U.S. factory output rose in April on stronger autos

Washington — U.S. factory output increased in April, helped by a gain in auto production. Busier factories have driven stronger hiring this year and helped the economy grow.

Ex-Ford CEO 'Red' Poling steered firm through 1980s turnaround

Harold Arthur “Red” Poling, a former Ford Motor Co. chairman and CEO who helped revive the troubled automaker during the 1980s and launched the Taurus, died Saturday at his home in Pacific Grove, Calif. He was 86.

GM making 600 new hires at Lansing plant to build Cadillac ATS

Delta Township — General Motors Co. will hire a majority of new-to-GM employees as it adds a second shift at its Lansing Grand River assembly plant to build the Cadillac ATS, a plant official said Tuesday.

Ex-government officials refuse to cooperate with Delphi pension probe

Washington — A government investigation into the Treasury Department’s role in the decision of General Motors Co. to “top up” the pensions of hourly retirees at Delphi Corp. has been stymied because three former administration officials refuse to cooperate.

GM unfriends Facebook, pulls $10M in ads

General Motors Co., the world’s largest automaker and one of its biggest advertisers, confirmed Wednesday it will halt paid advertising on social media website Facebook.

Ally to keep U.S. loan unit

Washington — Detroit-based Ally Financial Inc., the nation’s largest new-car lender, has no plans to sell its U.S. auto lending operations, the company’s chief executive said Tuesday.

Buffett’s firm buys 10 million GM shares

Warren Buffett’s company is apparently bullish on the U.S. auto industry. His company, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., took a new 10-million-share stake in General Motors Co. in the first quarter.

Safety agency aims to stop bus, truck rollovers

Washington— Manufacturers would have to equip large trucks and buses with safety systems that help prevent rollover accidents through computer-controlled braking, under new regulations proposed Wednesday by the government.

BofA: Ford to replace 26% of lineup through 2016

Ford Motor Co. will lead the industry in introducing new or refreshed vehicles in the U.S. at the fastest rate for model years 2013 through 2016, according to a Bank of America Merrill Lynch report.

Nissan expands U.S. Altima capacity to challenge Toyota Camry

Nissan Motor Co. said it plans to run three daily assembly shifts at U.S. plants building a revamped Altima, as the company tries to challenge Toyota Motor Corp.'s Camry, the top-selling U.S. passenger car.

GM interested in acquiring Ally’s foreign operations

Washington — General Motors — which owned the auto and mortgage lender Ally Financial Inc. until 2006 and still holds a 9.9 percent stake in the company — said it will consider a bid for Ally’s international operations.

Europe gambit bets on Chevy

General Motors Co.’s plan to reverse its decade-long slide in Europe finally is taking shape, and one part of the emerging solution may be Chevrolet.

Supplier to buy ex-Mopar site, add 450 jobs

A major auto supplier will invest $60 million and add 450 jobs as it acquires the New Boston Chrysler Mopar site in Wayne County.

Ford ad campaign bucks traditional principles to build ‘intrigue’

Ford Motor Co. plans to launch its new models and appeal to the coasts with a new advertising campaign that leverages its national reputation for promoting ...

NTSB urges new fight against drunken driving deaths

Washington —The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday called for a renewed push to cut down on drunken driving deaths.

Former administration officials refuse to be interviewed in Delphi probe

Washington -A government investigation into the Treasury Department's role in the decision of General Motors Co. to "top up" the pensions of hourly retirees at ...

German brands widen lead in U.S. luxury auto market

As Germany's luxury carmakers battle among themselves for global leadership, they have widened their lead in the U.S. over other premium brands that have been ...

GM reported to be hiring team leaders at Tennessee plant

Columbia, Tenn.— A union official says about 60 team leaders will be hired in about two weeks for the General Motors plant in Spring Hill, Tenn.

Suppliers like working with Detroit’s Big 3

Automotive suppliers increasingly see Detroit's Big Three as easier to work with, as foreign competitors slide into disfavor, according to an annual study of ...

ResCap bankruptcy may come today

Washington — The struggling mortgage unit of Detroit-based Ally Financial Inc. is expected to file for bankruptcy in New York early today after the board ...

GM to offer Chevy Trax outside United States

Detroit— General Motors Co. said Monday that later this year it will begin offering a new small Chevrolet SUV outside the United States that eventually ...

GM, Opel consider expanding European Chevy construction to improve capacity

General Motors Co. and its Opel division in Europe are evaluating production of Chevrolet-brand cars in the region in an effort to improve profitability, the ...

NHTSA investigating Hyundai Elantra air bags

Washington -The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday it has opened a preliminary investigation into 123,000 2012 Elantra cars over ...

GM's Akerson: U.S. political system is 'broken'

General Motors chairman and CEO Dan Akerson told graduates at Columbia University Sunday that the U.S. political system is broken - and noted that the decline ...

Car rental by the minute gaining traction in Europe

Daimler AG is flooding Berlin with Smart cars to claim a greater share of Europe's burgeoning rent-by-the-minute urban auto market.

Low tire pressure causing crashes

A new government study says 5 percent of vehicles involved in crashes experienced tire problems. The study warned that underinflated tires are at significantly ...

Idea man Carroll Shelby was auto legend

The great snake charmer, Carroll Shelby, the force behind Ford’s Cobra Mustangs and Chrysler’s Viper racing and high-performance street machines, died Thursday ...

Lexus LS offers value while retaining luxury

With a starting retail price of $68,505, the 2012 Lexus LS sedan is bargain-priced compared to European competitors.