by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jul 7, 2009
I’m used to having people stare at me when I drive by. Well, not me, exactly, but the various cars I rotate through, on a regular basis. Call it the head-turn factor, if you will, for it’s one indication of how well a product stands out in today’s...
by Ken Zino | Jul 7, 2009
Fiat Group and Guangzhou Automobile Group Company Ltd. (GAC Group) signed a “Framework Agreement” yesterday to establish a 50/50 joint-venture for the production of cars and engines for the Chinese market. The first model to be launched will be the C-size...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jul 7, 2009
Once one of the highest-flying of automotive suppliers, Lear Corp. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but after receiving support from lenders, bondholders and customers, it is expected to make a relatively quick passage through the courts. Best known for...
by Ken Zino | Jul 6, 2009
The number of people in the U.S. out of work, 14.7 million June, continues to grow relentlessly in spite of government attempts to downplay the data. The continuing loss of jobs across broad sectors of the economy make it increasing unlikely that vehicle sales will...
by Ken Zino | Jul 6, 2009
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved the sale of almost all of General Motors Corporation’s assets to NGMCO, Inc., a new legal entity funded by U.S. taxpayers for about $51 billion. An appeal by product liability lawyers is...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jul 6, 2009
Forget the Red Menace. When Detroit automakers think of China, these days, they’re thinking green. While the U.S. automotive market may be defying all forecasts for a recovery, the Asian nation has confounded analysts who expected demand in cities like Shanghai...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jul 6, 2009
A “new” General Motors seems likely to emerge from the ashes of bankruptcy by the end of the week, now that a federal bankruptcy judge has given the automaker the go-ahead for a so-called “363 Sale.” The order approving the sale came with an...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jul 6, 2009
A new University of Michigan study from its Transportation Research Institute says that since 2007 the average fuel economy of new vehicles purchased in the U.S. has increased by more than 5%. The combination of rising unemployment and rising fuel prices have...
by Mike Davis | Jul 6, 2009
Deficient roadways are a far greater factor in vehicle safety matters than previously believed by most safety experts, according to the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE), which is funded by the Transportation Construction Coalition of road builders....
by Ken Zino | Jul 5, 2009
In an unusual Sunday evening announcement, Chrysler Group LLC said tonight that with the appointment of five additional members to its Board of Directors, its new governance structure is now complete. The nine-member Board will be responsible for the future...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jul 3, 2009
BMW’s U.S. operations have now confirmed that the small BMW X1 “crossover” SUV will come to the United States sometime during the 2011 calendar year. The move likely anticipates further downsizing of product offerings, which will be needed as fuel...
by Ron Cogan | Jul 3, 2009
The race to deliver electric vehicles to the market is on and competition is heating up. But like the Apollo Program, success is likely to be measured over many years and will come at great cost. Our friends at Green Car Journal examined the challenges of bringing the...
