Tag Archives: automotive news

Ford Europe Sales Down 10% in April. UK and Eastern EU Up

Posted on 15 May 2012 by Ken Zino

Like other automakers, Ford is struggling with the contractionist policies of governments in Germany and Brussels, as voter unrest grows with the Depression level economic conditions. Both in April and year-to-date light vehicle sales in the EU are off almost 8%, the fifth straight year of declines. Continue reading →

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Mercedes Predictive Cruise Control Uses GPS to Save Fuel

Posted on 15 May 2012 by Ken Zino

As the first GPS-based cruise control system, what the German truck making giant calls Predictive Powertrain Control intervenes to control speed, braking, and can now also regulate the transmission where it perform a single or double downshift of gears ahead of time when fitting. Continue reading →

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Harold ‘Red’ Poling – Ex CEO and Chairman of Ford – Dead

Posted on 15 May 2012 by Ken Zino

My favorite Poling story was when Ford was looking to buy Alfa Romeo. So they had a car in the executive garage for Red and other senior execs to drive. One problem, Red’s big wing tips didn’t allow him to operate the small pedals unimpeded. Therefore, he took them off and drove the car in his socks, leaving the shoes on the walkway. It is unknown if the garage staff polished the shoes while he was gone. Continue reading →

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Honda Uni-Cub Electric Unicycle Enters Testing in June

Posted on 15 May 2012 by Ken Zino

Honda Motor Company today unveiled its new Uni-Cub personal mobility device, a computer-controlled electric unicycle that looks to be a production ready outgrowth of the U3-X first shown in 2009. The compact EV with a saddle provides the same freedom of movement in all directions that a person has while walking. Since it doesn’t replace body parts, Uni-Cub is not technically a prosthetic device, but will have widespread applications in manufacturing or warehousing and any other indoor occupation that requires walking. Continue reading →

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NHTSA Opens Inquiry on Hyundai Elantra Airbags for Head Cuts

Posted on 14 May 2012 by Ken Zino

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrating has opened a preliminary defect evaluation on 2012 Hyundai Elantra side curtain airbags because of a driver’s complaint of cuts to his ear or face. On opening the investigation, NHTSA said it appears that the metal component caused a laceration to the driver’s ear/face. Continue reading →

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Airlines Post Record On-Time Performance but Complaints Up

Posted on 14 May 2012 by Ken Zino

Between January and March this year, the nation’s largest airlines posted their best on-time arrival rate for the first quarter of any year since the Department of Transportation began collecting comparable flight delay data in 1995. Supporters cite this as a clear example of the effectiveness of government regulation back by stiff fines. Continue reading →

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Smart Escooter Coming in 2014

Posted on 14 May 2012 by Ken Zino

Daimler has confirmed that the Smart E-Scooter will go on sale in 2014 at an unspecified price. First introduced as a concept from its Chinese studios at the Paris Motor Show in 2010, the fully electric Escooter is part of a range of electric vehicles including the Smart Fourtwo and Smart Ebike that are targeted for the European Union, which wants to ban all internal combustion engines from inner cities. Continue reading →

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Ford Expands Windstar Corrosion Recalls, Adds Axle failures

Posted on 14 May 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor is once again expanding a corrosion recall on 1998-2003 Windstar minivans because a supplier failed to properly e-coat the suspension components, which makes the vehicles susceptible to sudden failures of the steering, front sub-frame and/or rear axle. In a massive recall announced in January of 2011, more than 425,000 Ford Windstar minivans were recalled because the steering fails because of rusting problems. NHTSA opened an engineering investigation in July of 2010 into the ongoing Windstar rust problem. Continue reading →

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Nissan Posts Operating Profit of ¥45.8 Billion For F.Y. 2011

Posted on 14 May 2012 by Ken Zino

The Nissan results with a net of $4.32 billion was in sharp contrast to Toyota Motor Corporation’s F.Y. net profit decline to ¥283.56 billion or $3.6 billion, a -31% decrease. Nissan also out performed Honda Motor whose net profit declined slightly at ¥211.4 ($2.627 billion) for a -3.5% drop. Continue reading →

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Ford Recalls Electronic PRNDL for False Position Indication

Posted on 14 May 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor is recalling Expedition, F-150 Mustang and Lincoln Navigator models because the electronically controlled gearshift indicator does not show the vehicle is in reverse increasing the risk of a crash. Continue reading →

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Carroll Shelby – Sports Car Racer and Builder – Dead at 89

Posted on 11 May 2012 by Ken Zino

Carroll Hall Shelby, a legendary sports car racer and builder died Thursday at age 89, his company, Carroll Shelby International, said today. The creator of the Cobra, Shelby passed away yesterday at Baylor Hospital in Dallas. Carroll Shelby is the only man to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race as a driver, team owner and automotive manufacturer. Shelby once told me that he “spent a ton of old man Ford’s money, and kicked Ferrari’s ass,” which his team did for successive years at the 24 Hours of Le Mans until a rule change made the brutally fast and reliable cars illegal. Continue reading →

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Justice Department Seizes Chinese Counterfeit Sports Jerseys

Posted on 11 May 2012 by Ken Zino

Why the Obama Administration in general, and the State Department under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have not taken stronger actions against ongoing corrupt Chinese business practices is an unanswered issue here. Why Major League baseball and the National Football League, among other sports organizations, remain silent over the widespread counterfeiting of their apparel is a disgrace and mocks their hard-working, law-abiding U.S. fans. Will the multi-millionaire players living off law-abiding fans ever wake up and demand action or are they too rich to care? Continue reading →

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Volkswagen Group April Sales at 732,000 are Up 6%

Posted on 11 May 2012 by Ken Zino

The Volkswagen Group in Wolfsburg today said sales increased for the month of April to 732,000 vehicles. Compared to April 2011 at 690,800, this represented a 6% gain. Year-to-date VW Group sold 2.89 million vehicles for an increase of 8.6% percent (January-April 2011: 2.66 m). Europe’s largest automaker and the Number Two Global automaker behind General Motors outperformed the overall market, which grew by 6% during the year.
Continue reading →

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Thirty Percent of Ford Shareholders Vote against Family Control

Posted on 10 May 2012 by Ken Zino

While a grand total of 63 people bothered to attend the Ford Motor Company annual meeting of shareholders in Wilmington, Delaware today, 29.5% of investors or 1,283,063,982 of them voted against Ford family control of the company through their holdings of Class B stock, which has 16 votes per share as opposed to one per share of common, assuming no one in the Ford family voted for losing power.
Continue reading →

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Chrysler Recalls 2012 Ram 1500 Over a Decal

Posted on 10 May 2012 by Ken Zino

The affected vehicles have a spare tire that does not match the specifications listed on the tire placard. These Ram pickup trucks fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 110, “tire selection and rims.” Continue reading →

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