by Joseph Szczesny | Oct 21, 2011
The rules have changed and, as a result, so have some of the players, it seems – a crackdown on ethics snagging one of the big fish at Daimler AG, former Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Ernst Lieb. Lieb was unceremoniously dismissed from his job after he was warned about...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 21, 2011
Editor’s Note: This story has been revised to reflect a subsequent upgrade in Ford’s credit rating by S&P, the agency removing Ford from its CreditWatch. With a key debt rating agency giving it the thumbs-up – and further hikes anticipated – Ford Motor...
by Joseph Szczesny | Oct 21, 2011
Daimler AG plans to spend $350 million to produce another model at it US production center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, starting in 2015, and also plans to add jobs next year at its Western Star truck plant in Portland, Oregon. The entirely new Mercedes-Benz model will...
by Bryan Laviolette | Oct 21, 2011
Chevrolet’s Volt extended-range electric vehicle is a groundbreaking car, one that introduces an entirely new kind of drivetrain. But here’s amazing fact: After nine months on the market, the Volt has not had a single recall. In an environment where automakers are...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 20, 2011
When Ford Motor Co. officials began pulling together plans to revive the long-struggling Lincoln brand one of the first moves was to advise dealers they’d need to redesign their showrooms – again. And Lincoln isn’t unique, from high-line brands like Mercedes-Benz to...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 20, 2011
Serious financial irregularities, including the use of a company expense account to cover work at his home appear to have been behind the ouster of Ernst Lieb, the CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, who was unexpectedly and immediately removed from his post earlier in the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 20, 2011
Saab’s court-appointed administrator will ask to have the automaker’s voluntary reorganization terminated immediately, a move that could force the liquidation of the long-troubled Swedish brand. The move comes just hours after a private equity firm in the U.S. agreed...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 20, 2011
When it comes to small cars, let’s face it, Detroit has had a history of rolling out some pretty forgettable products, nowhere more so than at Chevrolet, which has dumped on a trusting public such unremarkable and sometimes crude offerings as the Nova, Storm,...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 20, 2011
It’s hard to argue about its stylish design, but when it comes to range and fuel economy claims the new Fisker Karma falls well short, according to the EPA. Developed by former Aston Martin designer Henrik Fisker, the Karma is the first in a planned series of offering...
by Warren Brown | Oct 20, 2011
The trouble with our winners-losers society is that it often misses the point of the game. Consider the recently concluded talks between the United Auto Workers union and Detroit’s car companies. Critics of those agreements contend that the manufacturers got four...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 19, 2011
The pint-sized Fiat 500 has received the top award for safety from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, making it only the second vehicle to land the coveted Top Safety Pick honors from the industry trade group. The award applies to vehicles produced since...
by Joseph Szczesny | Oct 19, 2011
Despite widespread dissatisfaction with the contract’s terms among union members, the United Auto Workers has officially declared the new pact with the Ford Motor Co ratified. The results of voting released by the union showed 63%, or 22,031, union members in favor of...
