by Ken Zino | Mar 22, 2010
BMW AG is expected to announce this morning that it will supply more than 240,000 six-cylinder diesel engines to a fledgling maker of police vehicles, Carbon Motors Corporation, which has never produced a police car. Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of...
by Ken Zino | Mar 22, 2010
Cadillac is recalling CTS models produced for model years 2003-2007 because road salt can corrode the front brake hose fitting where it joins the caliper. The brake hose can leak or rupture suddenly. If the fitting corrodes “significantly,” the brake hose-tube...
by Ken Zino | Mar 19, 2010
What might be new evidence that could ultimately set free Koua Fong Lee, a Minnesota man sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in a 2006 crash involving a runaway Toyota, will be presented to the Ramsey County assistant prosecutor on Monday. In June 2006,...
by Ken Zino | Mar 19, 2010
New-vehicle buyers are returning to dealer showrooms so far in March, lured by huge incentives, after Toyota recall news and bad weather kept them away in February. March new-vehicle retail sales are projected to increase by 25%, compared with the same period one year...
by Marty Bernstein | Mar 19, 2010
First it was a phone call, “Did you hear?” Then a text, “this can’t be true … can it?” Finally a call, text and email all essentially with the same message, “Look at their media site, it’s up and official, “Joel Ewanick is moving from Hyundai to Nissan as vice...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 19, 2010
Best known for its Formula One race cars, the British maker McLaren aims to take on long-time rivals like Ferrari and Porsche, but this time on the street with the track-tuned MP4-12C sports car, which will start at nearly $200,000. McLaren, which recently was...
by Joseph Szczesny | Mar 19, 2010
Ford Motor Co. comeback drive got another boost this week when Moody Investor Services bumped up the rating on Ford’s outstanding debts. The rating change should reduce Ford’s borrowing costs – a critical matter since while the automaker was able to avoid bankruptcy,...
by Ken Zino | Mar 18, 2010
About 4500 members of UAW Local 2244 voted today to accept a $281-million severance pay package offered by Toyota, which is closing New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. on April 1. Ratification was approved by 90%. It is the only auto assembly plant in Toyota’s largest...
by Ken Zino | Mar 18, 2010
A wirelessly charged electric vehicle went into service last week at the Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, traversing a 2.2 kilometer-long circular route through the zoo. Known as on-line electric vehicle (OLEV), the jitney is powered by electricity from an electrical...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 18, 2010
Ask those who know Jerry York what they thought of him and you’d heard a mix of descriptions: brilliant strategist, gadfly, great ally, dangerous enemy, and a voice for change in a long-stagnant auto industry. The truth about Jerome B. York, who died Thursday at 71,...
by Ken Zino | Mar 18, 2010
With lasers and lane detection, GM can create a “virtual” road edge on a full windshield display that can help driver’s stay on the road during fog, rain or other bad weather conditions. General Motors R&D and several universities are...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 18, 2010
Perceptions often lag reality, especially in the auto industry, where some brands have far more quality problems than their image might reflect – and other have markedly better reliability than their reputation would suggest. So, the results of the latest annual...
