- GM, Ford Vehicle Sales Blazing in China – thedetroitbureau.com: General Motors, Ford and their joint venture partners posted record sales in China for the first half of the 2014, capping off the period with a strong showing in June. GM’s sales in China in the first six months increased 10.5% from last year’s previous record while Ford China reported a 35% increase.
- Audi joins Mercedes in narrowing BMW’s global luxury lead – Automotive News: Audi’s A3 compact sedan and Mercedes-Benz’s top-of-the-line S-class model helped the German companies narrow the sales gap with global luxury-car leader BMW in the first half of 2014.
- Limited UK allocation for hydrogen-powered Toyota FCV – Autocar: Toyota officials confirm ‘double-digit’ allocation for its fuel-cell vehicle, which will go on sale next yearToyota’s hydrogen-powered FCV will only be coming to the UK in very limited numbers when it goes on sale next year, company officials have revealed.
- ITALY: Stile Bertone declared bankrupt – Just-auto: Stile Bertone, the rump of the styling and vehicle manufacturing group founded by Giovanni Bertone, has been declared bankrupt and is for sale.
- Kaspersky Lab: Connected cars a reality, but are they secure? – Via Google News: Connected vehicles are now a reality; however, what are the risks involved when owning one? Privacy, software updates and car-oriented mobile …
- Car maker Tesla sued in China for trademark infringement – Reuters: U.S. electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc is being sued in China for trademark infringement, a surprise development that casts a shadow over CEO Elon Musk’s ambition to expand rapidly in the world’s biggest auto market.
- Record half-year sales for Rolls-Royce – Autocar: British manufacturer celebrates a 30 per cent rise in sales in the six months to the end of June, bolstered by high demand in EuropeGlobal sales for Rolls-Royce have risen by over 30 per cent in the six months to the end of June 2014, the manufacturer has revealed.
- Rolls-Royce Announces Best Ever Half-Year Sales – Via Google News: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars continues to deliver as the world’s foremost super luxury car manufacturer and we are on target for another record year in …
- Studies show a car’s computer system vulnerable to hacking (Includes first-hand account) – Via Google News: Recent news reports published by Scientific American, Car and Driver, Discovery Magazine, Technology Review, and other media outlets say it is now …
- GM Korea CEO warns of output cut as strike vote looms – Reuters: General Motors’ South Korea chief warned employees that a potential strike could lead to further production cuts in one of its major Asian manufacturing bases, according to an email sent to staff and obtained by Reuters.
- Tesla sued in China by businessman, escalating trademark dispute – Automotive News: Tesla Motors was sued in China for trademark infringement in the latest example of the difficulties foreign companies face doing business in the country.
- Ferrari designer creates super luxurious Japanese train – Via Google News: What happens when you ask a super-car designer to create a super luxurious train? Magic, judging by the above images released by …
- Ford Recalls 92,000 Vehicles for Driveshaft Problem – NY Times: The defect, which affects some recent sedans and crossovers, can lead to “loss of drive function.”
- Detroit 3 to shorten, eliminate summer break at some plants – Automotive News: Summer vacation will be shortened or won’t come at all for some Detroit 3 assembly plants in the United States as light truck and SUV sales continue to heat up.
- Bill Ford on the Future of Transportation: We Can’t Simply Sell More Cars – Via Google News: During the past decade, the automotive industry emerged from one of the most challenging periods we have ever encountered, and has now entered …
- G.M. Resists Recalling Trucks Over Brake Lines – NY Times: Facing about 1,000 complaints and a yearslong government investigation, G.M. has not recalled 1.8 million trucks with a brake line corrosion problem.
- Is the maligned Mitsubishi Mirage a good value? – Automotive News: The Mitsubishi Mirage is one of the strangest cars I have ever driven — and it’s one of the most polarizing new models of 2014
- It’s Official: Stile Bertone Bankrupt – Wards: The reaction to the Court decision has been nearly universal, with industry insiders still expressing hope a white knight will emerge to keep the storied operation alive.
- Spyker Averts Asset Auction – Still Faces Financial Trouble – thedetroitbureau.com: Struggling Dutch sports car company Spyker has dodged the bullet, avoiding a sale of its assets to pay the tax man. But whether the maker can turn things around financially and get products like the B6 Venator into production remains to be seen
- Chevrolet Looks to Score with Man United Sponsorship – thedetroitbureau.com: Chevrolet is finally launching one of its boldest and most controversial marketing efforts as the maker unveils Manchester United’s new home shirt, sporting the Chevy logo.