Archives: February 2007

Some Interesting Soundbites From Toyota Plant Press Conference

Posted by: David Kiley on February 28

Toyota yesterday announced it is building a new plant in Mississippi. During the webcast of the press event, a few quotes jumped out at me. Senator Trent Lott (Rep) was...

Subaru Going Back To The Couch For Brand Analysis

Posted by: David Kiley on February 27

Good piece in this week's Automotive News by Jim Treece about Subaru and its CEO Ikuo Mori. Mori says he is revamping the company's product and brand straegy, and...

Chrysler's latest suitor

Posted by: David Welch on February 26

The latest rumor coming out of Europe is that Canadian parts supplier Magna International has an interest in buying Chrysler. Maybe they really want it. Maybe they’re just snooping...

Could Private Equity Groups Snare DaimlerChrysler?

Posted by: Gail Edmondson on February 23

While everyone is pondering who will buy Chrysler, some of the biggest players in the private equity industry are also running the numbers on a mega-bid for DaimlerChrysler. At least...

North Koreans To Be Toyota-Free

Posted by: David Kiley on February 21

Thanks to www.autoextremist.com.....According to The Sydney Morning Herald North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has ordered the seizure of all Japanese-made cars in the communist country after he spotted a broken-down...

Nissan's green limo

Posted by: Ian Rowley on February 20

It mighn't be quite as glitzy as a stretch limousine, but for those looking to hire something a little greener how about Nissan's fuel cell-powered SUV? Starting today, Nissan...

GM Buying Chrysler? It's Tough To See How That Deal Works.

Posted by: David Kiley on February 16

Rumors are flying today that General Motors is in talks to acquire the Chrysler Group. Already my head hurts trying to figure out how the numbers would shake out in...

Detroit's intractable problem

Posted by: David Welch on February 12

For about a month now, analysts and media have been clattering about the potential for big health care concessions from the United Auto Workers union in this year’s contract...

Sub-Compact Hatches: Alive and Thrashing

Posted by: Matthew Vella on February 09

Seems the new-ish upstaged the genuinely exciting at this year’s Chicago Auto Show. Everyone is talking about Saturn’s Astra hatch, which is nothing more than a re-badged European Opel....

That Other Scion Model

Posted by: Matthew Vella on February 09

Much attention was paid this week to the newly unveiled re-designed Scion xB and all-new Scion xD. As David Kiley wrote in BusinessWeek two days ago, the hip, young...

Reviving the Taurus is bull

Posted by: David Welch on February 08

I don’t know what I find more silly. The fact that Ford has brought back the Taurus name or the fact that my colleague David Kiley—who does consider him...

Monthly Production Numbers Show The Extent To Which Chrysler Had Been Overbuilding

Posted by: David Kiley on February 08

Last month, Chrysler built 4,314 Chrysler 300 sedans, down from 13, 666 in January of 2006. It built 5,437 Dodge Chargers last month, down from almost 9,100 a year ago....

Mitsubishi back in the black

Posted by: Ian Rowley on February 07

It's a bit early to be popping champagne corks, but Mitsubishi Motors is on course for its first annual profit since 2003. On Feb. 6, Mitsubishi posted profits of $35...

Ford Takes My Advice and Renames the Five Hundred "Taurus"

Posted by: David Kiley on February 06

Okay, maybe it wasn't my idea exactly. The way I remember it...I said to Ford's Mark Fields over a year ago that I thought it was nuts to dump the...

Are Sub-compact hatches dead or alive?

Posted by: David Kiley on February 05

There is a difference of opinion about the market for sub-compact hatchbacks. And it's hard to figure out which way to turn if you are an automaker. The new...

Crashtastic: Another Notch For Ford's Edge

Posted by: Matthew Vella on February 05

If Ford had anything like a lifeline these days, the Edge crossover would be it. Besides a new SuperDuty pickup and some mildly refreshed sedans, the Edge and Lincoln...