• One of the most tragic episodes in the history of Mexico was the coordinated assassinations of President Francisco I. Madero and Vice President Jose Maria Pino Suarez.  The assassinations were both tied to automobiles, given that both Madero and Pino Suarez were transferred, under false pretenses, to the places of their execution in two automobiles that would today be the envy of any car collector. These vehicles include a prototype Laundet, in which Madero traveled, and a Packard convertible, which carried Pino Suarez. The first auto was provided by businessman Cecilio Ocon, a sworn enemy of Madero, and the Packard by Ignacio de la Torre y Mier, son-in-law of Dictator Porfirio Diaz, who Madero had defeated in the election.
• The Porsche model known as the “Carrera” bears this name given the role it has played in the famed Panamerican Race (Carrera Panamericana), which goes from El Ocotan on the Guatemalan border to Ciudad Juarez on the U.S. border, traversing the entire Mexican territory.

• Later Porsche named its “Panamera” as its first four door vehicle, also in memory of the Carrera Panamericana.

• Ferrari prepared a car to race in the 1952 Carrera Panamericana. It was called the Ferrari Mexico. Ferrari produced various automobiles under the name Ferrari Mexico. Some of these raced in the Carrera, with one in particular coming in third place, driven by Luigi Chimatti, following two Mercedes Benz 300 SL cars. The same auto also ran the “Mille Miglia” in the 12 hours of Reims, and finally appeared at an automobile auction in Isla Amelia. In 2011, the Ferrari Mexico referred to in this trivia item was sold for $4.29 million dollars.

• Mexican President Adolfo Lopez Mateos (1958-1964) was a huge car aficionado. At night he was known to leave his residence alone or occasionally accompanied by a friend (or girlfriend) to run his cars on the Mexico-Cuernavaca superhighway. On one occasion, while driving a Maserati, President Lopez Mateos was pulled over by a motorcycle policeman for exceeding the posted speed limit. Legend has it that the President paid the fine and promoted the policeman, as a reward for properly carrying out his policing duties.

On September 27 and 28, 2013 an automotive aftermarket, repair and maintenance convention will be held, which will be attended by the leading players in various sectors of the automotive industry. It will be an occasion to show the latest novelties and innovations related to the automotive industry. Conferences and discussions concerning automotive aftermarket parts, repair and maintenance will be held, while manufacturers and distributors will also show their automotive repair machinery and equipment. Entry to the event is free, and such will take place at the offices of the National Manufacturing Industry Chamber (CANACINTRA), located at Ave. San Antonio 256, Colonia Ampliación Nápoles, Delegación Benito Juarez, in Mexico City.

President Peña Nieto has announced three measures to consolidate Mexico’s position as a global power in the production and exportation of automobiles: (1) The resolution of a dispute with Argentina regarding economic Supplemental Agreement 55, which would reestablish trade in light vehicles between both countries according to the previously agreed to terms; (2) the establishment of a series of more rigorous and advanced regulations governing carbon dioxide emissions with the collaboration of industry representatives. With the application of Energy Efficiency Regulations that will enter into effect in 2014, it is estimated that Mexico will be able to save more than 95 billion liters of gasoline; and (3) on January 31, 2013 the renewal of the Decree regulating the definitive importation of used autos was published. With this regulation, Mexico can prevent used autos in poor mechanical conditions, or those that do not comply with environmental regulations, from being imported into the country.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto announced from the presidential residence of Los Pinos an investment by JATCO, a manufacturer of transmissions for Nissan Motor Co., of $220 million dollars in its second plant in the city of Aguascalientes. The Mexican leader referred to the benefits these investments are bringing to the Mexican economy, and of the family economy of the workers who will benefit from the creation of direct jobs (1,000 new employees for Nissan), including social security benefits, job stability and formalized working conditions.  He also stated that the project is a sign of confidence by global manufacturers and a response to the favorable conditions currently offered by Mexico for foreign investors. Luis Valls, president of Nissan Mexicana, stated that the plant will begin production during the summer of 2013 and will have an annual capacity of 400,000 transmissions.

With his experience and knowledge promoting automotive investments as Governor of the State of Mexico (Estado de Mexico), Mexico’s new President has shown himself to be quite active in attending inaugurations and industry expansion projects, only now he is doing so at the national level. In a tour hosted by the State of Guanajuato, he inaugurated a Volkswagen engine plant in Silao. Volkswagen’s CEO, Martin Winterkorn, attended the event and declared to the press that “Volkswagen is ‘Mexicanizing’ itself”. Such plant became number 100 of the German automaker, which now appears to be in an enviable position in the world automotive market. The company invested $550 million dollars in the Silao plant, which will create 700 direct jobs. The plant will produce 320,000 engines per year.

Not all news is good news for the Mexican automotive industry. The North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA by its initials in English, has opened, in successive stages, the Mexican border for the importation of used vehicles from the U.S. and Canada. The opening of Mexico’s borders to used autos was not unplanned, as such was subject to a strict schedule and various regulations. Even with such regulations, imports of used autos into Mexico have increased and affected the domestic auto market. According to Mexico’s Customs Service, during 2012, 458,114 used vehicles were imported into Mexico from the United States. If such figures are compared with the number of light vehicles sold in Mexico during the same period (987,747), the total of imported used vehicles reaches 46.4% of the total of new vehicles sold in Mexico. This results, in addition to damages suffered by the domestic market, in a surcharge caused by such used vehicles on Mexican traffic safety, health, energy efficiency, environmental pollution and taking advantage of consumers who are not able to determine the mechanical condition of vehicles of unknown origin. Mexico hopes that the Decree Regulating the Definitive Importation of Used Autos, published in Mexico’s Official Journal of the Federation on January 31, 2013, will serve to mitigate these negative effects.