Archives: August 2007

Volkswagen Doesn't Want To Be Seen as a Detroit Automaker

Posted by: David Kiley on August 31, Categories: Transitions

Volkswagen is considering moving its headquarters from Auburn Hills, MI to California to be closer to the cultural action, and to be better able to recruit executive talent. Given the...

Chinese Copy BMW and Mercedes

Posted by: Gail Edmondson on August 31, Categories: Cars and Politics

Chinese automaker Shuanghuan is already selling cars that look uncannily like the BMW X5 SUV and the Mercedes Smart in China. But dare they unveil the two knockoffs at...

Toyota pumps up the volume

Posted by: Ian Rowley on August 31, Categories: Markets and Management

When a Japanese company schedules a press conference for late on a Friday afternoon it's usually a sign of bad news of some kind. Trust Toyota to be different. Indeed,...

Japan's men shun autos--and beer

Posted by: Ian Rowley on August 26, Categories: Global Trends and Alliances

It’s no secret that Japan's auto market is a tough sell. Monthly sales have fallen year-on-year for 25 months in row. Even Toyota is down 9.6% this year. Nevertheless, a...

Chevy Mini Might Make It Here

Posted by: David Welch on August 22, Categories: New Models

General Motors Corp. Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner is hardly the kind of executive who makes off-the-cuff product announcements. But at a recent round table with some reporters, Wagoner...

Free Loans in China

Posted by: David Welch on August 22, Categories: Finance

No matter how bad the news from is in Detroit, General Motors can always brag about its success in China. Indeed, its swift rise to become the emerging market’s...

Lutz on the Mount

Posted by: David Welch on August 17, Categories: Car Guys

Call General Motors car czar Bob Lutz skeptical about the likelihood that Robert Nardelli, the Former General Electric and Home Depot executive tapped as Chrysler’s new CEO, can get...

Mercedes Quality Redux

Posted by: Gail Edmondson on August 17, Categories: Quality

Whooaa! Every time I write about the rebound in Mercedes' quality, I get a flood of testimonials about the utterly disasterous state of MB cars, as bloggers like to dub...

Ford's Wager on Romania

Posted by: Gail Edmondson on August 15, Categories: Global Trends and Alliances

Ford Motor Co. looks set to become the proud owner of a former Daewoo factory in Craiova, Romania. Last month Ford submitted a bid for the Romanian plant including plans...

Detroit inches closer

Posted by: David Welch on August 14, Categories: Brands Under Fire

Here’s a sadly familiar story line coming out of Detroit today. The Big Three are narrowing the gap, but still lag key rivals Toyota and Honda. We see that in...

Which Nardelli?

Posted by: David Welch on August 13, Categories: Companies Under Fire

It is prove-it time for Robert Nardelli. It has been barely a week since he was named the new CEO at Chrysler and already the whispering, questioning and speculating...

Iacocca Missed a Leader in Lutz

Posted by: David Kiley on August 13, Categories: Car Guys

If Lee Iacocca has one thing to answer for, it's letting his personal feelings about Bob Lutz get in the way of naming the auto exec CEO when he had...

Heads To Roll At Chrysler?

Posted by: David Kiley on August 10, Categories: Brands Under Fire

With tough CEO Bob Nardelli coming on board at Chrysler, a few executives have some things to answer for. One of Chrysler's problems today--in my opinion a big problem--is that...

Nardelli A $1 a year man?

Posted by: David Kiley on August 07, Categories: Car Guys

The Financial Times is reporting that Robert Nardelli, the new chairman/CEO of Chrysler, ill draw a $1 per year salary from the automaker's owner Cerberus Capital. If true, that's a...

Chrysler's Drill Sergeant

Posted by: David Welch on August 06, Categories: Cars and Economics

I’ll go out on a limb and say that Robert Nardelli, the former General Electric and Home Depot exec tapped by Cerberus Capital Management to run troubled Chrysler, has...

The Nardelli Era Starts at The New Chrysler

Posted by: David Kiley on August 06, Categories: Car Guys

Just back from the Chrysler press conference at which Bob Nardelli (right)was introduced as chairman and CEO. I counted at least four times that he put his hand on...

Japanese clean diesels getting closer

Posted by: Ian Rowley on August 06, Categories:

More signs that Japanese car makers are ramping up there clean diesel efforts. Nissan today announced it will launch a new, clean diesel version of its X-Trail crossover SUV next...

Why Detroit is Stuck in Second Gear

Posted by: David Welch on August 03, Categories: Cars and Economics

Just when you thought Detroit was making some progress with surprisingly good profits, July sales gave their comeback efforts a real knee capping. General Motor sales dropped 22%, Ford’s...

Europe's Flirt With SUVs

Posted by: Gail Edmondson on August 02, Categories: Euro Wheels

Europeans have long distained the chunky, gas-guzzling SUV, which together with light trucks make up over 50 percent of US auto sales. Nearly 60% of vehicle sales in Europe...

Jaguars By Tata Has a Nice Ring

Posted by: David Kiley on August 01, Categories: Cars and Politics

The suitors are cued up kicking the tires on Jaguar and Land Rover, which Ford is trying to sell. The most intriguing candidates mentioned by insiders are India’s leading...