Report: Dana coughs up $25M to Toyota over rusty Tacoma frames

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Recalls, Toyota

1998 Toyota Tacoma

1998 Toyota Tacoma

When an automaker is forced to issue a recall, the defective part or feature is generally the fault of the automaker or of an OEM supplier it contracted to. In the case of the Toyota Tacoma – part of a 110,000-unit recall in 2009 – the problem appears to have been traced back to the supplier. And now the supplier is forced to pay for its mistakes.

The company in question, according to reports, is Dana, the Ohio-based OEM contractor supplying (among other components) axles and driveshafts for automobiles, commercial trucks and heavy equipment. In this case, it supplied the frames for the Tacoma pickup which were found to rust when exposed to road salt.

Although in 2010 Dana sold the plant that manufactures the frame to Mexican conglomerate Grupo Porza’s Metalsa subsidiary, since the component in question was built prior to the sale (from 1995 to 2000), Dana has reportedly been forced to shell out $25 million to Toyota over the issue.

[Source: Reuters]

Report: Dana coughs up $25M to Toyota over rusty Tacoma frames originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Brown’s rusty old Aston sells for £200k at auction

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Auctions, Aston Martin, UK

1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII Drophead

David Brown’s 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII Drophead – Click above for high-res images

How much would you pay for a rusty old car? A couple grand, if it had real potential? More? How about $319,000? That’s how much one rusty old Aston Martin recently sold for at auction, and needless to say, it far exceeded pre-auction estimates.

Of course, this 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII drophead is no ordinary old car. It belonged to the legendary David Brown himself, the former Aston boss whose initials still grace the company’s GTs to this day. The car’s been sitting under a tarp, hidden from the world for 30 years. Naturally it’s not exactly in tip-top condition at this point, and it’ll require a significant amount of work to be brought up to spec.

“A rolling restoration project” is how auctioneers Barons British Heritage called it. We’ll call it a labor of love, and a mighty expensive one at that. Details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII drophead, ex-David Brown

[Source: Barons]

Continue reading David Brown’s rusty old Aston sells for £200k at auction

David Brown’s rusty old Aston sells for £200k at auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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