Archive for the ‘North America’ Category

With Fiat set to take 35 percent of Chrysler for no money down, gain access to Chrysler's dealer network in the U.S., and Chrysler to gain access to the Italian automaker's competitive small car platforms and machinery, what kind of exotic Italian steel can we expect to wrap our driving gloves around?

First off, the Fiat Group - which itself faced rather dire business circumstances not long ago before placing Italian-Canadian businessman Sergio Marchionne at the helm - consists of Ferrari and Maserati, both of which have a strong U.S. presence, and brands Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Lancia, and Fiat, none of which are currently sold in the U.S....

What seemed unthinkable decades ago when Toyota brought its frumpy, minuscule economy cars to the U.S. has now come to pass: worldwide sales dominance over the mighty GM. A few fuel crises, the labyrinthine maze of GM's countless divisions and middle management, and GM's reluctance to adapt to a rapidly changing automotive landscape are a few of the reasons for this seismic shift.

To be sure, Toyota is probably not popping any champagne corks, sharing sales struggles and a tough 2008 due to collapsing world markets, reduced consumer credit access, and wildly vacillating energy costs. Both manufacturers are facing serious revisions to their...

Check NBC's Today Show video coverage (below) of the Obamas cruising in the new GM-supplied Presidential Limo to St. John's church this morning. We knew this new heavy-duty truck based Limo was quite a beast of burden, but the GM Media pic above doesn't reveal the massive scale of this thing. At the end of the clip, Obama and wife exit the limo, and the roofline is nearly as high as Obama's roughly 6'1" frame. He looks positively lilliputian standing in the gaping doorframe.

Commentary by Today Show reporters reveals that this new limo actually has its own air supply, protecting those inside from potential chemical/gas/biohazard attacks on...