Author: Automotive News n Feed

Airbag supplier Autoliv reportedly accused competitor Takata Corp. of withholding the information Autoliv needs to make a bid to purchase the troubled company.

Anyone who has spent time in January at CES, the Detroit auto show or the National Automobile Dealers Association convention will realize that things are changing in the auto world far more rapidly than anyone expected.

Aisin Seiki is reinventing itself for a new era, turning away from old-school products centered around combustion engines, such as transmissions, and shifting to electrified drivetrains, autonomous-driving systems and connected cars.

All it takes is a few minutes watching a Japanese game show to realize there are some major cultural differences between America and Japan.

French seating supplier Faurecia says the industry needs an integrated systems approach to vehicle cabins as automakers liberate drivers from the steering wheel.

By cross training the dealership staff, most experts say, dealerships have more resources and expertise in their stores. And by zeroing in on a shared goal, the staff can create a more effective transaction process.

Auto parts cross the U.S.-Mexico border, sometimes more than once or twice, get added touches in one place and turned into modules at another. Subcomponents used in Illinois might rely on imported materials from Thailand or China or Mexico.

Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s prime minister from 1979 to 1990, rarely took the easy route. Take, for instance, Thatcher’s decision to test drive the new Rover 827 on July 10, 1986.

Ford Motor Co. was criticized by the Euro NCAP safety organization after its Mustang sports car scored two stars out of a maximum of five in crash tests.

The complex and symbiotic relationship between dealers and manufacturers is a unique and challenging element of the U.S. auto retail industry.