Have you seen the latest ExxonMobil TV spot promoting how the corporation is "advancing hydrogen technology" for the cars of the future? Visually, the spot is typical - boring, even - of what you'd expect from a super-conservative politically-motivated multi-billion dollar quasi-governmental conglom...

To Alfred DiMora, designing, building and selling a $2 million limited-production super-exotic sedan seemed like a good enough idea in 2007. The economy was flush and more than enough hedge fund captains and assorted other Masters of the Universe were spending money like water and buying-up (while s...

Most of this happened yesterday: General Motors and Chrysler FAX'd and emailed their viability plans to the White House and Congress late Tuesday afternoon (nice title for a Moody Blues song, no? Don't mind my references; I'm old). GM says its Saturn division, Roger Smith's $10 billion (minimum) tri...

Well, there they go again. Republicans took aim at two parts of the now-passed stimulus and recovery bill which would have helped the entire US auto industry, new car buyers and our nation's air quality, while lowering our reliance on foreign oil. The bill passed by Congress yesterday throws a one-t...

If a hallmark of a great leader is to challenge those around him or her to achieve what they never could before, while encouraging them along the way, Detroit and the world's carmakers might yet propose President Barack Obama be crowned King of the World. Or not. The Detroit News reports that Presid...

From the ever-increasing "promises kept" department: Edmunds.com reports that Ray LaHood, the former Illinois GOP congressman who was picked by President Obama to serve as Secretary of Transportation, told the Senate Commerce Committee this week that Mr. Obama "won't have to push me very hard" to ge...

In all the excitement over the inauguration, it's important to keep in mind how serious are the trials and tribulations affecting the Detroit Three's hundreds of thousands of employees, including those of their supplier companies and dealerships. The past few days brought the worst possible news: Fo...

While the White House struggles to figure out how to appear to be helping Detroit and still screw the UAW, it's a good time to see how motor sports are reacting to the ruined world economy. No sport is more dependent on sponsor dollars than motorsports. With car sales suffering worldwide, the market...

The only thing worse than October's US car and truck sales are November's. GM, Ford, Toyota and Honda sales all dropped more than 30% compared to November, 2007. Ford declined for the 12th consecutive month. GM plunged more than 40% for the second straight month. Even mighty Toyota was down for the ...

What this post does, I hope, is create awareness of how huge and crucial the car-making business is throughout the world. Here's some of what's happening (mostly with GM) in Europe and Asia, two markets outside the U.S. hit hardest by the slowing automobile business: 1- Poland General Motors has bee...