The Cadillac ATS
It looks like the Cadillac ATS is going to be a great rear-wheel drive compact … but not for Australians.
Chevrolet New Sail – a Chinese Chevrolet
GM takes the game up to the Chinese car makers
General Motors to Build an Electric Motor Plant
GM is to become the first car maker to build their own mass-production electric motor plant
The Chevrolet Aveo RS
There’s no doubt that General Motors is looking to Europe for inspiration for cars that will appeal to younger drivers
What Now for Holden?
So General Motors … the parent company for Holden … is now in bankruptcy. While that’s a position that few could have imagined a year or two ago it’s a reality and it’s giving General Motors a chance to restructure. That restructuring includes selling off a large chunk of GM Europe … almost certainly to […]
Fiat Falters
Way back at the beginning of May we reported that Fiat was well in the running to purchase GM’s European brands of Opel, Vauxhall and Saab … a move that would catapult it into second spot on the world rankings of car manufacturers. However at the end of May talks between GM and Fiat broke […]
New Car Dealers Closing
The big news in America at the moment is the dropping by General Motors and Chrysler of around 3,000 new car dealers. General Motors has around 6,000 new car dealers spread across the country and plans to terminate up to 2,000 of them and the official announcement is expected soon. Chrysler is said to be […]
US Car Sales Plummet
Well we knew that was happening anyway but just how bad has the drop been in January? Reuters is reporting that Ford’s sales in January are down 42.1 percent. General Motors has reported a drop in January sales of 49 percent, Toyota has dropped 34 percent and Nissan is down around 30 percent. Now let’s […]
The Electric Cadillac
The Detroit Auto Show started today and GM is there in force with it’s hybrids and it’s electic concept cars. Among those concept cars is an electric Cadillac that displays some very nice flowing lines … and a range of just 64 kilometres. The Mini E will cover around 250km … obviously it’s a much […]
Just How Bad Are Things for GM and Chrysler?
Without the US government bailout of GM and Chrysler, both are insolvent according to Sean McAlinden, Chief Economist for the Centre of Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan … just down the road from Detroit. McAlinden also suggests that GM is not in a position to meet the initial loan conditions set down by the […]
US Car Industry Bail-out Fails
So the bail-out plans for the American car industry didn’t get through Congress? Well in the long-term that’s probably a good thing because it means that we could see a real change in the car industry world-wide. In the short-term it’s probably a good thing too because it really did look as though Congress wanted […]
Bad Economic News Continues for the Car Industry
In America General Motors is expected to announce the suspension of development work on a range of future models. One of Ford’s biggest parts suppliers has announced the closure of five plants as demand for its products dries up. The big three manufacturers in the US are reported to be planning on approaching the White […]
Can Things Get Worse for Ford and GM in America?
Ford in the United States recoreded a 30% drop in sales for October and General Motors reported a 45% drop in sales for the same period. Can things get any worse for Ford and General Motors? I’m sure they can and I’m sure they will.
What’s the Big Number for America
In America there used to be the big three auto makers – General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. Now, of course, we have the very weak and wobbly three as sales plummet, credit evaporates and fuel becomes so expensive that even the Americans now want smaller, more fuel efficient cars. Soon though there’s a very strong […]
New Vehicle Sales in Australia Reflect Slowing Economy
New figures show that vehicle sales remained softer in September, reflecting the broader slow down in the Australian economy. Official VFACTS data released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) show that 80,938 cars, trucks and buses were sold in September; down 3.1 per cent (2,551 vehicles) compared to the same month last […]
The Cost of Tightening a Nut
What’s the cost of tightening 42,408 nuts? If you don’t know and I don’t know then perhaps we need to ask GM in America because they’re about to find out. They’ve just issued a recuall for 42,408 Sturn Vue compact SUVs because there is a possibility that a nut has worked loose in the power […]
The Ups and Downs of Car Sales in May
Earlier this month we reported on the latest car sale figures for the Australian market in May but not every country … nor every segment … was as buoyant as the Australian market was in May. In once instance the impact of falling sales has led to some serious re-thinking of future plans. General Motors […]
General Motors’ Plant Closures Come to Australia
Earlier this week General Motors announced that it would be closing four plants in the United States and Canada in a cost-cutting exercise that see a reduction in GM’s production of trucks and SUV’s. That was probably to be expected as the cost of fuel rose and the demand for big vehicles diminished. What was […]
Toyota is Number 1 Worldwide
Toyota has just released figures that indicate that in the first quarter of this year it sold 2.3 million vehicles worldwide. That figure put’s it about 900,000 vehicles ahead of General Motors. Interestingly in Toyota’s home market – in Japan – it’s suffering just as much as Japanese manufacturers. In China – the world’s biggest […]
Could This be a Future Commodore?
General Motors made quite a splash at the Detroit Auto Show with a brand-new electric car. It’s only in the concept stage right now but maybe one day we’ll see the Chevrolet Volt sold in Australia under the Holden brand. And don’t be fooled into thinking that this car can’t travel long distances. General Motors […]