REPORT: Volkswagen confirms Karmann purchase, plans to build new car at factory in 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

FYI: UAW releases list of 2010 cars and trucks made in union shops originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: 2008 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 Special Editon

REPORT: VW chooses Mexican plant for new compact sedan originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Tata Nano

Raze 1,000-acres of farmland to build an automobile factory, and somebody is going to protest. Even in India. The automaker is Tata, and the protesters numbered at least 1,000 strong as they went head-to-head against police in eastern India yesterday at the future manufacturing site of the Tata Nano (rumored to be the world's cheapest car at just $2,380). The protests are rooted deeper than just "open space" issues. In fact, the real tension is between India's ruling party, and the communist-run government in West Bengal where the plant is to be located. The farmers are unwilling to part with their agricultural livelihood, while the government continues to promote industry. After blocking a highway for a few hours, the stick-wielding protesters were dispersed without injuries. Once again, progress wins out over pastures.

Gallery: Tata Nano

Police and protestors clash at future site of Tata Nano plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Volkswagen announces plans for factory in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Volkswagen announces plans for factory in Chattanooga, Tenn. originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Following-up on last week's announcement that Volkswagen was looking at Alabama for a new manufacturing facility, the German automaker's management board is expected to make their final recommendation today. Following that announcement, Volkswagen's supervisory board, headed by former VW group CEO Ferdinand Piech, will make its decision by tomorrow. Whether Huntsville, Alabama, or second-choice Chattanooga, Tennessee, gets the nod, the move is key for Volkswagen as they attempt to increase sales in the United States with more targeted, and lower priced, vehicles. In addition to the Volkswagen Jetta (itself being redesigned to better compete with the Honda Civic) the new facility will produce an all-new Passat-sized sedan with a base price of about $20,000. Larger, in order to compete with the Toyota Camry, the new sedan would undercut the current Volkswagen Passat's pricing by about $5,000--a significant margin. The plant would open in late 2010 with an annual production capacity of nearly 250,000 vehicles.

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

Next Volkswagen Passat could be built Stateside originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

GM announces plan to close Windsor transmission plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 May 2008 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Richard Cortez, the Mayor of McAllen, Texas, called a news conference earlier this week to announce that city officials were in talks with an unnamed automaker to build a new manufacturing facility in the Rio Grande Valley. Interestingly enough, he gave few other details as he was worried about upsetting the "customer" as they have asked for silence on the project. Not to surprise anyone, but all signs are pointing at Hyundai Motor Company.

The Mayor has good reason to keep his mouth shut. Just two years ago, the South Korean automaker was in talks with local area officials about a similar project. Those plans fell through when early media leaks identified Hyundai as the potential automaker, and they chose West Point, Georgia, instead. (You are probably asking yourself, as we are, why would the Mayor call a news conference about this in the first place...)

Regardless, analysts say the Rio Grande Valley would be a good fit for Hyundai. The location is close to Mexico, so components could be assembled on the other side of the border and shipped to the United States for final assembly. If Hyundai chooses Texas for their new plant it would be their fourth facility in the United States following plants in Alabama, Georgia, and California. That is, if the Mayor can keep a secret. Thanks for the tip iSpec!

[Source: The Monitor]

Is Hyundai targeting Texas for a new manufacturing plant? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 May 2008 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Audi seriously considering U.S. plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 May 2008 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As of today, production of the Tundra full-size pickup is split between Toyota's facility in Princeton, Indiana, and the automaker's brand new San Antonio plant in Texas. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Toyota is considering moving all production of the Tundra to just the Texas plant. Just over two weeks ago, Toyota announced it was slowing production on the Tundra (and Sequoia) due to lagging sales. The move to consolidate all Tundra manufacturing in one location may be seen as a sign Toyota only expects to sell 200,000 full-size units or less this year, as that number represents the production capacity of the Texas facility. You may remember that Toyota boldly claimed it would sell 200,000 units of the Tundra in 2007, the newly redesigned truck's first year of sales. It missed that target, but not by much with 196,555 units sold. Toyota hasn't officially commented on the rumor yet, but we'll let you know when it breaks the silence.

UPDATE: Toyota has issued a statement saying it is not moving all Tundra production to San Antonio.

Gallery: 2007 Toyota Tundra Limited

Toyota may move all Tundra production to Texas originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Alfa may buy closed factory from Big 3 for U.S. production originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chrysler plans summer shutdown, mandatory vacation for workers originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

More news from the advancing front of European carmakers expanding eastwards: PSA, Europe's second largest automaker and the French parent company of Peugeot and Citroën, is considering opening its new plant in Russia to partnerships with rival carmakers.

The new factory is located in Kaluga, some 180 km outside of the capital, Moscow. Russia is considered one of the fastest-growing markets worldwide, alongside India and China, where Western automakers have also been setting up factories, principally through joint ventures with local manufacturers. PSA's Kaluga plant, scheduled to begin production in 2010, will start out building only Peugeots and Citroens, principally mid-size automobiles which PSA says accounts for 60% of the Russian market for new cars.

If PSA did look to partner with another automaker for production at Kaluga, it could go even father east to Japan's Mitsubishi, which recently obtained financial incentives from the Russian government to assemble cars there and with which the French carmaker already partners on its SUVs.

[Source: Automotive News Europe - subscription required]

Mitsubishi could partner with PSA at new Russian plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Dec 2007 18:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Alfa Romeo isn't kidding around about its return to the US market: Fiat Group CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed that Alfa is planning to open a factory in the United States.

Citing the drop in the US dollar against the Euro as a principal motivating factor, Marchionne said that manufacturing cars in America was vital to the profitability of Alfa's stateside venture. The Canadian-Italian industrialist anticipated that Alfa would only begin making a profit after three or four years in the US.

This won't be the first time a Fiat division has manufactured in the United States. In 1909 the Italian automaker inaugurated a plant in Poughkeepsie in upstate New York which it closed a decade later.

Meanwhile, industry sources indicate that Alfa's main factory at Pomigliano d'Arco in southern Italy will close for two months beginning in January as a last-ditch effort to get Alfa Romeo build quality up to spec or else face complete closure.

[Source: Automotive News (sub. req.) via Italiaspeed]

Alfa Romeo to open new plant in US originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ford temporarily shuts down truck, SUV plants originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading 3 Million screaming Nissan fans can't be wrong - Altima production hits milestone

3 Million screaming Nissan fans can't be wrong - Altima production hits milestone originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Aug 2007 09:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Let's get cracking! Cerberus green-lights a slew of Pentastar projects originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Aug 2007 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it - Fords made of hemp? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

VW may build factory in the U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jul 2007 19:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Volvo says it won't be building in North America originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.