Projo Cars Blog

November 2009 Archives


Saab CEO in Detroit to meet new potential buyers

9:14 AM Mon, Nov 30, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

Officials from Saab Automobile AB and the Swedish government traveled to Detroit Monday in a final attempt to help General Motors Co. find a solution......

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Toyota gets bad publicity

2:43 PM Wed, Nov 25, 2009 | | Comments (1)
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

For a company that has grown on its reputation for reliability, Toyota has added to egg that was already on its face by announcing it......

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You can't take the human out of the driver

2:43 PM Wed, Nov 25, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

I don't know whether it was a tape of a previous interview, but Tom Vanderbilt was on the radio recently talking about his 2008 book......

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Dutch plan to tax drivers for driving

2:43 PM Wed, Nov 25, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

In a step that would probably not get off the ground in the United States, the Dutch government is planning to use GPS technology to......

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Saab struggles for survival

2:43 PM Wed, Nov 25, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

Poor old Saab. Once one of Europe's sexiest cars, it is now relegated to searching around for a suitor. For a while it looked as......

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GM says main plant in Germany crucial to its plans

10:11 AM Wed, Nov 25, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

WIESBADEN, Germany -- General Motors Co.'s top European official underlined the future importance of Opel's biggest German plant on Wednesday, while reiterating that there likely......

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Toyota to replace 4M gas pedals that could jam

10:05 AM Wed, Nov 25, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

WASHINGTON -- Toyota said Wednesday it will replace accelerator pedals on about 4 million recalled vehicles in the United States because the pedals can get......

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Saab future unclear as sale to Swedish firm fails

4:33 PM Tue, Nov 24, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

A Swedish automaker has backed out of a deal to buy Saab from General Motors, casting serious doubt on the future of the troubled brand,......

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Texting while driving one distraction among many

12:26 PM Thu, Nov 19, 2009 | | Comments (1)
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

Automotive News reported a recent survey by LeaseTrader.com which asked drivers to rank distractions while driving in order of danger. It seems texting was not......

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27 winners in 2010 Top Safety Pick award

10:01 AM Wed, Nov 18, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

Nineteen cars and 8 SUVs earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick award for 2010 For the first time, good performance in......

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British steam car breaks land speed record

9:14 AM Tue, Nov 17, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

This is a bit old but still interesting: A British-built supercar today broke a 103-year-old world land speed record for steam-powered vehicles, according to Britain's......

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Gasoline prices remain near 2009 high

3:43 PM Mon, Nov 16, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

Gasoline prices remained near their highs for the year on Monday as a weaker dollar and rising global stock markets boosted oil prices, according to......

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GM reports $1.2B loss, says it shows progress

11:28 AM Mon, Nov 16, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

General Motors says it lost $1.2 billion from the time it left bankruptcy protection through Sept. 30, far better than it has reported in previous......

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Check out a Bugatti Veyron in the soup!

3:13 PM Thu, Nov 12, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

Check out this priceless New York Times story and video of a $1 million plus Bugatti Veyron being pulled out of a salt water lagoon......

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Backseat Driver: Toyota relies on Avalon to sell itself

11:21 AM Thu, Nov 12, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

Ronald Rene called me the other day to ask why Toyota does not heavily advertise its premier Avalon sedan. As he said, it's a great......

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Backseat Driver: Bochs score in roster of leading dealers

11:21 AM Thu, Nov 12, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

Automotive News recently published profiles of 50 visionary dealers, many now passed away. It's a testament to how small our corner of the world is......

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Backseat Driver: Funny alcoholics

11:21 AM Thu, Nov 12, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

And while we are on the subject of being dangerous driving, I want to gently scold Frank Coletta, the genial host of anchor of NBC......

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Backseat Driver: Thumbs up on R.I. texting while driving law

11:18 AM Thu, Nov 12, 2009 | | Comments (1)
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

Kudos to Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski, D-South Kingstown, and Rep. Peter F. Kilmartin, D-Pawtucket, who were lead sponsors of recent bill outlawing texting while driving.......

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Texting while driving about to become illegal in R.I.

8:26 AM Mon, Nov 09, 2009 | | Comments (2)
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

People who text-message while driving may soon be looking at something more than their cell-phone view screen, according to The Providence Journal. They may glance......

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MY mission today is to offer my clear-eyed take on the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport. But the price keeps getting in the way.

8:26 AM Mon, Nov 09, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

Check out Lawrence Ulrich's hilarious - he describes it as the automotive equivalent of a Fabergé egg - review of the $2.1 million Bugatti Veyron......

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Ford says inflatable seat belt improves safety, comfort, too

8:26 AM Mon, Nov 09, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

After about a decade of engineering, Ford is ready to roll out a technology that will improve safety for rear-seat passengers: inflatable seat belts, according......

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China October auto sales up 72 percent on stimulus

8:13 AM Mon, Nov 09, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

BEIJING -- Powered by tax cuts and stimulus spending, China's October auto sales soared 72 percent from a year earlier, outpacing U.S. sales for another......

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GM boss: US aid can be used to fix Opel if needed

1:20 PM Thu, Nov 05, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

General Motors could tap some of the $50 billion in aid it has received from the U.S. government to help finance its plan to restructure......

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Long, winding roads for three iconic marques

1:20 PM Thu, Nov 05, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

For my research into Wednesday's article on Bob Roy's 1988 Buick Reatta, Roy leant me his copy of the February 1988 issue of Automobile. The......

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October sales good news with footnotes

1:20 PM Thu, Nov 05, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

There was a lot of encouraging news this week, with last month's U.S. auto sales indicating the market may have finally bottomed out. Most carmakers......

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Toyota surprises with profit, boosts forecast

9:23 AM Thu, Nov 05, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

Toyota announced Thursday a surprise profit last quarter and trimmed its projected red ink for the year, underlining the gradual recovery under way for Japan's......

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As Chrysler sits on blocks, what will Fiat do to fix it?

11:00 AM Wed, Nov 04, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

Fiat and Chrysler Group are scheduled to spend an almost unblievable six hours Wednesday briefing analysts and journalists about the U.S. automaker's five-year business plan,......

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Germany fumes over GM ditching Opel sale to Magna

10:23 AM Wed, Nov 04, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

BERLIN -- Germany's politicians fumed with anger and Opel workers canceled cost concessions and readied walkouts after General Motors abandoned the sale of its European......

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Auto sales show industry beginning to stabilize

5:14 PM Tue, Nov 03, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

After months of roller coaster-like sales, the auto industry offered signs of recovery from its yearlong slump on Tuesday, as most automakers reported higher levels......

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General Motors sales rise 4.7 percent in October

2:29 PM Tue, Nov 03, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

General Motors said its October sales rose 4.7 percent over the same month last year, a sign that the U.S. auto market was starting a......

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Prices at the pump taking a breather

12:56 PM Mon, Nov 02, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

Gasoline's post-summer ascent took a breather below $2.70 a gallon Monday, as consumers begin to decide whether the money they pour into their tanks will......

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Ford surprises with $1B profit; sees profit in 2011

10:01 AM Mon, Nov 02, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Peter C. T. Elsworth    Email

DEARBORN, Mich. -- Ford, the only Detroit automaker to dodge direct government aid and bankruptcy court, surprised investors with net income of nearly $1 billion......

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