BLOG: David Sedgwick
Poling's plaque: What part of 'no' don't you understand?
Posted 4:22 pm U.S. ET, May 15
Red Poling was not a sentimental guy.
I first met him in the Glass House in 1990, shortly after he succeeded Don Petersen as CEO of Ford Motor Co.
The first thing I noticed was a plaque on his desk: "What part of 'no' don't you understand?"
The second thing I spotted was a ...
Continue reading "Poling's plaque: What part of 'no' don't you understand?" » May 15, 2012 4:22 pm U.S. ET
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Audi reinvents itself in China's luxury market
Posted 12:01 pm U.S. ET, April 23BEIJING -- General Motors may be China's biggest foreign automaker, but Volkswagen AG dominates the Beijing auto show.
At the convention center, the German automaker filled an entire building with various models of its own brands. Each of Volkswagen's brands attracted a crowd, and the biggest draw appeared to be Lamborghini's controversial Urus con ...
Continue reading "Audi reinvents itself in China's luxury market" » Apr 23, 2012 12:01 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Don't sneer at Wuling's microvans -- they should count as GM sales
Posted 4:17 am U.S. ET, Jan. 31So which company is the world's largest automaker -- Volkswagen or General Motors?
A deceptively simple question. Two weeks ago, GM announced that it had sold 9.03 million vehicles in 2011, while Volkswagen says it sold 8.16 million units.
So GM is the winner? Not so fast. VW notes that its commercial truck sub ...
Continue reading "Don't sneer at Wuling's microvans -- they should count as GM sales" » Jan 31, 2012 4:17 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Price-fixing probe could give automakers more clout
Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, Dec. 13The Justice Department's ongoing price-fixing probe should chill the hearts of supplier CEOs.
That's because the probe, which started out as an investigation of wire harness suppliers, has spread to producers of safety systems, thermal products and others.
Regulators in three regions - Japan, North America and ...
Continue reading "Price-fixing probe could give automakers more clout" » Dec 13, 2011 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Cheap U.S. dollar giving Mexico production a lift
Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, Nov. 8The Federal Reserve is keeping interest rates low -- and the dollar cheap -- which helps U.S. manufacturing. But the big winner could be Mexico.
With the yen stuck at 78 to the dollar, Japanese automakers are rushing to transfer production to North America. Consider these developments:
• Mazda Motor Corp. ...
Continue reading "Cheap U.S. dollar giving Mexico production a lift" » Nov 8, 2011 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Earthquake aftershock: Toyota to shake up supplier relationships
Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, Oct. 11There's a purchasing revolution going on at Toyota, and it could generate some shock waves among the world's parts suppliers.
The March 11 earthquake and the sharp rise of the yen have undermined the automaker's confidence in its Japanese supply base. And now we are witnessing the consequences:
• Toyota ha ...
Continue reading "Earthquake aftershock: Toyota to shake up supplier relationships" » Oct 11, 2011 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Frankfurt previews tomorrow's technologies
Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, Sept. 13If you want to know what technology your car will feature in five years, this week's Frankfurt auto show will give you a sneak preview. A few interesting examples:
• Collision warning systems will detect possible oncoming vehicles from any direction. For example, Denso has developed a global positioning system that transmits your vehic ...
Continue reading "Frankfurt previews tomorrow's technologies" » Sep 13, 2011 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
No time to panic for North American manufacturers
Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, Aug. 9The U.S. economy is soft, stocks are tumbling and a divided U.S. government is in gridlock at the worst possible time.
This may sound odd, but things aren't so bad for North American suppliers.
Let me explain:
-- Now that Toyota's and Honda's suppliers are ...
Continue reading "No time to panic for North American manufacturers" » Aug 9, 2011 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Ford likely will steer clear of Visteon's fight with shareholders
Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, July 12Is Visteon nearing the end of its short, unhappy life?
Last week, Reuters speculated that a major Visteon shareholder, Alden Global Capital, wants to break up the company and sell off the most valuable assets.
Visteon's most highly prized business is its joint venture, Yanfeng Visteon Automotive Trim Systems, w ...
Continue reading "Ford likely will steer clear of Visteon's fight with shareholders" » Jul 12, 2011 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Car cutaways, expanded
Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, June 14Car cutaways -- which list the suppliers of a vehicle's key components -- have proved popular in the pages of Automotive News.
This month, Production Line will introduce cutaways of future models, with data on suppliers, production forecasts and powertrain specs provided by IHS Supplier Business.
Our f ...
Continue reading "Car cutaways, expanded" » Jun 14, 2011 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
