Archive for November, 2009

Saab, Swedish gov’t in Detroit to discuss brand’s future

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Filed under: /Legal , Saab Don’t write off Saab just yet. While last week’s announcement that Koenigsegg Automotive AB had pulled its offer for the homeless brand was a painful kick to the gut, it seems there are still a few companies interested in taking the automaker under its wings. With that in mind, and interested in keeping the momentum, Saab CEO Jan Ake Jonsson and officials from are…

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Contrasting fortunes for Toyota, Hyundai across the Sea of Japan

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Last month, I blogged about Toyota opening for business in Korea . A little over a month later, for all Toyota’s woes elsewhere , sales are going well. In October, Toyota beat a (admittedly conservative) target to sell 500 Prius, sedans and RAV4 SUVs each month in Korea, despite sales not starting until Oct. 20. As of today, Toyota said it had received orders for 6,600 vehicles. That means, subject to most of those orders being completed, the automaker has achieved its annual sales …

Ian Rowley

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Car Donation Helps the Red Cross Spread Safety This Holiday Season

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Preparedness is one of the Red Cross’ missions, and this year they offered Thanksgiving safety tips to Americans via their website. Thanks to continuing advancements in technology, people could simply click on the podcast button to get live safety tips for their home and kitchen. Fire is one of the main causes of disaster and homelessness that the Red Cross responds to year round. The holiday season often sees a rise in home fires often caused by kitchen fires or the use of holiday candles…

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Bring the Noise: Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps reportedly safe… for now

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

Filed under: Motorsports , Europe , /Legal Following earlier news that the Donington track, which was supposed to take over the British Grand Prix in lieu of Silverstone, had to declare bankruptcy comes a reversal of fortune for the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The longtime host of the Belgian Grand Prix looked to be in serious trouble with local authorities when nearby residents got fed up with the noise emanating from the track. officials threatened…

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Why Renault’s Latest Russia Deal Looks Smart

Friday, November 27th, 2009

Renault’s partnership with struggling Russian automaker Avtovaz got a fresh infusion of cash on Nov. 27 – and happily for Renault, Russian taxpayers will foot most of the bill. In a deal announced during a visit to by Prime Minister , the Russian said it would grant a $2.5 billion bailout to Avtovaz, while the of the Samara region surrounding the company’s headquarters will pay the salaries of 14,600 AvtoVAZ employees who are being…

Carol Matlack

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Auto Beat - BusinessWeek

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BREAKING: Toyota to recall 3.8M vehicles to reshape and replace pedals

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Filed under: /Legal , Recalls , Safety , Toyota Toyota has announced that it will recall some 3.8 million cars and trucks to reshape and/or replace their accelerator pedals. The action is the result of fears that loose floormats may cause the accelerator pedal to stick, increasing the risk of an accident. The recall will be the largest in the automaker’s history, and it will cover a wide range of vehicles from …

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NHTSA opening probe into Ford Freestar/Mercury Monterey transmission defect

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Filed under: Minivan/Van , /Legal , Recalls , Safety , Ford The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating hundreds of reports that 2004-2005 Ford Freestar and minivans are fitted with defective that could dangerously fail without warning. Most alarming is that many of the reportedly fail at highway speeds. In a common complaint, the engine will suddenly surge and then all power is immediately lost. The vehicle is forced to coast …

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Saab deal falls apart as the brand nears extinction

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Swedish sports car maker Koenigsegg Group AB has come to its senses. The company decided to pull out of its earlier agreement to buy Saab from General Motors. Barring some new edict from GM’s board, the maker will likely just wind the brand down. Management doesn’t want to keep it, say two GM executives familiar with the company’s planning. So unless the board overturns their wishes, Saab will join Pontiac and Saturn on their way to the industry’s Boot Hill. For …

David Welch

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Flash Mob: Police reportedly bust illegal night race on Hockenheim circuit

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Filed under: Motorsports , Europe , /Legal We don’t condone illegal behavior here at Autoblog. Heaven forbid. But if you are going to break the law, this strikes us as a good way to go about it. Reports out of Germany indicate that a group of some 100 people in 43 cars descended upon the Hockenheimring (host of the Grand Prix) in southern Germany this past Saturday night for what we can only describe as the equivalent of a flash mob. The group reportedly coordinated over…

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Your Old Clunker Is A Gem of A Donation for the Red Cross

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Across the country thousands of young adults have graduated from college. While the has made finding that first post college job more challenging than generations before, many graduates have relentlessly pursued jobs and succeeded. An acquaintance from town recently told of how his neighbor’s young son had graduated and landed a job in a city where he would be able to take advantage of public transportation. He talked about how happy he and his wife would …

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