Automotive News articles from November 2008

Automotive News archives from November 2008

Credit? Come and get it, industry groups say.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Donna Harris Following the three best-selling automakers in the United States, industry groups aim to assure wary consumers they can get financed despite the credit crunch. Credit is available, say groups as varied as the...

Citizenship.(NEWS)(Jake Sweeney Chevrolet-Imports Inc's donation to American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... * Jake Sweeney of Jake Sweeney Chevrolet in Cincinnati has invited the SPCA Cincinnati mobile unit to spend a day at the dealership three times this year. The SPCA, an animal shelter and humane society, offers cats and dogs for adoption to the...

Dealer wish list.(NEWS)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... Among NADA's proposals for helping dealerships and boosting the economy. The feds should * Provide refundable tax credits to vehicle buyers * Restore the tax deduction for interest on auto loans * Expand business tax breaks for...

NADA: Give us tax incentives, dealer loan guarantees.(NEWS)(National Automobile Dealers Association)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Harry Stoffer The National Automobile Dealers Association wants an economic stimulus bill to boost showroom traffic and vehicle sales. Dealers also need loan guarantees to keep their doors open, NADA says. Among the incentives...

Detroit 3 needand deserveU.S. help now.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Now is the time for government to come to the aid of the domestic auto industry. No rational person relishes the thought of the U.S. government getting involved in any business. But if the existence of a domestic auto industry is important...

Waiting is what it's all about, Alfa.(NEWS)(Alfa Romeo S.p.A.)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... Talk about on-again, off-again. American Alfisti could grow old waiting for their favorite Italian brand to return to the United States. For nearly a decade, Fiat Group has been planning, and un-planning, Alfa Romeo's re-emergence in the...

Buy Chrysler? GM should sell Buick to SAIC.(NEWS)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... So General Motors is lobbying Washington for money to buy Chrysler. But before tax money is approved for the deal, I'd like GM to try harder to sell assets and raise private capital. Here's an idea: Sell Buick to its partner in China,...

Pickups pumped up by pump price plunge.(NEWS)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... Wow. Driving through Brownsburg, Ind., last week, one of our far-flung correspondents found a filling station selling gasoline for $1.83 a gallon. True, gasoline is not that cheap everywhere. But the price of fuel sure has come down. So,...

Chrysler hybrids, we hardly new ye.(NEWS)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... It always did seem like a curious decision Chrysler's plan to build its first hybrid vehicles, the 2009 Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango Hemi hybrids, in a plant scheduled to close at the end of 2009. Chrysler began building the sibling...

Ghosn: Your best partner is a president in your pocket.(NEWS)(Renault-Nissan' Carlos Ghosn )(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn says the global financial crisis may deter automakers from forming partnerships such as, oh, the one Nissan is reported to be considering with Chrysler. As for the current credit crunch, what is the key to...

Sonic wins, but Mercedes wants last word.(NEWS)(Sonic Automotive Inc.)(Mercedes-Benz USA Inc.)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... Sonic Automotive has scored a victory in its nasty skirmish with Mercedes-Benz USA the one in which Sonic President Scott Smith accused Mercedes of trying to "extort millions of dollars in unneeded dealership improvements. In February,...

Ford Credit seeks to tap $700 billion package.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Amy Wilson Ford Motor Co. wants to share in the $700 billion bailout package approved by Congress last month. CEO Alan Mulally acknowledged that Ford is talking to officials in Washington about whether Ford Motor Credit Co....

Still captive?(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Who owns Detroit 3 captive finance companies * Ford Motor Credit: Ford Motor Co. owns 100%. * GMAC Financial Services: Cerberus Capital Management owns 51%, GM 49%. * Chrysler Financial: It is owned by Chrysler Holding, of which...

Advantage, Ford: Mulally likes owning Ford Credit.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Jamie LaReau As its crosstown rivals deal with balky captive finance companies that they no longer control, Ford Motor Co. is pitching its full ownership of Ford Motor Credit Co. as a strategic advantage. Ford Credit has "been...

Flexibility will help Honda survive the storm.(NEWS)(Honda Motor Company Ltd's Takeo Fukui )(Interview)
November 3, 2008... Honda Motor Co. has weathered the U.S. market downturn better than its major competitors, thanks to fuel-efficient vehicles and flexible manufacturing. CEO Takeo Fukui says his company expects worse times to come. The key to staying ahead...

GM takeover would eviscerateChrysler ranks, model lineup.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: David Sedgwick We've seen plenty of badge-engineered cars and trucks. But have we ever witnessed a badge-engineered company? It's hard to get enthusiastic about a merger between General Motors and Chrysler. Where are the...

Help vehicles shed pounds.(NEWS)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... Weight matters. Reducing weight is high on the list of ways to improve vehicle fuel efficiency. How to do so will be a prime topic at the first Automotive News Green Car Conference and Exhibition on Nov. 13 in suburban Detroit. ...

Dealers squawk as GM ends used-car spiff.(NEWS)(General Motors Corp.)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Jamie LaReau For the first time in years, General Motors is pulling the plug early on a certified used-car financing program, a GM spokesman confirmed Friday, Oct. 31. The company is doing so because of a lack of credit...

The green scene.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... What: Automotive News Green Car Conference/Exhibition When: Thursday, Nov. 13 Where: Rock Financial Showplace, Novi, Mich. Cost: $795, or $675 for Automotive News subscribers To register: www.autonews.com/green Questions:...

Cash crunch grows: GM delays vehicles.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Jamie LaReau General Motors executives are running the company "minute by minute as they slash the product development budget to save as much as $1.5 billion. GM's decision to delay key vehicles such as the Chevrolet Cruze as...

The bidders.(NEWS)(Bill Heard Enterprises Inc.)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... Established dealers are the lead bidders for the stores in Bill Heard Enterprises' former empire. Here are the bidders so far. * Carl Black, 58. Bid for store in Kennesaw, Ga. Owns 5 new-car and 2 used-car stores in Georgia, Tennessee and...

Chrysler needs a buyer, but not GM.(NEWS)(General Motors Acceptance Corp.)(Cerberus Capital Management L.P.)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Keith Crain Make no mistake; Cerberus is desperate to find a buyer for Chrysler. Cerberus is losing billions of dollars of its own and its clients' money and realizes that it cannot continue to do so. At the same time, Cerberus...

Honda's N.A. operating profit falls 80.6% in quarter.(NEWS)(Financial report)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Hans Greimel Honda Motor Co.'s operating profit in North America tumbled 80.6 percent in the July-September quarter, spurring the automaker to cut its full-year earnings outlook. Regional operating profit dropped to [yen]22.5...

Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda recast fiscal 2009 forecasts.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Hans Greimel Three Japanese automakers last week slashed their outlooks for the current fiscal year, which ends March 31. Nissan Motor Co. said it will cut output and its work force to bring inventory in line with tumbling U.S....

Mexico sales fall 10.7%in September.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Chrissie Thompson Mexico's new-car and light-truck sales fell 10.7 percent in September from a year earlier, to 77,267. In the first nine months of 2008, sales dropped 2.0 percent to 763,020. In September, sales of...

Bidders bet they can rebuild Heard; 4 dealers aim to rescue stores afterempire collapses.(NEWS)(Bill Heard Enterprises Inc.)
November 3, 2008... Byline: April Worthamand Chrissie Thompson A second-generation Michigan dealer with Detroit blood in his veins. A retired NFL player who turned a bad car-buying experience into a career. A Texas megadealer who built a Chevrolet empire with...

Quietly, Mini seeks 500 drivers to lease electric car for a year.(NEWS)(BMW of North America L.L.C.)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Mini is recruiting 500 drivers in California, New York and New Jersey to lease its electric car for a year. In the two weeks that MiniUSA.com has been offering a peek at the Mini E, 9,500 people have signed up...

Ford sticks with small-car plans; Mulally banks on strategy despite F-150 marketing blitz.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Amy Wilson A funny thing happened on the way to the Ford F-150 pickup launch. Last summer, Ford Motor Co. delayed the debut of the re-engineered "09 model after gasoline topped $4 a gallon. Next, Ford gave up on National...

Customizer uses direct approach to quality.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Patricia Scott Customizing vehicles is one of the highest-margin businesses in the auto industry. Dealers, aftermarket installers and automakers all want a piece of the action. Last year, U.S. customers bought $38.1 billion...

Talk from the top.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Honda CEO Takeo Fukui says flexible manufacturing has been a key part of Honda's strong performance during the U.S. market downturn. Chrysler's Bob Nardelli says the federal loan program for fuel-efficient vehicles could help the automaker's...

Tracking the storm.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... * GM takeover would eviscerate Chrysler jobs, model lineup. Page 39 * Dealers want a federal stimulus to boost sales. Page 8 * Ghosn: Meltdown means automakers won't do deals. Page 42 * Mulally: Full ownership of Ford Credit a...

Reynolds bolsters document business.(NEWS)(Reynolds and Reynolds Co's acquisition of DiversiForm Inc.)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Reynolds and Reynolds Co. has acquired DiversiForm Inc., a Beaverton, Ore., business that provides printed forms and labels to dealerships. Reynolds, a Dayton, Ohio, supplier of dealership management systems, has...

Plunging prices.(NEWS)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... After rising for 44 consecutive months, retail vehicle transaction prices, year on year, began falling in January. For the year to date, the average transaction price is down 3.6% to $26,421.

The great revenue drop of 2008.(NEWS)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... It has been a truly lousy year for the auto industry, but you knew that. Still, let's plumb the depths of the 2008 downturn a little further. Consider that even with this year's shockingly steep decline in unit sales, the plunge in...

Aug. RV shipments fall 44%.(NEWS)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Chrissie Thompson August shipments of motor homes to retailers hit their lowest level for that month in more than 35 years. U.S. shipments for the month totaled 1,700, a loss of almost two-thirds from August 2007's total of...

Suzuki's new ad strategist: This brand has soul.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Rob Siltanen has plenty of auto advertising experience. While creative director at the Chiat/Day agency for several years, he worked on the Nissan and Infiniti accounts and supervised several big launches. In 1999, Siltanen started his own...

New ads aim to raise Suzuki's low profile.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Kathy Jackson If Suzuki can't get traction when small-car sales are soaring, when will the brand get going in the United States? Except for the XL7 SUV, all of the Japanese brand's models have fuel-efficient four-cylinder...

1 size fits all; Catalog offers Infiniti ragtop before L.A. show.(NEWS)(Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A. Infiniti Div.)(contract with Bloomingdale's Inc.)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Lindsay Chappell A long-awaited Infiniti convertible will go public at the Los Angeles auto show on Nov. 19. But Bloomingdale's customers will get the opportunity to buy it before then. A limited-edition Infiniti G convertible...

Campaigns' climate, energy plans hit economic wall.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Harry Stoffer They haven't attracted as much attention as Joe the Plumber. But the proposals on climate change and energy offered by presidential contenders John McCain and Barack Obama would have far-reaching and long-lasting...

Mitsubishi CEO: Let's halt Galant production in U.S. Masuko wants Normal plant to build small cars for export.(NEWS)(Mitsubishi Motors Corp's Osamu Masuko )
November 3, 2008... Byline: Hans Greimel Mitsubishi CEO Osamu Masuko wants to kill Galant production in the United States. In its place, Masuko plans to produce small cars suitable for export at the company's unprofitable factory in Normal, Ill....

Nardelli: Bailout not perfect - but needed.(NEWS)(Chrysler L.L.C's Bob Nardelli )(Interview)
November 3, 2008... Cerberus Capital Management LP stunned the industry in August 2007 when it made industry outsider Bob Nardelli the chairman and CEO of Chrysler LLC. Critics doubted he was up to the job, but Nardelli surprised them by holding his...

Detroit 3 tieshurt profits ofdealer groups.(NEWS)(Statistical data)
November 3, 2008... Exposure to the Detroit 3 contributed to third-quarter net losses for many publicly held dealership groups. Last week Sonic Automotive Inc. wrote down about $21 million in devalued Detroit 3 properties. Group 1 Automotive Inc. took an after-tax...

Sticker, sticker at the mall, what's the cheapest of them all? The Versa.(NEWS)(Nissan Motor Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... What's the least expensive U.S. car? Starting Nov. 18, it's the Nissan Versa. By putting in a smaller engine and taking out air conditioning, Nissan will offer a base Versa for $10,685, undercutting the $12,625 Chevrolet Aveo. Both sticker...

On the Web.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... This week at www.autonews.com: *Monday: Automakers report U.S. vehicle sales for October; Chrysler celebrates the 25th anniversary of the minivan in Windsor, Ontario. *Tuesday: Suppliers Tenneco and Magna International release...

Supplier execs join innovation panel at congress.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Andrew Brown, chief technologist at Delphi Corp., and Phil Martens, president of the light-vehicle systems group at ArvinMeritor Inc., will join a roundtable discussion on the role of innovation in auto industry sustainability. The panel...

Acura offers quick service to win business.(NEWS)(American Honda Motor Company Inc. Acura)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Alysha Webb Acura division is testing a program that aims to capture quick-service business to boost its dealerships' service department revenues. Acura's Accelerate program offers dealership service customers an oil change,...

Ford and GM jockey for steel discounts.(NEWS)(Ford Motor Co.)(General Motors Corp.)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Robert Sherefkinand David Barkholz General Motors and Ford Motor Co. appear to be putting off until the last minute their bulk purchases of steel to take advantage of rapidly falling prices. Falling vehicle production in North...

Audi goes high-tech to boost service.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Jim Henry Audi of America Inc. and its dealers are pushing to improve dealership service departments as the luxury brand seeks to more than double U.S. sales. Audi is offering its 272 U.S. dealers bonuses for meeting...

Battleground.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Florida's 13th Congressional District, where dealer Vern Buchanan is running for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives.

A dealer - and his reputation - on the ballot; Suits against auto group heat up Florida campaign.(NEWS)(Vern Buchanan )
November 3, 2008... Byline: Harry Stoffer The economy and the war are important, of course. But in Florida's 13th Congressional District, a raft of lawsuits against Rep. Vern Buchanan and his big auto dealership group is a defining campaign issue. ...

Calendar.(NEWS)(Calendar)
November 3, 2008... Oct. 31-Nov. 9 Johannesburg International Motor Show, Johannesburg Expo Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa, 27 12 323 2980, www.naamsa.co.za Nov. 5-9 Seattle International Auto Show, Qwest Field Event Center, Seattle, 206-542-3551,...

Honda to boost CR-V, end Civic output in Ohio.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Honda Motor Co., wanting to build more Honda CR-V small crossovers in its East Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio, will end Honda Civic sedan production there in early 2009. That will leave Honda Motor Co. assembling the...

Mitsubishi plans electric hauler.(NEWS)(Mitsubishi Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Hans Greimel Mitsubishi President Osamu Masuko is planning a commercial variant of the upcoming i MiEV electric car in an attempt to steal a lead in fleet sales of emission-free mail trucks and delivery vehicles. The minitruck...

China's stock market plunge has spooked car shoppers.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Steven Ribet China's once booming car market has gone flat. It's a new experience for Ma Xiaochao, 30, sales manager of a Buick dealership here. "Things are a lot worse than they were this time last year, he says. "I estimate...

No off-lease cars? Certified will find othersArlena Sawyers.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Despite the downturn in leasing for many brands, automakers' certified used-vehicle programs will maintain an adequate supply of cars and trucks, executives say. Cars and trucks coming off lease traditionally are the major source of...

To match Toyota, Nissan offers 0% loans.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Nissan North America Inc. is joining rival Toyota in providing 0 percent financing to revive U.S. auto sales. Nissan Division is offering 0 percent factory financing on five models: the Altima, Rogue, Sentra,...

Winterkorn: Audi needs to build in U.S.(NEWS)(Martin Winterkorn)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... Byline: April Wortham Audi must build vehicles in America to reach its goal of more than doubling U.S. sales by 2015, says Volks-wagen group CEO Martin Winterkorn. The questions: What vehicle? Where? "Perhaps in Chattanooga, but we...

Our newcast debuts.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Automotive News Today, our daily newscast, begins today. Check our Web site, www.autonews.com, after 4 p.m. Eastern time for a report on October auto sales and other news of the day in video form.

VW drops hints about car for new Tenn. plant.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: April Wortham Volkswagen AG has been keeping its new mid-sized sedan under tight wraps since confirming this summer its plans to build the car at a new factory in Chattanooga, Tenn. The plant will begin production in early 2011....

Key facts.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... When: Jan. 19-22 Where: Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center Cost: $1,495 early registration fee by Dec. 1 (save $200); daily fee $850 Information: 313-446-0485 or autonews.com/worldcongress Exclusive lead sponsors:...

Expect stop-start's big start to arrive in 2010.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink Forecasters see 2010 as the big year for Europe's manufacturers of stop-start systems, which turn the engine off when a vehicle stops and restarts it when the driver's foot leaves the brake. An estimated 2.8...

Electrics edge closer by 2010.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Rick Kranz Automakers are exploring various forms of electric-powered vehicles in addition to their efforts to improve petroleum-fueled cars. Here's a rundown of plans for electrics, hybrids and plug-in hybrids in 2010. ...

Tougher CAFE standards loom.(NEWS)(Corporate Average Fuel Economy)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Rick Kranz The push to develop fuel-efficient cars began in earnest when the federal government raised its corporate average fuel economy standards under the new energy law enacted last December. Preliminary rules issued in...

Fuel efficiency is coming - it just takes time.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Rick Kranz LOOK TO 2010 FOR WAVE OF FUEL-EFFICIENT VEHICLES Consumers may want high mpg today, but automakers need at least 2 years to bring it to market Wait till next year. Or, rather, 2010.When gasoline prices hit an...

BYD envisions2010 exportsto U.S., Europe.(NEWS)(BYD Auto Co's Henry Li)(Brief article)
November 3, 2008... Henry Li, general manager of BYD Auto Co.'s export division, says BYD has 4,000 engineers working on hybrids, electrics and other vehicles. He spoke to Automotive News China Staff Reporter Kevin Huang at the company's headquarters in Shenzhen....

Coachbuilderssee salvationin electric cars.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Tony Lewin The auto industry's rush to build zero-emission electric cars is good news for Europe's troubled coachbuilders. Pininfarina, Karmann, Valmet and Heuliez have announced plans to build electric cars. The projects will...

Japan carmakers lead charge into electrics.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Hans Greimel If you spy a clownish red and white, bubble-shaped compact car zooming around this city, chances are Mitsubishi Motors Corp. President Osamu Masuko is inside. Masuko takes his pint-sized i MiEV electric car, not a...

Electric vehicles are charging into Europe.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Tony Lewin After many years struggling for recognition, electric cars suddenly are big news in Europe. At the Paris auto show last month, Chevrolet, Nissan, Renault, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Smart displayed electric passenger...

R&d chiefs shift gears for an electric future.(NEWS)
November 3, 2008... The internal combustion engine is under siege. Electrification is on the rise. Carmakers are touting hybrids that combine electric motors with some form of internal combustion engine. They also are turning to plug-in hybrids and full...

Report: Past-due subprime loans jump.(NEWS)(Brief article)
November 10, 2008... Byline: Alysha Webb The rate of delinquencies among subprime auto loans that are bundled by lenders and sold to investors is at an 11-year high, a new study says. In September, 4.3 percent of subprime loans included in asset-backed...

Industry pal, foe vie for key post in Congress.(NEWS)
November 10, 2008... Byline: David Barkholz The Detroit 3's best friend in Congress is battling one of the domestic automakers' sharpest critics. The prize: leadership of the House committee that handles much of the legislation most important to the industry....

BMW boosts dealers' year-end ad money.(NEWS)
November 10, 2008... Byline: Arlena Sawyers As BMW dealers prepare for their year-end sales event, they are getting more factory money to advertise new and certified-used vehicles. Through the end of the year, BMW of North America LLC is paying dealers 75...

Camaro Black: Eye-catching, affordable and available.(NEWS)(General Motors Corp's Sangyup Lee)(Brief article)
November 10, 2008... Byline: Greg Migliore The most eye-catching Chevrolet Camaro atSEMA is the Black Concept. Says who? Well for starters, the man who designed four of the custom Camaros on the General Motors stand. "If I have to pick out of all these...

Cash burn rates threaten GM, Ford.(NEWS)
November 10, 2008... Byline: Jamie LaReauand Amy Wilson Painful as they were, last week's earnings reports from General Motors and Ford Motor Co. made a case for quick federal action to bail out domestic automakers. Both companies reported...

dealers.(NEWS)
November 10, 2008... Beginnings * David Fischer, CEO of the Suburban Collection auto dealership group, opened Suburban Mazdaof Sterling Heights in Sterling Heights, Mich. Jim Elder is the general manager. The Suburban Collection, of Troy, Mich., sells 30...

Another Chinese automaker plans Mexico factory.(NEWS)
November 10, 2008... Byline: Yang Jian Another Chinese automaker says it wants an assembly plant in Mexico. Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., which builds cars in China with Ford Motor Co., has signed a letter of intent with a Mexican partner to build the...

Chrysler dealers cheer halt to merger talk.(NEWS)
November 10, 2008... Byline: Bradford Wernle With sales plummeting 35 percent in October, Chrysler LLC dealers haven't had much to celebrate lately. But they were glad to hear on Friday that General Motors had called off merger talks with Chrysler. Their...

Chrysler's 1st electric: Probably a cargo van.(NEWS)
November 10, 2008... Byline: Bradford Wernle Chrysler's first electric vehicle likely will be a cargo version of one of its minivan twins, sold to fleet customers late next year for tests in heavy-duty commercial use. But the company says it's testing two...

Industry expects more activism from D.C.(NEWS)
November 10, 2008... Byline: Harry Stoffer How long will the honeymoon last between auto-makers and President-elect Barack Obama? One early indicator: Mary Nichols. Nichols, who heads the California Air Resources Board, is a top candidate to be Obama's EPA...

Auto agenda.(NEWS)(Barack Obama's campaign)(Brief article)
November 10, 2008... During his campaign, President-elect Barack Obama took these positions on key industry issues. * Let states enforce greenhouse gas rules * Raise fuel economy standards beyond 35 mpg by 2020 * Put national cap on greenhouse gases;...

Study: Car buyers turn green for different reasons.(NEWS)(Brief article)
November 10, 2008... Byline: Mary Connelly Car and truck buyers are increasingly receptive to environmental appeals, but automakers won't reach them with a one-size-fits-all message, a new study suggests. According to the study by the Yahoo Web site, three...

Honda backs off U.S. clean diesels.(NEWS)(Honda Motor Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
November 10, 2008... Byline: Hans Greimel Honda Motor Co. may delay its Acura TSX powered by a clean diesel. The Japanese automaker is rethinking a 2009 U.S. debut of its i-DTEC clean diesel engine. The problem: soaring costs for the precious metals, such...

Recession rips up roadster market.(NEWS)(Brief article)
November 10, 2008... When times get tough, the toys take a beating. The plunge in auto sales has been especially tough on one small but high-profile segment of the industry: entry-level sports cars. Sales of jaunty playthings such as the Mazda Miata,...

Going, going . . . Icahn is latest disillusioned high roller to flee auto industry.(NEWS)(Carl Icahn's investment in Lear Corp.)(Brief article)
November 10, 2008... Will the last zillionaire to abandon the auto industry please turn off the lights? The latest set of taillamps speeding off into the distance belongs to corporate raider Carl Icahn, who last week dumped more than two-thirds of his big...