After much speculation and an aborted retirement attempt last year, the legendary Bob Lutz will retire from GM for good on May 1st of this year, according to the Detroit News.

One of the most colorful and forceful figures in Detroit in at least a generation, Lutz has worked, at one time or another, for all three American car makers and was the driving force behind such notable vehicles as the Dodge Viper, the Pontiac Soltice and the Chevrolet Volt.

No official statement has been forthcoming from either GM or Lutz, which is driving speculation regarding the retirement. He had been critical of limits on executive pay packages in the wake of GM’s bankruptcy and subsequent government oversight of the company’s operations. He also had found himself at odds with other GM executives over projects such as the Cadillac Converj which Lutz believed should be brought to market but which GM officially canceled just this week.

--M.D.

February sales figures are all in now and Ford came out the winner with a 43% increase in sales over February 2009. What’s more, Ford managed to edge out GM for the first time since . . . well, it’s been a long, long time. The totals: 142,006 for Ford vs. 141,535 for the new GM.

Toyota, not surprisingly, saw a decline of 9%, though, given the recall turmoil, many experts were expecting an even bigger drop. Subaru and Nissan posted nice gains at 38% and 29% respectively while Honda showed a more modest increase of 13%.

Chrysler sales were essentially flat with an increase of barely 400 units over last year. While up is always better than down, Chrysler will need to come on much stronger than this if it is to meet targets set by Fiat chief Marchionne for 2010. With few fresh products planned until late in the year, it seems unlikely that its numbers will look much better in coming months.

The biggest losers? Smart dropped by nearly 69% and Suzuki was off 61%. One has to wonder if the market for the Smart ForTwo was more limited than parent company Daimler thought and has already saturated. Suzuki has been trying hard to raise its profile in the U.S. market with products such as the new and well-received Kizashi but, apparently, to no avail. With its strength in other markets, most notably India, one wonders how much longer Suzuki will keep trying to establish a foothold here.

--M.D.

Since the introduction of auto safety standards, highway deaths in this country have been on a steady decline. At one time automobile deaths hovered around 50,000 per year. That number now is closer to 35,000 despite more cars on the road and more miles being driven.

However good that news is, Volvo wants it all. The auto maker has set as a goal zero highway deaths in their cars by 2020, according to Wards Automotive. Other manufacturers are said to be examining this as well, though none has been bold enough to announce it publicly.

As the saying goes, “We have the technology”, but is there a risk for Volvo in going down this road? Could it be interpreted as a promise that could expose the company to increased risk of litigation?

The vast majority of car crashes are caused by operator error and this element can be difficult if not impossible for a manufacturer to control. New safety measures such as Volvo’s City Safety system can do much to reduce crashes, but they can also lull drivers into a false sense of security and make them even less engaged in the operation of their cars.

A better idea: More comprehensive driver training and higher standards for licensing. (IMHO.)

--M.D.

The down turn in auto sales over the past two years was partially due to the weak economy and diminished consumer confidence but was also driven by a lack of available credit for car loans in the market place.

Automotive News reports that the credit side of the equation is improving and lenders not only have access to more lendable funds but have also relaxed lending standards -- somewhat. For at least a year getting a loan was difficult even for buyers with fairly good credit. Now, with more money available, buyers with less than super prime credit ratings are finding it easier to get approval.

It helps that those buyers are also coming into the market better prepared. The article notes that they are paying down credit cards and bringing larger down payments to the table when applying. The expanding availability of credit is also helping dealers build their inventories.

--M.D.

The Detroit News is reporting that Honda seems to be profiting most from Toyota’s recall problems. Comparing sales data from the first twenty days of February to the same time frame in January, the newspaper found that Toyota’s market share has taken a nose dive, dropping from 17.5% to 12.2% in just one month. At the same time Honda’s share rose from 11.2% to 13% while Ford, posting the second best gain, saw a bump from 10.6% to 11.7%. The numbers reflect retail sales only.

The data show that the Chevrolet brand also slid slightly from 10.3% to 10.0% despite generous incentives and heavy marketing. Honda went fairly light on the incentives and avoided special offers to Toyota owners to entice them to trade. Also interesting to note that the two Korean brands, Hyundai and Kia, now account for 7% market share.

If the trend continues for the rest of the month, Honda will emerge as America’s most popular brand and, with a little push, Ford could regain its number two position.

--M.D.