Archives: January 2007

Fiat Bravo Arrives

Posted by: Gail Edmondson on January 31

Well here it is -- Fiat's new Bravo compact. This is the car that has to power the Italian automaker's recovery into higher gear. Unveiled in Rome on Jan....

Fiat Burning Rubber

Posted by: Gail Edmondson on January 25

If Fiat Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne keeps hitting his targets, the Italian automaker is likely to go down in automotive history as the industry's most dramatic turnaround. On Jan. 25...

Li-Ion Biz Attracting New Entrants

Posted by: Ian Rowley on January 23

The race to make affordable, safe and durable Li-Ion batteries for autos is heating up. Reports in Japan today reckon Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which has a stake in Mitsubishi Motors,...

BMW’s iTease?

Posted by: Matthew Vella on January 19

Two weeks ago, an obscure teaser trailer on BMW’s corporate website site, bmw.com not to be confused with bmwusa.com, caught the attention of fans and bloggers. The promo featured...

The Audi takeover at VW

Posted by: Gail Edmondson on January 19

Porsche may be Volkswagen's new No. 1 shareholder, but VW's new top management lineup makes it looks more like a putsch by VW's premium unit Audi. Former Audi CEO Martin...

The Peanut Gallery Wins Battle With Ford's Fields

Posted by: David Kiley on January 18

I hate it when tree watchers win. What do I mean? People who are so intent on staring at the bark on a tree they can't see that the whole...

F1 USA Still Only Lukewarm

Posted by: Matthew Vella on January 18

No doubt about it, all eyes fall on Detroit in January as major manufacturers take the wraps off their latest and greatest at the North American International Auto Show. But,...

A Hot Reception Online for Chevy Volt

Posted by: Matthew Vella on January 17

General Motors made big news with the introduction of the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle at the Detroit Auto Show. With one new product -- a concept with at least...

Toyota's Watanabe will talk to Ford

Posted by: Ian Rowley on January 16

Reports that Ford CEO Alan Mulally and Toyota chairman Fujio Cho met in late December led to a raft of headlines over a possible Toyota-Ford tie-up. However, after both sides...

In Detroit, A Vindication of Audi's Grill?

Posted by: Matthew Vella on January 16

While still brand new, Audi's current grill design was widely criticized; "It's not facial enough." "It's gaudy." "It's not shaped right for American plates." And so on. Anything, in...

Cadillac Gets Multicultural

Posted by: Matthew Vella on January 16

Cadillac’s new online brand promo is an interesting mish-mash of wildly-divergent owner profiles: Fat Joe the rapper, Travis Barker the punk, Joan Jett the rocker, and some guy named...

Bernhard is Leaving VW. But May Take A Year Off

Posted by: David Kiley on January 10

When reporters asked Porsche AG chairman Wendelin Wiedeking about the present and future of VW brand cief Wolfgang Bernhard, he literally just broke into an extended chuckle. No question...

Chrysler's Lasorda A Class Act Under Pressure

Posted by: David Kiley on January 09

Maybe it's the five year contract he got last summer. But Chrysler CEO Tom Lasorda gets my vote for best class act under pressure. He worked his way through...

Ford Interceptor Grows On Me

Posted by: David Kiley on January 09

When I first saw the Ford Interceptor concept car last month, I didn't like it. Not sure why. But the more times I walk by it at the Ford...

A Year To Forget For Japan's Car Dealers

Posted by: Ian Rowley on January 08

While much of the chatter at the Detroit auto show is about Toyota's imminent overtaking of GM as the world's largest automaker, the Japanese domestic carmarket ended the 2006 with...

OK, the yen matters

Posted by: David Welch on January 08

If there’s one subject that gets a General Motors executive snarling, it’s the yen-to-dollar exchange rate. They have been bleating for years that Japan’s central bank manipulates the currency,...

The Chinese Invasion Commeth

Posted by: David Welch on January 08

Here comes the Chinese invasion. Changfeng Motor, which claims to be China’s No. 1 SUV maker, showed off its Liebao suv at the Detroit auto show today. What a...

Piech's Steely Blue Eyes Show Up at NAIAS

Posted by: David Kiley on January 07

He was a late addition to the Volkswagen delegation sent from Wolfsburg to Detroit. According to one VW exec, added at just the last moment. Supervisory Board member Ferdinand...

Toyota Sticking To Demure Script. Ford Who?

Posted by: David Kiley on January 07

Toyota Motor Sales U.S. chief Jim Lentz wouldn't comment about whether he thought Toyota would surpass Ford Motor Co. in market sharethis year, and said it really doesn't matter. "We...

GM Sweeps Car and Truck of the Year

Posted by: David Welch on January 07

You could hear General Motors marketers crying “huzzah” after the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards were announced. GM swept the awards with the Chevrolet Silverado...

The Taurus Could Rise Again At Ford

Posted by: David Kiley on January 04

Ford CEO Alan Mulally as a fan of the recently discontinued Taurus, so much so that he recently rented one while traveling to check it out. Mulally, who joined Ford...

December Incentive Spending Down

Posted by: Matthew Vella on January 03

Edmunds just released its estimates for December ‘06 incentive spending in the U.S. It’s an interesting batch of results that touches on some of the industry’s biggest issues over the...

Chrysler CEO on Chery Deal

Posted by: Matthew Vella on January 02

Chrysler's corporate blog, TheFireHouse (registration required) just posted (about 15 mins ago) an interesting "interview" between the blog's "editor" and Chrysler Group President and CEO Tom LaSorda. The topic? The...

Automobile Mag Chooses GTI Car of the Year...Nice Choice

Posted by: David Kiley on January 01

To drive the current version of the Volkswagen GTI is to raise daily driving from drudge to delight. Automobile Magazine just named the pocket rocket from Wolfsburg it's car...

Saab 9-7 An SUV To BeLeave

Posted by: David Kiley on January 01

Can "beleave" be the opposite of "behold?" I always like to acknowledge good auto reviewing prose. My favorite of this week came from my friend Lawrence Ulrich writing for...