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Car industry: after the crisis

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Volvo confident of fending off Asian threat

European truckmakers can remain dominant on the global stage in spite of growing competition from Asian companies, says Leif Johansson, chief executive of the Swedish group

Renault raises €3bn by cutting Volvo stake

Renault said that it had raised SEK28.2bn (€3.02bn) from the sale of most of its stake in Volvo, the Swedish truck group

Nissan to build big ‘Smart’ car for US

The Japanese carmaker is to build a larger, five-door model for the microcar brand owned by Daimler under a cross-shareholding alliance agreed in April

Aston Martin issues recall over steering fault

Brand acts on concerns that the steering mechanisms in some of its DB9, DBS, and V8 Vantage models could be affected, raising the risk of a crash

Ford to cut number of Lincoln dealers

The Detroit carmaker plans to eliminate as many as a third of the brand’s 1,200 outlets to focus its marketing on 130 urban areas where demand for luxury goods is strongest

Avtovaz swings back to profit

The Russian carmaker 25%-owned by France’s Renault that came close to bankruptcy last year benefits from interest-free loans and a revival of the country’s car market this year

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Carmaker alliances: a tangled web

Carmaking may be one of the world’s most competitive big industries, but rival producers have always been ready to cooperate on expensive new technologies and products when the cost or risk of going it alone was too high. Our graphic shows the complex relationships between the major manufacturers

Carmaking alliances

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Comment and analysis

Sergio’s show

The big question for the chief executive of Chrysler and Fiat is whether he will win his struggle with the unions to modernise practices in the Italian carmaker’s domestic factories

Ford should scrap Mercury

There is widespread speculation that the US carmaker may soon axe the 71-year-old brand, which sold just 92,000 vehicles last year

GM tests engine

When General Motors returns to the public by selling part of the US and Canadian governments’ stakes, it should bring the day closer when what is good for America is no longer thought to depend on what is good for GM

Whitacre’s crash at General Motors

The US motor group has burned through four chief executives in 18 months. This shambles is not only bad in itself but is exactly what GM did not need on the eve of its IPO filing, writes John Gapper

Go east, young car salesman

In a country where powerful men were once transported in sedan chairs, Chinese car buyers have a culturally embedded preference for roomy saloons

Fiat: Marchionne’s gamble

Fiat: A showdown with unions seen by some as Italy’s ‘Thatcher moment’ is being watched closely across an industry dogged by excess capacity

General Motors: the marques man

GMC

Six months since Ed Whitacre took executive charge, America’s biggest carmaker is shedding its bureacratic ways en route to a share offering

Premium carmakers

While the industry’s long-term future belongs to smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles, the outlook for the next couple of years is relatively better for the executive end of the market

This is the car for me

Three pedals, preferably none with an electronic mind of its own, and a gear stick under the hand. This remained the bottom line for Jurek Martin when his wife bought him a new car for his birthday

Motoring ahead

European carmakers must focus on innovation and produce cars that people want to buy and drive, which means that they must also cut capacity by shutting plants producing unwanted cars

More stories

Car group to base research at university

Start-up to launch hybrid sports car

Truck demand boosts US car sales

BMW chief warns on electric car funding

Porsche targets top-end buyers in China

Cheap cars to drive growth, says Ghosn

Piëch keen to add Alfa Romeo to VW stable

New Volvo chief looks to double global sales

Rolls-Royce chief Rose to step down

The lion of Rolls-Royce leaves the building

Lotus aims to relive glory days

Opel aims for growth outside Europe

BMW seals engine supply deal with Saab

Toyota shifts domestic strategy to mini-cars

Battery-powered Mini taken for a spin

Sparks fly as Volt and Leaf pick up speed

Renault looks to DeZir for fresh designs

Buyers loath to pay more for electric cars

Groups shift gear for a power revolution

Glut warning for China’s auto industry