Category Archives: news analysis

BMW 507 Driven by Elvis at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Posted on 5 August 2016 by Ken Zino

The BMW 507 driven by Elvis Presley while he was doing military service in Germany is restored and will debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The 507 disappeared for nearly 50 years, and was believed to have been lost. After almost two years of restoration work, BMW Group Classic is presenting the roadster for the first time on 21 August 2016.

Elvis Presley used the BMW 507 to drive between his home in Bad Nauheim and the U.S. Army Base in Friedberg, Southern Germany. He was often mobbed by female fans. The paintwork of the roadster was frequently daubed with messages of love painted in lipstick. Continue reading →

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Michigan, Ontario Automotive MOU – NAFTA without Mexico?

Posted on 5 August 2016 by Ken Zino

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder were in Traverse City, Michigan, this week to sign an Automotive MOU – Memorandum of Understanding – that it’s said will promote auto industry innovation. Continue reading →

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HAL Comes to Honda R&D through Softbank

Posted on 22 July 2016 by Ken Zino

This will, allegedly, allow Honda and SoftBank to “enable mobility products to use conversations with the driver,” together with other information obtained from sensors and cameras to “perceive the emotions of the driver and to engage in dialogue with the driver based on the vehicle’s own emotions.” Continue reading →

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FCA Sales Reporting Crisis has Broad Industry Implications

Posted on 19 July 2016 by Ken Zino

The outcomes of both legal matters potentially have broad implications for the sales reporting practices of automakers and dealerships and how demos are subsidized.
Continue reading →

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BP Deepwater Horizon Liabilities – GULP – $61.6 Billion

Posted on 15 July 2016 by Ken Zino

BP said yesterday in London that progress in resolving outstanding claims arising from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident and oil spill, the largest in U.S. history would have a final cost of $61.6 billion. Continue reading →

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Brexit Automaker Winners, Losers – Predictable and Surprising

Posted on 12 July 2016 by Ken Zino

To state the obvious, new investment in the UK – expansion of current manufacturing or new capacity – for manufacturers with viable alternatives in the EU appears unlikely until the current uncertainty diminishes. This economic chaos could last for years. Continue reading →

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Leading Automakers at CAR Management Briefing Seminars

Posted on 11 July 2016 by Ken Zino

Perusing the list, they are concentrating on industry disruption. Speakers and session panels will explore, the evolving connected and automated space. Continue reading →

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Toyota Claims Lead in Patents

Posted on 30 June 2016 by AutoCrat

Toyota is the only automaker listed among the top 20 on the IPO list. Other key innovators in the top 20 include Apple, Google, IBM and Microsoft. Continue reading →

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‘Bloody Hell,’ What Does Brexit do to Automakers?

Posted on 24 June 2016 by Ken Zino

The uncertainty does not bode well for Ford Motor Company or General Motors, both with struggling European operations. Both were ashen silent today. Continue reading →

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Newspapers Dying as Technology Companies Grow?

Posted on 15 June 2016 by Ken Zino

The implications for automotive coverage of labor, manufacturing, quality and safety issues, among others, are dire. Continue reading →

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General Motors, Toyota Noted for Wildlife Habitat Council Work

Posted on 10 June 2016 by Ken Zino

The Keystone Policy Center presents awards each year in various categories within its areas of practice including energy, environment, agriculture, public health, and education. Continue reading →

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Milestones: 30 Years of Toyota in Georgetown, Kentucky

Posted on 10 June 2016 by Ken Zino

Honda, of course, had beat Toyota by beginning what became wildly successful U.S. operations at Marysville, Ohio in 1982. Continue reading →

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Fiat Argentina Removes Owner Manuals that Insult Women

Posted on 10 June 2016 by Ken Zino

The booklet in Argentina given to every new vehicle owner said: “If a lady’s skirt is too short, we recommend that she travel in the backseat to keep our concentration.” It dug the hole deeper by saying “if the skirt is not that short but you tend to have a wandering hand, she should also travel behind.” Continue reading →

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More Recalls for Takata Airbag Shrapnel

Posted on 7 June 2016 by Ken Zino

The numbers – tens upon tens of millions – and corresponding expenses are now so large that at least one company – General Motors – is questioning the need for the ongoing expansion of mandatory repairs by NHTSA of vehicles with Takata airbag inflators. Continue reading →

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Mobility Company or Automaker? Toyota Signs MOA with Uber

Posted on 25 May 2016 by Ken Zino

This is a complicated deal, given Uber’s current legal and regulatory challenges in the U.S., as well as global business conditions and regulations, and – at the end of the road – consumer desires. Continue reading →

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