June 2011

Chrysler marks start of paint shop construction

(June 21, 2011) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Chrysler today celebrated the start of construction of a new, state-of-the-art paint shop at a groundbreaking ceremony at the Sterling Heights (Mich.) Assembly Plant. The event marked the fulfillment of an $850 million investment pledged by Chrysler Group in October 2010 in Sterling Heights and two local stamping plants.

Toyota, Honda set to hire 5,000 temporary workers in Japan

(June 21, 2011) A clear sign that the Japanese auto industry is poised for a full recovery from the March 11 earthquake is the report that Toyota and Honda will begin adding as many as 5,000 temporary workers in Japan.

According to a report by Bloomberg News today, Toyota will add between 3,000 and 4,000 temporary workers from mid-July as it starts to increase production in October. Honda will hire 1,000 temporary employees.

2011 Concept Vehicle of the Year Award winners announced

(June 21, 2011) DETROIT —The 10th annual North American Concept Vehicle of the Year Awards were announced this evening during a ceremony at the Automotive Hall of Fame. The awards recognize those vehicles most likely to shape the future of the automobile industry.

Joint venture between Nissan and Mitsubishi to build minicars for Japan

(June 20, 2011) NMKV Co., Ltd, a new joint venture formed by Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors, will develop minicars for the Japanese market.

The new joint venture was established operations on June 1 with 35 employees. NMKV Co., Ltd is based in Tokyo.

Mazda recalls 103,000 Mazda3 vehicles over windshield wiper issue

(June 20, 2011) Mazda is recalling 103,000 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles over potentially faulty windshield wiper motors.

Mazda told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration it is recalling its 2008-2009 Mazda3 vehicles built between January and November 2008. In total, Mazda is recalling 408,782 Mazda3 vehicles sold worldwide to address the issue. Some of the vehicles are sold as the Mazda Axela.

Chevrolet reveals second show truck of next-generation Colorado pickup

(June 20, 2011) BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Chevrolet revealed the Colorado Rally, a second show truck version of its next generation global midsize pickup, at the Buenos Aires International Auto Show.

Saab 9-5 gets top safety rating from Insurance Institute

(June 19, 2011) ROYAL OAK, Mich. (PRNewswire) — The Saab 9-5 sedan earned the "Top Safety Pick," the highest rating for crashworthiness in the United States today by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a research and communications organization funded by auto insurers in the U.S.

GM will idle pickup truck plants for two weeks in July

(June 19, 2011) General Motors will idle U.S. truck plants for two weeks in July as the automaker seeks to cut inventory of pickups and prepare the factories for output of 2012 model year vehicles.

Inventory is unusually high for the GM pickups as light truck sales have fallen over the past weeks. GM reports a 110-day supply of Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierras. The industry standard is a 60-day supply.

McLaren launches global network in London with MP4-12C

(June 18, 2011) McLaren Automotive will open the doors to its first global retailer, McLaren London, on June 21. By the end of this year, McLaren will have 35 locations in 19 countries worldwide selected by McLaren to offer the best in customer sales and service for a range of McLaren cars, beginning with the ground-breaking new MP4-12C high-performance sports car.

Ford launches virtual showroom for PlayStation Home

(June 18, 2011) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford has given millions of PlayStation Home users the chance to experience the new Fiesta and Edge from the comfort of their own home with the launch of the new virtual Ford Showroom.

The virtual Ford Showroom launches today as a part, or space, of PlayStation Home. Ford is the first automaker to launch a space within the North American version of PlayStation Home.