China

Ford's sale of Volvo to Chinese automaker Geely has been a case of good news/bad news for Volvo enthusiasts. Unfortunately, recent comments from Geely's founder, Li Shufu, aren't soothing the nerves of those worried that Geely might misguidedly "improve" the brand into an early grave. Case in...Read More»

Friday usually brings out TCC's optimistic streak, but two news items from Detroit and China have put a cloud over this otherwise sunny day. First, Geely says that its negotiations to buy Volvo from Ford have hit a roadblock, and second, GM has apparently failed to make any progress selling HUMMER...Read More»

UPDATE:  GM has just confirmed the sale to Tengzhong will not take place and that it will begin wind-down operations for the HUMMER brand. More to come -- the entire release follows at the end of this post. UPDATE 2: The Wall Street Journal says that General Motors is evaluating two late offers...Read More»

Just as plans were announced for Saab's bright, shiny future, one of General Motors' other orphans -- HUMMER -- has been granted a stay of execution. GM previously set a deadline of January 28 for completing the sale of HUMMER to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co., but both companies...Read More»

Over the past decade and a half, business models have changed. Thanks to the internet and certain technology improvements, start-ups have popped up in industries previously dominated by big companies with big resources. Amazon is one good example of this phenomenon, Netflix is another. Although...Read More»

Boston Consulting Group has released a study that should be particularly interesting to automakers. BCG has determined that Brazil, Russia, India, and China (aka the BRIC countries) will account for nearly 31% of the growth in the auto market over the next four years. Of the four, China is best...Read More»

General Motors’ European division Opel has taken the wraps off a new compact MPV complete with suicide style rear-hinged doors. The new car is the Opel Meriva and though it was originally hoped that it could be sold in the U.S. as a Saturn, the chances of it ever appearing on this side of the...Read More»

While much of the auto world's attention has been focused on Geely's attempt to buy Volvo from Ford and what that might mean for the popular Swedish marque, there's another side to the story that's gotten far less coverage: the possibility that Volvo dealerships will begin selling Geely vehicles...Read More»

After months of negotiations and numerous trips to the bargaining table, Ford has finally brokered a deal to sell Volvo to Chinese automaker Geely. According to a Ford press release, an official agreement will be signed by Ford and Geely in the first quarter of 2010, with the sale to close in the...Read More»

Although Ford hasn't set a deadline for the sale of Volvo the same way that General Motors fast-tracked Saab, Ford's preferred bidder -- Geely -- is hoping to wrap up things on the double. A source close to the negotiations told Reuters, "[The sale] is expected to be done before Chinese New Year...Read More»

When Saab's sale to Koenigsegg flamed out in late November, many presumed it was the end of the line for the brand, much as Penske's withdrawal spelled the end for Saturn. It now looks like those pessimists may not have been far from the mark but there is some hope for the brand in the form of...Read More»

China is in a curious position. Its auto market is very big, and it's positioned to get much, much bigger, but the Chinese government doesn't want the country's automakers to move down the traditional path of combustion-engine vehicles. Rather, it wants to grow an indigenous green vehicle industry...Read More»

Last week, when we reported on the Koenigsegg Group's failed attempt to purchase Saab from GM, we mentioned that a member of that group -- Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC) -- might make its own bid for the troubled Swedish brand. That was an educated guess, based largely on the fact...Read More»

In today's episode of the Ford/Volvo saga, the U.S. consortium known as Crown has announced plans to submit a bid for Volvo this week that will rival that of Chinese automaker (and current preferred bidder) Geely. Crown's bid will be in the $2 billion to $2.5 billion range -- somewhat less than...Read More»

We've been keeping a close eye on the evolving Ford/Volvo/Geely saga. So far, the biggest point of contention in the brou-ha-ha has been Ford's concerns about intellectual property, which Geely might or might not respect after the ink dries. (China hasn't exactly been at the forefront of IP law.)...Read More»

We're not entirely sure that this Chinese print ad for the Volkswagen GTI is for real -- and if it is, we're even less sure what it might be saying. The copy along the bottom translates as "It will go fast". That could mean "It will go so fast that you'll spill all that hot, delicious coffee from...Read More»

Speaking at a World Economic Forum in New Delhi, Carlos Ghosn -- head of Nissan Motor Company and Renault SA -- had some interesting things to say about the global auto industry. Among the most notable and encouraging items, Ghosn believes that the international sales slump has ended and that the...Read More»

In what could be one of General Motors' smartest moves in recent years, the company has announced plans to roll out its popular OnStar system in China. This marks the first time OnStar will be offered outside North America. The service will be available as of December 6 -- first in Cadillacs, then...Read More»