Sales: Hyundai Reports Gains for September (USA)

Hyundai Motor America today announced its September sales of 31,511units, a 27 percent increase compared with September 2008. For the calendar year to-date, Hyundai sales are up 1.4 percent compared to last year. This also marks the ninth consecutive month of significant year-over-year gains in retail market share. Hyundai leads all automotive brands in market share growth this year as well.

“While consumer demand following the Cash-for-Clunkers program softened during the month of September, we are encouraged with our continued growth in retail share and overall sales through the first nine months of the year,” said Dave Zuchowski, vice president of sales.“With our solid product and marketing plans going into the fourth quarter, in addition to the upcoming launch of the all-new Tucson and Sonata, we are cautiously optimistic during these challenging times.”

The Genesis continued its strong growth trend with sales of 1,665 units. The compact Elantra had a significant increase of 104 percent versus 2008, while the Santa Fe delivered a substantial sales gain of 50 percent leading up to the introduction of the facelifted 2010 model.

[Source: Hyundai Motor America]

Read more for the complete sales chart.

Art Car Fest 08 Video - at "How Berkeley Can You Be" Parade

Art Car Fest is this weekend September 25-27th going on all over the SF bay area, and this video I shot from the inside of my mercedes pens art car during the last years event at the Berkeley Parade. I was a lot of fun as it is every year during this time and I believe this weekend will be a ton of fun as usual. Some of the cars in this video are: Glass Quilt, Golden Mean, Radio Flyer, The Lorax and the Mercedes Pens.If you can make it out to see us here is the schedule of events:

Friday, September 25
noon - 5pm Amoeba Music Caravan!
Keep your eyes open for our ArtCar caravan through San Francisco. We'll be touring such favorite sites as North Beach, Fisherman's Wharf, The Castro, The Embarcadero, Golden Gate Park, and Ocean Beach. You can catch up with us at 3:30PM at Sports Basement at Crissy Field (in the Presidio.)

Saturday, September 26
Noon - 8pm Salsa Festival!
ArtCar Fest will dip into the sauce as we exhibit at the Redwood City Salsa Festival! Three stages of live music, great food, lots of family-friendly activities, and now ArtCars!

Sunday, September 27
11am - 7pm Berkeley's LAST SUNDAYS FEST
We'll hang all day with our friends at Amoeba Music on Telegraph in Berkeley at the new Last Sundays Festival.

Caulk It Art Van by Nod Nal-Teews at Art Car Fest

Photos by Bagel!

Nod D’Nal-Teews from Fort Worth, has been driving his "Caulk-It" van cross country for over 20 years now. His van is a 1979 Dodge Maxivan and matching trailer, dubbed the "Art Ark" with rooftop solar collectors that power appliances within the van, while a trailer serves as his studio. Most people use caulk to seal up cracks in their homes but he used about 300 tubes of the stuff to cover his art car spread with his fingers then painted over. He has also encompassed a variety of items in his design, from broom handles to rain gutters to pie tins. Nod will be at Art Car Fest weekend.

Danger Car By Reverend Charles Linville at Art Car Car Fest

Art Car Fest 09 could be a dangerous event but this year the good Reverend Charles Linville in his Danger Car will be attending to make sure that nobody gets hurt. The purpose of Danger car is to serve as a warning to all of things that are potentially dangerous and worrisome;hence the outer coating of reflective stripes, twisted metal, broken mirrors, ripples, warning lights and police sirens. The interior is festooned with matchbook covers, warning tape and bullet casings. Cant wait to meet the Reverend, its should be a lot safer this year with the Danger Car up front.

"Aqua Mobile" by Don Ehlen - Art Car Fest

photo by Bagel!

The AQUA MOBILE is the creation of Don Ehlen, a Seattle-based entomologist and educator. The car is a great example of a simple concept art car, basically just a great paint job, although 3-D features have begun to creep in: a fully inflated plastic blowfish atop the radio antenna, a crab creeping out over the rear license plate, and a red plastic lobster at the front. Also at this years Art Car Fest.via

Photo Boof Art Car Captures Moment at Art Car Fest

via Burncast

The Photo Boof art car is a mobile photobooth built by Wrybread onto the back of an Cushman parking patrol auto rickshaw. The Photo Boof has been to all kinds of events and is even available to rent and it will be appearing at this years Art Car Fest so come by and get your photo taken with your BFF. In the video Justin Credible is the spokesperson for Photo Boof giving us the story behind this really cool art. I got about nine days until Art Car Fest 09 starts and I need to get my Mercedes Pens art car ready and feature as many attending art cars on ACC as possible.

Battle Wagon Art Car - Another one for the Apocalypse

Battle Wagon Art Car

Haz-Mat Hatch Art Car

Battle Wagon and Haz-Mat Hatch is another couple of those futuristic apocalypse mad-max art cars created by Todd up in there in Washington State. They might look ugly but they got it were it counts, two high-octane hi-carb Subaru wagons that hall out in a hurry when the mutants come chasing the day after. Todd said "this is the extent of my mid life crises" and "everyday is a parade in this car". Nice work Todd.