NEW DELHI -- The Indian unit of Sweden's Volvo Car Corporation plans to launch two cars in the next 12 months to tap the growing market for luxury vehicles in the country, a senior executive said Thursday.
The company plans to start selling a new sport-utility vehicle, XC60, in India within the first half of 2010 and will introduce the S60 sedan later in the year.
Nissan Motor Co. (NSANY) plans to start selling its first small car in India from July and export the vehicle later this year as part of its strategy to make the country a global manufacturing hub, the chief executive of its local unit said Wednesday.
"We are well on track to open the new factory in March. Production will start in May and the first hatchback on the V platform will be sold from July," Kiminobu Tokuyama, who is also Nissan Motor India's managing director, told Dow Jones Newswires in an interview.
Many car stocks, surprisingly, are no longer a bunch of clunkers.
David Sowerby, senior portfolio manager for Loomis, Sayles in Bloomfield Hills, noted when he reviewed the trailing 12-month returns for Ford and nine major auto suppliers that the average gain was 260%.
Ford alone gained 450% from early 2009 to Jan. 11 when it closed at $12.11 a share.
Of course, auto stocks rallied after a miserable meltdown. Ford, for example, closed at $2.19 a share on Jan. 16, 2009. Other auto-related stocks were far less than $5 a share, as well.
"They were priced for purgatory," Sowerby said.
Mike Pevets doesn't just look at cars when he makes his annual trek to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Auto shows are the perfect venue for carmakers to show off not just their newest models, but also their extreme ideas for the cars of the future. In the 1950s and '60s, concept cars were all about alternative propulsion--vehicles powered by jet engines or even nuclear reactors. But none of those ideas ever made it to production. In 2010 the focus is again on powertrains of the future--most of them involving electricity. http://www.forbes.com/2010/01/15/detroit-auto-show-business-autos-concept-cars_slide.html
Auto insurance coverage is mandatory in most states or can be waived if you can show sufficient proof of assets. In any case, car insurance can help protect you if you’re in an accident, by paying repair bills, covering hospital costs, and protecting you in a lawsuit.
The insurance commissioner in your state authorizes who may write policies in your area, but the following car insurance companies have a national presence and are worth comparing when seeking price quotes.
State Farm Insurance Company
One State Farm Plaza
Bloomington, IL 61710
(877) 734-2265
statefarm.com
Allstate Insurance Company
2775 Sanders Road
Northbrook, IL 60062
(847) 402-5000
allstate.com
Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO)
One GEICO Plaza
Washington, DC 20076
(800) 861-8380
geico.com
The Progressive Corporation
6300 Wilson Mills Road
Mayfield Village, Ohio 44143
(800) 776-4737
progressive.com
USAA
9800 Fredericksburg Road
San Antonio, TX 78288
(800) 531-6597
usaa.com
Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
175 Berkeley Street
Boston, MA 02116
(800) 295-3753
libertymutualgroup.com
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
One Nationwide Plaza
Columbus, OH 43215-2220
(877) 669-6877
nationwide.com
