by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 27, 2011
Even with one less zero it would have been a significant chunk of change, but at $100 million, the “wonderful, generous” donation announced by the Petersen Automotive Museum is expected to secure its future and expand its displays significantly. Opened in 1994 by the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 27, 2011
Despite the endless headlines and the steady roll-out of battery cars, plug-ins, hydrogen vehicles and natural gas-powered sedans, the market for alternative powertrain vehicles is likely to remain extremely limited for some years to come, warns a new study that...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 27, 2011
With a proposed rescue plan still stalled, struggling Swedish automaker Saab’s headquarters assembly plant remains shuttered for the third week, raising questions about its long-term prospects. The European Investment Bank, which provided the loan permitting...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 27, 2011
General Motors has gone to war. Struggling to avoid the sort of parts shortage problems crippling its Japanese rivals, the maker has assigned several hundred managers to three “war rooms,” in Detroit, Tokyo and Shanghai, with the aim of keeping its assembly lines...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 26, 2011
The United Auto Workers Union will put the emphasis on “creative problem solving,” rather than confrontation as it reopens contract talks, this summer, with Detroit’s Big Three automakers. Intent on putting aside the traditional hardball tactics that have defined...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 26, 2011
Toyota is the overwhelming brand of choice among African-American car buyers, according to a new study by Polk, a Detroit firm that tracks motor vehicle registrations. But domestic makers are by no means out of the picture. Ford ranks second among African-American...
by Joseph Szczesny | Apr 26, 2011
Far from the bright lights and sophistication of its base in Shanghai, General Motors has developed a secret weapon in the duel for supremacy in the Chinese market. In 2010, SGMWuling, or Wuling for short, generated roughly 50% of all GM’s sales in China. Based in...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 26, 2011
After disappointing analysts during the final months of 2010, Ford Motor Co. has delivered another surprise – but this time it has well exceeded even the more optimistic forecasts for the first quarter of the New Year, posting $2.6 billion in net income. That’s a...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 26, 2011
A new report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety should calm those concerned about the safety of the new battery car technology. After a series of crash tests, the IIHS has awarded the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt its highest safety ratings The trade...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 25, 2011
British supercar maker McLaren is planning to follow up on the introduction of its MP4-12C with a “much broader” range of high-end sports cars, a senior executive tells TheDetroitBureau.com. By using lightweight materials, like carbon fiber, and other advanced...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 25, 2011
It’s been a challenging couple of months for the auto industry. There’s the near-record run-up in petroleum prices, and the Japanese parts shortage that has crippled makers around the world. Raw material costs have been soaring. And the economies of some key auto...
by Tim Healey | Apr 25, 2011
The 2012 Beetle may be the biggest news story to emerge from this year’s New York Auto Show, but it isn’t the only new Volkswagen being shown at New York’s Jacob Javits Convention Center. VW is planning big, the maker hoping to double U.S. sales, to 800,000 annually,...
