- General Motors Sells May Record 276,109 Vehicles in China – GM: General Motors and its joint ventures sold a May record 276,109 vehicles in China.
- THAILAND: SAIC starts MG6 production – Just-auto: China’s SAIC group launched production this week of its MG6 compact passenger car at a newly-built joint venture plant in the Rayong industrial district of Thailand.
- US: Mercedes Benz west coast ops moving to Long Beach Douglas aircraft site – Just-auto: Mercedes-Benz USA is consolidating some of its operations with the construction of a new west coast regional facility on the site of the former Douglas Aircraft factory in Long Beach, California.
- GM expected to dismiss multiple employees as internal probe is released – Automotive News: General Motors plans to announce today that it is dismissing multiple employees, including engineers, members of its legal staff and at least one vice president, in connection with their roles in a deadly recall that was delayed for years after…
- Ford Advanced Steering to Debut Next Year – Wards: The automaker says the new system will add to the fun-to-drive characteristic outlined in the “Ford DNA” guidelines.
- Honda Vezel SUV will hit the China auto market in November – CarNewsChina.com: The Honda Vezel SUV will be launched on the China car market in November, giving Honda a brand new entry in the booming compact SUV segment. Price will start around 100.000 yuan and end around 140.000 yuan.
- Patent Applied: facelift for the MG6 in China – CarNewsChina.com: MG has applied for patent on a facelift for the MG6. The drawings show the sedan version, and earlier on we saw the fastback on spy shots. The facelift includes a partly new grille with a larger MG logo, new headlights, a new front bumper, and new rear lights.
- Honda, Mercedes rank best for quality and value in new study – Automotive News: Honda and Mercedes led the way in a tally of brands ranked by new-vehicle buyers for quality and value, a study conducted by ALG found.
- Stealth video recorder looks like key fob – DetN: Maybe you’ve dreamed of being the next famous automotive spy photographer, heir to Detroit’s own Jim Dunne or perhaps to Brenda Priddy, ranging across the western deserts to spot camouflaged prototype vehicles.
- GM recall probe to clear senior execs, finds no concerted coverup: WSJ – Reuters: An internal probe of General Motors Co’s GM.N delay in recalling cars with defective ignition switches linked to at least 13 deaths is expected to conclude there was no concerted coverup and clear senior management of blame, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
- GM Recall Probe to Cite Cultural Failings – WSJ: An internal probe of General Motors’s delay in recalling defective cars is expected to conclude there was no concerted coverup, but that managers operating in isolation failed to make connections.
- GM recall probe to clear top brass, sees no concerted coverup-WSJ – Reuters: An internal probe of General Motors Co’s delay in recalling defective cars is expected to conclude there was no concerted coverup, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
- New UAW chief urged to tackle 2-tier wages – DetN: Dennis Williams was overwhelmingly elected as the next United Auto Workers president by delegates at the UAW constitutional convention today.
- GM to announce exits of several executives, release recall probe results – DetN: General Motors Co. will announce the departure of several ranking executives Thursday, as it releases an investigation into why the automaker failed for years to recall 2.6 million cars linked to at least 13 deaths and 47 crashes, according to four people briefed on the matter.
- Ford Killed SEX, Says Tesla’s Elon Musk – Via Google News: The next vehicle is named the Model X, an electric SUV crossover that is still in development. The last planned vehicle of Tesla’s next-generation …
- Ford expects ‘significant’ second-quarter loss in South America – Reuters: Ford Motor Co said it expected to incur a “significant” loss in South America in the current quarter mainly due to low sales volumes and changes to Venezuela’s foreign exchange rate.
- Toyota’s ad agency hires new creative chief – Automotive News: Saatchi and Saatchi LA, the longtime advertising agency of record for Toyota Motor Sales USA, has hired Jason Schragger, a former creative executive with Nissan’s global marketing team, as its new chief creative officer to oversee work for the…
- Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.4 TB MultiAir first drive review – Autocar: Petrol-powered facelifted Giulietta comes with a responsive engine and sharp styling, but a slow transmission and high price keep it from overtaking class leaders.
- Nissan’s Le Mans prototype to inspire next GT-R – Autocar: Nissan keen to establish clear technology links between its range-topping performance road car and imminent Le Mans prototype racer.
- Follow GM’s recall report Thursday on autonews.com – Automotive News: General Motors CEO Mary Barra will hold a town hall-type meeting with employees on Thursday to share the findings of an internal investigation into why the automaker took so long to recall vehicles with flawed ignition switches.
- Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell powered car ready for sale this December – Via Google News: According to reports, the Toyota Motor Corporation has recently declared that their sedan-type Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) will begin production at the end …
- Dennis Williams elected UAW president as King retires – Automotive News: Dennis Williams was elected president of the UAW today at its 36th Constitutional Convention. Williams, 61, takes the helm of the United States auto workers union for four years, replacing Bob King, 67, who officially retired at the convention.
- Buyer sentiment improves for automobiles, say dealers – Via Google News: Car buyers are flocking again to showrooms, marking a steady increase in … Discounts have come down by Rs 5,000-12,000 on small cars, said a …
- Motor Mouth: The next big thing? The Internet of Cars – Via Google News: The wired car lets drivers navigate a simulated cityscape on a trio of screens, and will soon be reprogrammed to make it almost entirely self-driving.
- GM to Release Results of Recall Investigation – thedetroitbureau.com: What General Motors knew and when it knew it may come to light tomorrow when the automaker releases the findings of its internal investigation of its faulty ignition switch recall. Mary Barra, GM CEO, will discuss the report with employees in a meeting at the GM Tech Center in Warren, Michigan.
- US: Ford and Samsung advance hybrid technologies – Just-auto: Ford and Samsung have jointly developed hybrid technologies that could eventually be produced in high volume on non-hybrid vehicles for greater fuel savings.
- GM to release results of internal probe on Thursday – Automotive News: General Motors plans to release on Thursday morning results from its internal investigation into why it did not recall 2.6 million vehicles with faulty ignition switches for about a decade after problems surfaced.
- Are car recalls losing their stigma in India? – Via Google News: In November 2010, sales of Tata Motors’ Nano dipped to a record low of 509 after instances of the small car catching fire made news. The company …
- GM probe to shine harsh light – FT: Internal report by former federal prosecutor is expected to blame the failure to recall faulty compact cars on the engineering and legal departments
- UK: Moody’s keeps JLR-bolstered Tata Motors’ rating stable – Just-auto: Citing a “strong consolidated performance” for the fiscal year ended 31 March, 2014, Moody’s has held its rating for Tata Motors (TML) stable at Ba3 but cautioned that the current 2014/15 financial year remains “critical for the group with both JLR and the Indian businesses facing challenges”.
- Tesla’s Musk Has No Plans of Leaving CEO Job – thedetroitbureau.com: He may be splitting his long days between carmaking, space exploration and solar cells, but Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk says he expects to remain in his post at the helm of the battery-carmaker for at least another four or five years. Musk plans to be around for the launch of Tesla’s next two vehicles.