Archive for the ‘Europe’ 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,...

Last time we heard from Alfa Romeo, we wondered what new drugs had found their way to Europe. (Seriously, that genes/jeans campaign from London's Performance PR was terrible.) The latest ad for the Alfa Romeo MiTo comes from Milan's Fabbrica Virali agency, and it's equally bizarre -- but in a totally good way. The spot features Mozart's Requiem, a choir from La Schola Cantorum Santa Maria degli Angeli, and several dozen helium balloons. See if you can guess the tagline before the 53-second mark.

[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...