(December 15, 2010) HERNDON, Va. — Audi broke its annual vehicle sales record in the U.S. Monday evening when it recorded its 93,507th transaction of 2010. The sale eclipsed the old U.S. record of 93,506 vehicles sold in 2007.

(December 15, 2010) Volkswagen is recalling 377,286 cars in the United States citing fire risk from fuel-supply lines that may chafe and leak.

VW is recalling Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Golf, Rabbit, New Beetle and New Beetle Convertible cars, it said in a letter posted today on the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Web site.

(December 15, 2010) DETROIT — Chrysler is recalling about 367,350 model year 2008 Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans, citing airbags that may inadvertently deploy.

(December 15, 2010) DETROIT —  General Motors and Nissan dominate the list of 14 cars being considered for the 2011 North American Car of the Year. The list includes two electric vehicles, Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf.

The awards are unique in the United States because — instead of being given by a single media outlet — they are awarded by automotive journalists from the United States and Canada who represent magazines, television, radio, newspapers and web sites.

(December 15, 2010) Tis the season for automotive awards, and all the major automotive magazines and numerous internet sites jump on the end-of-the-year bandwagon.

(December 15, 2010) AUBURN HILLS — Following recent announcements that it would invest nearly $1.2 billion in its Kokomo, Ind., facilities, Chrysler Group confirmed that it is looking to invest another $85 million in its Kokomo Transmission Plant (KTP) for a variety of powertrain improvements.

(December 15, 2010) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford safety engineers in the U.S. and Germany crash tested the new 2012 Ford Focus more than 12,000 times in real and virtual worlds to prove out innovative new technologies designed to protect occupants in crashes.

(December 14, 2010) WAYNE, Mich. — Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant, which once churned out large SUVs, has completed a $550 million transformation that will make it the world’s first factory to build not only fuel-efficient gas-powered cars, but also three production versions of electrified vehicles including battery electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid.

(December 14, 2010) DETROIT — Cadillac announced Monday it will return to racing in 2011 with a race-prepared version of its CTS-V Coupe competing in the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge, North America’s top production-based racecar series.

(December 14, 2010) DETROIT — The first Chevrolet Volts have left the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant on Monday destined for initial retail launch markets.  Customers in California, Texas, Washington D.C. and New York could receive the new car in the next few days.