More autos news ahead

Don’t park those cash-for-clunkers notebooks just yet.

Automakers release August sales figures Tuesday afternoon, and the closely-watched monthly reports will get an even bigger buzz than usual because they’ll reflect results of the federal Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) program that ended this week.

The $3 billion CARS rebates drove sales of nearly 700,000 vehicles, according to this U.S. Department of Transportation release. According to the breakdown, domestic car companies captured less than 40 percent of those sales, with transplants and foreign automakers luring the majority of buyers.

That’s one angle, depending on the dealer, supplier and factory mix in your territory.

For links to other clunker cash resources, review this past tipsheet.

A recent article from The Arizona Republic noted that although there's a paperwork delay, vehicle sales can be monitored through the number of titles issued by your state's motor vehicle division. And the article also suggested tracking auto sales through taxable-sales reported.

Another still-timely topic: Rebate red tape. Computers glitches snarled paperwork mid-week and I know at least one car buyer who won’t be driving home in her new vehicle for another week or so, until her sales rep has his government cash in hand. How many other deals languish in limbo, and how’s the restricted cash flow affecting auto retailers’ operations?

And what’s the sales plan for the balance of 2009, which some analysts say now is skewed because late-year shoppers rushed in ahead of schedule to snap up rebates. Do local lenders and auto retailers have promotional plans, financing, inventory and other tools at hand to keep the momentum going?

How is this new-car frenzy affecting the used-vehicle market? While traded-in clunkers will be destroyed, not resold, some of the top CARS sellers - including the Toyota Corolla, Honda Accord and Ford F150- are perennial pre-owned favorites. Check the classifieds and Craigslist to see if private and commercial sellers are now stuck with unwanted stock.

From an economic standpoint: the DOT claims that CARS saved 42,000 jobs – do any of them belong to your readers? Ford and GM have boosted production, ostensibly due to increased demand.

For general hints on covering auto sales, check out this earlier tipsheet.

Be sure to sign up at PR Newswire so you’ll get the auto sales reports via e-mail as they trickle out Sept. 1(in no particular order, though Ford usually is first)

If you’re new to covering the automotive industry, get up to speed by reading J.D. Power and Associates’ commentary on the monthly global sales reports they make available free of charge to registered users at their automotive forecasting Web site.

To be really au courant on cars, subscribe to the free e-mail feed at Automotive News.
And in one last shameless plug: My former colleagues at The Detroit News make autos coverage a 24/7 crusade; bookmark their portal for a steady stream of authoritative news, reviews, blogs and special reports.

Come back to Your Daily Tipsheet each morning for advice on where to find sources, background and creative ways to make financial news and trends relevant to your audience.