(December 21, 2009) DETROIT —  General Motors has appointed Chris Liddell, Microsoft Corp.'s finance chief, as vice chairman and CFO, replacing Ray Young.

Liddell, 51, has served as Microsoft's CFO since May 2005. He had previously announced he was leaving the software company on Dec. 31.

(December 19, 2009) Ford dealers are having trouble getting some versions of the 2010 Taurus, such as SEL and SHO trims, according to trade publication Automotive News. That's because Ford misjudged which variants of the vehicle would be popular and how many should be built, says a top executive. The 2010 Taurus went on sale in August.

“It's a problem for our dealers,” said Jim Farley, Ford's group vice president of global marketing, at a press event here Friday.

(December 17, 2009) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Chrysler will invest $179 million to launch production of an advanced technology, fuel-efficient engine for the North American market, which will be built at the company’s Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA) plant in Michigan.

The investment will create up to 573 new jobs industry-wide, including up to 155 new Chrysler Group jobs.

(December 16, 2009) Zhejiang Geely Holding Group aims to conclude the acquisition of Ford's Volvo unit in early 2010 and has hired consultants for restructuring and integration, sources with direct knowledge of the deal said.

German-based Roland Berger Strategy Consultants has been hired to launch a 100-day internal review and restructuring to improve Geely operations with a focus on sales of Geely's self-branded cars in China, a source told news agency Reuters.