VW SportWagen Fresh Take on Old Design ( Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:40:57 +0200) Even though itÂs a bit pricey, VWÂs SportWagen is good enough to warrant Americans giving the station wagon another chance. Read more NissanÂs New Green Digs ( Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:41:07 +0200) After a controversial relocation of its North American headquarters from Southern California to Middle Tennessee, Nissan makes it clear it is moving on. Read more American Axle expected to surpass buyout goal ( Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:35:36 +0200) About 2,200 hourly workers are expected to leave American Axle & Manufacturing Inc. through retirement and buyout offers -- surpassing the Detroit's supplier's target of eliminating 2,000 factory jobs, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday. Read more
Complete coverage: American Axle strike ( Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:22:14 +0200) Toyota Motor Corp. beat General Motors Corp. by 300,000 units in worldwide sales for the first half of the year for the second year in a row as sales declines in North America eclipsed record-breaking sales in the worldÂs emerging markets. Read more
2,200 workers expected to take American Axle buyouts ( Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:22:24 +0200) UPDATED AT 8:23 P.M.: About 2,200 hourly workers are expected to leave American Axle & Manufacturing Inc. through retirement and buyout offers  surpassing the DetroitÂs supplierÂs target of eliminating 2,000 factory jobs, a person familiar with the matter said today. Read more
Michigan voters: U.S. should have steered clear of Iraq ( Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:22:00 +0200) Michiganians are divided over whether the U.S. is winning the war in Iraq, but nearly two-thirds say American troops should never have gone into the strife-torn Middle Eastern country at all, according to a Detroit News/WXYZ-TV Action News poll. Read more
UAW says 2,200 Axle workers took buyouts ( Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:16:00 +0200) About 2,200 union workers at American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings Inc. have accepted buyout and retirement offers, exceeding the company's target, a union official with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. Read more Auto news in brief: Belt maker plans cuts ( Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:44:35 +0200) Swedish air bag and seatbelt supplier Autoliv Inc., which has its North American headquarters and a technical center in metro Detroit, plans to cut as many as 3,000 jobs. Read more
DRIVES: 2009 Mercedes-Benz Bluetec ML 320, GL 320, R320: Blue notes: Eco-friendly diesels let you t ( Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:30:00 +0200) With Bluetec diesel variants of its luxury SUVs available, Mercedes-Benz says diesels are now environmentally as clean as gasoline engines, while providing the big torque Americans love, with greater fuel economy than comparable gasoline-fueled SUVs. Read more
Fallen soldier is finally home: Family members, friends pay tribute to young hero ( Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:00:00 +0200) Miniature American flags lined the winding driveway of Brightmoor Christian Church under a bright blue sky Tuesday. Inside, a larger flag draped the coffin of a fallen American hero, a beloved son and protective big brother. Pfc. Byron Wayne Fouty of Walled Lake came home one last time for loved ones to share their grief at a memorial service. Read more
Taormina's Olympic quest: 4 Games, 3 sports, 1 dream ( Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:07:00 +0200) Sheila Taormina will make history next month, becoming the first woman, as well as the first American, to compete in the modern-day Olympic Games in three different sports. A former swimmer and triathlete, she'll compete in the modern pentathlon at the Beijing Games. It's a shining achievement made all the more remarkable by the dark place the Livonia native found herself a few years ago, surfing the Web late at night, reading about clinical depression and mentally checking off her symptoms, one after another. Read more Nissan will shift more production to cars ( Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:24:00 +0200) Nissan Motor Co. is preparing to shift more of its North American production toward passenger cars with four-cylinder engines while consolidating truck production on fewer lines, says CEO Carlos Ghosn. Read more
Family, friends pay tribute at Fouty funeral service ( Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:42:00 +0200) NOVI -- Specialist Bryon Fouty was remembered Tuesday afternoon as a devoted son, a protective big brother and an American hero at his memorial service held at Brightmoor Christian Church. Read more
Report: Mercury will channel Ford shift to smaller cars ( Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:00:00 +0200) Ford Motor Co. plans to make its Mercury brand a key part of the automaker's shift toward small cars and convert three North American truck plants to car production, The New York Times reported today. Read more
Report: Mercury will channel Ford shift to smaller cars ( Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:00:00 +0200) Ford Motor Co. plans to make its Mercury brand a key part of the automaker's shift toward small cars and convert three North American truck plants to car production, The New York Times reported today. Read more
UPDATE 3-American Express profit falls as credit losses rise ( Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:11:11 +0200) (Adds investor comment) By Dan Wilchins NEW YORK, July 21 (Reuters) - American Express Co , a credit card issuer and processing network, reported a steeper-than-expected Read more
CORRECTED-UPDATE 1-American Express profit down on credit losses ( Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:06:22 +0200) (Corrects spelling of Chenault in paragraph three) NEW YORK, July 21 (Reuters) - American Express Co, a credit card issuer and processing network, said Read more
American Express quarterly results fall ( Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:58:57 +0200) NEW YORK, July 21 (Reuters) - American Express Co, a credit card issuer and processing network, on Monday posted a decline in second quarter results, Read more UPDATE 1-American Express profit falls as credit losses rise ( Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:59:07 +0200) (Adds comment from CEO, details on results) NEW YORK, July 21 (Reuters) - American Express Co, a credit card issuer and processing network, said on Monday Read more Supplier FEV plans expansion ( Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:30:00 +0200) Powertrain services supplier FEV Inc. plans to add 45,000 square feet and 150 jobs to its North American headquarters and technical center in suburban Detroit because of increasing industry demand to develop engine technology. Read more Honda Approaches Product Mix With Caution ( Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:45:06 +0200) If the price of oil continues to rise, the U.S. market will Âlook more like Europe, says American Honda Vice President Dan Bonawitz. ÂThat means a lot of small cars. Read more Heritage on display, celebrated at Hart Plaza ( Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:00:00 +0200) The longest running Arab and Chaldean American cultural event was held at Hart Plaza on Saturday and Sunday. Visitors from across Canada and the United States came to the Arab and Chaldean Festival to watch performances, taste a variety of Middle Eastern foods, visit the booths and view art exhibits. Read more Kazamai concept: Mazda's design heard round the world ( Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:01:00 +0200) Take a sketch by an American of South Korean descent working in a Southern California design studio. Refine that sketch in Japan, and unveil the finished vehicle concept and#x2014; with the European market in mind and#x2014; at the Moscow auto show. Read more
Arab and Chaldean festival celebrates culture ( Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:44:00 +0200) DETROIT -- The longest-running Arab and Chaldean American cultural event was held at Hart Plaza Saturday and Sunday. Visitors from across Canada and the United States came to watch the performances, taste the variety of Middle Eastern foods and visit the booths and view the art exhibits. Read more
Report: Ford to retool U.S. plants for European cars ( Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:30:00 +0200) Ford Motor Co. is drawing up plans to retool American plants to make small, fuel-efficient passenger cars that it mainly makes and sells in Europe, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. Read more
Complete coverage: American Axle strike 
Auto news in brief: Belt maker plans cuts 
Nissan will shift more production to cars 
UPDATE 3-American Express profit falls as credit losses rise 
Supplier FEV plans expansion 
Arab and Chaldean festival celebrates culture 
