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Report: Crowdsource funding push on to save historic Ford buildings

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Ford

Ford Highland Park Plant

Detroit has no shortage of old, abandoned buildings, both within the city and in the surrounding communities. Few, though, have the historical significance of the old Ford Highland Park facility. Home to the very first moving assembly line, Highland Park was designed by the legendary Albert Kahn, and was one of the homes of the Model T.

Now, the Woodward Avenue Action Association is attempting to buy both the 40,000-square-foot admin building, which is located off the historic Woodward Avenue, and an 8,000-square-foot garage. The WAAA’s goal is to convert the buildings into an automotive heritage center. The Detroit News spoke to the interim director of the WAAA, Deborah Schutt, who commented, “[Metro Detroit has] not been very good at telling our own story. So we’ve decided, let’s pull everything together and tell our story.”

The WAAA made an offer of $550,000 to buy the two buildings, and has $400,000 from the Michigan Department of Transportation and another $15,000 from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. It’s trying to raise a further $125,000 through crowd-sourcing, starting a campaign called “Five Dollars A Day,” after old Hank Ford’s $5-per-day wage for line workers.

The WAAA has until September 19 to collect the money and purchase the building, which is a National Historic Landmark. Those interesting in donating can go here or call 248-288-2004.

Crowdsource funding push on to save historic Ford buildings originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Aug 2013 15:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Volvo CEO to shell out nearly $700k to settle MAN corruption investigation

Filed under: Government/Legal, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Work, Specialty

Hakan Samuelsson, CEO of the MAN AG, Europe's third largest truck maker, attends the annual shareholders' meeting in Munich on Friday, April 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Uwe Lein)

Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson will be making a rather large charitable donation – 500,000 Euros ($668,000), according to Bloomberg. This is not, however, a move out of the goodness of his heart. It’s part of an agreement the exec made after a court case in Germany. Samuelsson spent nine years at truck manufacturer MAN, with his last four years as the boss. During his tenure, though, MAN was accused of illegal conduct, now understood to be bribes, in its Slovenian operations.

The agreement stems from a desire to avoid a lengthy trial for Volvo’s new CEO. As Samuelsson himself points out to Bloomberg, “I would have preferred to go through with the trial as I don’t have any doubt about my innocence. But this wouldn’t have been compatible with my role as Volvo CEO, and I want to leave Germany with passably positive impressions.”

It’s important to note that Samuelsson was not directly accused of bribery, unlike a certain elderly racing executive. Instead, the former head of MAN’s auditing department testified that Samuelsson was merely aware of “possible corrupt practices.” MAN as a whole was fined 150 million Euros in a 2009 inquiry, while several blue and white-collar workers were indicted, according to Bloomberg. Samuelsson will also pay 1.2 million Euros ($1.6 million) to MAN, which the company says will be “in recognition of his corporate-governance responsibility as the former CEO.”

Volvo CEO to shell out nearly $700k to settle MAN corruption investigation originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Aug 2013 14:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Porsche has doubled US sales to women [w/videos]

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Porsche, Luxury

Porsche sales to women have doubled in the past two years, contributing to a year-to-date sales increase of 31 percent.

Porsche is having a good sales year in the US, with 25,129 vehicles delivered year-to-date coming off the automaker’s best July sales ever. That’s a 31-percent increase over the same period last year (19,253 deliveries). With year-to-date Panamera sales a surprising 36 percent lower than last year, what possibly could be driving Porsche’s sales surge? If you answered Cayman and Boxster sales, you’re right. But dealerships are noticing another factor: more women are coming in to buy Porsches, CNBC reports, the bulk of whom picked up new Cayenne SUVs. The German automaker’s sales to women in the US have more than doubled in the past two years, increasing from 7 percent to 15 percent. This has helped year-to-date Cayenne sales reach 11,082 – 31 percent higher than the same time last year.

Porsche executives have been trying to tap into the women’s market, as evidenced in part by the company’s move to pick professional tennis player Maria Sharapova as a brand ambassador. Porsche maintains it has not moved to dramatically change its brand image, but it has shown a number of ads in recent years that uncharacteristically emphasize its vehicles’ practicality under the “Engineered for Magic. Everyday” banner – some featuring female drivers.

Be sure to watch CNBC‘s video report on Porsche’s female movement below – you’ll also find one of the aforementioned Engineered For Magic ads as well as an interesting case study video on the campaign from ad agency Cramer-Krasselt.

Continue reading Porsche has doubled US sales to women [w/videos]

Porsche has doubled US sales to women [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Aug 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Jaguar envisions future without V8 engines

Filed under: Performance, Jaguar, Luxury

Jaguar reportedly is considering a move away from V8s.

With tighter emissions and fuel economy regulations looming, Jaguar may have to do more than make a small, fuel-efficient hatchback to lower its model range’s consumption figures – it also might give up its venerable V8 power, Drive reports. But not anytime soon, says Steven de Ploey, Jaguar’s product and marketing director, who recognizes that the V8 can be replaced only by something that offers the same, or better, performance. But he has a word of caution: “We are not wedded to V8s.”

In the meantime, de Ploey says there are other ways to reduce emissions. One of the first steps Jaguar could take is to shift away from the use of superchargers, which aren’t as good as turbochargers at maintaining efficiency and making power. But he adds that supercharging still is “at the heart of Jaguar’s performance proposition,” and that the company has addressed the current downsizing trend by “replacing our naturally aspirated V8 with a 3.0-liter supercharged V6.”

Consider one of de Ploey’s comments on the cancelled C-X75 supercar (pictured) for some clue about Jaguar’s future: “Some of the stuff we have already exploited to the extreme in the C-X75 is the kind of thinking for us and is an essential test bed to see how we could evolve from today to something that is sustainable in the future.”

Confused by Jaguar’s direction? We are too. It doesn’t help that the C-X75 doesn’t seem to have the answer to replace the V8 – just some discarded mini-turbines, a 10,000+rpm four-cylinder generator and four electric motors. But the conservative British marque has been thinking outside the box lately…

Jaguar envisions future without V8 engines originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Aug 2013 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Google shacking up with Continental on self-driving cars

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Safety, Technology

Google, well known tester of self-driving cars, may have just come one step closer to making its sci-fi tech a widely realistic proposition. Along with IBM, it’s inked a deal with tier one supplier Continental, according to Reuters. The official announcement is set to be made during September’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

This is really a huge development for the world of driverless cars. Continental has its hands in a number of pies, supplying tires, brakes, stability control systems and other essential components to manufacturers. Google, meanwhile, is one of the biggest names in tech and has been toying with driverless vehicles for years, making this a formidable pairing. This could be the kick in the pants driverless cars need to get further into the mainstream consciousness.

Continental is already teamed up with Cisco Systems, as well, in a bid to establish data transfer networks between cars. All told, there are some mighty big names throwing their hats into the autonomous ring. Expect more news on the terms of this alliance at Frankfurt.

Google shacking up with Continental on self-driving cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Aug 2013 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Cache of vintage Chevys in Nebraska headed to auction [w/video]

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Chevrolet

This isn’t the first car dealer turned time capsule, but it might be the biggest. Ray Lambrecht stashed about 500 new cars from 1958 to 1980 that didn’t sell at his Pierce, NE, Chevrolet dealership before he closed shop in 1996, Yahoo News reports. His reasoning? Instead of selling previous model-year inventory at discounted prices, he kept the cars thinking they’d appreciate over time. Soon we’ll find out how his unique business strategy worked, as all of the old/new cars – stored in the dealership and at a farm – will hit the auction block next month. We think old Lambrecht will be making some good money – perhaps as much as six figures on some cars – as many vehicles in the collection are über rare and word of the auction has spread worldwide.

It is reported that visitors from all over the US and at least a dozen countries will descend upon the 1,800-resident town for the auction to buy old Chevys with negligible miles. The cars with the fewest miles in the collection are a 1959 Bel Air and 1960 Corvair Monza with only one mile on their odometers. A 1958 Cameo pickup truck with just 1.3 miles sits in a corner with some damage to the roof and a thick layer of dust. About 50 vehicles have 20 miles or less, including the newest vehicle in the collection, a 1980 Monza with nine miles. While the cars in Lambrecht’s collection can be a bit rough on the outside, the ones that were stored in the dealership still have pristine interiors.

So what will happen to the vehicles once they’re sold? Jay Quail, executive director of the Classic Car Club of America, says many collectors who buy the low-mileage vehicles likely will put them on display as works of art. “It’s like having a Picasso in your garage,” he says. “Collectors will pay for a car that’s totally unmolested.”

UPDATE: Take a better look at this time-warp collection with the new Associated Press video added below.

Continue reading Cache of vintage Chevys in Nebraska headed to auction [w/video]

Cache of vintage Chevys in Nebraska headed to auction [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Aug 2013 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV production restarts after five-month delay

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Japan, Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Mitsubishi, Electric

Back in March, production of both the Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid and the all-electric i-MiEV ground to a halt over a pair of incidents where overheated lithium-ion batteries caused vehicle fires. Following the rocky start, The Japan Times is reporting that production of the Outlander PHEV has recommenced following the five-month stoppage.

The battery fires were tracked down to a supplier issue before more than 4,300 vehicles were recalled in June, but Mitsubishi received heavy criticism from the Japanese government for the delayed recall. According to the report, though, that hasn’t slow down enthusiasm for the plug-in crossover – Mitsubishi has received close to 18,000 for the Outlander PHEV. To keep up with demand, the automaker is planning to double production to 4,000 units a month.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV production restarts after five-month delay originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Aug 2013 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Luca doesn’t believe in electric cars, but Ferrari will build more hybrids

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Technology, Ferrari

2014 Ferrari LaFerrari at Geneva

Confirming what we’d long suspected, the hybrid powertrain in the Ferrari LaFerrari was not a one-time thing. “I don’t believe in the electric cars, but I strongly believe in hybrids,” Ferrari boss Luca Cordero di Montezemolo tells Bloomberg. It’s unclear when we’ll see another hybrid Ferrari, though, as the automaker’s current lineup is quite fresh – the oldest model is the California, which was updated for the 2013 model year – but make no mistake, there are more electrified cars coming from Maranello. “The answer is yes,” Montezemolo told Bloomberg when asked about hybrids, although he was quick to add “without exceeding.” It’s that last part that is key for enthusiasts of the gas engine.

Ferrari’s move towards hybrid powertrains reflects a pair of trends in both the political and motorsports spheres. Politically, automakers, even exotics, are being pushed to produce cars with cleaner emissions, or in many cases, no emissions at all. Look no further than the Range Rover Hybrid, which was just announced. Formula One’s push towards hybridization and smaller engines is also informing decisions at Ferrari, with the LaFerrari already using hybrid tech already inspired by the sport.

Still, it’s reassuring to know that while Ferrari is pushing forward with future technologies, that the gas engine won’t go the way of the manual transmission in Maranello – at least in the near term.

Luca doesn’t believe in electric cars, but Ferrari will build more hybrids originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Aug 2013 14:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Chinese Jeep production confirmed with Fiat, Guangzhou agreement

Filed under: SUV, China, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Jeep

Jeep Badge

Fiat has just finalized a deal originally set up in January between it and China’s Guangzhou Automotive Group to bring Jeep production to China. It remains unclear which models will be built, although we’re wagering that it’ll be the 2014 Cherokee. What we do know, now, is where production will take place.

According to Automotive News, Guangzhou originally wanted production to take place in its home assembly plant in its namesake city. Fiat has battled to send production to a joint venture facility established between Guangzhou and Fiat in the town of Changsha. The joint facility won out, and now the factory, originally built in 2010 with a 140,000-unit capacity, will see Jeeps rolling out of it.

Currently, the GAC-Fiat factory produces the Fiat Viaggio, a jointly developed product that is closely related to America’s Dodge Dart. And while it remains unclear as to which model will join the Viaggio on the assembly line, that model is understood to ride on Fiat’s Compact platform. The only Jeep to share those underpinnings is the new Cherokee, so there’s not much connecting of dots needed to see why this scenario would make sense.

Chinese Jeep production confirmed with Fiat, Guangzhou agreement originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Aug 2013 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Would-be car thief foiled by drunk driver ignition interlock

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Technology

A drunk driver prevented the theft of a TJ Maxx in Farmington, CT on Wednesday. Okay, not exactly. The drunk driver’s car prevented the theft. According to The Hartford Courant, three men swiped $4,500 worth of ladies handbags from the department store, but didn’t get very far. Store security noticed the heist and alerted authorities, who were waiting for the pilferers outside the store.

One man, Levar Fulgham, saw the police and booked it, hopping in a nearby idling car. The only problem, though, was the ignition interlock that was installed. The interlock, which prevented the car from being shifted into gear without first blowing into a breathalizer, was installed because the car’s owner had a few too many and got busted driving drunk (shame he didn’t have a good friend to try and take his keys).

After revving the engine and realizing he couldn’t get it into drive, Fulgham abandoned the car and continued his flight on foot. Police were forced to tase the thief before they could apprehend him. Fulgham was charged with third-, fourth- and sixth-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit fourth- and sixth-degree larceny, refusal to be fingerprinted and interfering with police.

Would-be car thief foiled by drunk driver ignition interlock originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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