Author: Automotive News Feed

Outgoing leader on organizing, ‘right to work’ and his goal to end two-tier wages; lessons from old GM; a ‘friendly’ ad strategy?

General Motors’ departing CEO Dan Akerson said he is “optimistic” about the automaker’s struggling European brand, Opel. The brand’s market share rose in Europe for the first time in 14 years in 2013, Akerson told the Automotive News World Congress.

Italian supplier Sogefi has opened two new plants in China to produce parts for carmakers including Fiat, Daimler and Ford.

Daimler says it will spend about 190 million euros ($260 million) upgrading a van factory in Spain to build new generations of the Viano and Vito models.

Chinese automaker Qoros will unveil its second production model, the Qoros 3 compact hatchback, at the Geneva auto show in March.

VW CEO Martin Winterkorn sounded uncharacteristically humble when he said that ‘America is the world’s toughest auto market.’ Tougher than Europe? For VW brand, the answer is yes.

VW CEO Martin Winterkorn sounded uncharacteristically humble when he said that ‘America is the world’s toughest auto market.’ Tougher than Europe? For VW brand, the answer is yes.

European new-car sales surged 13 percent in December, boosted by price cuts. Full-year sales fell by nearly 2 percent to 12.3 million, the lowest number since 1995 but a more modest decline than feared.

Russia’s car market is facing another weak year and is expected to fall nearly 2 percent in comparison with 2013, the Association of European Businesses said.