Archives: March 2008

Suzuki: In a Recession, Weak Brands Are Exposed.

Posted by: David Kiley on March 31

American Suzuki chairman Rick Suzuki will be stepping down from his post, according to a letter he sent employees and was reported in Automotive News, to “bear responsibility" for...

California Muddies The Green Road Yet Again

Posted by: David Kiley on March 28

California’s clean air regulators voted Thursday to again revise the state rules that had directed automakers to put hundreds of thousands of zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2003....

Jim Farley Successor To Mulally?

Posted by: David Kiley on March 24

Automotive News's interview with Ford human resources chief Joe Laymon reveals a gang of six internal candidates who could replace CEO Alan Mulally in four or five years when he...

New York Auto Show -- Hold the Tumbleweeds

Posted by: Jim Henry on March 24

With all the recent rhetoric about lousy auto sales this year, you would expect to see tumbling tumbleweeds rolling along through the abandoned Jacob K. Javits Center, for the New...

NY Auto Show: Kia Came To Play

Posted by: David Kiley on March 21

Usually Thursday morning at The New York Auto Show is the dead zone, as is the lower level of the Javits Center in NYC in general. But Kia may...

NY Auto Show: Ford and Top Hats

Posted by: David Kiley on March 21

Ford Motor Co. is amidst an overhaul of its global product development process to make it more efficient and cost effective. The 2009 Fiesta, for example, to be launched...

As the yen surges, is Toyota right to play down expectations?

Posted by: Ian Rowley on March 21

Toyota didn't get where it is today by over-promising and under-delivering. Yet according to Toyota executive vice president Tokuichi Uranishi yesterday, the automaker may struggle to reach its annual sales...

NY Auto Show: A Pontiac Pickup? No, Thanks

Posted by: David Welch on March 20

Here is one car I just don’t get. General Motors plans to bring the pictured Pontiac G8 sport truck from its Australian Holden operations to sell in the states....

NY Auto Show: It's Not The Economy Stupid!

Posted by: David Kiley on March 20

I don’t want to say that Chrysler LLC vice chairman sounds like Fox News Circus Clown in Residence. I have a lot of respect for Jim. But when asked about...

NY Auto Show: Ford. Drive One Again.

Posted by: David Kiley on March 20

Ford was not happy this week to have The Wall Street Journal bust out its up-coming new slogan, “Ford. Drive One.” That will replace “Bold Moves.” Despite the fact that...

NY Auto Show: Big Yellow Taxi

Posted by: David Kiley on March 20

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered all city taxis to operate on hybrid engines by 2012 as part of his drive to reduce air pollution. The city's conventionally...

NY Auto Show: Of Ford and Top Hats

Posted by: David Kiley on March 20

Ford Motor Co. is amidst an overhaul of its global product development process to make it more efficient and cost effective. The 2009 Fiesta, for example, to be launched...

Just Don't Call it a Muscle Car

Posted by: David Welch on March 19

General Motors, eager to flog its reputation as a green company, has a slight problem. One of its most high-profile new cars will be the Chevrolet Camaro coming out...

"Ford. Drive One." A Slogan For The Times

Posted by: David Kiley on March 18

Ford is reportedly readying a new ad campaign for its struggling North American business under the theme: “Ford. Drive One.” The campaign, developed under the guidance of Ford’s new...

Krause a Big Loss To BMW

Posted by: David Kiley on March 13

The departure of Stefan Krause, the BMW board member in charge of sales and marketing, is a blow to the German carmaker. I sat next to Krause at dinner at...

Volvo Is Going Back To The Future. Back To New Jersey.

Posted by: David Kiley on March 10

Ford Motor Co. has announced that it is moving its Volvo Cars North America out of its Irvine, CA Premier Auto Group offices where it has shared digs with...

GM's Succession Plan Gets Clearer

Posted by: David Welch on March 04

General Motors just about paved the way for Fritz Henderson, its newly-minted president and chief operating officer, to eventually take over the corner office from Chairman and CEO Rick...

U.S. Automakers In Trouble With Gamers.

Posted by: David Kiley on March 03

Online gamers make up a large auto-owning demographic, with 73% of gamers’ households owning two or more vehicles, according to a Ziff Davis Game Group study of automotive trends among...

Mercedes Lithiom-Ion Breakthrough

Posted by: David Kiley on March 03

Mercedes-Benz says it has achieved a breakthrough in automotive battery development, saying it will use lithium-ion technology in its next S400 BlueHybrid scheduled to go on sale in Europe...

Audi: Pedal to the Metal

Posted by: Jim Henry on March 03

It will be interesting to see how close Audi of America comes to its stunningly ambitious goal of becoming the biggest-selling luxury brand in the United States, by 2015. Ralph...