CLANGING BELL
By Russ Heaps

(May 29, 2012) I'm not sure what's happened to civility on the highway, but, for the most part, it's gone. I don't think much about it until a motorist does something surprising, like, well, something nice.

Although I live in South Carolina, where motorists tend to be less aggressive and more accommodating, there still seems to be the absence of general goodwill and the we're-all-in-this-together feeling of camaraderie that was once in evidence on our roads.

(May 27, 2012) SALISBURY, N.C. — Toyota Motor Sales and TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) recently introduced the new 2013 Toyota Camry that will compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series beginning next season.

The introduction of the new 2013 Camry for NASCAR competition marked the culmination of an aggressive redesign to provide the 2013 Camry with an updated and more-unique identity. TRD worked together with Calty Design, part of Toyota’s global network design team, to create an on-track Camry that incorporates design elements which give America’s best-selling car its distinct character.

(May 26, 2012) NEW YORK — The Chrysler brand this week was awarded a “Grand Effie” advertising award for its “Imported from Detroit” campaign. The award was presented to the Chrysler brand at the “44th Annual Effie Awards” gala held in New York.

(May 25, 2012) WOLFSBURG, Germany — A top German union official will explain to hourly employees at Volkswagen's U.S. plant in early June that his group will not pressure them to join the UAW union, the automaker's top labor representative said.

The UAW is relying heavily on Germany's IG Metall union, which has members on VW's works council, to help it organize German-owned U.S. plants because the German union has influence with VW management.