Auto News 5

Harry Willett's "Sports Car Influenced" Hot Rod took top honors at the 60th Grand National Roadster Show on Sunday, beating out a typically strong field of 14 cars at one of, if not the most prestigious car shows in the country. Full story...

A right-wing Italian cabinet minister said there would be a popular revolt if Fiat is given government help. Full story...

Dura Automotive Systems, which emerged from Chapter 11 reorganization last summer, is taking the first step toward becoming a private company, according to regulatory documents filed Wednesday, January 21. Full story...

Fiat Professional achieved its 2010 sales target two years ahead of schedule, making the light commercial vehicle unit the only sweet spot for the troubled Italian automaker. The division boosted its global sales by 5. Full story...

One of Cadillac's most anticipated models is being delayed one year. Full story...

Anglo-Dutch automotive steel supplier Corus on Monday said it was axing about 3,500 jobs worldwide with 2,500 to go here in the United Kingdom. Full story...

Anglo-Dutch automotive steel supplier Corus on Monday said it was axing about 3,500 jobs worldwide with 2,500 to go here in the United Kingdom. Full story...

The 2009 outlook for Germany's car industry has suddenly brightened thanks to the unexpectedly quick impact of government growth-boosting measures, the head of the VDA automotive industry association said on Sunday. Full story...

Japan's top 12 automakers expect to have axed 25,000 jobs in the current business year ending 31 March, a survey showed on Monday. Full story...

President Barack Obama made clear today that economic woes won't keep him from forcing automakers to build more environmentally friendly vehicles. The message came in the form of two executive orders. Full story...

Chrysler LLC and Fiat S.p.A. will bring seven new vehicles to North America under their alliance--four with Chrysler brands and three as Fiats or Alfa Romeos. Full story...

Celebrating 30 years in Brazil, Magneti Marelli has opened what it believes to be the local auto industry's first 'green buildings' in Hortolândia, 70 miles (110km) from São Paulo City, to make a new generation fuel injector line. Full story...

U.S. President Barack Obama will start reversing former President George W. Bush's climate change policies on Monday with steps to raise fuel efficiency standards and grant states authority to limit greenhouse gas emissions from cars. Full story...

Britain's business minister Peter Mandelson is due to meet carmaker representatives to discuss possible measures to help the stricken industry survive the recession. Full story...

Shares in Continental plummeted on Monday amid reports that the German supplier would seek state aid. Full story...

Peugeot's Brazilian unit has drawn criticism for using the 207 nameplate on an updated 206 model but is optimistic about the sales prospects of the latest Escapade pseudo-offroad version. Full story...

Hyundai Motor has released details of its full year performance noting that, boosted by exchange rate gains and a more favourable product mix, it had reported a rise in 2008 sales. However, profitability fell as marketing and brand costs ate into margins. Full story...

After a 9% month on month fall in average daily sales in the first two weeks of January, vehicle inventories remain high and are causing some automakers concern. Full story...

It's hard to imagine Australian police without their full-size Holden Commodore or Ford Falcon V8 cruisers, but one branch of the Australian police, in the Sydney suburb of Leichhardt, have gone to the absolute other extreme with a Fiat 500 JTD turbodiesel, the most economical car on the market there, now serving as a police car. Full story...

According to Modern Casting magazine's annual survey (www.moderncasting.com), world production of metal castings was expected to exceed 100 million metric tons in 2007, the latest year for which good estimates are available. Industry guru, Kevin Kirgin - founder of Stratecasts Inc., Fort Myers, Fla. - puts 14m metric tons of this production in the United States (US) at a value of approximately $32.3bn. Kirgin says the value is expected to have risen to $34bn in 2008 and will rise to $42bn by 2017. SupplierBusiness reports. Full story...