General Motors, Chrysler executives defend dealership closings
Facing criticism by lawmakers, they tell a House panel the cuts are painful steps needed for the automakers' survival. Under withering criticism in Congress, executives of General Motors Corp. and Chrysler on Friday called the closings of hundreds of dealerships painful steps needed to right-size the auto giants. Down-on-their-luck dealers said the moves would needlessly devastate their local economies and livelihoods.

Motor mouth: What a load of silly old app
So there I was last week in a meeting with a TV company (oh, okay, it was ITV) that was going perfectly well until someone said: “I think what we need here is something that will actively mirror this idea’s long-term creative niche, yeah?”

GM, Chrysler execs defend dealer closings

The gloves are off with Ducati's 2010 Streetfighter S
Ducati is unstoppable. The Italian manufacturer was the only major motorcycle brand to see its sales hold steady throughout 2008, despite the economy's race toward the wall.

GM, Chrysler execs defend dealer closings
GM and Chrysler executives defended the closings of hundreds of dealerships as House lawmakers questioned whether the decisions would save any money.
What's on at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2009
Try summarising the Goodwood Festival of Speed for the uninitiated and you could get it badly wrong. Calling it a car show risks conjuring up visions of vehicles marooned on show stands, awaiting intimate inspection by strange men with unkempt beards and a whiff of WD-40 about them. You could say it’s a race meeting, but when did the drivers at a race meeting last do burnouts in the middle of the track for the crowd’s amusement, then hang out with spectators, drinking Pimm’s?

Honda toasts 50 years in the U.S.

Honda toasts 50 years in the U.S.
Honda s first U.S. product lineup featured only motorcycles, ranging in size from tiny 50cc scooter to bikes in the 300cc range.

Henderson expects to remain CEO of GM
GM’s chief executive said Thursday he expects to remain at the helm of the automaker when it emerges from bankruptcy protection but added that nothing was guaranteed.

Chinese automaker may make bid for Volvo

Chrysler says Fiat takeover complete
The move allows the U.S. automaker to emerge from bankruptcy six weeks after filing for Chapter 11 protection, and again puts the company in foreign hands. For the second time in a decade, Chrysler finds itself in foreign hands.

Chinese automaker may make bid for Volvo
A person briefed on the matter says a Chinese automaker is considering buying Ford Motor Co.'s Volvo unit.

Supreme Court won’t block Chrysler-Fiat deal

GM picks next chairman: AT & T ex-chief
Edward E. Whitacre Jr. lacks experience in the auto industry, but he probably won't handle daily operations. He will become chairman when General Motors exits bankruptcy. Edward E. Whitacre Jr., the newly anointed chairman of General Motors Corp., isn't exactly what you'd call a car guy.

Supreme Court won’t block Chrysler-Fiat deal

The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for Chrysler’s sale to Fiat, turning down a last-ditch bid by opponents of the deal.

Cycle girl

Gas prices rise in California, U.S.
But the peak is probably near, barring a major emergency that crimps supply of oil or gasoline, analysts say. California again had the dubious distinction of having the highest gasoline prices in the continental U.S. over the last week, the Energy Department said Monday.

Chrysler sale on hold, but for how long?

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Monday delayed Chrysler’s sale of most of its assets to a group led by Italy’s Fiat, but didn’t say how long the deal will remain on hold.

Cycle girl
I was doing that put-yourself-down girl thing with Georgie Thompson, the Sky Sports presenter: “Oh we’ll be rubbish, we’ll come last, it’ll take us eight hours ... ”, while all about us, thousands of long, lean male cycle nuts throbbed with vigour. Then she said: “I did 72 miles last weekend.” I returned to the isolation of unreadiness. Such was the start of my participation in the recent Macmillan Cancer Support Etape Caledonia.

Targeted Chrysler dealers in a race to the end

Hundreds of Chrysler dealers across on the automaker's "hit list" are scrambling to dispose of their inventory by Tuesday when their franchise agreements are slated to be terminated.

A 2009 take on 1903

A 2009 take on 1903
Now at least poor-man riders who want to fake the experience of a vintage Hog have some options, one of them being the $2,500 Ridley Motorcycles 1903.

Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.33 VVT-i
My daughter has just bought her first car. Ordinarily this would be no big deal. All daughters buy a first car at some point. But the daughter I’m talking about is only 10 years old.

Consumers care more about what's in the dash -- not under the hood

Consumers care more about what's in the dash -- not under the hood

GM to sell Saturn brand to Penske

General Motors Corp. has a tentative deal to sell its Saturn brand to former race car driver and dealership group owner Roger Penske, both companies said Friday.

Opel ‘will be brand name to attract Russian buyers’
Vauxhall cars in Britain will be rebranded under the Opel name in an effort to appeal to the Russian car market, according to the former managing director of Rover.

Earth to California: Learn how to drive!

Earth to California: Learn how to drive!
We re No. 48! At least that s where California ranked among the 50 states in an annual National Drivers Test.

Judge: Chrysler has good case for franchise cuts
The judge overseeing Chrysler’s bankruptcy case said Thursday that the automaker has a good case for cutting 789 of its dealer franchises as part of its ongoing restructuring.

Another electric car maker aims for California market

Another electric car maker aims for California market
Add Coda Automotive to the list of companies that want to sell electric cars in California.

Auto execs defend dealership closures

The chiefs of General Motors and Chrysler told skeptical lawmakers on Wednesday they have too many dealers to support their slimmed-down operations.

Ford, GM sales inch up from April to May

GM's Hummer brand to be sold to Chinese company
The bankrupt automaker announces that it has reached an agreement with Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. Terms of the deal, which could save 3,000 jobs, are not disclosed. Jerry Hirsch Reporting From Los Angeles Reporting From New York -- A Chinese heavy-equipment maker's move to acquire General Motors Corp.'s Hummer brand has its executives and dealers excited about the possibility of overseas sales growth and more fuel-efficient models.

Ford, GM sales inch up from April to May

U.S. sales of cars and light trucks rose 13 percent in May when compared with April, even as two of the nation's automakers grappled with reorganizations.

Great British weekend: Dorking, Surrey
The train wound its way through 265 acres of vines, the view down the valley of a town against a backdrop of wooded slopes. A nice little place in France? Italy, perhaps? No, we were looking down at Dorking, one of Britain’s most traffic-choked towns.

Ford pulls ahead as GM, Chrysler get 'rinse'

GM's bankruptcy: What consumers need to know
Along with the biggest bankruptcy filing by a manufacturer in U.S. history comes big questions for current or potential owners of General Motors vehicles.

Ford pulls ahead as GM, Chrysler get 'rinse'

With GM and Chrysler both in bankruptcy, a relatively healthy Ford stands to benefit, even its its two struggling Detroit rivals gain the advantages of powerful government backing.