Chrysler files for bankruptcy protection

Chrysler's bankruptcy path uncharted, but GM could follow
Obama calls his decision to push a Chapter 11 filing on the automaker unfortunate but necessary. The move sends a sharp message to General Motors and its stakeholders as their deadline looms. Reporting from Los Angeles and Washington Martin Zimmerman -- President Obama's decision to save Chrysler by pushing it into bankruptcy Thursday puts the major U.S. automaker in risky, uncharted territory and could portend a similar outcome for General Motors Corp. as it races to meet its own government restructuring deadline.

Chrysler files for bankruptcy protection

Chrysler filed for bankruptcy protection and announced it will temporarily halt most of its vehicle production while it completes a deal with Fiat designed to revive its fortunes.

Apollo Tyres offers to buy Dutch tyre maker
Delhi-based Apollo Tyres, the country's second-largest tyre producer, has offered to acquire 100 per cent stake in Vredestein Banden B.V, a Netherland-headquartered premium tyre making for an undisclosed sum.

Fiat expected to sign Chrysler partnership deal

Fiat expected to sign Chrysler partnership deal
DETROIT -- Italian automaker Fiat Group will sign paperwork to become a partner with Chrysler by Thursday, according to three people briefed on the deal.

Will GM soon stand for ‘Government Motors?’

If the government takes a majority stake in General Motors, will it end up taking the wheel, too?

GM accelerates plans to sell off Saturn brand

A gallery of Pontiac obituaries
Jalopnik, Auto Blog, Motor Trend and others mark the demise of Pontiac in their own special way.

GM accelerates plans to sell off Saturn brand
GM’s Saturn brand will either be sold or phased out by the end of this year, nearly two years faster than previously announced, the brand’s top executive said Tuesday.
Public transport: tested The 7 day car diet
On the buses: a complete farce

Tata Motors launches new Starbus range of buses in Maharashtra

GM to cut dealers, workers and Pontiac
The automaker's revised business plan would also leave the government owning at least half of the company. GM's Hummer, Saturn and Saab will cease production by year's end if not sold off. In a desperate bid to avoid bankruptcy, General Motors Corp. today launched a restructuring plan that would eliminate 2,600 dealers, 21,000 workers, $44 billion in debt and four brands, including Pontiac -- while leaving the U.S. government owning at least half of the troubled automaker.

GM faces leaner, government-owned future

General Motors, once the colossus of American capitalism, will become a leaner, government-owned company if the Obama administration goes along with the automaker's plan to slash jobs, close plants and eliminate the legendary Pontiac brand.

Should you scrap your old car?
People rarely make rational decisions, an observation that applies to car ownership as much to marriage. Despite the soaring cost of owning a car, we are loath to give them up. Some of that might be down to such factors as convenience and safety â€" I’d rather be in my own car at 11pm than fidgeting nervously at a bus stop â€" but some of us can’t even bear to scrap cars that we no longer drive. Even the lure of the £1,000 bounty being offered on disused motors might not be enough to tempt richer drivers to ditch them.
Tata Motors launches new Starbus range of buses in Maharashtra
Tata group company, Tata Motors, today announced the launch of an all-new Starbus range of buses in Maharashtra.

UAW agrees to concessions with Chrysler

UAW agrees to concessions with Chrysler
The United Auto Workers union says it has reached a concession agreement with Chrysler, Fiat and the U.S. government.
Car scrap loophole will turn worthless wrecks into cash
Loopholes in the Government’s car scrappage scheme will allow wealthy drivers to trade in non-running wrecks and obtain £1,000 from the taxpayer towards a new sports car, 4x4 or luxury saloon.

The Big Money: Good GM/bad GM
In less than six months, GM went from insisting on its integrity to gladly embracing the idea of tearing itself in half. What would a good GM/bad GM structure look like?
What is it like to drive an electric car?
Would you buy an electric car? Do you know what it’s like to live with one? The government is pretty confident that a cash incentive will be enough to persuade people to abandon the conveniences of the internal combustion engine. From 2011 motorists will be able to apply for a grant of up to £5,000 towards the cost of buying an electric car. No sooner had the government announced its latest “green” brainwave, however, than the flaws began to emerge.

Treasury Dept. lends $2 billion more to GM

Superhero of supermoto? Zero S is clean, green...and missing its cape
The street-legal follow-up to the off-road Zero X introduced last year, the S is the clean, green superhero of supermotos.

Treasury Dept. lends $2 billion more to GM

The Treasury Department says it has provided General Motors Corp. with another $2 billion in federal loans as the giant automaker struggles to restructure.

Automobile Corporation net dips 87%
Automobile Corporation of Goa, manufacturer of sheet metal components, today said its net profit for the fourth quarter ended March 31, declined 87% to Rs 1.13 crore.

AutoNation CEO: GM Will Survive. Chrysler? Who knows.

AutoNation CEO: GM Will Survive. Chrysler? Who knows.
Mike Jackson of AutoNation addressed concerns about the status of Chrysler and General Motors Corp. in announcing his dealership chain's first quarter earnings report this morning.

GM to shut 13 plants, cut production
General Motors’ decision to shut down 13 assembly plants for up to 11 weeks this summer will disrupt far more than the lives of nearly 24,000 workers.

Honda Insights -- both old and new -- celebrate Earth Day in Anaheim

Honda Insights -- both old and new -- celebrate Earth Day in Anaheim
American Honda Motors celebrated Earth Day at the Honda Center in Anaheim with a multi-sponsored festival, a Honda Insight (the old one) "homecoming" and a public ride-and-drive of the 2010 Honda Insight that recently went on sale.

Sources: GM to close plants up to 9 weeks
Two people briefed on the plan say GM will close most of its U.S. factories for up to nine weeks this summer because of slumping sales and growing inventories of unsold vehicles.

Ford's chairman: we don't need no stinking bailout!

Ford's chairman: we don't need no stinking bailout!
While the big banks beg to give back their TARP money, automaker Ford Motor Co. continues to enjoy the fact that it never took any money in the first place.

Company unveils 100-mpg hybrid truck

Anderson, Indiana-based startup Bright Automotive on Tuesday unveiled the IDEA, a 100-mpg plug-in hybrid electric van that it is looking to sell to fleet customers.

Speed limit to be cut on A-roads in bid to save 1,000 lives
The speed limit on many A-roads will be reduced to 50mph under plans aimed at cutting the number of road deaths by a third.
Hero Honda maintains growth, net profit rises 35% to Rs 402 cr
In line with market expectations, the countrys largest two-wheeler company, Hero Honda, earned a net profit of Rs 402.2 crore for the quarter ending March 31, nearly 35 per cent more than the Rs 298.7 crore for the same quarter last year.

Britain falls down European league table on road safety figures

A less-pricey Prius
Toyota, apparently spooked by the arrival of the budget-priced Honda Insight hybrid in showrooms last month, is shaving $1,000 off the sticker of the Prius.

GM begins round of white-collar layoffs
General Motors Corp. began firing 1,600 white-collar workers Monday and Fiat’s CEO left Italy to resume critical talks on an alliance with Chrysler LLC.
Britain falls down European league table on road safety figures
Britain has fallen well down the European league table on road safety, despite being on course to meet its own targets for 2010, according to figures released by the Department for Transport.

Shanghai auto show can focus on growth

International automakers are converging on China's commercial capital for a show that, once marginal, is now a key showcase â€" and battleground â€" for the world's only major growing car market.

Nissan Note 1.5dCi
The Nissan Note is a hatchback aimed at people with young families. And before you ask the obvious question: no, despite the promise of the name, you can blow it as hard as you like, but you won't get a sound out of it. That would be something, though, wouldn't it? A car that was also a musical instrument? Great novelty value. Like the Toot Sweets in Chitty Chitty Bang Bangonly in the form of a car. Altogether, the whole dual-action thing might be a route worth exploring for the car industry right now, while people are sweating on ways to stimulate consumer interest and wriggle out of the grip of the recession: additional functionality with a fun twist. What about an electric car that is also a kettle? I merely lob this idea on to the table.

Lord Drayson tackles Le Mans 24-hour race
Lord Drayson was in the middle of a ministerial meeting when a text message flashed up on his iPhone informing him that he had won a place in an even tougher trial of endurance â€" the Le Mans 24-hour race.

2010 Camaro SS: Subtle it's not

2010 Camaro SS: Subtle it's not
The Camaro SS's 6.2-liter V8 delivers raw power and its retro styling is spot on. Despite some published reports, the 2010 Camaro SS is not really what you'd call a sports car, unless you tend to shave with a chain saw or sign your name with a piece of burning timber or make scrambled eggs by dropping a piano on a chicken. The consonant quality of this car, from the moment you turn the key to the moment you gratefully leave it in the chiropractor's parking lot, is a wanton and cheerful disregard for finesse and delicacy.

GM CEO: Bankruptcy probable, not preferred

General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson says bankruptcy isn't the company's preferred option, but it's still probable, given the restructuring goals GM must meet to get more government loans.

Plan to increase popularity of electric cars stalls over subsidy snag

Bidder for Saturn steps forward, promises to keep the brand alive
An Oklahoma equity firm is the first known suitor for GM's unit. It would continue to distribute GM-made vehicles through 2011 and would also sell imported vehicles as Saturns. An unheralded private equity firm in Oklahoma City emerged Wednesday as the only known suitor for General Motor Corp.'s Saturn brand, promising to keep the marque and its dealership network alive.

UAW stops GM talks to focus on Chrysler deal
The United Auto Workers union has placed concession talks with General Motors Corp. on the back burner as it tries to reach a deal with Chrysler LLC before an April 30 government deadline, two people briefed on the negotiations said Thursday.
Plan to increase popularity of electric cars stalls over subsidy snag
Graphic: the starting grid

Will Americans buy a sub-$10,000 car?

Honda takes a walk
Honda has been developing what it calls "walking assist devices," which are designed to increase the stamina and mobility of people with weak leg muscles.

Will Americans buy a sub-$10,000 car?

At $9,990, Nissan’s no-frills model undercuts the price of virtually every other new car on the U.S. market. But do Americans really want such inexpensive cars? By Dan Carney.

'Offset' crash tests find higher risk for smaller cars

'Offset' crash tests find higher risk for smaller cars

Lenders may be prepping Chrysler counteroffer
The pace of negotiations between Chrysler LLC and its debtholders picked up this week, but talks at General Motors Corp. have slowed.
Maruti to position Ritz at upper end of compact segment
Auto maker Maruti Suzuki plans to position its upcoming car 'Ritz' at the upper end of the compact car segment that will be powered with a 1197 cc engine.

Thinning dealer ranks is key to reducing GM and Chrysler's costs
But contracts make it nearly impossible for the automakers to simply put these independent business owners out of commission, the way they can lay off employees. Car dealers -- sponsors of Little League, fixtures of Main Street, vibrant symbols of the American entrepreneurial dream -- could now prove to be the biggest threat to the future of the very industry they built.

GM recalls 1.5M vehicles over potential fires
General Motors Corp. is recalling 1.5 million vehicles because of potential engine fires. GM says there have been no reports of any fires or injuries.
Honda Motorcycle launches new Activa with more mileage
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Private Limited (HMSI), two-wheeler subsidiary of Honda Motor Company, Japan, today launched the "New Honda Activa", with refresing new style, more mileage and hoard of new features.

F-35B to replace the RAF's Harrier jump jet
It was the most advanced fighter jet, capable of vertical takeoff and landing, and a triumph of British engineering. But that was then. Today, 40 years after the Harrier jump jet first came into service, the last of the planes are about to be phased out.

Acura creates a new category, but BMW beat them to it

Acura creates a new category, but BMW beat them to it

Report: U.S. squeezes GM, Chrysler creditors
The federal government is pushing for tougher concessions from the creditors of General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, according to a published report.
Budget row over £2,000 payout to scrap a car
The Treasury is blocking plans to give motorists £2,000 towards the cost of a new car, The Times has learnt.
Plans on track, 1st car to roll-out by summer 2010: Nissan
"There is no delay, our plans are on track and Nissan India will come out with its next-generation A-segment car, Micra, on schedule before summer 2010," Nissan Motor India's Managing Director and CEO, Kiminobu Tokuyama, told PTI here.

Small cars pose a big risk for automakers

Music blared and lights blinked as the pint-sized car descended from the ceiling. A platform lowered it to the ground and photographers rushed to snap pictures.

New mobile service launched to ease Easter holiday traffic
A new service has been launched by the Highways Agency that allows live traffic information to be accessed via mobile phones.

New models, old questions at NYC auto show

New models, old questions at NYC auto show

Battered automakers are unveiling greener, hipper cars at the New York International Auto Show that they hope will satisfy scared buyers.

General Motors and Segway plan electric two-wheeler
US car manufacturer General Motors and personal scooter maker Segway announced yesterday they were working together to build a new two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle for use in urban centres.

Automakers put on a brave face in N.Y.

Back-to-back hybrid smack: Insight vs. Prius
A smack down between the 2010 Honda Insight and 2010 Toyota Prius.

Automakers put on a brave face in N.Y.

In an industry where there is very little to be happy about right now, the world’s top automakers will put on a cheerful face for visitors to this month’s New York auto show.

GM, Segway to team on two-wheeled vehicle

A solution to the world’s urban transportation problems could lie in two wheels not four, according to executives for General Motors Corp. and Segway Inc.

New GM boss softens opposition to bankruptcy

The Honda DN-01: automatic + motorcycle = smooter?
New to the U.S. for 2009, the automatic transmission DN-01 may look like a blenderized version of Honda s entire motorcycle catalog, but it is, truly, its own thing.

New GM boss softens opposition to bankruptcy

General Motors Corp. is softening its opposition to bankruptcy reorganization a little more. "If it's required, that's what we'll do," new chief executive Fritz Henderson said.

Chevrolet’s Camaro is poised for success

After a seven-year hiatus, Chevrolet is returning to the muscle car game with the 2010 Camaro. Can it save GM? MotorHead, by Dan Carney.

Car Shrink
Q I’ve heard rumours that GM could go bust. Does this mean buying a Vauxhall or Saab is a dangerous proposition? After Rover collapsed, my friend bought one and he has no complaints.

Cars pile up after burst ‘bubble’

BMW 750Li: The dance of the electronic fairies
This systems-heavy executive saloon might just be the best luxury sedan in the world. I'm quite certain that somewhere right now, emotionally shattered BMW technicians are gathering in a church basement for a support group, huddled around the cookies and the coffee urn, their hands fairly vibrating with frustration. For as well deserved as is the title Ultimate Driving Machine, BMWs also have earned the reputation as the Ultimate Hangar Queen, taking up residence in dealership service bays and sending mechanics over the crumbling edge of insanity. Hello -- sob! -- my name is Dieter and I'm a BMW tech . . . . Hello, Dieter, keep comin' back. . . .

Cars pile up after burst ‘bubble’

After the "car bubble" collapsed and vehicles get stuck on dealer lots, the goal is finding the sustainable number of annual auto sales.

Chevrolet’s Camaro is poised for success

Hyundai Genesis takes a page from Lincoln playbook
Hyundai has decided a touch of the 1970s is just what we need now. Presenting the Hyundai Genesis Prada edition.

Chevrolet’s Camaro is poised for success

After a seven-year hiatus, Chevrolet is returning to the muscle car game with the 2010 Camaro. Can it save GM? MotorHead, by Dan Carney.

Bajaj Auto Sales down in March
Annual sales of two and three wheelers manufactured by Bajaj Auto were down 13 per cent in March, 2009, and stood at 154,093 units, as against 176,280 units in the year ago month.

Major automakers report steep declines in March sales

Major automakers report steep declines in March sales
GM announces that its U.S. sales were down 45% from the previous March; other major car markers drop at least 36%. Some in the industry, though, see positive signs. Each of the largest automakers today reported U.S. sales declines in excess of 36% for March as the slumping economy continued to keep buyers out of dealerships, deepening the industry's woes.

Another dismal month for auto sales

March proved to be another dismal month of steep declines for U.S. auto sales, as low consumer confidence and job uncertainty kept buyers away from showrooms.

Tata will bring Nano back to Singur: W Bengal official
West Bengal today claimed that the world's cheapest wheels, Nano, will be made in Singur, although car maker Tata Motors had stomped out of the eastern Indian state in a huff last year.