Archives: May 2009

GM's Lutz Says Task Force Should Be Permanent; Expresses Doubt About Fiat-Opel Deal.

Posted by: David Kiley on May 29

GM’s vice chairman Bob Lutz said Thursday that he hopes that the White House auto industry task force becomes a permanent entity in some form. “It’s the first time in...

Toyota's teflon image shows cracks

Posted by: David Welch on May 28

Toyota’s surprising $7.7 billion fourth-quarter loss isn’t the company’s only headache. Its image has taken a hit, too. The Reputation Institute, which ranks the corporate image of the 600...

GM bondholders refuse to budge, making bankruptcy likely

Posted by: David Welch on May 27

General Motors is on a collision course for bankruptcy. The company said this morning that it didn’t get 90% of its bondholders, who collectively hold $27.2 billion in GM debt...

As hybrids go mainstream, Toyota, Honda rush to produce smaller models

Posted by: Ian Rowley on May 27

In Japan, it's getting difficult to make the case that hybrids are a niche for drivers keen to demonstrate their environmental credentials. In April, Honda's new Insight, which want on...

"GM" and "Chrysler" Are Toast. What Should The New Detroit Be Called?

Posted by: David Kiley on May 22

It is a done deal that Chrysler LLC will be renamed. And there are rumblings that General Motors may be killed off, as well, for a new name. Let's get...

UAW cuts a deal with GM, but bankruptcy looms

Posted by: David Welch on May 22

The United Auto Workers reached a tentative deal with General Motors yesterday on some more concessions. The deal is supposed to mirror the one ratified by union workers at...

Kidder To Chair New Chrysler

Posted by: David Kiley on May 20

Chrysler LLC named C. Robert Kidder, 62, the former chairman and chief executive officer of Borden Chemical Inc. and Duracell International Inc., chairman of the company that will likely...

Obama wants 35 mpg by 2016, Greens score a huge win

Posted by: David Welch on May 18

Environmental lobbyists scored a big victory on fuel economy rules. President Obama announced Tuesday that he will boost the nation’s average fuel economy for new models just north of...

Toyota Set For Major Shakeup

Posted by: David Kiley on May 15

Toyota is planning a sweeping management overhaul next month when Akio Toyoda, grandson of the Japanese car company's founder, takes over as president, the Financial Times reported on its Web...

Porsche's Gambit to Acquire and Now Merge With VW Could Unravel

Posted by: David Kiley on May 14

Based on a new report issued by investment banking firm Sanford Bernstein on Thursday, a lot of Volkswagen investors still hanging on may want to unload their shares. Moreover, if...

GM looks to China, the UAW looks to the Feds

Posted by: David Welch on May 14

General Motors said this week that the company has plans to build more cars in China and other low-cost countries for sale in the U.S. And out came the...

It's Official: Chrysler To Close 789 Dealers

Posted by: David Kiley on May 14

Nearly 800 Chrysler dealers across the country got pink-slips today, unceremoniously delivered by United Parcel Service. In almost every state in the union, cities, small towns and remote hamlets, the...

Car Dealers are Fighting The Hammer as Chrysler and GM Send Out Pink Slips To Retailers

Posted by: David Kiley on May 13

For all the talk in the last six months about the billions being spent to cushion the U.S. auto companies and suppliers, very little has been said or done...

Cash For Clunkers Bill Treats Car Owners Badly

Posted by: David Kiley on May 12

The Cash for Clunker bill winding its way through Congress, and expected to meet passage and the President’s signature within a month or so is written, thus far, in a...

GM leaving Detroit?

Posted by: David Welch on May 11

Could General Motors be headed out of Detroit? These days, nothing is unthinkable. During a briefing with reporters today, General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson was asked if the company...

Ghosn Smacks Down Reports He Wants Saturn or Opel

Posted by: David Kiley on May 06

Carlos Ghosn on Wednesday smacked down published reports in The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News that he was negotiating to buy Saturn or GM’s Opel division. Ghosn said neither...

Chrysler moves closer to Fiat

Posted by: David Welch on May 06

Chrysler moved closer toward selling the company—or at least, the brands and plants that potential buyer Fiat Auto wants to keep—in bankruptcy court yesterday. What happened doesn’t seal the...

Chrysler Chapter 11 Good For Showroom Business So Far

Posted by: David Kiley on May 05

All the bankruptcy talk about Chrysler and the actual filing last Friday has been good for business, according to auto shopping website Edmunds.com Since the automaker’s Chapter 11 filing April...

Chrysler, GM and union ownership

Posted by: David Welch on May 01

Now that the United Auto Workers will likely own big stakes of General Motors and Chrysler (possibly 39% of GM and 55% of the latter) some very thorny questions...

Chrysler holdouts face a bit of a backlash

Posted by: David Welch on May 01

It was just a handful of firms who pushed Chrysler into bankruptcy. And they may feel the wrath of politicians whose states rely on Chrysler for jobs. A few...