by Ken Zino | Dec 9, 2009
James Campbell is now general manager of Chevrolet. In a late afternoon announcement, Susan Docherty, GM’s new vice president Sales, Service and Marketing, said that the 45-year-old veteran immediately replaces Brent Dewar, previously vice president global Chevrolet....
by Joseph Szczesny | Dec 9, 2009
Jill Lajdziak, the former head of GM’s Saturn unit, is joining smart USA as executive vice president of sales and marketing – and the point person in the brand’s bid to reverse a devastating sales slump. After scoring a big boost in 2008, much of it driven by record...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 9, 2009
Its relationship with BBDO drawing to a close, Chrysler has announced it will turn over its media buying contract to Universal McCann next month. An across-the-board shake-up, which is leading BBDO to close its offices in Troy, has led Chrysler to split up its...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 9, 2009
Tucked into the far corner of the L.A. Auto Show sit two Mini concept cars that have been generating some serious buzz. Now, sources say, the Mini Roadster and Mini Coupe could find their way into production in the very near future. As TheDetroitBureau.com’s Henny...
by Ken Zino | Dec 9, 2009
Volkswagen AG will buy 19.9% of Suzuki Motor Corporation for $2.5 billion, which in turn will reinvest half of the proceeds in VW stock it was announced in Frankfurt and Tokyo today. If the transaction is approved by regulators, VW would become the largest shareholder...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 9, 2009
Federal lawmakers have reached a compromise on a measure that could provide a reprieve for some of the thousands of dealers cut by General Motors and Chrysler as part of their bankruptcy reorganizations. The two companies collectively cut more than 2,100 retailers,...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 8, 2009
Since problems with the Audi 5000 first put the term, “sudden acceleration,” in the public lexicon, consumers have filed complaints about virtually every automaker on the market. But a study of federal safety records from 2008 show that an overwhelming number of...
by Ken Zino | Dec 8, 2009
There’s a huge disconnect between natural small car demand in the U.S. and the number of small cars that makers will actually have to sell by 2016 to meet the proposed 35.5 mpg standard, according to Charles Chesbrough of CSM Worldwide consultancy. The senior...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 8, 2009
Though he insists he likes cars, Ed Whitacre, Jr. is not your classic “car guy,” which to some is a good thing. Trained as a telecommunications engineer, the 68-year-old Texan rose to the top at SBC, one of the smaller “Baby Bells” spun off after the break-up of...
by Mike Davis | Dec 8, 2009
We all know what the U. S. Census Bureau does, right? It counts noses. And those noses, properly scrambled or unscrambled, give marketers targets for selling goods and services, and legions of genealogists clues and info about their ancestors. But what does it have to...
by Ken Zino | Dec 8, 2009
In his first media conference since assuming the post as president of General Motors North America, Mark Reuss said that the priority for 2010 is to payback taxpayers the $50 billion the reorganized company owes. The goal came out a meeting yesterday Reuss had with Ed...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 8, 2009
It’s difficult enough serving as CEO, especially when you’re overseeing a company desperately struggling to re-emerge from bankruptcy. But Sergio Marchionne is not only running Chrysler but also serving as chief executive of its Italian partner, Fiat. How long that...
