What's the Blue Oval worth? A big chunk of $1.5B

Posted 3:12 pm U.S. ET, May 25

David Phillips is deputy managing editor of autonews.com.

For thousands of motorists the Blue Oval is just another hood ornament whizzing by on an expressway.
But for Ford, there is real money being mined in that famous trademark beyond the grille of a new Explorer or F-series pickup.
Ford, as Forbes.com reported this week, has a thriving $1.5 billion business licensi ...
     Continue reading "What's the Blue Oval worth? A big chunk of $1.5B" » May 25, 2012 3:12 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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L.A. offers sobering reality check for Cadillac

Posted 2:06 pm U.S. ET, May 25

Mike Colias covers General Motors for Automotive News.

LOS ANGELES -- When I arrived here for a work trip this week -- my first visit to L.A. in about seven years -- I expected to see a lot of Hondas and Toyotas clogging this city's infamously congested freeways.
And I did. But I was more struck by the hordes of luxury imports prowling the roads of west L.A. The streets were thick with BMWs. Audis. Jag ...
     Continue reading "L.A. offers sobering reality check for Cadillac" » May 25, 2012 2:06 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Five reasons why GM's Super Bowl pass is baffling

Posted 12:33 pm U.S. ET, May 24

Mike Colias covers General Motors for Automotive News.

DETROIT -- Since General Motors' decision last week not to suit up for the Super Bowl next year, I've chatted with folks inside and outside GM. I've read what others think. I've mulled.
And I still don't get GM's decision not to advertise during the Big Game. Here are five reasons why:
1. I'm skeptical of GM's ...
     Continue reading "Five reasons why GM's Super Bowl pass is baffling" » May 24, 2012 12:33 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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The 102 mpg Honda Civic

Posted 7:59 am U.S. ET, May 24
The Honda Civic CNG's sticker price, with destination charges, is $27,095.
MARK RECHTIN:  LOS ANGELES -- All automakers are hyping fuel economy numbers on their electric or hybrid vehicles, some more fast and loose than others.
So I figure I have some leeway when I say I got 102 mpg from a 2012 Honda Civic.
Before you fire up your snarky e-mail blasts, let me explain the math. I hope you understand ...
     Continue reading "The 102 mpg Honda Civic" » May 24, 2012 7:59 am U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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'Mad Men' pep talk and the power of automakers and their ad agencies

Posted 11:34 am U.S. ET, May 23

Jamie LaReau is a staff reporter for Automotive News.

DETROIT -- "Every agency on Madison Avenue is defined by the moment they got their car. When we land Jaguar, the world will know we have arrived."
That’s the pep talk Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce’s Don Draper gives his staff during the May 20 episode of AMC’s "Mad Men."
It’s rare to find ...
     Continue reading "'Mad Men' pep talk and the power of automakers and their ad agencies" » May 23, 2012 11:34 am U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Subprime tarnish fades, finally

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 23

Jim Henry is a special correspondent for Automotive News

Dealers have complained for a couple of years now about how long it's taking for subprime auto lending to bounce back.
Sure, the U.S. economy isn't growing as fast as we'd all like. But really, what's taking so long?
How about tarnish by association?
Part of the problem is ...
     Continue reading "Subprime tarnish fades, finally" » May 23, 2012 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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With Mazda, Alfa may have the right partner for a Spider revival

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 23

Luca Ciferri is Automotive News Europe's chief correspondent

TURIN, Italy -- With Mazda, Alfa Romeo may finally have found the right partner to help it replace its front-wheel-drive Spider roadster, which ended production in 2010.
Fiat and Mazda plan to jointly develop a new roadster for Alfa and Mazda based on the Miata/MX5 platform. The move should help Fiat Group's sports-car brand lift flagging sales. Al ...
     Continue reading "With Mazda, Alfa may have the right partner for a Spider revival" » May 23, 2012 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Prime customers are in the mood to shop again

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 23

Jamie LaReau covers auto dealers for Automotive News

Seeing customers with lousy credit apply for auto loans is nothing new.
But when more folks with prime credit scores return to the auto market and seek loans with vigor, that's something to talk about.
According to Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas, the Morgan Stanley U.S. Credit Quality index rose more than 7 ...
     Continue reading "Prime customers are in the mood to shop again" » May 23, 2012 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Cadillac's 'avalanche of new product' should reverse sales slide

Posted 11:09 am U.S. ET, May 22
The XTS sedan is a return to Cadillac’s roots of “large luxury,” brand marketing chief Don Butler says
MIKE COLIAS:  LOS ANGELES -- The sense of excitement (or is it relief?) is evident among Cadillac executives.
Since putting the DTS and STS sedans out to pasture last year, General Motors’ luxury brand has been limping along with just three nameplates: the CTS line, SRX crossover and Escalade SUV.
It’s Cadillac&r ...
     Continue reading "Cadillac's 'avalanche of new product' should reverse sales slide" » May 22, 2012 11:09 am U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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GM didn’t get how Facebook works

Posted 10:30 am U.S. ET, May 22

Mark Rechtin is West Coast editor of Automotive News.

Much as General Motors would like you to think its decision to walk away from Facebook is about the failure of clickable banner ads, it isn’t. GM’s failure is all about the banality of its paid content.
Basically, paid content involves paying a Web site to promote your message through a wider distribution network than would ordinarily v ...
     Continue reading "GM didn’t get how Facebook works" » May 22, 2012 10:30 am U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Would Wrangler design tweaks rile the Jeep faithful?

Posted 3:06 pm U.S. ET, May 21
The Wrangler’s hood buckles -- the two exterior straps and clips that keep the hood securely in place -- are just as much a part of Jeep history as its seven-slot grille.
LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE:  Though I am no Martin Luther, I’d like to nail a note on the door of the Church of the Most Holy Jeep Wrangler.
The design orthodoxy of the Wrangler -- the gospel of Jeep, as it were -- needs a tweak or two before the 71-year-old vehicle’s next makeover.
Now, before the Jeep faithful charge me with ...
     Continue reading "Would Wrangler design tweaks rile the Jeep faithful?" » May 21, 2012 3:06 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Hyundai’s Shannon: Unlike GM, we won’t miss Super Bowl

Posted 3:23 pm U.S. ET, May 21

Ryan Beene is a reporter for Automotive News.

LOS ANGELES -- Ford wasn’t the only automaker last week to tweak General Motors.
Shortly after GM announced it would not advertise during the 2013 Super Bowl telecast, Hyundai put out a statement saying it wouldn’t miss the opportunity to advertise in next year’s game.
“The Super Bowl is ...
     Continue reading "Hyundai’s Shannon: Unlike GM, we won’t miss Super Bowl" » May 21, 2012 3:23 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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GM to Volt owners: To the moon!

Posted 3:44 pm U.S. ET, May 18

Nick Bunkley is an enterprise reporter for Automotive News.

DETROIT -- For all of the time General Motors executives have spent hyping the Chevrolet Volt, there's apparently one industry-exclusive feature that the company kept secret until now.
It can go to the moon.
Talk about an extended-range vehicle.
Incredibly, GM says Volts ha ...
     Continue reading "GM to Volt owners: To the moon!" » May 18, 2012 3:44 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Is Kia’s K9 flagship closer to U.S. showrooms?

Posted 4:07 pm U.S. ET, May 17

Ryan Beene is a reporter for Automotive News.

LOS ANGELES -- Another piece of evidence suggests that Kia is likely to bring its K9 flagship sedan to the United States.
A photo of an uncamouflaged K9 driving on an Orange County, Calif., roadway hit my Twitter feed this morning, thanks to @scarboy6693 and @KMA_PR’s retweet.
You can find my retweet of t ...
     Continue reading "Is Kia’s K9 flagship closer to U.S. showrooms?" » May 17, 2012 4:07 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Toyoda names the non-Toyotas he likes best

Posted 2:43 pm U.S. ET, May 17
Toyota President Akio Toyoda, pictured in October, is hard pressed to single out individual cars as his favorites -- be they his company’s or not.
HANS GREIMEL:  TOKYO -- In a rare outburst of convivial kudos, car buff and Toyota President Akio Toyoda has publicly aired his short list of the top cars made by his domestic rivals.
Getting highest honors from the Toyota chief: the Nissan Skyline, Honda NSX, Mazda Cosmo Sport, Mitsubishi Pajero and Isuzu Bellett.
Toyoda sai ...
     Continue reading "Toyoda names the non-Toyotas he likes best" » May 17, 2012 2:43 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Fiat Strada could find a niche in U.S.

Posted 12:38 pm U.S. ET, May 16
A properly packaged Ram- or Jeep-branded Strada could find receptive U.S. customers.
LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE:  DETROIT -- Maybe I'm crazy for even thinking it, but if I could bring one Fiat-based vehicle to the United States that's not yet here, I wouldn't hesitate in my choice:
The Fiat Strada.
I've never driven a Strada and never seen one in person, but the photos I've seen of the Brazilian-built runabout intrigue me. ...
     Continue reading "Fiat Strada could find a niche in U.S." » May 16, 2012 12:38 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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More loans mean more risk

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 16

Jim Henry is a special correspondent for Automotive News

Some dealers say credit is still too tight to suit them, especially in subprime.
But that can't last much longer, according panel discussions at last week's Auto Finance Risk Summit in Dallas.
"Things aren't going to be rosy forever; we've all got to keep that in mind," said Tom Redding, director of risk manage ...
     Continue reading "More loans mean more risk" » May 16, 2012 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Poling's plaque: What part of 'no' don't you understand?

Posted 4:22 pm U.S. ET, May 15
Harold "Red" Poling (far right) at Taurus/Sable launch with Phillip Caldwell (left) and Don Petersen. (Ford)
DAVID SEDGWICK:  Red Poling was not a sentimental guy.
I first met him in the Glass House in 1990, shortly after he succeeded Don Petersen as CEO of Ford Motor Co.
The first thing I noticed was a plaque on his desk: "What part of 'no' don't you understand?"
The second thing I spotted was a ...
     Continue reading "Poling's plaque: What part of 'no' don't you understand?" » May 15, 2012 4:22 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Will the Chevy Trax add to Opel's woes?

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 15

Paul McVeigh is managing editor at Automotive News Europe.

On the day that Opel workers demonstrated against potential plant closures and job losses, Chevrolet's announcement that it will launch a new subcompact SUV called the Trax might be seen as adding insult to injury.
Managers and workers at General Motors' money-losing European unit complain bitterly that GM restricts the brand's ability to boost its ...
     Continue reading "Will the Chevy Trax add to Opel's woes?" » May 15, 2012 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Ford's blue oval goes dark and draws some coveted coastal eyeballs

Posted 4:30 pm U.S. ET, May 14

Bradford Wernle covers Ford for Automotive News

Ford may be one of the auto industry’s oldest brands, but Ford Motor Co.’s global marketing chief calls it a “challenger brand in the U.S.” these days.
That’s why, in Jim Farley’s view, Ford must use unconventional tactics to get noticed, particularly by consumers in U.S. coastal areas, who have overwhelmingly pr ...
     Continue reading "Ford's blue oval goes dark and draws some coveted coastal eyeballs" » May 14, 2012 4:30 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Riviera redux at Buick?

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 14
This 2007 concept carried the Riviera name.
GREG MIGLIORE:  The Riviera name may be poised for a comeback at Buick. At least General Motors isn't shutting the door completely.
GM renewed the trademark on the "Riviera" name, which had lapsed, on May 3, according to the Patent and Trademark Office.
"There are a number of reasons why companies file for patents or trademarks on names, ranging from potential future use ...
     Continue reading "Riviera redux at Buick?" » May 14, 2012 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Kia readies new minivan after Sedona exits in 2013

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 14
Kia showed the KV7 van concept at the 2011 Detroit auto show.
RYAN BEENE:  LOS ANGELES -- Kia has dropped its Sedona minivan for the 2013 model year, but the automaker expects to return to the segment.
Kia spokesman James Hope confirmed the Sedona's departure. He said Kia likely will field another people mover but he declined to say when or what it might look like.
"We're not going to get completely out of the segment," Hope said. "It's a market tha ...
     Continue reading "Kia readies new minivan after Sedona exits in 2013" » May 14, 2012 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Fisker fires back, rebuts expert's theory on garage blaze

Posted 4:59 pm U.S. ET, May 12

Mark Rechtin is West Coast editor of Automotive News.

So what caused the Sugar Land, Texas, garage fire this week that destroyed a Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid and two other cars?
The local fire inspector told Autoweek that the fire started in the Karma, but said he didn't know the exact cause. On Thursday, EV expert Jon Bereisa suggested to me that the Karma's cramped engine-bay packaging cou ...
     Continue reading "Fisker fires back, rebuts expert's theory on garage blaze" » May 12, 2012 4:59 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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How speed kept Carroll Shelby alive an extra 50 years

Posted 8:14 pm U.S. ET, May 11
Carroll Shelby stands with the Ford Shelby GR-1 Concept.
JESSE SNYDER:  DETROIT -- Carroll Shelby finally lost the grudge match against his own human frailty.
His heart gave out in his thirties. He should have died in the '50s when he was racing Aston Martins in Europe, popping nitro glycerin capsules under his tongue each race. But he didn't die -- not for another half-century and dozens of bypasses, grafts and finall ...
     Continue reading "How speed kept Carroll Shelby alive an extra 50 years" » May 11, 2012 8:14 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Expert: Fisker Karma's engine packaging, not batteries, likely caused fire

Posted 9:58 pm U.S. ET, May 10
Jon Bereisa, CEO of consultancy Auto Lectrification, said of the Karma: "That engine is shoehorned into that bay, because they had to use a larger engine, because it was too heavy a car."
MARK RECHTIN:  LOS ANGELES -- A garage fire last week in suburban Houston has been linked to a Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid, but the company quickly noted that the battery remained intact and unplugged -- and did not appear to be the cause.
But if not the battery, then what?
More likely, poor packaging in the engine compartment and exhaust routing generated excess heat. When combined with a ...
     Continue reading "Expert: Fisker Karma's engine packaging, not batteries, likely caused fire" » May 10, 2012 9:58 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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