REPORT: Ex-GM VP Bo Andersson to run Russia's GAZ originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

REPORT: McNabb left GM premium post for Maserati position originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 May 2009 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Rolls-Royce 200EX concept

Rolls-Royce to double workforce ahead of Ghost production originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 May 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tom Purves, Chairman of BMW North America, is getting a new desk -- one that is adorned with a silver Flying Lady. As of July 1, Purves will take over as the CEO of BMW's Rolls-Royce brand in Goodwood, England. Replacing Tom Purves as the CEO of BMW's North American Unit will be Jim O'Donnell, who has occupied the No. 2 seat since the beginning of this month.

Purves is no stranger to Rolls-Royce. He spent the first 17 years of his career there occupying several different management positions. The timing for his departure from BMW is interesting, though. BMW has a mandatory retirement age of 60. Coincidentally, that just happens to be the age Purves will celebrate on his birthday this November. Rolls-Royce, one of the most prestigious automakers in the world, doesn't have a mandatory retirement age.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

BMW North America Chairman to become Rolls-Royce CEO originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Good news for Detroit: Big 3 gearing up for hiring binge originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Blame the plunging greenback. Less than a week after BMW announced the expansion of their U.S. Spartanburg plant, we are getting news from Germany that the weak dollar is making it increasingly difficult for the German automaker to keep production on their soil and that layoffs are imminent. Ernst Baumann, BMW's head of personnel, said 5,600 jobs in Germany will be cut by the end of the year. When you add that to the 2,500 positions already eliminated, the total represents about 7.6-percent of BMW's workforce.

While the layoffs are bad news for German factory workers, the flip side of the coin may benefit their American counterparts. With the value of the Euro sitting at more than $1.50 at current exchange rates, European automakers are finding manufacturing on U.S. soil more attractive (read that "cost effective") than ever. BMW manufactured about 155,000 vehicle on U.S. soil last year. By 2012, that number is planned to approach 240,000 cars. BMW sales worldwide reached 198,628 in January and February, up from 191,357 the same period last year. With the new BMW 1 Series and BMW X6 models hitting showrooms in 2008, BMW is forecasting yet another year of increased sales.

[Source: Detroit News]

BMW to increase U.S. production in 2012 while cutting jobs in Germany originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Single-engine jet-powered dragster seeking female companion for thrilling adventure across salt flats. Petite build. Background in motorsports or aviation. With sponsors. Interested parties please contact Eric Ahlstrom (eahlstrom@pyramid.net), program manager, Steve Fossett World Land Speed Racing Team.

It's not exactly the kind of personal add you'd normally find in your local newspaper, but those are the criteria required by a team mounting the latest attempt at the land speed record. The 48-foot-long land-bound jet is powered by a 40,000-hp S&S LM-1500 turbine mounted in a sleek, aerodynamic body that is claimed to have less than a quarter the drag coefficient of the Trust SSC, the - ahem - "vehicle", if you could call it that, which currently holds the record.

Unfortunately, the design of the jetmobile necessitated a tiny cockpit, so they need a tiny driver to operate the thing. The pilot will be involved in each step along the road to the record attempt, including feedback on developmental runs and system tests slated for the next couple of months before they finally make a run at the record. Anyone have Danica Patrick's number? Oh wait, we do!

[Source: Inside Line]

Jet-powered record-breaker seeks petite woman originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dream Job: Bentley launches online employment portal originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you're a recent college graduate with a desire to land an automotive gig, you may want to send your resume Audi's way. The fast-growing German luxury brand is hiring 800 new grads this year, up 200 from 2007. The official Audi presser, which is available after the jump, emphasizes that the increase in new hires is necessary to "significantly expand our product range and develop new cars." Engineers are the top priority, as one-third of all new hires will enter technical development to work on diesel engines, innovative hybrid drive solutions and alternative fuels. If you haven't got an engineering degree, the four-ringed automaker is also pining for collegiate grads with Economics degrees for marketing and sales activities.

We're out of the running since Audi isn't looking for bloggers at this time, but if you apply for the job and get an interview, tell them we sent you. Maybe we'll get a referral bonus or a week in the R8. If that doesn't work out, we'll be content to wait on the new products and powertrains.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi hiring 800 in 2008

Audi hiring 800 in 2008 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As Toyota continues its quest for world domination, they've chosen a location in northeastern Mississippi to build a new $800 million plant. The location, known as the Wellspring Project Megasite, is situated well for heavy manufacturing and was surely shopped hard to big industry like automotive manufacturing. The plant is likely to build SUVs, and we'll know for sure when all the politicians, local officials and Toyota representatives formally announce the plant today. Tupelo High School will be left reeling from the hullabaloo that will ensue, we're sure.

At a time of uncertainty and job cuts, It bodes well that Toyota is adding more jobs for US workers. Target production is 150,000 vehicles yearly when the plant is up and running in 2009. Say what you will about Toyota "invading" the US and dethroning our auto industry, we're happy to see US workers getting offered some relief. So many other industries have moved to other countries, taking good blue-collar opportunities with them. Mississippi also just recently attracted Nissan to build a plant in Canton, MS, so at least it looks like some of those laid off GM, Ford, and DCX workers will have someplace to go. We hear there's less snow than in Detroit, too.

Toyota to build plant in Mississippi originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Feb 2007 06:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.