment you drive that car off the forecourt, it has already lost several thousand pounds of your hard earned money.
Brand new cars are one of the things that have slipped by the wayside while the economy is under the threat of a recession. Of course, people still need reliable vehicles to get to work etc so they are turning to used cars.
There is the possibility of buying a used car from a private seller and while the majority of them are trustworthy, there are still some that will try to rip you off, never to be seen again. Even the honest, above board average Joe looking to sell his car cannot guarantee that you will get to the end of the road without some unforeseen occurrence happening.
Indeed, in one street recently, two neighbours sold their cars from their driveways for buyers needing a new runabout and not wanting to pay forecourt prices. One was a used Honda, the seller having looked after it, kept up with the servicing and generally looked after it well. The buyer of the used Honda drove off happily and continued using the car without any hiccups for many months before some tweaking needed to be done.
The neighbour of the used Honda sold a Peugeot to a buyer, in good faith, yet within a week a mechanic had flagged up a plethora of problems that the seller had no way of knowing about. It really is a risky way to buy a used vehicle.
If you are looking for a used Honda, Peugeot, Mini, Mercedes or whatever, the forecourt is always the better option. It may be that little bit more expensive but you do have the peace of mind that comes with a guarantee of three months at the very minimum. This means that you will be on the road with some reassurance that you have a good amount of time within which any problems that surface will be dealt with without too much fuss.
When buying from a used garage forecourt, there is also the knowledge that little, if any, money will be lost. In fact, I have personally bought a car from a garage forecourt and managed to re-sell it within six months at a profit. This is not the usual way of things but it really depends on how well you look after the car and also a little bit of luck in finding a buyer that is looking for just what you are offering and is willing to pay what you are asking.
A well cared for used car will escape the teething problems of a brand new car and it will not really lose you any money for some time. The best idea is to buy a car with a provable service history. If you cannot, or don’t want to pay, used car forecourt prices and are willing to take a chance with a private seller, then protect yourself by taking a knowledgeable person with you that can check it over as well as they can. Also, try to buy a car with a service history so that you can insure, as far as possible, that it has been well looked after. This will mean you have done everything in your power to get the best car at the best price.
Democrats urge Paulson to weigh aid for automakers
The top congressional Democrats urged Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on Saturday to consider providing aid to troubled U.S. automakers as part of the Bush administration’s corporate bailout efforts.
The letter from House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid recommended strong conditions,” possibly equity stakes and limits on executive compensation, in return for any help. The government is requiring similar steps in its rescue of banks.
“We must safeguard the interests of American taxpayers, protect the hundreds of thousands of automobile workers and retirees, stop the erosion of our manufacturing base, and bolster our economy,” Reid and Pelosi said.
President George W. Bush’s administration has never embraced a bailout for automakers and has urged industry to take advantage of other loan assistance approved by Congress this year.
General Motors Corp, Chrysler LLC and Ford Motor Co are seeking up to $25 billion in emergency loans to enable them to weather a crippling financial downturn they blame on plunging sales and the global credit crisis. Automakers would like another $25 billion later to help reduce their retiree health-care costs.
Car companies are burning through cash at an accelerated rate, with executives saying corporate and consumer borrowing for auto purchases is all but choked off by the housing and financial services meltdown.
GM warned on Friday its cash holdings would fall short of the minimum needed to run its business without new funding or other drastic action.
President-elect Barack Obama said on Friday that federal intervention to help the auto industry was a top priority of his transition.
Detroit welcomed the letter by Pelosi and Reid.
“We will continue to urge Congress and the Bush administration to immediately address the liquidity crisis facing the automotive industry,” Chrysler said in a statement.
SEEKING URGENT HELP
Pelosi and Reid discussed the industry’s fate with the chief executives of Chrysler, Ford and GM on Thursday. Although the companies are pressing for assistance, the legislative calendar is in flux and lawmakers cannot say yet whether they can help before the end of the year.
Some congressional Democrats insist the Bush administration has the power to offer substantial assistance now. Pelosi and Reid said a healthy automobile sector was crucial for restoring health to financial markets and the overall U.S. economy.
The administration instead is urging automakers to take advantage of aid already in the pipeline — $25 billion in federal loans approved in September by Congress to help Detroit make more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Although the industry sought that package to spur new products like electric cars, automakers now say privately the financing would take too long to obtain and has too many strings attached to help them shake the current crisis.
Treasury spokeswoman Brookly McLaughlin could not say whether the agency had received the letter from Pelosi and Reid, but said the administration would “continue to work on a strategy that most effectively” leverages the bailout program to unfreeze credit markets.
The financing arms of GM, Chrysler and Ford have qualified for certain assistance under the bailout.
Sen. Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, said lawmakers were preparing legislation for consideration by a post-election “lame-duck” session of Congress that would increase the flexibility of the bailout program if Treasury objected on grounds it does not have the authority to act.
Vehicle crashes increase on election day
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Canadian researchers recently found that traffic deaths spiked on Election Day, based on an analysis of presidential elections dating back to 1976, when Jimmy Carter faced down Gerald Ford.
An average of 24 more people have died in car accidents on presidential election days than on any other Tuesday during the months of October and November, which means your chances of dying in a car accident will be 18% greater this Nov. 4. The study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and it offers some rather convincing arguments as to why traffic fatalities and injuries rise on Election Day. For instance, more people are in a hurry, either to get to their polling place or to get back to work. Drivers may also take unfamiliar routes to reach their place of civic duty, and perhaps be distracted by the great weight of participatory democracy. OK, so you should still vote — early if possible — because of war and taxes and climate change and individual rights and economic collapse and all that other hooey everyone’s always going on about. When you do vote, though, drive carefully. |