by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 31, 2010
Former auto czar Steven Rattner has agreed to pay a $10 million fine to settle a “pay-to-play” case that claimed the one-time reporter had handed out kickbacks in order to steer $150 million in New York State pension fund business to his Wall Street firm. The...
by Joseph Szczesny | Dec 31, 2010
Johnson Controls Inc., one of the world’s top automotive suppliers, has swooped in to acquire one of the top names in automobile seating – Recaro. JCI has signed a purchase agreement to acquire the German automotive supplier Keiper and the Recaro-brand...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 31, 2010
The following story has been revised to reflect the latest recalls announced New Year’s Eve by two Detroit automakers. Driven by a series of massive safety-related actions at Toyota, the number of vehicles recalled in the U.S., this past year will have reached...
by Bryan Laviolette | Dec 31, 2010
Let the hysteria begin. As if on cue, just as gasoline prices crested $3, the whiners started complaining that “something has to be done.” Fueling the fire this week was a former Shell Oil executive who predicted $5 gasoline as soon as 2012. John Hofmeister, now head...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 30, 2010
The numbers at the pump down at Sunny’s Sunoco are spinning fast, these days. And getting faster all the time. He’s pumping regular at $3.19 a gallon, this morning, a big jump from just two weeks ago, but likely nothing compared to what we’ll see in the months to...
by Joseph Szczesny | Dec 30, 2010
Ford Motor Co. is giving parents the power to censor the music selected by the teen drivers in their household. The updated MyKey feature has been upgraded to allow parents to block explicit satellite radio programming while their teens are driving. The upgraded...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 29, 2010
General Motors stock appears to be in the midst of an end-of-the-year rally, and could see further growth in 2011, according to some key investment analysts. The maker’s sudden surge reflects the fact that Wall Street is stepping up both its coverage of the new GM...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 29, 2010
Among the numerous features Ford Motor Co. will offer on its new 2012 Focus model will be something called torque vectoring control, a system designed to help power the car through corners. The new system is designed to shift torque to the outer wheel as the Focus...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 28, 2010
We’ve all made that list of which books (or CDs or movie stars) we’d want to have if stuck on a desert island. But if you thought that choice was tough, here’s the real challenge: which two cars would you put on display to represent the American automotive industry?...
by Joseph Szczesny | Dec 28, 2010
The Grinch is back, and this year he’s taking aim at Tesla, the California-based electric vehicle start-up that has seen its shares dip by nearly 25% from where they were trading just a week ago. But that leaves company officials – and industry analysts – wondering...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 27, 2010
Despite recent setbacks, Chinese maker BYD is determined to enter the U.S. market – and it plans to give potential buyers a taste of what’s to come with the two battery-based vehicles it will unveil at the Detroit Auto Show, next month. BYD will stage two world...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 27, 2010
Ford Motor Co. will begin offering so-called Stop/Start systems in a variety of its vehicles, technology the maker claims will be able to reduce fuel consumption by as much as 10%. Globally, Stop/Start systems will be offered in about 20% of the maker’s product mix by...
