DETROIT — Already contending it's the fastest-growing brand in the country, the brain trust for General Motors' Buick division recently gathered with industry partners to shape future strategy for design, engineering, marketing and advertising. The results of the gathering are what executives believe are keys to pushing Buick to potential buyers, which include sculpted designs, luxurious […] [Read More]

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — In the latest development to the potential sale of a major player in the rental-car market, Avis Budget Group revealed late Thursday afternoon that it has filed for antitrust approval of its potential acquisition of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group. Specifically, Avis Budget officials said the company filed notification with federal antitrust authorities under […] [Read More]

NORTHBROOK, Ill. — Donlen announced this week that it has hired a new senior vice president of client relations. Appointed to serve in the post was Jim Kachidurian, who was previously the senior vice president of corporate lending at GE Capital, a role in which he worked primarily with Fortune 500 companies. "We are excited to […] [Read More]

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. — Hyundai Motor America promoted one of its executives with 25 years of industry experience to be its vice president of marketing. On Tuesday,president and chief executive officer John Krafcik announced that Chris Perry would be responsible for all of Hyundai marketing communications and brand development in the United States. Since 2007, Perry […] [Read More]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The editors who compile rankings for U.S. News & World Report recently made their selections for the best new vehicles about to hit dealer showrooms. Of the five vehicles they selected, only one came from a domestic manufacturer. That vehicle was the 2011 Ford Fiesta. The other units included in the rankings were the […] [Read More]

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Nissan North America is offering its support to help Tennesseans recover from the flooding that devastated the state where it is headquartered.  Nissan donated $200,000 in cash to the American Red Cross in Middle Tennessee and $50,000 cash to the Second Harvest Food Bank. Moreover, the company said it will match up to $50,000 […] [Read More]

AUBURN HLLS, Mich. — An initial public offering evidently is on the radar of top Chrysler executives. Chief executive officer Sergio Marchionne described the company as having a "strengthening base" for one, but stopped short of giving a specific date when a capital-raising event might occur. During a conference call earlier this week, Marchionne was asked about […] [Read More]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the latest chapter of the automaker's recall-related challenges, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is now investigating how Toyota handled a steering relay rod recall back in the mid-2000s. Basically, NHTSA is seeking to find out if Toyota Motor Corp. brought the matter to the attention of proper authorities within the mandatory […] [Read More]

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — GE Capital Fleet Services recently broke down how it identified $65 million in cost savings for its fleet operations customers during the first quarter of this year. Four factors that reduced costs and streamlined processes came together to create the total, including: —Total-cost-of-ownership analysis ($18 million): Using cost analysis to evaluate and […] [Read More]

YONKERS, N.Y. — In some good news for the automaker, Consumer Reports has removed its "Don't Buy: Safety Risk" tag it placed on the 2010 Lexus GX 460 last month when it found the SUV had potential roll-over issues. Consumer Reports said the recall work fixed the issue. After the publication announced the "Don't Buy" label, […] [Read More]