European car sales zoomed ahead in July and August after slow sales most of the year in major car-buying nations, netting strong results for BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Fiat and General Motors.
CNBC Europe's Dan Scott reports from the Frankfurt Motor Show and marvels at Porsche's decision to make a hybrid SUV.
European auto manufacturers will struggle to maintain credit ratings in a very difficult environment despite expected long-term global growth in demand, Moody's Investors Service said in a report. Over-capacity is just one of several challenges the Original Equipment Manufacturers are facing, the agency added.
Shares in Fiat bucked the overall weakness in European stock markets on news the Italian carmaker won a contract worth $3.22 billion to supply DaimlerChrysler with truck engines for the next eight years.
Italian car maker Fiat posted an almost four-fold rise in first-quarter trading profit at its auto unit, beating forecasts, as it squeezed more money from a rise in sales of its smaller city cars, like the Panda.