June 2016

Ford celebrates 40 years of the Fiesta in UK with debut of ST200

(June 9, 2016) LONDON — Ford will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its iconic Fiesta model at this year’s Goodwood Moving Motor Show, part of the Press & Preview day on Thursday, June 23. Central to the celebrations will be the introduction of the newly-upgraded Fiesta ST200, which will make its UK debut at the event and will be available for visitors to drive up the Goodwood hill climb course.

30 years after groundbreaking, Toyota Kentucky is a bustling operation

(June 9, 2016) GEORGETOWN, Ky.  — It started with an announcement in December 1985. Today it is a bustling operation that employs 8,000 people, sprawls 169 football fields (that’s just the building) and represents a $6 billion and growing investment.

When Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda announced Scott County, Ky., as the site for Toyota’s first wholly-owned vehicle manufacturing plant in the U.S., he called it one of the proudest moments since the company produced its first prototype vehicle.

Nissan JAM this weekend to feature 2016 Titan XD and Maxima

(June 9, 2016) ANAHEIM, Calif.  — The annual Nissan JAM — which for 2016 moves to a new, larger venue in Anaheim, Calif. — has been announced as the latest stop for Nissan's DNA Garage live event tour. Featured vehicles at the Nissan display will include the new all-new Titan XD 5.6-liter Endurance V8 gasoline model and the 2016 Nissan Maxima.

The Nissan JAM will be held Sunday (June 12) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST at La Palma Park in Anaheim. All years of Datsun and Nissan vehicles are welcome. Admission is free for spectators. Vehicle registration, prior to the event only, is $35.

Chevrolet touts its roll-formed, high-strength steel bed on the Silverado

(June 8, 2016) DETROIT — Genral Motors took a poke at the Ford F-150 with lab tests and field demonstrations showing how Silverado’s roll-formed, high-strength steel bed outperforms the competitor’s stamped aluminum bed, as shown in new advertising videos released by Chevrolet. Chevrolet says the campaign is a dramatic example of how its engineers’ work to select the right material, enabled by the right manufacturing processes, for the right application.

Post-war GMC lives in Utah



Following World War II, the first all-new Chevrolet pickup and the rebadged GMC edition entered the marketplace in June 1947 as a 1948 model, labeled the Advance Design series. The series was built through the mid-50s with only minor design tweaks. This GMC truck from the 1948-53 period lives in retirement in Bluff, Utah.
(Photo by Jim Prueter)

BMW wins bid to supply the L.A. Police Department with 100 electric i3s

(June 9, 2016) LOS ANGELES — BMW of North America has announced that it has won its bid to supply the Los Angeles Police Department with 100 fully-electric BMW i3 vehicles for use in the department’s transportation fleet.  This announcement comes after a field trial during which a BMW i3 was evaluated alongside other EVs on the streets of Los Angeles as part of the LAPD’s every day fleet. 

Automotive industry people to get on bikes for Paris Motor Show

(June 8, 2016) LONDON — Lycra-wearing members of the automotive industry have been presented with a fresh training target with the introduction of a new annual charity challenge, The Motor Show Ride. The inaugural ride will be from London to the Paris Motor Show, on Sept. 26-28, raising funds for industry charities BEN and WOMAC, for which the 2017 beneficiary charity will be Jo’s Trust, supporting women affected by cervical cancer and their families.

Ford's China sales up 5 percent in May, totaling 88,248

(June 8, 2016) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford’s performance in China remains strong with year-to-date sales reaching 479,542, a five-percent increase compared to 2015. May sales totaled 88,248.

Year-to-date sales for Changan Ford Automobile (CAF), Ford's passenger car joint venture, reached 370,268, an 11-percent increase compared to last year. CAF sold 67,055 vehicles in May, matching the company’s best-ever May performance of 2015.

Subaru WRX STI Time Attack car sets lap record on Isle of Man road course

(June 7, 2016) DOUGLAS, Isle of Man — Subaru of America announced today that a Subaru WRX STI Time Attack car piloted by Mark Higgins set a new lap record of the fabled 37-mile Isle of Man TT Road Course with an average lap speed of 128.73 mph and a time of 17.35. This breaks the previous record held by Higgins of 116.47 mph and a time of 19.26.

The all-new 2016 Subaru WRX STI time attack car is a joint development of Subaru of America, Inc., and Prodrive, with technical assistance provided by Subaru Tecnica International (STI). The new car is purpose-built for the Isle of Man TT Course.

Mercedes-Benz announces 2017 E-Class Wagon

(March 7, 2016) The all-new 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon is expected to be on sale at U.S. dealers early next year. Mercedes says that with its innovative engineering and a compelling conception of space, the newest E-Class is the the most intelligent wagon that Mercedes-Benz has ever built.