Archive for the ‘China’ Category

We've been keeping a close eye on the evolving Ford/Volvo/Geely saga. So far, the biggest point of contention in the brou-ha-ha has been Ford's concerns about intellectual property, which Geely might or might not respect after the ink dries. (China hasn't exactly been at the forefront of IP law.) However, there have also been unspoken worries about the shift in production that could result from such a deal, moving factories and jobs from Europe to the Far East. Geely tried to quell some of those concerns by saying that it intends to keep Volvo's production in Europe -- if the sale goes through, of course -- but there's also talk of a new,...

We're not entirely sure that this Chinese print ad for the Volkswagen GTI is for real -- and if it is, we're even less sure what it might be saying. The copy along the bottom translates as "It will go fast". That could mean "It will go so fast that you'll spill all that hot, delicious coffee from McDonald's right in your lap". Or it could mean, "Yes, the GTI will go fast, but not fast enough to get to that rest area in time". Either way, something's gotten lost on the road to translation. [Copyranter]

Speaking at a World Economic Forum in New Delhi, Carlos Ghosn -- head of Nissan Motor Company and Renault SA -- had some interesting things to say about the global auto industry. Among the most notable and encouraging items, Ghosn believes that the international sales slump has ended and that the industry is beginning to rebound. He had previously predicted global sales to ring in around 55 million units, but has now upgraded that figure to 60 million. (For reference, 2008 and 2007 each saw sales in the 70-million-unit range.)

Like his rivals at Toyota, Ghosn attributes much of the rebound to sales incentives offered by governments around...