Disclosure sought on 'opt out' for side airbags | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- The nation's top auto safety regulator will ask automakers to disclose whether they allow fleet customers to opt out of buying side airbags or other safety equipment. Starting in the 2011 model year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "will begin requesting that vehicle manufacturers specifically state whether fleet models have different safety equipment from those sold at dealerships. Any differences will be noted in the ratings information provided," the agency's acting chief, Ron...

Delphi salaried retirees sue to block pension takeover | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- A group of Delphi Corp. salaried retirees filed suit Monday against the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., the government's pension insurer. The 14-page suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit, warns that many salaried retirees will lose a substantial portion of their pensions after the Troy-based auto suppliers terminated its hourly and salaried pension plans and turned them over to the PBGC. Last month, Delphi signed over its pension plans to PBGC, which cleared the way for an immediate takeover...

Behemoths to the fore in Frankfurt as sales window threatens to shut | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- It will be like going to one of Frank Sinatra's final performances for visitors to the Frankfurt Car Show. They will come away saying we might never see the likes of that again. Children and grandchildren will one day hear barely believable tales of long extinct, gas guzzling 150 mph beasts like Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Ferraris, Aston Martins, Jaguars and Porsches which were on show at the 2009 Frankfurt Car Show. Anybody could buy them, as long as they had the money. The global car industry is on...

American Axle's stock is on the rise | detnews.com | The Detroit News
American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc., a supplier of axles for General Motors Co. light trucks, rose to its highest mark since September 2008 after a Barclays Capital analyst raised his rating on the shares. Financial results will beat analysts' estimates as early as this quarter as full-size pickup sales recover after the government's "cash for clunkers" incentive program, Barclays Brian Johnson in Chicago said in a report Friday. He boosted his rating to overweight/neutral from equal...

Bill would use stimulus cash to pay for Delphi retirees' health care | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- A Senate bill introduced Friday would pay for health care coverage for tens of thousands of Delphi Corp. retirees who have lost their insurance. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, introduced legislation that would shift up to $3 billion from the $787 billion stimulus bill approved in February to pay for health care coverage for about 65,000 retirees and their dependents. The bill would create a Voluntary Employees' Beneficiary Association, or VEBA, to provide health coverage to hourly workers in the...

Automakers, banks, must disclose 'luxury' expense policy | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- In an effort to put a halt to the $1,400 trash can and the $50 million jet, corporate bailout recipients must disclose by Monday policies limiting "luxury expenditures." In June, the Treasury Department imposed a number of restrictions on automakers and financial institutions that received government loans under the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program. The requirement came after Congress said companies that received TARP funds, including Chrysler Group LLC, GMAC Inc., Chrysler Financial LLC...

Car dealers fight slow sales after end of Clunkers | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- As Gene Butman Ford opened its doors Saturday, salesmen outnumbered the shoppers looking at a depleted stock of cars and trucks, and it didn't appear that many customers were ready to buy. Like many dealers across the country, the dealership in Ypsilanti Township is suffering from a Cash for Clunkers hangover, and Sales Manager Paul Grahl isn't sure when it will end. "We're getting some traffic, but my business is a long way from healthy," said the longtime salesman. "We suspect it's going to be 90...

Samoa Switches to Left-Hand Driving
There are only few countries in the world that have left-side driving, but another one is joining the group: Samoa has just announced about switching from driving on the right side on the road to the left. The drivers were not ready for the change this is why there have been some protests throughout the country. The switch took place at 6 a.m. on Monday, September, 7. In order to help the drivers adjust to new rules, the government mandated a two-day holiday and set spectators along the roads to watch...

Dealers paid $1.22 billion to date under 'cash for clunkers' | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said today the administration has paid auto dealers $1.22 billion for 289,000 of the 690,000 vehicles sold under the "cash for clunkers" program. LaHood said the department has 5,000 people working to process voucher requests and will complete payments by the end of the month. Dealers have sought about $2.877 billion during the program that ended Aug.24. The department has said it expects to spend about $100 million administering the program that offered consumers...

New E2 Sport Sedan Lineup
Australia Holden Special Vehicles is launching a new line of sedans: E2 sport. The main model is GTS which is styled in a unique way and priced high: around $70,075. The new E2 sport sedan has LS3 V8 power plant which outputs 436 horsepower. It features specific front and rear styling with hood scoops. The manufacturer also equipped it with high-flow intermediate exhaust with bi-modal muffler, electronic stability control, launch control on manual transmission models, four-piston front and rear brakes...