Archives: April 2009

Chrysler's Chapter 11 Raises Management Questions For Future

Posted by: David Kiley on April 30

Chrysler finally files Chapter 11. CEO Bob Nardelli is leaving. Vice chairman James Press is likely gone. Vice chairman and former Chrysler CEO Tom Lasorda is retiring. Fiat, which will...

Michigan is Still MoTown For Asian Carmakers As Well As GM-Ford-Chrysler

Posted by: David Kiley on April 29

The Motor City, even after this great downsizing and flogging of General Motors and Chrysler, is far from dead in the car business as some would have you believe....

The Honda Insight, the Toyota Prius and profits

Posted by: Ian Rowley on April 28

Ask a Toyota or Honda executive how much their respective companies make per hybrid car and you're unlikely to get a straight answer. Indeed, it was progress of sorts a...

UAW Goes From Rivetheads to Owners in Detroit

Posted by: David Kiley on April 27

In cutting major concession deals with General Motors and Chrysler this week, the United Auto Workers are walking a whole new line as it goes from being just a labor...

Pontiac: R.I.P.

Posted by: David Kiley on April 24

General Motors is expected to announce Monday that it plans to kill its Pontiac brand, rather than maintain it as a niche brand with one or two models into...

Chrysler executives downplay bankruptcy talk

Posted by: David Welch on April 24

With news reports pounding a loud drumbeat that a Chrysler bankruptcy is likely, the company’s top sales and marketing executives held a conference call with their dealers to quell...

Cash For Clunkers Deal Drawing Nearer in DC.

Posted by: David Kiley on April 24

Legislation that would give consumers incentives to trade in vehicles that are at least nine years old and buy a new more fuel efficient vehicle is nearing political compromise that...

GM Idles 13 Plants. What A Bad Omen

Posted by: David Welch on April 23

General Motors’ decision to idle 13 assembly plants for two to nine weeks is a really bad omen. And, no, I haven’t come down with a case of triscadecaphobia....

Ford Shares Get Boost From Wall Street

Posted by: David Kiley on April 23

Ford Motor Co. got a serious boost from Goldman Sachs Thursday when the investment bank raised its rating and share price target on the automaker, and minimized the chance...

Will Fiat rescue GM, too?

Posted by: David Welch on April 20

It’s ironic enough that Italy’s Fiat Auto could end up being the savior for Chrysler. After all, former Chrysler President Bob Lutz once likened Fiat to a dead bride...

Going green at the Shanghai show

Posted by: Ian Rowley on April 20

In recent times, environmental themes have been unavoidable at big auto shows and this year’s Shanghai show, which opened to the media today, is no different. That many of...

Hyundai Classes It Up For Mustang Birthday

Posted by: David Kiley on April 17

I thought it was classy of Hyundai to circulate an Internet salute the Ford Mustang's 45th Birthday. Follow "David Kiley" on Twitter...

Chrysler's Nardelli: I'm probably gone.

Posted by: David Kiley on April 17

Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli confirmed in a letter to employees today that he will likely be replaced as CEO of the automaker in the coming weeks as the company faces...

Saturn has bidders. That raises thorny questions.

Posted by: David Welch on April 15

Who would want Saturn? At least one bidder has popped up with an interest in buying the brand to set up a retail network to sell foreign cars and...

NY Auto Show: Brands For Sale

Posted by: David Kiley on April 14

Video report from The New York Auto Show:...

GM recalls 1.5 million cars. Can it recall its image?

Posted by: David Welch on April 14

Talk about bad timing. Right when General Motors is trying to deflect the bad press about a possible bankruptcy filing, the company has a massive recall. GM said it...

Chrysler Talks Bogged Down On Issues of Equity for Banks

Posted by: David Kiley on April 14

The White House auto industry task force and negotiators for Chrysler are asking banks holding some $6.9 billion in secured debt to take just $1 billion as the automaker tries...

NY Auto Show: Subaru Readies Another Outback

Posted by: David Kiley on April 10

Subaru of America is showing the new Legacy wagon and sedan and Outback that will go on sale in a few months as a 2010 model. The Japanese brand,...

Toyota's New Management Lineup Takes Shape

Posted by: Ian Rowley on April 10

With the start of Akio Toyoda's presidency a little over two months away, Toyota today announced its new management lineup. It includes the return of Yoshimi Inaba, who is expected...

NY Auto Show: Acura ZDX Short of A Reinvention

Posted by: David Kiley on April 09

The rhetoric I heard from the Acura stand was over the top as I was walking to an intrerview at Ford. I heard a Honda exec talk about "re-inventing...

Nissan pushes electric cars, a lot of them

Posted by: David Welch on April 08

Ready or not, here come the electric cars. Nissan Motor has said that it will build an electric car in 2010, and the company has several more coming after...

NY Auto Show: VW's Jacoby Says No To Protectionism on Scrappage Proposals

Posted by: David Kiley on April 08

Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen of America and the current chairman of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said today that any measure in proposed legislation to give consumers "cash for...

NY Auto Show: VW Considers Mini Car For U.S.

Posted by: David Kiley on April 08

Volkswagen AG is considering selling its Up minicar in the United States, said Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. Body styles of the Up family could be...

NY Auto Show: Hyundai Dumps Van. Just Says No To Badge Engineering.

Posted by: David Kiley on April 07

Later this year Hyundai will stop selling its Entourage minivan in the U.S. Hyundai CEO John Krafcik says the Entourage was a “cheap lesson in why you don’t do...

NY Auto Show: Audi Planning New Entry Sedan

Posted by: David Kiley on April 07

Audi officials said today that they have recently revamped their new product plans for the next ten years, and that a new entry level car is in the works...

GM's Electric Scooter

Posted by: David Welch on April 07

What’s next? An electric unicycle? General Motors and Segway announced in New York today that they will pair up to develop an electric two-wheel car for urban driving. The...

Incredible Deals Possible With Clunkers Bill

Posted by: David Kiley on April 01

One proposed Clunker bill, introduced by Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) would result in some sensational deals on new cars if some version of the bill gets passed in Congress....

Ford's Horbury Returns To Volvo

Posted by: David Kiley on April 01

Ford Americas chief of design Peter Horbury is leaving his post and will return to be head of design at Volvo Cars. Horbury had been head of Volvo design before...