by Jim McCraw | Oct 21, 2010
Anyone familiar with Bibendum, the friendly, if overweight, mascot for Michelin, the French tire giant, knows he’s made of an assortment of the maker’s tires. But have you ever wondered what are on his feet? Michelin is revising its line of footwear, with four new...
by Henny Hemmes | Oct 21, 2010
It may be a “German” automaker, but BMW is counting on its assembly plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to help drive its goal of increasing sales by 55% before the end of the coming decade. And to get there, the maker is pumping an extra $750 million to expand the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 21, 2010
When Ford Motor Co. launches its complete redesign of the Explorer sport-utility vehicle for 2011, the maker will be aiming to rebuild a once-dominant franchise that has become little more than an also-ran in the huge multi-purpose vehicle market. The new model shifts...
by Joseph Szczesny | Oct 21, 2010
Even before the first of its new Fiat dealerships opens up, Chrysler Group is already laying plans for the return of the Alfa-Romeo brand, TheDetroitBureau.com has learned. Earlier this week, Chrysler began notifying the first new dealers who will be the vanguard for...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 21, 2010
Problems with leaky brake lines and faulty fuel pumps have led Toyota Motor Co. to announce the recall of 1.53 million vehicles worldwide. The latest safety problems come as a severe setback to a company where a senior U.S. official had, only a week before suggested...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 20, 2010
Ford Motor Co. plans a serious assault on the electric vehicle market, but the big push won’t come until 2012, the automaker says. “Some” of the Detroit maker’s first electric vehicles will hit the road in 2011, Sue Cischke, the group vice president overcoming Ford’s...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 20, 2010
Key decisions about General Motors’ long-term electric vehicle strategy could depend on the success – or failure – of the maker’s upcoming IPO. Though the maker has yet to publicly define its plans, the initial public offering of the “new” GM’s stock is expected to...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 20, 2010
Looking for that special holiday gift for your family gearhead? You might want to check out the annual Neiman Marcus holiday catalog for their special-edition 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible. Whoops, never mind. After getting a big send off on the NBC network’s...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 20, 2010
As many as 119 U.S. dealers will shortly learn that they’ve been chosen from close to 1,000 applicants hoping to represent Italy’s Fiat brand as it prepares its return to the U.S. market. The first of those retailers should be up and running before the end of the...
by Joseph Szczesny | Oct 20, 2010
The feud over Mahindra & Mahindra’s bid to sell vehicles in the U.S. is apparently deepening – and threatening to scuttle or at least delay its long-awaited launch in the American market. Global Vehicles USA Inc., which considers itself the exclusive U.S....
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 19, 2010
Okay, so the spotlight is on electric propulsion, these days, what with the launch of products like the new Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt. But there are still plenty of people who will spend their money to max out on performance. And for them, Mercedes-Benz is...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 19, 2010
Just months after joining Sweden’s Saab as its marketing chief, Adrian Hallmark has tendered his resignation and will move to Jaguar. The otherwise amicable announcement could pose problems for Saab, which is struggling to revive after former owner General Motors...
