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Baltimore dealer Edward Drieband thought selling lifetime tire replacement policies would increase repeat business at his dealerships. Instead he has a bevy of upset customers and is out $130,000 for claims he has honored without reimbursement. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 2

Three years after arriving at Ford Motor Co., CEO Alan Mulally has flexible manufacturing plants and global vehicles ready to go. Throw in the weak U.S. dollar, and that means Ford now could even export vehicles made in its U.S. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 2

Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda is rewriting his U.S. playbook to revive battered sales and a tattered image. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 2

Alternative power brings a fresh surge of patents

The auto industry's scramble into new kinds of vehicle power has unleashed a tidal wave of technology patents that will make their way into vehicles in the coming decade. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 2

Giving service a jump-start

Dealers are finding it harder to keep their service departments full. New-car dealers booked $81. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 2

28 innovators are finalists for PACE Awards

Twenty-eight finalists have been chosen for the 2010 Automotive News PACE Awards. PACE stands for Premier Automotive Suppliers' Contribution to Excellence. Here are the categories and finalists and their innovations, by category. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 2

Jim Press saga: A hero falls, hard

In June, after Fiat had taken control of Chrysler, the new owners sent Jim Press to Washington to defend Chrysler's quick, harsh closing of 789 dealerships. This was an especially tough assignment. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 26

Honda tears up its old product plan

Honda Motor Co. is reviewing its entire lineup with the aim of building less expensive and more fuel-efficient vehicles, Honda CEO Takanobu Ito says. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 26

Strong yen pulls more auto production to U.S.

To combat the yen's profit-pounding surge against the dollar, Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. are ready to shift more car production from Japan to the United States. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 26

Japan: We're ready for 2016 CAFE standard

The 2009 Tokyo Motor Show may have been light on world debuts, but its ecological theme showed that Japanese automakers are taking the global stiffening of fuel economy and emissions regulations seriously. The message: Japan Inc. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 26

How crisis turned Diehl into dealer

Corina Diehl is a cute blonde with a raunchy sense of humor who can set a man back on his heels when she starts talking. But it's not the F-bombs she lets fly that makes her unusual in the world of car dealers. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 26

Hyundai marketer Ewanick goes face to face with the customer

Hyundai is one of only three brands that increased U.S. sales through the first nine months of the year. And Hyundai's U.S. market share has risen more than any other brand's in 2009. Marketing has been an important factor. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 26

Farley: Ford can't waste a single marketing dollar

Changing the public perception of Ford Motor Co. vehicles was Job 1 for Jim Farley when he came on board as the automaker's chief marketer in late 2007. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 26

GM could survive an Opel split

As General Motors Co. sells a controlling interest of Opel to Canadian supplier Magna International Inc. and a Russian bank, CEO Fritz Henderson is adamant: GM will continue to need Opel's expertise in small cars and gasoline engines. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 19

2 groups resume hunt for stores

In another sign that the economy is starting to improve, the CEOs of two public dealership groups say they intend to start buying stores again. Sid DeBoer, CEO of Lithia Motors Inc., wants to use cash from Lithia's Oct. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 19

Chrysler's two-time casualties

When Chuck Fortinberry heard in May that Chrysler would terminate his new-car franchises in suburban Detroit, he overcame his shock and quickly created a new business plan. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 19

Audi in America: 40 years of growth, turbulence and resurrection

Audi celebrates 100 years of making automobiles this year and 40 years of doing business in the United States. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 19

New board wants to reinvent GM

CEO Fritz Henderson steered General Motors through a 39-day bankruptcy procedure this summer. But the really hard part lies ahead. He must make GM profitable. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 19

Subaru chief eyes record sales, greener cars

What recession? That's the question at Subaru. While rival automakers struggled amid a 27 percent drop in total U.S. sales in the first nine months of the year, Subaru racked up an impressive 10 percent sales gain. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 19

IPO for GM? If it can perform

The board of General Motors Co. will set targets in December that will help determine whether the restructured company is healthy enough to go public in the second half of 2010, CEO Fritz Henderson said. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 12

Life under Marchionne: New stars, hasty exits

In June, CEO Sergio Marchionne elevated Peter Fong and Michael Accavitti to lofty positions in the new Chrysler Group -- Fong as CEO of the Chrysler brand and Accavitti as CEO of Dodge. They lasted only four months before resigning last week. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 12

Adapt or perish

Clint McJenkins is grateful that the store he runs, Tuscaloosa Hyundai, outperforms the market on new-car sales. But he acknowledges lousy conditions are dragging down the central Alabama dealership's finance and insurance operations. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 12

Bob Lutz: GM ads will sharpen images of vehicles, brands

Bob Lutz, General Motors Co.'s marketing chief, is in a hurry to improve consumers' perception of GM vehicles and define struggling brands such as Buick. Lutz, 77, spoke about the challenges ahead. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 12

For Audi's Scott Keogh, poking fun has a purpose

Audi of America's marketing has been edgy and irreverent for the past three years. It's a change that began when Scott Keogh became director of marketing in 2006. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 12

Mercedes ads downplay luxury, stress safety

At a time when ostentatious spending has become almost taboo, Mercedes commercials are touting attributes such as safety and technology. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 12

Tokyo show shrinks, but still aims to electrify

The Tokyo Motor Show, once known as Asia's premier international auto exhibition, will be a domestic event this year. Almost all major international players canceled plans to attend because of the economic crisis. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 12

Wind-down terms anger Saturn dealers

Saturn dealers woke up last Thursday morning to the grim reality that their brand was dead, Roger Penske was not going to save them and General Motors Co. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 5

Q4 shapes up as a marketing free-for-all

Shaking off a lousy, post-clunker September -- one more miserable month in a tough, turbulent year -- automakers see the fourth quarter as a race to grab loose market share. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 5

Europeans pile on the green bandwagon

After years of dragging their feet, European brands have embraced electric and hybrid vehicles with surprising zeal. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 5

Daimler moves into alternative technology

Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG, is betting the future will be filled with fuel cell cars. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 5

Life on Saturn? It's up to Penske

Like every other Saturn dealer, Lou Sobh is clinging to one last hope: Roger Penske. "I had eight Saturn stores," says Sobh. "I'm now down to three. I will soon be down to one. We need to have some quick results." 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 28

Forecast for Q4 output: Up, at last

Auto production is expected to top 2008 levels in the fourth quarter -- the first year-over-year quarterly increase in two years. Leading the way is Ford Motor Co. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 28

Ed who? How chairman became GM's ad star

Inside the new General Motors Co., executives are seeking the right voice for the recently bankrupt company and its surviving brands. It's a struggle. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 28

Sources: Chrysler sedans to survive

With Fiat-based replacements still at least two years away, Chrysler Group has delayed plans to kill its slow-selling Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger, sources say. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 28

Ex-dealer Hecker is target of grand jury

A federal grand jury has been convened in Minneapolis to consider whether bankrupt Minnesota dealer and auto entrepreneur Denny Hecker should face criminal charges. Jeanne Cooney, a spokeswoman for the U.S. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 28

Chrysler-Fiat's grand brand plan

A Chrysler brand with more luxury than Cadillac. A Dodge brand known for driving dynamics. A Jeep lineup that is -- well, Jeep. And vehicles to cover every market segment so that wildly fluctuating fuel prices won't destroy sales. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 21

Dealers hunt for used cars

For the first time in decades, new-car dealers are pounding the pavement in search of used cars to sell. They're critically short of stock at a time when used-car customers have begun to stream onto their lots. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 21

Toyota shape-up plan includes ad push, product, quality blitz

Facing a roomful of anxious dealers, Toyota's top brass last week laid out a broad plan to reverse the company's slide in market share. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 21

Guide to Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Programs

The Guide to Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Programs. The special section offers a comprehensive guide to all certified pre-owned programs in the United States as well as certified pre-owned sales, month-by-month, for 2008. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 21

Nissan's Mr. K: Still blunt at 100 (about that 370Z ...)

Legendary Nissan pioneer Yutaka Katayama, known to fans in the United States as Mr. K, is aging just as well as the sporty Z car he championed four decades ago. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 21

The worst is over, execs say

The bottom of the financial crisis has been hit, industry executives said here last week. But a full recovery will be a long, slow process that may not occur until at least 2012. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 21

GM dumps Sept. Chevy truck sale

To concentrate on image and product advertising, General Motors Co. is forgoing the traditional Chevrolet truck sale in September, marketing chief Bob Lutz said last week. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 21

Deep freeze for dealership deals

The credit crisis has popped the franchise bubble, slashing dealership prices to levels not seen since the mid-1990s, before dealers started going public. And prices may sink further before they begin to recover. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 14

So far, no supplier bloodbath -- but is that really good news?

In the spring, as auto suppliers braced for the bankruptcies of Chrysler and General Motors and steep production cuts by other automakers, their industry associations pleaded for a federal bailout of up to $10 billion to prevent a bloodbath of... 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 14

Post-clunker paralysis hits showrooms

The showroom misery after cash for clunkers was every bit as bad as dealers and automakers had feared. Maybe worse. Sales didn't just slip back to pre-clunker levels, as many had hoped. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 14

Honda's future designs are hidden in plain sight

Keeping prying eyes and spy photographers away from future vehicles is paramount for vehicle designers and product planners. And no company plays it closer to the vest than Honda. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 14

A hands-on boss gives GM a nudge

Ed Whitacre, once unknown in the auto industry, is shaking up the boardroom at General Motors Co. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 14

Thinner carpet, fewer brands

Automotive executives will hobnob, parry with reporters and display glittering new products this week at the Frankfurt auto show. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 14

Banks spurn SBA's floorplan program; dealers still stuck

A federal program meant to guarantee floorplan financing for dealers is off to a rocky start. Even with the guarantee, banks aren't lending. After four months, only three small dealerships have been approved for a total of $4. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 7

Clunkers swelled dealer profits

For all of its hassles, red tape and late payments, cash for clunkers added dramatically to most car dealers' profits in August. Many cleared their lots, often at high-margin sticker prices. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 7

Dealers say typical shopper might not get financing

A year ago, the collapse of the housing market blew up the global credit system and its loosey-goosey lending policies. Car dealers are still hurting today. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 7

Luxury-EV war likely at Frankfurt show

German premium automakers appear ready to try to outdo each other with eye-catching electric supercars at the Frankfurt auto show. BMW says it will unveil a plug-in diesel-electric supercar concept. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 7

Chrysler's new strategy: Go it alone

Under the leadership of Sergio Marchionne, Chrysler Group is unwinding alliances with other carmakers -- a strategy pursued by former owner Cerberus Capital Management. Instead, Marchionne, CEO of Chrysler and Fiat S.p.A. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 7

Mini will add stores; vacancies of Detroit 3 are prime sites

Mini expects to grow to 120 U.S. dealerships by 2012, up from 86 today, the brand's North American chief says. Mini currently plans to add 19 stores, said Jim McDowell, vice president for Mini at BMW of North America. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 7

Study: Loan terms are getting shorter

The recent trend toward longer auto loans is reversing, a new study suggests. The average loan term for both new- and used-vehicle purchases declined in the first half of 2009, reports the research firm Experian Automotive. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 7

Sell the house, cancel donations: A grimmer retirement for execs

Jim Holden won't be writing a five-figure check to the United Way this year. Jack Thompson recently canceled a trip to Europe. 12:01 am U.S. ET | Aug. 31