By DON HAMMONDS, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The year 2009 was undeniably one of the worst in the auto industry's history, and we're not just talking about the bankruptcies of General Motors and Chrysler and the overall poor sales.

There are thieves on the loose in offices across the country. They're called idea thieves, taking the best from their colleagues and claiming those ideas for themselves.

Though they may not go to jail for their crimes, those who have been their victims probably would love to sentence them to some hard time in an unemployment office.

There was little to celebrate in the March report for domestic auto sales -- despite the fact that March sales were up industrywide 25 percent from February's figures.

Americans are turning away in large numbers from hybrid cars at a time when automakers are preparing to flood the marketplace with even more of them.
Hybrid sales were off by 10 percent in 2008, and things aren't getting get any better so far this year.

If consumers hit by a tough economy and scarce credit have stalled out new car sales, they're staying mobile either by hanging onto their current vehicles as long as possible or buying a used car instead.

The nation's automotive landscape is suffering a deluge of poor sales, closing dealerships and layoffs. But not every car brand has been engulfed.
Subaru sold 12,194 cars last month, an 8 percent increase over the same period last year. Hyundai's sales rose 14.3 percent to 24,512 for the month.

Product, product, product -- that's the mantra that has ruled the auto industry since time immemorial.
But today, it's more than a mantra. It's a key to survival for Detroit's Big Three auto makers. The product mix almost surely will determine which -- if any -- of the Big Three will thrive in the future.

Surprisingly, some people are longing for the bad old days of last summer when gasoline prices shot up above $4 a gallon.

Buoyed by a rediscovered brand identity, Lincoln has become the fastest growing luxury brand in the United States. Company officials are gearing up for even stronger sales with the all new MKS luxury sports sedan aimed at the "Gen X" crowd.

A brave new world of smaller and likely more expensive vehicles -- electric cars, hybrids, and diesel-powered cars -- is right around the corner for U.S. consumers.That's because auto manufacturers must make dramatic changes in their product lineups to meet federal standards for fuel economy that will go into effect on an interim basis in 2011, and as a final step in 2020.