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Mixed sales results, but automaker stocks rise on need for cars in Houston

DETROIT — The Big Three Detroit automakers on Friday reported better-than-expected August sales and issued optimistic outlooks for demand as residents of the Houston area replace flood-damaged cars and trucks after Hurricane Harvey, sending their stocks higher. General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler posted mixed August U.S. sales, with GM up 7.5 percent and Ford and Fiat Chrysler down. Japanese automaker Toyota improved sales by nearly 7 percent, while Honda fell 2.4 percent. Still, analysts focused on the potential for Detroit automakers to cut inventories and stabilize used vehicle prices as residents of Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, are forced to replace tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of vehicles after the devastation from Hurricane Harvey. Mark LaNeve, Ford's U.S. sales chief, told analysts on Friday that following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 "we saw a very dramatic snapback" in demand. That said, Ford sales fell 2.1 percent in August. It sold 209,897 vehicles in the United States, compared with 214,482 a year earlier. Sales were down 1.9 percent in the Ford division and off 5.8 percent at Lincoln. Demand was down for cars, crossovers and SUVs. It was not clear how many vehicles in the Houston area will be scrapped, LaNeve said, saying he had seen estimates ranging from 200,000 to 400,000 to 1 million. Ford's Houston dealers may have lost fewer than 5,000 vehicles in inventory, he said. Ford is the No. 1 automaker in the Houston market, with 18 percent share, according to IHS Markit. The company plans to ship used vehicles to Houston dealers and has "every indication we would have to add some production" of new vehicles to meet demand, LaNeve said. Investor concerns about inventories of unsold vehicles and falling used car prices have weighed on Detroit automakers' shares most of this year. Now, automakers can anticipate a jolt of demand from a big market that is a stronghold for Detroit brand trucks and SUVs. "It's got to be a positive for the industry," LaNeve said. Investors appeared to agree. GM shares rose as much as 3.3 percent to their highest since early March. Ford increased 2.8 percent at $11.34, and Fiat Chrysler's U.S.-traded shares were up 5.2 percent $15.91, hitting their highest in more than five years. GM reported a 7.5 percent increase in U.S. auto sales in August, helped by robust sales of crossovers across its four brands.

Mystery man buys fast food worker a new car

A mystery man bought a Tennessee fast food worker a new car. 34-year-old Jeff Smith told WKRN he was approached by an older stranger as he was exiting a grocery store. The two struck up a conversation about Smith's 1991 Geo Storm. The vehicle is falling apart; it has more than 350,000 miles on it, a cracked dashboard, no drivers side window, and a door that is literally being held closed by a small hook. The stranger asked Smith to follow him down the road to James Motors, but then asked the fast food worker to wait outside. Smith told WKRN, "He comes back out and says, 'How do you like that blue pickup?' I said. 'It looks great.' Then he said, 'Well, I bought it and it's yours now.' [...] It's just a blessing. It's the best thing that has ever happened to me." At first, Smith didn't believe this was even real. But the owner of James Motors showed up at the fast food restaurant where he works with the keys and title to the 2001 navy blue GMC Sonoma. The mysterious benefactor didn't want to be identified, but asked smith to do something nice for someone else in the future. Weird Car News GMC geo

2021 GMC Sierra 1500 Review | More towing, same truck

The 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 and the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 are close siblings, and they’re getting closer every year. One of the SierraÂ’s previous standout features, the Multi-Pro tailgate, can now be found on the Silverado for 2021, providing even fewer reasons to choose the GMC instead of the Chevy. Really, if youÂ’re looking at the more modest SLE and SLT models, the choice between the two largely depends on styling preference. The Sierra Denali is a slightly different story, as its available adaptive suspension is exclusive to GMC and notably improves both the ride and handling.  Of course, it still can't match the Ram 1500 in either regard, plus the Denali cabin continues to be a rather half-hearted attempt at luxury. Especially considering the genuinely high-lux offerings of Ram and Ford. The gap isn't so huge between the Sierra's lower trim levels and its non-Chevy competitors, but the cabin's design, quality and functionality still leave something to be desired. True, that often isn't a priority for truck buyers, but the Sierra isn't superior in enough other ways to balance it out. It's a capable truck with a compelling variety of powertrains, but it generally just doesn't go that extra mile beyond the competition as well as its Silverado sibling. What's new for 2021? Changes for 2021 are mostly equipment-related, but there were some vital towing and pricing changes made for the new year, too. All 2021 Sierra 1500s come with a suite of new towing tech detailed here. New technologies include a trailer length indicator, jack-knife alert, trailer backup guidelines, and camera enhancements that include a rear side view and cargo bed view. GMC expanded availability of the Multi-Pro tailgate, now allowing folks who opt for the lower SLE and Elevation trims to option it. The AT4 adds new Goodyear Wrangler Territory all-terrain tires and an off-road high-clearance step. Diesel buyers will be delighted to hear that GMC has lowered the price by $1,500 to $995, and raised the trailering capacity by 1,900 pounds to a more competitive 9,300. Maximum towing for the 2.7-liter turbo-four-cylinder is also up by 2,300 pounds to 9,200 pounds. GMC says the increase for the diesel is due to “better-than-expected rear axle durability,” and the four-cylinder is up because GM found the engine possesses “better-than-expected cooling performance.” What's the interior and in-car technology like?