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AutoNation unit launches Shop-By-Payment service
AutoNation Inc.'s lead-referral subsidiary has unveiled an online service that lets consumers search dealership Web sites for new and used vehicles based on monthly payments. When a consumer chooses the desired payment a sales lead is sent to the dealership. The service, Shop-By-Payment, is offered
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Marchionne apologizes for 'wop engine' comment
DETROIT --andnbsp;Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has issued a written apology to an Italian-American anti-bias organization for saying at the Detroit auto show that an Alfa Romeo needed a "wop" engine. Marchionne, an Italian-born Canadian citizen, issued the apology this month to the Italian
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Lutz's VL Automotive, Chinese supplier bid for Fisker, report says
DETROIT (Reuters) -- A boutique automaker led by former General Motors executive Bob Lutz and China's largest auto parts supplier submitted an offer to buy cash-strapped automaker Fisker Automotive, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. VL Automotive and China's Wanxiang Group made an offer
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VW to modify late-model diesels in N. America to prevent improper fueling
WASHINGTON -- Volkswagen plans to refit more than a quarter million 2009-12 diesel cars to prevent North American customers from mistakenly pumping gasoline into the fuel tanks. The service action covers 209,500 cars in the United States and 51,600 in Canada. Affected models are the TDI versions of
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Kia says free maintenance won't hurt FandI sales
DEL MAR, Calif. -- Kia's first-ever offer of free scheduled maintenance, on the new 2014 Cadenza, shouldn't affect dealership sales of extended-service contracts, the carmaker says. "Overall, the feedback from the dealers has been very positive," said Tom Loveless, executive vice president of sales
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Two Denso execs to plead guilty to price fixing, U.S. says
WASHINGTON -- Two executives at Toyota-affiliated supplier Denso Corp. have agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to fix prices and have agreed to cooperate with a major ongoing criminal investigation of the automotive supply chain, the U.S. Justice Department said. The executives, Yuji Suzuki and
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Customer Incentives
Customer Incentives BMW GROUP Expires May 31. 2014 models BMW X3 3.1% 2013 models BMW 1 series, 3 series, 5 series, 5 series Gran Turismo, 6 series, 7 series, M3, M5, M6, X1, X5, X5 M, X6, X6 M, Z4 1.9-3.1% Mini Cooper* 0.9% CHRYSLER GROUP Expires June 3. In lieu of rebates, cut-rate
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VW to modify late-model diesels to prevent improper fueling
WASHINGTON -- Volkswagen plans to refit more than a quarter million 2009-12 diesel cars to prevent North American customers from mistakenly pumping gasoline into the fuel tanks. The service action covers 209,500 cars in the United States and 51,600 in Canada. Affected models are the TDI versions of
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Magneti Marelli expands China production of lighting components
FOSHAN, China -- Italian supplier Magneti Marelli has opened a plant in the southern China city of Foshan to produce rear lights, headlamps and other lighting components. The supplier, which also has a lighting factory in Wuhu plus an randd center in Shanghai, aims to secure a 10 percent share of
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German brands enjoy sales boom in Korea
SEOUL (Bloomberg) -- South Korea has become a growth market for BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi as lower tariffs make their cars cheaper and local buyers abandon a decades-long preference for domestic brands. Foreign brands have seen their share of South Korea's market for premium vehicles surge to 41
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Audi gripes, but Tesla could be en route to niche-brand success
Audi wants to be clear: Just because the Tesla Model S is outselling Audi's flagship A8 in the U.S. luxury sedan market, it does not mean Tesla Motors is beating Audi. In a blog post today on Audi of America's official news channel, the company says it has a problem with recent news reports ...
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Tesla Motors may repay U.S. loan by Wednesday, Musk says
DETROIT (Reuters) -- Tesla Motors Inc. may repay its U.S. Department of Energy loan as early as Wednesday, CEO Elon Musk said in a message on Twitter on Monday. Musk, a billionaire who owns 27.5 percent of Tesla, added that the company would move another announcement about its charging station ...
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Experian names John Gray head of auto unit
Experian has named John Gray president of its automotive business unit, effective immediately, with responsibility for the strategic direction, leadership and overall growth of the business. Gray, 56, joined the company in 2006 as vice president of sales and client services. He was promoted to ...
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AutoNation unit launches Shop-By-Payment service
AutoNation Inc.'s lead-referral subsidiary today unveiled an online service that lets consumers search dealership Web sites for new and used vehicles based on monthly payments. When a consumer chooses the desired payment a sales lead is sent to the dealership. The service, Shop-By-Payment, is ...
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Lutz's VL Automotive, Chinese supplier bid $20 million for Fisker, report says
DETROIT (Reuters) -- A boutique automaker led by former General Motors executive Bob Lutz and China's largest auto parts supplier submitted an offer of $20 million to buy cash-strapped automaker Fisker Automotive, people familiar with the matter told Reuters today. VL Automotive and China's ...
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NADA, automakers reach out with aid for tornado victims
The National Automobile Dealers Association and several automakers are reaching out with assistance to dealers and victims affected by Monday's tornado in Oklahoma. Auto dealers affected by the tornado near Oklahoma City can go to the National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation for help. ...
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Michael Stanton, longtime D.C. advocate for automakers, to retire in 2014
Michael Stanton, a longtime lobbyist and a driving force for automakers in public policy, will retire as president and CEO of the Association of Global Automakers in early 2014. Stanton, 68, has represented automakers in Washington and state capitals across the country for more than 35 years, ...
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Gentex CFO leaves but will work with supplier as consultant
Gentex Corp., a maker of rearview mirrors and electronics parts, said its CFO and vice president of finance has left the company but will remain a consultant with the supplier. Steve Dykman, 47, had been vice president of finance since 2006 and CFO since 2007. He had been with Gentex for nearly 20
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Easier credit, lower auction values are mixed bag for dealers
For lenders, the average loss for bad auto loans rose in the first quarter, reflecting factors that directly affect dealerships: easier credit and softer used-vehicle prices. "The increase in charge-offs definitely ties to the shift in wholesale values. But it's also because the average amount ...
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Ford to maintain Canadian factory footprint despite high labor costs
TORONTO (Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co., Canada's top-selling automaker, is confident it can preserve its manufacturing profile in the nation despite unfavorable operating costs tied to the high Canadian dollar, the company's lead executive for the country said. "We are optimistic despite the ...
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Automakers, dealers remain opposed to bill preventing rental firms from renting recalled vehicles
Major automakers and auto dealers told a Senate panel Tuesday that they remain opposed to legislation that would prohibit rental car companies from renting or selling vehicles that are subject to a federal safety recall. Representatives from the National Automobile Dealers Association and the ...
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Auto dealers escape worst of tornado's wrath
Car dealers were recovering from damage and organizing aid to survivors today after a two-mile-wide tornado ravaged an Oklahoma City suburb, but there were no reports of the massive twister directly hitting dealerships. The tornado -- which devastated suburban Moore on Monday afternoon -- caused at
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Schaeffler confirms 2013 outlook, net debt
FRANKFURT (Reuters) -- German supplier Schaeffler has confirmed its annual forecast for revenue growth of about four percent and an operating profit margin of approximately 13 percent, despite a decline in first-quarter results. "Although we are not anticipating a quick recovery of the European ...
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Mercedes workers end strike in S. Africa
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) -- A two-day strike at Mercedes-Benz's East London car plant in South Africa ended today following crisis talks between management and a workers union. Local media reports said the strike began at the plant, which produces the C-class model, on Friday, after the company decided
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Ex-battery maker B456 wins court approval for bankruptcy plan
WILMINGTON, Delaware (Bloomberg) -- B456 Systems Inc., the bankrupt electric-car battery maker formerly called A123 Systems Inc., won court approval of a plan to exit bankruptcy that pays creditors from the proceeds of selling virtually all its assets. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Carey approved the