68 Articles
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Auto supplier Continental considers major restructuring, possible breakup

The idea is to better respond to industry shifts to electric and self-driving vehicles

The breakup would follow an industry trend.

Official
Tesla has lots of fans among suppliers, it turns out

That Jump In Deliveries Probably Didn't Hurt, Either

California-based electric-vehicle maker Tesla earns points for willingness to innovate, trustworthiness.

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Toyota, Mazda drop Takata as Mitsubishi, Subaru weigh options

Honda, Toyota, and Mazda have all opted to drop airbag inflator supplier Takata, while other Japanese stalwarts consider a similar move.

Tesla's first acquisition is Michigan-based tooling company Riviera Tool

Tesla Buys Company To Help Make Metal Parts For Undisclosed Price

The first acquisition for Tesla Motors is Michigan tool-and-die maker Riviera Tool LLC, which may be renamed Tesla Tool & Die.

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How Atlanta landed Mercedes-Benz

Georgia Pushes Its Brand As The Center Of The Automotive South

An international real-estate company had a high-profile client that wanted to relocate its North American headquarters. The client, whose identity was confidential, narrowed the list of prospective sites to Texas, North Carolina and Georgia. Would Georgia officials be interested in a discussion?

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20 Japanese auto supplier execs on the lam from US authorities?

The US Department of Justice has been on a campaign over the past few years to crack down on price fixing in the auto industry, especially from Japanese parts suppliers. In the agency's most recent count, it has indicted 46 people with 26 guilty pleas and raised over $2.4 billion in fines from 31 co

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New Fisker Karma will look a lot like the old one

Fisker Automotive appears to be wrangling up its proverbial ducks and properly aligning them again after halting production nearly two years ago. After filing for bankruptcy, the Chinese company Wanxiang, like an angel made of money, scooped up the maker of the Karma range-extended electric sports

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ZF buying TRW for $12.4B, creates second-largest supplier

Two well-known companies in the industry will combine to create the second-largest auto parts supplier in the world. ZF Friedrichshafen AG, best known for its transmissions, has announced it is buying TRW Automotive Holdings, a major player in safety tech, as part of an approximately $12.4-billion cash deal based on equity value that is already approved by both companies' boards.

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Auto parts price-fixing is everywhere, crackdown threatens business model

China's recently instigated push to go after price fixing and monopolistic practices in the automotive sector has garnered a lot of ink, but regulatory bodies around the world have been tackling the issue for years. Lithium-ion battery makers were targeted in 2012, the US Department of Justice hit a cabal of J

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Saab's latest Chinese owners facing their own credit woes

Poor Saab, it can't seem to get a break. General Motors couldn't seem to make a go of it, neither could Spyker, and now it seems that its latest owner is encountering some problems of its own.

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GM says second recalled ignition switch was made in China

The defective ignition switch that led General Motors to recall an additional 3.4 million large sedans earlier this month was manufactured in China, according to a report filed with safety regulators obtained by Reuters.

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Exhaust partsmakers raided by EU watchdog in price-fixing probe

We've seen automotive price-fixing scandals in the past, most recently against nine Japanese suppliers that received $740 million in fines from the US Department of Justice. Now the European Union is cracking down hard on the anti-competitive practice. On March 25, its regulators raided several exhaust system suppliers, including one based in the US, and more busts could be on the way.

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Are car seats of the future self-adjusting?

In 2010, automotive supplier Faurecia showed off a car seat that, via Bluetooth communication with a smartphone app, would adjust itself based on information the occupant had entered. It looks like that was too much work for a busy executive to do, because Automotive News has a story on how that seat has progressed, and it's now almost fully automatic.

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Brembo boss Bombassei becomes billionaire brake bigwig

In the auto industry, running into a car with the familiar "Brembo" moniker on its brake calipers is not uncommon. Ford fitted a set to its last-generation Mustang, and the Nissan Z and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution featured the comp

Study
Survey suggests auto parts shortages loom in 2014

There would be reason to be happy if North American auto industry production exceeds 16-million vehicles in 2014, but if it does, a new survey of suppliers by IRN, Inc. concludes that automakers can expect spot shortages of parts, Automotive News reports. Electronics suppliers and chassis and suspension suppliers would have the most trouble keeping up with parts

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DoJ fines Japanese parts firms $740M in massive automotive price-fixing scandal

Nine Japanese suppliers have pleaded guilty in US court over charges of price fixing in the automotive parts industry, resulting in the Department of Justice doling out a total of $740 million of fines, according to a report from Brandon Turkus

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Denso executives plead guilty to US price-fixing case

The three-year investigation by the US Department of Justice into price-fixing allegations by auto parts suppliers continues, with two more fish from the swamp of corruption the latest to be sentenced. Reuters reports that Denso executives Yuji Suzuki and Hiroshi Watanabe will do 16 months and 15 months in US jails, respectively, for their roles in setting prices for

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Explosion at Magna plant injures workers

An explosion at a Magna International divisional plant in Newmarket, ON, a manufacturing facility for Dortec Industries, occurred on Wednesday afternoon. Some nine people were injured in the accident and five or six (reports vary) were sent to the hospital. Magna has reported that all workers have since been released from the hospital.

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Will your next car feature Bluetooth-enabled, self-adjusting seats? [w/video]

At one time, recently at that, the 22-way adjustable seat was a marvel – especially since we didn't know our own bodies even had 22 different ways to be seated comfortably. Automotive supplier Faurecia plans on going well beyond that, however, with its prototype Bluetooth-enabled SmartFit seating system.

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Caparo to cease MI operations

Back in 2009, OEM supplier Caparo Vehicle Components pledged to put $10.5 million back into its two plants in Novi, Michigan. That move was so warmly received by the state of Michigan that the company was awarded $1 million in tax credits over five years. The company got its credits in 2010, reports The Detroit News, and may hav

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