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Italian Pride Is Revived in a Tiny Fiat

Following in the tire tracks of the latter-day Beetle from Volkswagen and the Mini Cooper from BMW, Fiat this month began selling an updated version of the classic 500 of 1957, according to the New York Times.

At 11 feet 6 inches in length, it is about 4 inches shorter than the Ka, Ford’s tiny runabout, but 18 inches longer than the original 500.

More than a year before the car arrived, Fiat started marketing it as a return to everybody’s childhood. In Italy, advertisements appealed to patriotism, with slogans like, “The new Fiat belongs to all of us.”

In less than a month, Fiat has sold more than 57,000 of the cars.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:31 AM to Design | Permalink | Comments 0

Ford Fusion hydrogen fuel cell car hits 161 m.p.h.

Two years ago, a group of Ohio State University students asked Ford Motor Co. if it was interested in building a hydrogen-fueled race car. On Sunday, the result of that proposal made history, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The Ford Fusion 999, a hydrogen- and electric-powered car designed to whip across the salty white desert during Bonneville Speed Week, zoomed across the infinite horizon at 161 m.p.h. It was the first time a hydrogen-powered car had ever competed at the salt flats, where all manner of modified, souped-up vehicles come every August to break land-speed records.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:21 AM to Alternative fuels , Environment , Ford , Racing , Technology | Permalink | Comments 0

Chrysler sets Wednesday for a rebirth celebration

Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealerships across the country are planning to celebrate the automaker's ownership change tomorrow night, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management took majority ownership of Chrysler LLC on Aug. 3 and two days later put in a new CEO, Bob Nardelli, the former head of Home Depot.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:18 AM to Chrysler | Permalink | Comments 0

Exploding frogs tout tire safety in new NHTSA ad

A new television ad from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration featuring frogs apparently exploding on a hot road is aimed at teaching motorists about tire safety, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The spot, released Monday by NHTSA, features parody of a nature TV show with a narrator describing the “perilous journey” that frogs face crossing the road — especially in the summer heat. The frogs then appear to explode.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:15 AM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

Low gas prices could mean more vacation time; some hybrid credits are about to expire

If you're considering an end-of-summer vacation, go ahead and unfurl your road maps.
The average price of a gallon of regular gas this week is $2.77, down nearly 23 cents from this time last summer, according to the Energy Information Administration and reported by USA Today columnist Sandra Block.

Oil analysts warn, however, that a major hurricane or refinery breakdown could send gas prices sharply higher. In addition, the recent bridge collapse in Minneapolis has prompted some lawmakers to propose raising the federal gas tax to pay for bridge repairs. (President Bush said he opposes the idea.)

And if you're counting on the tax credit to reduce the cost of buying a hybrid, pay attention to the calendar. The tax credit begins to phase out after an automaker sells 60,000 vehicles.

Once a manufacturer's sales hit the limit, buyers are eligible for the full credit until the end of the quarter in which the threshold was reached and through the next quarter. Then they're eligible for half the credit for six months. For the next six months, the credit will shrink to 25% of the full amount, then it will disappear.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:01 AM to Alternative fuels , Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Report: Ex-Ford execs bidding for Jaguar, Land Rover

Another former Ford executive has joined the bidding for Ford's Jaguar and Land Rover brands, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press on Friday, according to USA Today.

Nick Scheele has joined Ripplewood Holdings in its bid for the luxury brands that cash-strapped Ford is trying to sell, according to the person, who requested anonymity because the bidding is ongoing.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:00 AM to Ford | Permalink | Comments 0

GM: Deal could put it in lead in electric car race

General Motors has signed an agreement with a battery maker that could propel it ahead of Toyota in the race to bring plug-in hybrid and electric cars to market, a top company official said Thursday, according to USA Today.

A123 Systems, based in Watertown, Mass., already produces thousands of nanophosphate lithium-ion batteries for use in cordless power tools, and it plans to apply the technology to automobiles.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:58 AM to Alternative fuels , Design , Environment , GM , Technology | Permalink | Comments 1

Buick jumps atop dependability chart

In a major coup, Buick landed a spot at the top of the influential J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, tying with Lexus, as reported by USA Today.

It was the first time in more than a dozen years that any brand other than Lexus had been at the top of the study.

General Motors, (GM) which owns Buick, has been targeting quality improvements as a way to win back customers who fled domestic car brands for their import rivals. GM's July market share was 23.9% in the USA, its most important market, down from 27% just a year ago. That makes winning new customers a more critical goal than ever before.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:55 AM to Auto industry , GM | Permalink | Comments 0

Car Buyers Give Toyota Lexus Top Score

U.S. car buyers appear to be more satisfied with their purchases than ever, despite some quality stumbles by Asian brands, according to a survey released Tuesday and reported by the Associated Press.

The consumer satisfaction rate for vehicles rose 1 point this year to a score of 82 out of 100, a record in the 12-year history of the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:51 AM to Sales | Permalink | Comments 0