by Paul A. Eisenstein | Feb 15, 2010
Mercury dealers, long left feeling like part of the automotive lonely-hearts club, apparently got an unexpected valentine from Ford officials, over the weekend. After leaving the brand struggling with an aging line-up, Mercury is apparently set to get a new small car...
by Ken Zino | Feb 15, 2010
Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is making a 40,000-square-meter area on the rooftop of its central spare parts warehouse in Sachsenheim (Baden-Wuerttemberg) to install and operate approximately 8,500 photovoltaic modules there. When completed, the system will generate nearly...
by Ken Zino | Feb 15, 2010
U.S. light-vehicle sales will reach just short of 12 million units in 2010 as credit becomes more available and consumer confidence improves with rising employment, according to Paul Taylor, chief economist for the National Automobile Dealers Association. Speaking at...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Feb 15, 2010
Struggling to overcome the damage done by a series of safety problems and an expanding list of recalls, Toyota is expected to try to win back skeptical consumers with a bevy of new discounts, as well as extended warranties. While final details have yet to be...
by Ken Zino | Feb 15, 2010
Media reports of the death of Toyota are greatly exaggerated, according to the latest research from CNW, the National Automobile Dealer’s Association and AutoTrader.com. Among the so-called Toyota “Intenders,” 7% now say they will not buy a new Toyota product....
by Ken Zino | Feb 13, 2010
Nissan confirms that it is looking into potential driveshaft yoke problems in North America, the result of Dana supplied parts. A potential recall would involve a “small number” of current production four-wheel-drive trucks and SUVs at both the Nissan and Infiniti...
by Ken Zino | Feb 13, 2010
The following is significantly revised from the original story to add Nissan and Ford Motor involvement – editor. When Toyota started pressing for world leadership almost a decade ago, management did not envision obtaining another kind of automotive leadership...
by Ken Zino | Feb 12, 2010
Renault SA reported a net loss of €3.1 billion ($4.3 billion) compared with a €571 million profit a year earlier — its first annual loss in 13 years, as the global Great Recession exacted it toll in spite of drastic cost cutting of -17% compared to 2008. Revenue...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Feb 12, 2010
It’s got a sort of “Back to the Future” look that would seem comfortable on the pages of a comic book,” but could the DeltaWing race car concept revolutionize real world motor sports? That’s the question surrounding the steel gray prototype on display at this year’s...
by Ken Zino | Feb 12, 2010
Even though the average fuel price has increased 80 cents per gallon to $2.69 from year ago, the effect on buyers’ choices appears to be perverse. The latest survey shows that interest is decining in small cars and hybrid vehicles is when compared with a year ago when...
by Joseph Szczesny | Feb 12, 2010
Is the snake slithering its way back into the Dodge line-up? Apparently so, according to some less than subtle hints by Ralph Gilles, Chrysler’s executive vice president, during a speech to the Chicago Economic Club. Gilles, who does double-duty as both design chief...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Feb 11, 2010
Wrapping up a 24-city promotional tour for its first battery-electric vehicle, Nissan has announced it is ready to begin taking orders for the 2011 Leaf sedan. Interested customers will be able to place a refundable $100 reservation fee, starting in April, for the...
