The federal government finalized new fuel-economy standards for model year 2012–2016 cars and trucks and a national carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions tailpipe standard.

A bill targeted for defeat by SEMA to ban the “use and sale of any exhaust pipe that increases the sound emission of any vehicle including motorcycles” was set aside for study by the legislature.

Working with Mississippi lawmakers and the Mississippi State Troopers Association, SEMA successfully negotiated a compromise on legislation that originally threatened to prohibit public road use of all motor vehicles equipped to supply the engine with nitrous oxide.

SEMA is opposing legislation to raise the registration fee on antiques, street rods and special-interest vehicles in Kansas.

More automotive, paint and body manufacturers plan to exhibit at the SEMA Show for the first time, while many return exhibitors are committing to larger space for 2010.

Customer service is not a strategy; it is a way of life, whether business is up or down. The customer and how you take care of that customer will ultimately determine whether or not your business will succeed, according to Robert Spector, best-selling author and international speaker best known for his book The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service Excellence. His latest book is called The Mom & Pop Store: How the Unsung Heroes of the American Economy are Surviving and Thriving.

It may seem like an empty buzzword, but 68% of your industry peers are using social media to connect with customers, suppliers and competitors. Can you afford to ignore it?

General Motors added more Camaros, and now Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD trucks to its 2010 project vehicle program.