Honda Grows Revenue and Profits

Honda Motor Co. Ltd. reported its consolidated net income for the fiscal first quarter increased 29.6 percent to $1.244 billion from the corresponding period in 2005. Consolidated net sales increased 14.8 percent to $22.5 billion from the corresponding period in 2005. The increase in revenue was mainly driven by the company's healthy automobile business in North America and Latin America. 

Consolidated operating income for the quarter also increased 19.4 percent to $1.76 billion, an increase of 19.4 percent compared to the corresponding period in 2005. 

In addition, the company completed a two-for-one stock split for the company's common stock effective July 1, 2006. -Joe Szczesny

Cadillac Turns To "Life, Liberty and Pursuit" For Brand Jolt

Starting in August, Cadillac will begin a brand retrenching operation that scraps its four-year old "Break Through" ad campaign featuring Led Zeppelin rock music in favor of a new positioning centered on the theme, "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit." The campaign, which will include such untraditional media as urban wildpostings and videogames, is meant to reach consumers under 35 and women better than the GM premium brand had been doing. 

Is Your New Car Red or Blue?

A couple of recent surveys of new vehicle buyers on one hand, and potential voters on the other, matched their political leanings to their choices of wheels. In some respects the results were as expected, but there were also surprises. 

For example, the coastal states whether northeastern or western tend to be Democratic Blue and also are known for popularity of import brand cars. Red Republicans in the flyover country in between prefer domestics. But overall, choices between imports and domestics were split right down the middle just like the voters lately.  

In a survey of 64,000 new light vehicle buyers, CNW Marketing Research found 29.7 percent self-identified themselves as Republicans, versus 28.7 percent Democrats and 41.6 percent independents. Among car buyers only, the skew was to imports, 30.7 percent to 26.9 percent, i.e., truckers are more likely GOP adherents. 

But in a survey of 800 Michigan voters, a Detroit Free Press-Channel 4 study found foreign brands owned 18 percent by Democrats, versus only 13 percent Republicans and Independents. The bulk of foreign-car owning Michigan Dems, it should be noted, were in the western part of the state, away from auto-plant territory. (The two surveys aren't comparable since many of the respondents to the newspaper survey owned more than one vehicle.)

In CNW's survey, the reddest volume vehicle was the Mercury Grand Marquis, with 58.2 percent of buyers declaring Republican their preference. The bluest of Democrat wheels, getting 48.3 percent of the nod, was a sleeper: the VW Touareg SUV. And the car with the highest percentage declaring their Independence? The Scion tC, with 77.3 percent. There also were a number whose new owners declared themselves 100 percent Independent - but I suspect either a very low sample size or an error, since many were of discontinued models. -Mike Davis

Rinspeed Swims the Channel!

While you and your frat buddies contemplate breaking the Guinness record for consuming the most Guinness, the real wack jobs over at concept-car strangling purveyor Rinspeed have actually set a record for crossing the English Channel. The vehicle of choice? The Splash, the amphibious concept shown in the charming lake town of Geneva in 2004. The record, set on Wednesday, July 26, was the fastest ever crossing by a hydrofoil car, which the Splash technically qualifies as, taking just 193 minutes and 47 seconds. Unlike many Rinspeed concepts, the usability of the Splash has had folks chatting, from Richard Branson speculating that Splashes could ferry folks from the center of London to the airport, to our editorial crew, which theorized a Splash could probably make it home more quickly and with better catering than three-quarters of the American airlines serving Geneva.

FROM THE SOURCE headlines from the latest press releases

Mercedes-Benz Honors John Fitch at Saratoga Museum

Volvo Names Finalists in World's First Treasure Hunt for Buried Vehicle

Name	Symbol	Last	Change
Autobytel, Inc.	ABTL	3.21	-0.01 (-0.31%)
Autoliv Inc.	ALV	55.30	+0.31 (+0.56%)
AutoNation Inc.	AN	20.78	+0.18 (+0.87%)
ArvinMeritor Inc.	ARM	16.58	+0.37 (+2.28%)
American Axle & Mfr. Holdings Inc.	AXL	16.59	+0.47 (+2.92%)
Ballard Power Systems Inc.	BLDP	5.591	-0.019 (-0.34%)
BorgWarner Inc.	BWA	58.55	-0.68 (-1.15%)
Cummins Inc.	CMI	113.55	-0.40 (-0.35%)
DaimlerChrysler AG (ADR)	DCX	49.17	+0.38 (+0.78%)
Dura Automotive Systems	DRRA	1.53	-0.06 (-3.77%)
Eaton Corporation	ETN	65.08	+0.19 (+0.29%)
Ford Motor Company	F	6.59	+0.23 (+3.62%)
General Motors Corporation	GM	30.66	+0.99 (+3.34%)
Gentex Corporation	GNTX	13.36	+0.24 (+1.83%)
Goodyear Tire & Rubber	GT	10.30	+0.16 (+1.58%)
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (ADR)	HMC	32.25	+0.72 (+2.28%)
Johnson Controls Inc.	JCI	77.23	+1.58 (+2.09%)
Lear Corporation	LEA	24.27	+1.26 (+5.48%)
Magna International Inc.	MGA	73.99	+1.54 (+2.13%)
Motorola Inc.	MOT	21.60	+0.48 (+2.27%)
Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (ADR)	NSANY	20.38	+0.38 (+1.90%)
Sonic Automotive Inc.	SAH	22.75	+0.21 (+0.93%)
Siemens AG	SI	81.46	+0.25 (+0.31%)
Sirius Satellite Radio	SIRI	3.92	-0.02 (-0.51%)
Toyota Motor Corporation (ADR)	TM	102.60	+2.05 (+2.04%)
TRW Automotive Holdings	TRW	26.62	+0.85 (+3.30%)
Tower Automotive Inc.	TWRAQ.PK	0.11	0.00 (0.00%)
United Auto Group Inc.	UAG	20.78	+0.14 (+0.68%)
Visteon Corporation	VC	6.93	+0.28 (+4.21%)
XM Satellite Radio Hold.	XMSR	10.88	-0.32 (-2.86%)