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• Ford Preparing to Sell Volvo, Report Says Sunday, 15 Jul 2007 | 11:26 AM ET

  The Sunday Times, citing unnamed sources in London, said the decision to sell Volvo, which is part of Ford's Premier Automotive Group, was made in the past two weeks, but that the timing of the sale had yet to be decided.

• Delphi Makes Pension Payment: Filing Friday, 13 Jul 2007 | 4:12 PM ET

  Delphi said in a regulatory filing Friday that it contributed about $48 million to its U.S. pension plans.  The amount represents the part of the pension contribution related to services rendered by Delphi employees in the second quarter of 2007, the auto supplier said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

• Chrysler Minivans: Will Lower Prices Drive Higher Sales? Friday, 13 Jul 2007 | 8:24 AM ET

  What happens when you take a best selling model, add more bells and whistles, and cut the sticker price? Chrysler hopes it leads to a resurgence of the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans. This is another sign, Chrysler is serious about defending its dominance in vans. It sells roughly 42 % of all the new models in that segment. But in the last year, that lead has eroded while Toyota, Honda and Hyundai continue to pick-up business.

• European Car Sales Rise 0.7% as New EU Countries Offset Demand Friday, 13 Jul 2007 | 7:48 AM ET

  European new car registrations rose 0.7% in June as demand in the countries that recently joined the European Union offset a decline in western Europe.

• GM Plans Diesel Passenger Cars in U.S. by 2010: Report Friday, 13 Jul 2007 | 4:43 AM ET

  General Motors plans to offer diesel-engine cars under the Cadillac and Saturn brands in the United States by 2010, industry journal Automotive News reported, citing a source familiar with the plan.

• Renault May Team with Bajaj on $3000 Car: Report Friday, 13 Jul 2007 | 4:20 AM ET

  Nissan-Renault's chief executive officer Carlos Ghosns $3,000 project to build a small car using Indian expertise could trigger off a new partnership for Renault in India with Bajaj Auto, local business daily The Economic Times said.

• Jeep Patriot: Heating Up Sales With American SUV Buyers Thursday, 12 Jul 2007 | 10:14 AM ET

  

  Even as the Fourth of July has come and gone, Jeep's Patriot is as hot as a firecracker. How hot? In the latest survey of the hottest selling vehicles by J.D. Power's Power Information Network, the Patriot SUV was the seventh fastest-selling vehicle in the U.S. last month. On average, Jeep dealers kept the Patriot on lots fewer then 20 days, while the industry average is roughly 60.

• Cerberus Chairman 'Confident' on Chrysler Financing Wednesday, 11 Jul 2007 | 3:49 PM ET

  Cerberus Capital Management Chairman John Snow said on Wednesday the private equity firm was 'confident' in securing Chrysler financing and sees the deal closing in the current quarter.

• Icahn Sweetened Lear Buyout Faces Stiff Opposition Wednesday, 11 Jul 2007 | 12:54 PM ET

  

  Billionaire Carl Icahn's sweetened $3 billion buyout offer for auto parts maker Lear  has gained little traction among top advisory firms or shareholders ahead of a scheduled vote next week.

• GM's Truckloads of Cash: Will It Put The Brakes on Toyota? Tuesday, 10 Jul 2007 | 8:16 AM ET

  

  Forget the ads touting which full size pick-up has more hauling capacity, or which one can stop just before going over the edge of a cliff, or even which truck makes you feel more American, rural, or cowboy. None of that matters. Here's what talks with truck buyers: cash. The more the better. And right now, pick-up buyers are picking up deals that have them sitting in the catbird seat. In fact, GM is doubling the cash back it's offering people who buy a new Chevy Silverado or GMC Sierra. That's an extra $1,000 on top of 0% financing.

• Lear Accepts Sweetened Bid from Icahn; Pzena Not Swayed Monday, 9 Jul 2007 | 1:15 PM ET

  Billionaire investor Carl Icahn's American Real Estate Partners raised its takeover offer for Lear to about $3 billion after shareholders balked at a previous buyout proposal, but the auto parts maker's second biggest shareholder remained unconvinced.

• Apple's iPhone: Gadgets More Important To Young Than Cars? Monday, 9 Jul 2007 | 11:09 AM ET

  

  Is it a sign that we truly are in an iPhone world or a bleak reminder to automakers that it's tougher than ever for them to impress younger car buyers? Either way, the research is fascinating. The latest data from CNW marketing shows that younger consumers (ages 16-29) rank tech gadgets like the iPod/iPhone, gaming systems, and computers as more important than a new car when it comes to impressing friends.

• Carlyle to Acquire Sequa for $2 Billion Monday, 9 Jul 2007 | 11:04 AM ET

  Private equity firm Carlyle Group said Monday it would buy aircraft and auto parts maker Sequa for $2 billion.

• Chevy Boosts GM Europe's First-Half Sales Growth Monday, 9 Jul 2007 | 5:34 AM ET

  General Motors sales outgrew the broader European car market in the first half as a surge in demand for its Korean-built Chevrolet brand cars offset a hefty decline in Saab sales, the automaker said on Monday.

• UAW Members Give Green Light to Historic Delphi Agreement Sunday, 8 Jul 2007 | 9:27 AM ET

  Workers at struggling auto parts giant Delphi's largest union have approved a historic contract agreement that cuts wages for many longtime workers but secures thousands of jobs at plants that once were in jeopardy.

• Dana Reaches Deals With Largest Unions, Centerbridge Friday, 6 Jul 2007 | 12:40 PM ET

  Dana said Friday it has reached deals with the United Steelworkers and United Auto Workers on more than $100 million per year in cost cuts the car and truck parts maker needs to exit bankruptcy.

• BMW's First-Half Sales Up 4.5% Friday, 6 Jul 2007 | 12:39 PM ET

  Automaker BMW said Friday that sales in the first six months of the year rose by 4.5%.

• Peugeot First-Half Sales Flat Friday, 6 Jul 2007 | 3:09 AM ET

  Peugeot said its first-half sales were unchanged compared with the year-earlier period at 1.764 billion units, while its market share in Western Europe rose by 0.2% to 14.2%.

• European Stocks to Watch: Fiat Thursday, 5 Jul 2007 | 12:06 PM ET

  Shares in Fiat fell 0.3% Thursday as investors reacted to the launch of the new Cinquencento, an entry-level car revamped for the 50th anniversary of the original model.

• Chrysler & Chery Deal: Made In China, Sold In America Thursday, 5 Jul 2007 | 11:37 AM ET

  

  Mark it down. It was this Tuesday, July 3rd--on the eve of America celebrating its independence--when one of the Big 3 made the first deal to have an American brand car built in China and sold here in the U.S. The deal is between Chrysler and Chinese automaker Chery Automotive. Chrysler CEO Tom Lasorda signed the agreement with Chery's CEO in Beijing and heralded it as a "win/win deal". Chery wins because it's collaboration with Chrysler will help that company learn the ropes of what it will take to ultimately sell Chery vehicles in the U.S.