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
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Car industry: after the crisis
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The industry is rebounding from the worst downturn in decades, but global automakers still face tough markets and unprecedented pressure to develop new technology
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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
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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
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
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