The Auto Writer

On the automotive industry calendar, January is one of the most important months of the year. When business closes today, the official end of the 2009 selling period will be marked, with very few surprises expected. Look for December to show a strong improvement over December 2008, but year to date sales will be down sharply as a whole.

And it is those figures which will be reviewed, scrutinized, pulled apart, and rehashed as car manufacturers begin to report their sales for the month, quarter, and year beginning tomorrow. I’ll save you some anticipation: Subaru, Kia, and Hyundai will report a US sales increase for the year, the only manufacturers who will achieve that noble goal for 2009. Chrysler, Mitsubishi, and Suzuki will lag badly.

But, the last few months of the year have shown some promise, thanks in part to comparing this period with abysmal sales which began to kick in toward the end of 2008. Mostly everyone will report a sales increase for the month except for Chrysler and perhaps GM if their Pontiac/Saturn fire sale did not result in an artificial boost for the month.

January also marks when the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) kicks off, next week in fact, one of the most significant car shows on the calendar. Because the Detroit show is in the back yard of GM, Ford, and Chrysler, all three manufacturers will take the opportunity to showcase their wares. Chrysler may have to rely more on Fiat at this point, but when it comes to new cars and concepts, Detroit rocks your world.

Of particular interest at Detroit will be Electric Avenue, a dynamic 37,000 square foot Cobo Center display featuring hybrid and electric products. Detroit needs something to help it stand out; Electric Avenue may be what does it.

This month will be unusually active for one other reason: GM is likely (or hopefully) going to have some clarity where its stands with four of its brands. Saturn and Pontiac are going away, but we should see a Chinese company close on Hummer and I believe some sort of deal will be struck allowing Saab t be snapped up by Spyker. Until these four brands are finally put to rest, the four surviving brands will not thrive.

Beyond January, February will feature the Chicago Auto Show while April will be New York’s chance to shine. We’ll also begin to see several new and highly anticipated products introduced over the coming months including the Nissan Leaf, Ford Fiesta, and the Chevy Cruze.

Lots of stuff to be covered and, with your help, just the kind of topics you’ll be reading about here.