Dodge Ram Rumble Bee concept lorry

Chrysler Group’s Ram Rumble Bee concept lorry unveiled Saturday in suburban Detroit could be the first vehicle in the history of the auto industry that comes with a genuine insect as standard equipment.

The truck is patterned after the classic Dodge Super Bee muscle car produced from 1968-71. Chrysler resurrected the model’s color theme for a limited edition run of lorries in 2003. The latest concept pays homage to the 2003 model.

Partsmakers take a hit

Europe’s top partsmakers had a tough 2012. Overall European sales by suppliers in the top 30 ranking fell

VW Group’s global sales rise 3% in July

Volkswagen Group said its global vehicle sales rose 3 percent to 757,700 in July, the smallest monthly gain since March

Magna posts 19% gain in profit, raises sales forecast on Europe recovery

Magna reported a 19 percent rise in second-quarter profit and lifted its 2013 sales forecast, buoyed by better-than-expected European and North American earnings

Porsche Macan poised to push brand past 200,000-unit target ahead of schedule

Porsche’s goal of surpassing annual vehicle sales of 200,000 will be reached up to four years ahead of schedule and the brand will become even more profitable, helped by the arrival next year of the Macan SUV.

GM to reduce reliance on South Korean output as labor costs rise, report says

GM has begun gradually cutting its presence in South Korea after mounting labor costs and militant unionism triggered a reevaluation of its reliance on the country for a fifth of its global production, sources say

Designer Uwe Bahnsen helped bring aero look to Ford

Uwe Bahnsen, a former Ford of Europe design boss who helped develop the automaker’s aerodynamic styling in the early 1980s, has died at the age of 83

Jianghuai hikes stake in Brazil joint venture

Jianghuai Automobile Co., a state-owned Chinese automaker, will raise its stake in the production joint venture it is now building in Brazil with Brazilian dealer group SNS Auto. JAC will increase the stake in the joint venture, JAC Motors do Brasil Automoveis SA, to 34 percent from originally 20 percent, the Chinese company said last week. That will leave SNS with a 66 percent stake in the joint venture, down from 80 percent.

Daimler to add Smart stores, models in China

Daimler’s Smart brand plans to introduce more models and expand its sales network in China in a bid to boost sales. The carmaker will introduce an electric version of its two-seat Smart ForTwo, plus a four-seat model being developed with Renault, Smart Managing Director Annette Winkler said in an interview. Smart expects to boost annual sales in China 15 percent in the next few years by tapping demand in cities with a population of more than 1 million, she said.

Two more cities consider caps on auto sales

Two more Chinese cities, the north China port city of Tianjin and the central China city of Wuhan, may restrict the sale of new cars in order to alleviate traffic congestion. Tianjin will take steps to limit the sale and use of vehicles at an “appropriate” time, the city’s municipal government said in an urban construction plan released last week.

SUV surge drives July sales up 11%

China’s light-vehicle sales increased 11 percent year-on-year to 1.2 million units in July, thanks to strong demand for SUVs and MPVs, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Last month, SUV sales surged 45 percent from a year earlier to 235,000 units while MPV sales jumped 94 percent to 71,800 units.

Visteon to sell Chinese JV stake to partner for $1.2 billion

Visteon agreed to sell its 50 percent stake in Chinese joint venture Yanfeng Visteon Automotive Trim Systems and its direct interest in certain YFV affiliates to its partner Huayu Automotive Systems Co.(HASCO) for about $1.2 billion

Renault’s Tavares says he’d like to run GM or Ford

Renault Chief Operating Officer Carlos Tavares admits he’s unlikely to succeed his boss Carlos Ghosn. So he wants to run General Motors or Ford instead

UK car dealer Lookers profits from recovery at home

UK dealer group Lookers said a recovery in its home market helped lift first-half pretax profit by 20 percent to 28.8 million pounds.

Jeff Schmitt Auto Group under fire in Ohio

Since December, Jeff Schmitt Auto Group has paid about $625,000 to resolve 16 civil lawsuits and five other complaints

Ford targets higher capital spending, dividend boost by mid-decade

Ford Motor today laid out a more ambitious mid-decade plan that includes a higher dividend and a 25 percent increase in capital spending, to take advantage of growing automotive demand worldwide.

Skoda’s sales dip 4% in July

Skoda said global sales of its vehicles fell 4 percent to 69,700 units in July. Deliveries in the first seven months were down 6 percent at 534,300 vehicles

Infiniti names former hotel exec Gillet to head global marketing

Infiniti has named Vincent Gillet, a former executive at the Starwood Hotels & Resorts chain, as its global marketing chief.

Citroen fights to shake ‘taxi’ image in China

Citroen wants to develop an upscale image in China, but it’s not easy because when people there see a Citroen on the road it is often being used as a taxi

 A remote city showcases China’s huge growth potential

Auto sales in China have slowed since 2010 and several coastal Chinese cities have started curbing new-car sales to ease traffic congestion. This has led many observers to question the future of auto demand. Can auto sales in China continue to grow?