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There's an impending shortage of new trucks in America's heartland

URBANDALE, Iowa — Jerry Bill is worried the novel coronavirus could hurt business at the Des Moines auto dealership he runs, but not because of a shortage of buyers for the big Ram pickups on his lot. "Our biggest issue will be if we don't get more inventory," said Bill, general sales manager of Stew Hansen Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, which sells around 2,700 new vehicles a year in Urbandale, a suburb of Iowa's capital Des Moines. After a drop in sales in April when consumers stayed home, Bill expects pickup truck sales to end May similar to where they were a year earlier. And if demand remains strong, Bill said he will run out of popular models in June. Fiat Chrysler began slowly restarting Ram truck assembly lines on Monday after a two-month shutdown. The U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter at its sharpest pace since the Great Recession of 2007-2009 because of lockdown measures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Economists warn the second quarter will be much worse. Still, far from the lockdowns of states like New York, Michigan or Ohio, dealerships like Stew Hansen have provided FCA and Detroit rivals General Motors and Ford a rare bright spot: strong sales of pickup trucks in America's heartland. Overall U.S. sales of cars and light trucks crashed to the weakest pace in 50 years last month. But sales of big Detroit brand pickups, particularly in southern and western states less affected by the outbreak, significantly outperformed the market, industry executives and analysts said. Pickup trucks are one of the most profitable automotive segments in the world. They account for a huge portion of the Detroit automakers' profits and formed a huge lure for Peugeot, which expects to merge with FCA by early 2021. The pressure is now on to boost pickup truck production and send vehicles to dealers in parts of the country with dwindling supplies. That is particularly true for GM, which is running short of certain truck models after losing 40 days of production to a strike last fall. "If you don't have what someone wants, they can choose to go to another brand," said Cox Automotive analyst Michelle Krebs. 'Easiest swap ever' Detroit automakers in March rolled out large discounts — such as interest-free loans for seven years — to keep vehicles rolling off dealer lots.

Weekly Recap: Geneva's splendor reflects growing demand for ultra-luxury cars

Geneva is one of the most glittering auto shows in the world, but the list of high-powered and bespoke luxury cars was decadent this year even by the rich standards of the Swiss exhibition. It's great for enthusiasts to revel in the flame-throwing Aston Martin Vulcan, the racing-inspired elegance of the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 concept and the insane performance of the Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce, but there's a reason for all of this opulence: the luxury market is big business. And it's growing. IHS Automotive forecasts that so-called ultra-premium sales will nearly triple this decade from 123,000 to 353,000 units around the world. The estimate includes brands like Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari and Rolls-Royce, but doesn't count BMW, Mercedes and Audi, which offer less expensive models in addition to their high-end flagships. Though IHS includes Porsche and its relatively large volume in the study, the ultra-premium segment is still set grow at about the same rate, even without the German automaker's figures. So what is propelling all of this growth in the most expensive segment of the auto industry? Put simply, there's more rich people. IHS Automotive principal analyst Tim Urquhart pointed to economic expansion in China, market recovery in the United States and a surge in the lucrative technology sector as contributing factors. This dovetails with a research report by UK-based Oxfam, an international relief organization, which found the world's richest one-percent owned 48 percent of global wealth in 2014, and it's expected to increase to more than 50 percent by 2016. View 17 Photos Carmakers are moving quickly to capitalize with new products, expanding their portfolios with low-volume speedsters like the 800-hp V12 Vulcan at Geneva, and plans to enter new segments, like Rolls-Royce's strategy to make an SUV. "Ultra-premium carmakers are looking to explore ways of growing their product offerings, and thus their bottom lines, in this most potentially profitable of segments," Urquhart wrote in a report on the Geneva show. In a nutshell, there are more choices for people with more money. It's a good time to have expensive taste. Other News & Notes 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata production launches It won't be long now. The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata arrives later this year, and it's officially in production. Mazda announced this week that the roadster began rolling off the assembly line at its Ujina factory in Hiroshima, Japan.

2017 GMC Model Year Preview and Updates

GM's 'professional grade' truck and SUV specialist continues to deliver its utility-with-luxury vibe, optimized in the all-new Acadia, relatively new Canyon and continual updates to its Sierra pickups and Yukon SUVs. GMC ACADIA: An all-new Acadia - pictured above - is aimed at the heart of the midsize segment. In an unusual step, the GMC product team downsized the Acadia, dropping 700 pounds from the earlier platform in the process. The new crossover is available in four trims – SL, SLE, SLT and Denali – and an offroad-oriented All Terrain package is available on both SLE and SLT when equipped with all-wheel drive. For young families, GMC introduces the industry-first Rear Seat Reminder, a prompt which will remind the driver to check the rear seat area before leaving and locking the vehicle. CANYON: The midsize pickup introduces two new variants for 2017. The upmarket Denali adds swag – unique chrome grille, 20-inch aluminum wheels and various interior upgrades – to its swagger, while the All Terrain X provides the adventure traveler with all-terrain tires, off-road suspension, Hill Descent Control and all-weather floor liners. SIERRA: The Sierra's maximum trailer tow rating of 12,500 pounds is the best in the full-size, crew cab segment. New features include Teen Driver, active aero shutters on all models and available tri-mode power steps. Also, GMC adds two new colors to the palette: Dark Slate Metallic and Pepperdust Metallic. SIERRA HD: The big news is the addition of the All Terrain X to GMC's heavy duty lineup. With an offroad-specific footprint provided by its 18-inch aluminum wheels and Goodyear Duratrac tires, ground clearance is enhanced by the Z71 off-road suspension, and an Eaton automatic locking differential keeps you rolling. TERRAIN: While the 2018 Terrain awaits its showroom debut, the 2017 Terrain's new Nightfall edition darkens the Terrain vibe. The one new color for 2017 fails to hit a brighter note; it's Graphite Gray Metallic. YUKON/YUKON XL: Perhaps the ultimate Uber capsule, the big/bigger SUV enters 2017 with a host of refinements, including GM's Teen Driver feature, upgrades to rear seat entertainment, available low speed forward automatic braking, active aero shutters for improved efficiency and one new color: Dark Sapphire Blue Metallic. If you're looking to maximize your visual presence, consider the SLT Premium Edition, which ups the chrome content well beyond the commercial minimums.