by Joseph Szczesny | Aug 17, 2009
It appears that another group of bidders is now chasing after Volvo, Ford Motor Company’s loss-making Swedish subsidiary, which has been up for sale for months, maybe years. The Swedish press is reporting from anonymous sources that a group of Volvo engineers...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 17, 2009
It’s not often Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld have to take a backseat. But when it comes to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the cars are the real stars. The annual event is not only considered the most elegant classic car show in the world, but it serves as an...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 16, 2009
For most of its long and storied history, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance has provided a rearview mirror on the automotive past, but this year, the show is serving up a look towards the future for one of the industry’s most exclusive and celebrated marques,...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 16, 2009
It’s often said that the most successful automakers are those who understand the fundamental essence of their brands. At least, that’s what Infiniti is counting on as it translates its Essence concept vehicle into its flagship sedan, an all-new version of the M...
by Mike Davis | Aug 15, 2009
Is there a real male out there who doesn’t dream about the car he learned to drive in, or his first car, or the car he wanted but couldn’t afford or parents wouldn’t allow? I think that’s the basis for the love of old cars, at least the ordinary survivors, not the...
by Ken Zino | Aug 14, 2009
While the multi-millionaires are sipping champagne this weekend at Pebble Beach, a more democratic celebration of the automobile is taking place along a 16-mile stretch of Woodward Avenue in suburban Detroit. This populist celebration draws an estimated 1 million...
by Mike Levine | Aug 14, 2009
If each new generation of computer processor is able to double the speed of the previous one, is it any surprise that GM’s next-generation gas-electric hybrid powertrain for its big pickups and SUVs will be four-mode instead of the current two-mode? We first...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 14, 2009
“Volatility,” says Mark Fields, is the new norm. And that is making it downright difficult to predict where the U.S. auto market is going, despite the sudden upturn in demand triggered by the federal Cash for Clunkers program. Nonetheless, Ford believes things are...
by Ken Zino | Aug 14, 2009
The head of the German government has now weighed in on the debate over what company General Motors sells its Adam Opel subsidiary to. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said this morning in Russia that she had a clear preference for the Russian-backed bid of Magna to...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 14, 2009
Sometimes you just have to start all over again. That’s a lesson Jaguar learned after the launch of its “all-new” XJ sedan, for 2004. The flagship saloon car boasted plenty of positive attributes, including a lightweight aluminum chassis, but visually, it looked...
by Marty Bernstein | Aug 14, 2009
A Tale of Two Car Buyers: Some Things Never Change! Auto writers, journalists, commentators and pundits are often subjected to inquisitions from relatives, friends, neighbors and colleagues outside the automotive world: Questions include: What do you like best? What...
by Joseph Szczesny | Aug 14, 2009
General Motors Corp. plans to have the capacity to build as many as 70,000 battery packs at its new battery assembly plant outside of Detroit. Fritz Henderson, GM president and chief executive officer, said GM’s plans call for not only using the lithium ion battery...
