Until a month ago, Acton Toyota of Littleton had a nice little side business for five years selling Toyota-sponsored extended service contracts over the Internet. The Massachusetts store sold the contracts -- which extend parts and labor protection beyond the factory warranty -- for as much as $750

DUBAI (Bloomberg) -- Aston Martin shareholder Investment Dar Co. is asking creditors to take a 50 percent write-down on the Kuwaiti company's debt as it seeks to meet repayments after defaulting on a loan three years ago, according to three people familiar with the matter. Under the optional plan,

NEW YORK -- Bill Ludwig, CEO at longtime Detroit ad agency Campbell Ewald, is stepping down after more than 30 years at the company, executives familiar with the matter told Advertising Age , an affiliate of Automotive News . The agency is expected to tap an internal successor in a matter of weeks.

To the Editor: Far too many times fraud takes place undetected for long periods. Then when it is discovered, minimal action is taken. My thanks to Automotive News for "How dealers can avoid thefts by employees" in the May 20 issue. And a special commendation to dealer Danny McKenna for sharing an

As Lincoln tries to reinvent itself, Ford Motor Co.'s struggling luxury brand will target only the fastest-growing luxury segments in which it can competitively and profitably field entries, the company said. There are "high-volume segments that are growing fast" that "we're not playing in today,"

Rather than its traditional touting of genteel luxury and British roots, Jaguar is taking a walk on the wild side with the marketing of the new F-Type convertible. For the predominantly digital and TV campaign that began last month, Jaguar is partnering with celebrities and publications that it ...

DETROIT -- General Motors has a secret weapon in its bid to gain U.S. market share this year. Just consider the lease portfolio at Paddock Chevrolet in Kenmore, N.Y. Owner Duane Paddock says he's finally beginning to see customers trickling in with expiring 36-month leases, after having barely any

DETROIT -- The redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra now arriving in showrooms sport sharply stronger resale values than the models they replace. ALG, a research company that monitors and projects vehicle values, assigned a forecasted residual value of 55 percent after 36 months for ...

DETROIT (Bloomberg) -- How can an auto company save money while introducing 18 new or refreshed vehicles in 12 months? General Motors must answer that question if the company is to achieve CEO Dan Akerson's goal of increasing profits and widening profit margins this year and next. And the executive

FRANKFURT -- Carmakers including Audi and Mercedes-Benz are turning to high-tech adhesives as they seek ways to make vehicles lighter and tougher. Automakers are using more aluminum and exotic composites, which cannot be welded together but have to be glued with adhesives that will not lose their

Gesture control, the use of hand gestures to control a vehicle's infotainment system, is gaining momentum. Suppliers are developing technologies that allow motorists and passengers to adjust a vehicle's audio, climate control or navigation system through motion sensors. The technology works like ...

Europe is in a deep slump, but many suppliers in the region are adding business because of their global footprints. The key for Europe's parts makers is technology, says Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of CLEPA, a European supplier trade association. Gales, who was PSA Peugeot Citroen's head of brands before

PARIS -- The biggest and strongest automakers, or those whose vehicles have high average selling prices, will best emerge from the European economic crisis, Morgan Stanley analyst Stuart Pearson said. Investors have picked Volkswagen Group and BMW as the winners in a European automotive market that

Audi plans to charge a premium of more than $2,000 for its three new TDI models, testing luxury buyers' willingness to pay for the fuel economy of a diesel. The company announced last week that the A6 TDI sedan will start at $58,395; the A7 TDI four-door coupe will start at $67,795; and the Q5 TDI

MELBOURNE, Australia (Bloomberg) -- General Motors' Holden unit and its labor unions will begin talks to reduce costs enough to keep its Australian plants viable, a month after Ford Motor Co. said it will stop making cars locally. "Every single option is on the table," Mike Devereux, Holden ...

DETROIT -- American Axle and Manufacturing's historic Detroit Manufacturing Complex is set for demolition as the supplier pushes forward with a new plan to unload the shuttered property. The supplier announced last week that it would demolish 1.9 million square feet of the complex just off ...

Toyota will use Twitter to show how it builds the Auris hybrid compact car at its UK factory. The company says it expects to reach hundreds of thousands of potential customers in what it says is a world-first social media project. On Wednesday, the automaker will broadcast hundreds of tweets that

DETROIT -- General Motors' decision to stop publicly disclosing monthly production numbers has touched off concern among industry analysts and economists, as well as suppliers that rely on the data for their production plans. For decades, GM and nearly all other major automakers have reported the

State lawmakers seeking a new revenue stream to pay for the upkeep of roads are looking for owners of vehicles that use little or no gasoline to pay a little more. The theory is that much of the money to maintain and fix roads comes from taxes at the pump. And if certain vehicle owners have found a

PARIS -- Strong consumer interest in BMW AG's upcoming i3 electric compact car makes the company confident that its first EV will be a game-changer in the segment, sales boss Ian Robertson said. BMW has about 100,000 reservations from around the world from people who want to test the i3, Robertson