Automotive acquisition values dropped 45% in 2008
Merger and acquisition activity in the global automotive industry fell off a cliff in 2008, and isn't likely to recover until the global economy improves and credit become more available to companies and financial institutions.

Automotive Manufacturers Continue to Focus Heavily on Sustained Investment in New Technologies
DETROIT, January 8, 2009: In the next five years automotive manufacturers are expected to be intently focused on investing heavily in new models/products and new technologies to satisfy consumer demand in purchasing fuel efficient, affordable cars, according to an annual global survey by KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm.

Austrian government agrees to help automotive industry - Summary
Vienna - Austria's government and the country's automotive industry on Thursday agreed on measures to alleviate the effects of the crisis gripping the global car industry. The measures include prolonging the time that short-time work is subsidised wi...

Inilex Acquires SkyWay Systems, Expanding Its Telemetry Automotive Solutions
Inilex , a leading provider of intelligent telemetry solutions, today announced the acquisition of SkyWay Systems ? automotive telemetry business. SkyWay provides telemetry safety and security features for the commercial consumer automotive and enterprise fleet markets. The completed acquisition means expanded capabilities for in-vehicle safety and security services and positions Inilex at the ...

Austrian automotive industry calls for government support
Vienna - Austria's automotive industry on Thursday called on the government to help alleviate the effects of the current crisis which has gripped the global car industry. The crisis has fully hit us. More than 7,500 are already working short time, ...

Embedded Security Leader Discretix Showcases Automotive Security Solutions During CES 09
Discretix, the leading global provider of embedded security solutions, today announced it is presenting its innovative security technologies to the automotive industry during the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show, January 8-11 in Las Vegas. Unique within the digital security realm, Discretix offers a range of solutions that can ensure world-class security for vehicle control systems ...

James Huffines Jr., automotive businessman and philanthropist, dies at 85
James Lecil ?J.L.? Huffines Jr. built his family?s automotive business into a highly recognized retail brand in North Texas. Along the way, he distinguished himself as a civic leader and philanthropist.

CNN's 2008's Automotive Winners and Losers
Washington DC January 7, 2009; The AIADA newsletter reported that even as grateful manufacturers and dealers bid goodbye to 2008, the worst year for sales in decades, CNN was looking back and compiling a list of automotive winners and losers for the year.

AUTOMOTIVE Q&A: Buddy, can you spare a tire? Temporary fixes save the day
Advertisement: General Equipment & Supplies Leica Builder. Find out what it can do for you! Starting at $5405, with memory starting at $6495. For more details Contact Dave at 800-437-2924 or email dbroten@genequip.com

Hartwell automotive parts plant lays off 40 percent of work force
Special to the Independent-Mail The Hartwell plant of Illinois-based Tenneco plans to lay off roughly 40 percent of its employees through at least the end of January.

Unipart Automotive Launches Type Approval Awareness Campaign
OXFORD, United Kingdom ? January 7, 2009: Unipart Automotive, the UK?s largest independent supplier of car parts, is launching a campaign to help the trade understand and promote the benefits of Type Approved exhaust systems to the consumer.

Detroit automakers urged to enter X Prize race
The $10 million Progressive Automotive X Prize wants Detroit's Big Three automakers and other major companies to take part in its road race next year to see who can build a vehicle that gets 100 miles per gallon.

Site of the Day
Car lovers rejoice, there's yet another automotive blog.

Ford touts its leadership in in-car connectivity
During a CES keynote address, Alan Mulally, the CEO of the automotive giant, talked up his company's initiatives in getting Internet-based applications into millions of its cars.

Another plan to save the automotive industry
Dear Editor, The crises in the automotive industry puts five percent of the North American economy at immediate risk. At stake are not just the [...]

Recession Putting the Brakes on Auto Jobs
The automotive industry is dumping jobs faster than a NASCAR racer can accelerate. Car sales are reeling from tight credit and declining consumer confidence.

Auto sales squeezed in 5.6% growth last year
THE automotive industry sold 124,449 units in 2008, posting a 5.6-percent growth from 2007 despite the impact of the global financial crisis.

Recession may force extended idling of Granite City Works
National Steel's plant in Granite City. ( David Carson/P-D) The sudden idling of United States Steel Corp.'s Granite City Works, announced last month, was the result of a swift, dramatic collapse in demand that hit the domestic steel industry at the end of 2008. As the credit crisis this fall caused the overall economy to freeze up, the automotive and construction sectors ? two of the largest ...

ArvinMeritor to sell light vehicle division in pieces
A credit crunch and falling vehicle sales has prompted Troy supplier ArvinMeritor Inc. to change its plans to sell its automotive parts business. The plan, for now, is to no longer sell the business as a whole, the company said today.

Harris County Sheriff?s Office reports for Dec. 30 to Jan. 2
On December 30, 2009, Harris County Sheriff?s Deputies T. Berry and A. Vera responded to the Christian Brothers Automotive located at 24155 Tomball Parkway in reference to an alarm call. When they arrived it appeared a vehicle had been driven through the large over-head glass door of one of the repair bays. Pieces of broken tail light were found just outside the bay door and collected as ...