Thanks to the hard work and solidarity of the United Auto Workers union, Detroit automakers have for years known that it is extremely expensive to offer early retirements, entice workers to walk away from their jobs or permanently close the doors at a plant. And even though NUMMI is an independent company, Toyota, too, is [...]

The present Toyota recalls have been garnering a vast amount of media attention, but no one has forgotten about the automaker’s earlier decision to end its production contract with California’s New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI). Just recently, Toyota issued a press release stating it will commit $250 million to support the NUMMI plant closure [...]

2011 Ford Mustang V6 – Click above for high-res image gallery

There was a time in the illustrious history of the Ford Mustang when having an engine from the Cleveland Engine Plant meant that you were sporting a 351 cubic-inch V8 underhood. Times have changed quite a bit over the past 35 years, as Ohio’s newest [...]

Building cars is expensive, and many of the priciest bits of technology driving research and development costs are wrapped up in the powertrain. Therefore it’s not particularly surprising to hear that General Motors has just announced a $494 million investment to build the next generation of Ecotec engines.
The biggest chunk by far – to the [...]

The recall of over eight million vehicles has Toyota in the crosshairs of the world media, and all that negative attention is predictably hurting the Japanese automaker’s U.S. sales. A report from Breitbart claims that Toyota is stopping production at its Georgetown, Kentucky Camry and Avalon plant for four days to keep output in line [...]

According to figures from Desrosiers Automotive Consultants, Hyundai commands about 7.5 percent of the automotive market in Canada, which compares rather well with figures of 7% for Honda and 10.1% for Toyota. If Hyundai can manage to match Toyota for Canadian market share, the Korean automaker has said it will consider restarting its plant in [...]

After gathering real-time transaction data from 8,900 automotive franchisees across the U.S., J.D. Power and Associates predicts new-vehicle retail sales will have declined for January 2010 compared to one year ago. January’s new-vehicle sales are expected to come in at 500,900 units, which represents a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of 7.9 million units. In [...]

Taking every precaution, Ford Motor Co. has stopped production on its Chinese-made Transit Classic diesel models – a full-sized commercial vehicle with a throttle pedal manufactured by the same company behind the Toyota recall. According to Ford, the vehicles began production in December and only about 1,600 vehicles have been produced. There have been no [...]

Over the past century, two of the primary ways that carmakers have been able to distinguish their products is styling and powertrains. While styling has often been outsourced to various design studios, typically only the smallest automakers outsource powertrains. As the industry heads into the era of increasing electrification, the whole concept of the powertrain [...]

2010 Cadillac SRX – Click above for high-res gallery
General Motors had a tough 2009, but one very bright spot was the success of some of its newest models. GM North America President Mark Reuss has informed reporters at the Detroit Auto Show that the plants that build the Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and [...]

Hyundai Steel – Click above to view video after the jump
Most of the big automaker players have gotten out of the steel-making business, but according to Automotive News, the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group is just getting into it. More to the point, Hyundai and Kia have bought into a $5 billion steel mill operated by [...]

As with every other automaker – heck, almost every other company – Toyota wants to save more money. Japan’s Asahi business daily revealed a Toyota initiative to lower its parts expenses by 30% over the next three years, and it is one that we’re all too familiar with: Toyota told its suppliers to cut their [...]

Two weeks from now, General Motors will start running its Fairfax assembly plant continuously on a permanent basis. The unprecedented around-the-clock operation, following on the heels of the temporary third shifts a few months ago, is intended to boost the plant’s production from its current 4,500 vehicles per week to 6,300 units over the same [...]

The Big Block. Rat Motor. Call it what you will, we can now officially add a final epitaph to the long-running engine’s gravestone: R.I.P. The final L18 big block rolled down the assembly line at General Motors’ Tonawanda plant in New York last week, and that engine was signed by all the workers at [...]

Fiat currently owns 20 percent of Chrysler and can raise its stake to 35 percent once it satisfies three criteria: builds a plant in the U.S. to assemble fuel efficient engines; builds a 40 mpg car in the U.S. and expands Chrysler’s international reach. For each milestone achieved, Fiat gets another five percent of Chrysler. [...]