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June 28, 2009 - July 4, 2009 Archives
Backseat Driver: Secret of long distance driver revealed
Irv Gordon, who has driven his 1966 Volvo P1800S 2.7 million miles in 43 years, has responded to my recent blog about his achievement. And given the snideness of my blog, his note was very sweet. Indeed, he did not...
July 2, 2009 10:41 am
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June Sales at Ford Fall Less Than G.M. or Chrysler
DETROIT -- Automakers had another difficult month in June, but sales figures released Wednesday included faint glimmers of hope for the industry, according to The New York Times. The Ford Motor Company has been hoping to separate itself in consumers'...
July 2, 2009 10:41 am
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Aston Martin Joins With Toyota on Small Car
Aston Martin has announced a new compact car concept, the Cygnet. Aston calls the car a "luxury commuter concept," according to The New York Times. The Cygnet, which means young swan, takes traditional Aston styling cues -- big-mouth grille,...
July 2, 2009 10:41 am
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GM urges quick approval of sale plan
NEW YORK -- Facing a July 10 government funding cutoff, General Motors Corp. is calling for quick approval of its bid to sell its "good" parts into a new company and emerge from bankruptcy protection, according to The Associated Press....
July 2, 2009 10:41 am
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Correction: Perryville Antique Auto Show this SUNDAY!
I have a mistake in today's Lifebeat section of The Providence Journal which I want to correct as quickly as possible. On page D7, I wrote a small piece about this weekend's Perryville Antique Auto Show which lists the wrong...
July 2, 2009 10:21 am
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US auto sales declines show signs of leveling off
DETROIT -- U.S. sales at Ford and Chrysler last month offered sharply different views on the downtrodden U.S. market for cars and trucks, while General Motors held its own even though it entered bankruptcy protection, according to The Associated Press....
July 1, 2009 2:22 pm
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Backseat Driver: American, Japanese companies back off diesel
Last week I noted that lower diesel prices were helping sale for German-made vehicles from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen. Now it seems they might be alone on the diesel front as Automotive News is reporting that the American and...
July 1, 2009 2:22 pm
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Backseat Driver: 2.7 million miles and still counting
I really do not know what to make of Irv Gordon and his 2.7 million mile 1966 Volvo P1800. Gordon, 68, is a retired teacher from East Patchogue, N.Y., who is famous for his long distance achievement. Indeed, it was...
July 1, 2009 1:29 pm
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Gov't won't fund GM if it does not get approval to sell assets
NEW YORK -- A senior member of President Barack Obama's auto task force testified Wednesday that the U.S. government will not continue to fund General Motors' operations if the automaker doesn't get approval to sell its assets to a new...
July 1, 2009 12:29 pm
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Ford US sales drop 10.7 percent in June
DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. says its June U.S. sales fell only 10.7 percent from a year earlier, a far smaller drop than in previous months and a sign that auto sales may be recovering, according to The Associated Press....
July 1, 2009 12:29 pm
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Hyundai hopes locked gas prices assure customers
DETROIT, June 30 - Hyundai on Tuesday offered to allow customers to lock in fuel prices for new vehicles at $1.49 per gallon for a year in a sales promotion that takes aim at the economic anxiety of American consumers,...
June 30, 2009 9:26 am
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Control of Opel and Porsche seen in play
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT - Efforts to save two leading European carmakers took a twist on Tuesday that could change the ownership of both crisis-hit General Motors' Opel and German sportscar maker Porsche, according to Reuters. As GM readied for bankruptcy, the Financial...
June 30, 2009 9:15 am
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GM cuts ties with Toyota in U.S. joint-venture
DETROIT - General Motors cut operational ties on Monday to a northern California auto plant it had operated in a joint-venture with Toyota for a quarter of a century, according to Reuters. The move deepens uncertainty over the future of...
June 30, 2009 9:15 am
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Bankruptcy court to rule on "New GM" plan
NEW YORK - General Motors is heading to bankruptcy court on Tuesday to seek approval to sell its assets to a "New GM" in a plan to reinvigorate the automaker under U.S. government ownership, according to Reuters. GM is seeking...
June 30, 2009 9:10 am
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Porsche rejects VW offer
STUTTGART, Germany -- Porsche has rejected Volkswagen AG's bid to take a 49 percent stake in the sports carmaker, a company spokesman said Monday, according to The Associated Press. Porsche Automobil Holding SE spokesman Albrecht Bamler said the offer by...
June 29, 2009 10:38 am
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