by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 8, 2009
While the movies live by the lore of the sleazy car salesman, ready to do or say anything to close a deal, the reality has changed dramatically, in recent years. Overall satisfaction with the new-vehicle purchase process has improved dramatically, according to a new...
by Ken Zino | Dec 7, 2009
In a decision which has wide-ranging and potentially negative consequences for the stumbling U.S. economy, the Environmental Protection Agency officially ruled this morning that greenhouse gases (GHGs) threaten the public health and welfare of the American people. The...
by Ken Zino | Dec 7, 2009
Jaguar Land Rover is recalling more than 4,000 model year 2010 Range Rover vehicles built at the Solihull (UK) Assembly Plant from March 3, 2009 through to November 12, 2009 to update faulty software that could cause an airbag deployment failure. The module in...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 7, 2009
The search for a new CEO to replace ousted General Motors Chief Executive Fritz Henderson could be seriously complicated by the federal pay cap on companies that have received a government bailout. As things stand, a new CEO would be limited to less than $1 million in...
by Ken Zino | Dec 7, 2009
General Motors will spend $336 million in the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant to begin production of the Chevrolet Volt electric car late in 2010, as well as the Opel Ampera, which will follow late in 2011. This brings GM’s combined Volt-related investments in...
by Ken Zino | Dec 6, 2009
In an unusual Saturday conference call from Rüsselsheim, Germany, the newly appointed President of General Motors Europe, Nick Reilly, said the Opel CEO search has been abandoned. Reilly is taking the job, vacant since early November when Karl-Peter Forster left, and...
by Ken Zino | Dec 5, 2009
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile confirmed late last week that the Sauber Team would be given a starting grid slot next year, taking the place of the departing Toyota team. The spot is contingent on Sauber signing the Concorde Agreement that governs...
by Ken Zino | Dec 5, 2009
Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation and General Motors Company announced they are expanding their cooperation in Asia and targeting the Indian and other emerging auto markets by forming a Hong Kong-based firm, General Motors SAIC Investment Limited. As part of...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 5, 2009
Still struggling to deal with the fallout from the controversial recall of 3.8 million vehicles, Toyota is facing the challenge of yet another federal safety probe. Government regulators are probing complaints that some of the automaker’s vehicles may stall in...
by Ken Zino | Dec 4, 2009
General Motors of Canada today announced that it would acquire 100% ownership of CAMI Automotive Incorporated through a transaction to buy shares currently owned by long-time 50% partner Suzuki Motor Corporation. GM previously ended a link with Suzuki in Asia during...
by Ken Zino | Dec 4, 2009
David Thomas, 40, of Sanford, Florida, won Chevrolet’s national contest to name the Volt’s lead paint color and the opportunity to be the first consumer to test-drive a pre-production Volt. Nearly 3,000 people cast their votes at chevroletvoltage.com for Thomas’...
by Ken Zino | Dec 4, 2009
While the Obama administration was blaming businesses yesterday for what is in our view an understandable lack of hiring as the Great Recession drags on, the Internal Revenue Service made things worse by cutting the tax deductible mileage rates for firms. In effect,...
