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Local Motors: The Company
Friday, May 18, 2012
Sometimes, ideas are so brilliant, so good, that they affect the world in countless ways. For example, Ralph B. Rogers had many ideas in his day, including working with Cummins Diesel Engine early on, making Indian motorcycles lighter to go faster and to co-found the Children's Television Workshop which created one of the best-known children television show in history. You may have heard of it: Sesame Street.
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Chrysler extends roots in Detroit
Friday, January 06, 2012
Chrysler is adding a third crew and 1,100
new jobs at its Jefferson North Assembly
Plant and reaffirming plans to reopen its
Conner Avenue Assembly Plant, both in
Detroit. The former will produce the new
diesel version of the 2013 Jeep Grand
Cherokee for North America.
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''Crash'' Corrigan builds GM's 100-millionth small-block Chevy
Friday, December 09, 2011
Well fair enough, that's maybe stretching the truth somewhat, but I did get to install both sets of tappets! You see, along with invited guests and a few fellow journalists, I was in Wixom, Michigan this week to witness (and assist) in the building of this iconic piece of automotive history.
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Auto123.com visits Nissan Design America (NDA)
Thursday, December 01, 2011
A car company has to be mighty brave to allow a bunch of journalists to roam around one of its automotive design centers. After all, we're constantly on the prowl for the latest info on what's ahead for the industry, and spy cameras disguised as coat buttons are readily available for purchase online!
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The biggest car plant in the world
Friday, November 25, 2011
ULSAN, Korea - As the cars pass slowly by, they bear little resemblance to the sleek sedans they'll eventually become. Skeletal frames, they slowly gather parts, growing incrementally as they travel down the line. Here, workers move in well-rehearsed choreography, adding suspension parts and exhaust systems; there, a giant robotic arm swivels and plants a windscreen in place with unfailing accuracy.
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Hyundai's Namyang Research and Development Centre
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
NAMYANG, South Korea - Located approximately 40 km southwest of Seoul, Hyundai's Namyang R&D centre is an 870-acre research facility constructed on land reclaimed from the sea. It was established in 1995 - up until then, all research work was conducted within the Ulsan manufacturing plant group.
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CX-5 heralds big changes at Mazda
Monday, August 29, 2011
Though Mazda's lineup includes the popular Mazda3, the automaker has work to do to secure its place in the sun. Mazda openly admits that the CX-7 is weirdly positioned in relation to its rivals, has announced the demise of the RX-8 and is preparing to redesign the Mazda6, which didn't prove as successful as anticipated.
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Toyota: a full transformation by 2015 to get back on top
Friday, August 26, 2011
As part of the widely-hyped 2012 Camry introduction, Toyota announced that its midsize sedan is the first in a series of 20 all-new or redesigned models that will help the automaker overcome the various crises of the past two years.
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Subaru's 5-year growth plan announced
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd. (FHI), maker of Subaru automobiles, took the shrink-wrap off its five-year plan to solidify the foundation of the Subaru brand and to achieve an annual sales volume of 1 million vehicles within the next 10 years.
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Nissan to launch an all-new vehicle every 6 weeks for the next 6 years
Monday, June 27, 2011
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., today outlined a new business plan called "Nissan Power 88", foreshadowing what the Japanese automaker has in store for consumers around the world up until fiscal year 2016. By then, Nissan will aim to achieve a global market share of 8 percent and increase its corporate operating profit to a sustainable 8 percent.
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Mazda: No link between Mazda6 move to Japan and new Mexican plant
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Last Friday, Mazda announced a new assembly plant in Mexico to build Mazda2 and Mazda3 models, which had many observers wondering if there is any connection with the transfer of Mazda6 production from Flat Rock, MI to Japan. After some clarification by the automaker, it appears the two announcements are unrelated.
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Volkswagen's New North-American Production Plant
Thursday, June 23, 2011
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee--Situated on a 1400-acre site that was once a military dynamite storage facility, Volkswagen's new $1 billion manufacturing plant officially opened its doors May 24th. Built primarily to produce the brand-new, North-American 2012 Passat, the 414,000-square-foot plant will initially build 150,000 vehicles per year.
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Mazda to announce Mexico car plant on Friday
Thursday, June 16, 2011
According to Reuters, Mazda will host a press conference on Friday to announce its financial forecasts for the current business year as well as the construction of a new assembly plant in Mexico that will build compact cars, initially for sale in Mexico and South America, and eventually export to North America.
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Huge Turnout for Camaro's Oshawa Homecoming
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
OSHAWA, Ontario -- You plan and hope, but never really know how family gatherings are going to turn out... Sometimes it's all good, sometimes nobody shows up, sometimes somebody throws soup.
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If I had a million dollars...
Thursday, February 03, 2011
I would buy everything on this lorrie. Five 1989 or 1990 Mercedes 190E 2.3-16 & 2.5-16 EVOs, two 1997 911 including what looks like a GT3 and one SLK-Class Black series. I'd get four of my friends (hey, I've got 375 on Facebook!) and we'd track them every weekend!
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Second Engine Plant In China For Ford
Monday, September 27, 2010
CHONGQING, China - Ford and its partners are building a new engine plant in China to support future products and ambitious growth plans.
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The rebirth of GM's Oshawa plant
Monday, May 10, 2010
Oshawa, Ontario - GM executives are smiling after the announcement that Camaro sales were nearly 30-percent stronger than the Mustang's through the first quarter of 2010. Such success has helped the #1 American automaker get out of its post-bankruptcy hell.
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Audi looks to invest in renewable source of energy
Thursday, April 29, 2010
AUDI AG is looking to invest in renewable sources of energy. In support of this goal, Audi this week signed an agreement with the international consortium "Desertec Industrial Initiative". The long-term goal of the joint venture is the climate-friendly production of energy in the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East.
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Nissan Chooses Pre-Construction Contractor for New Battery Plant
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Franklin, Tenn. - Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) has selected W.G. Yates of Philadelphia, Miss., as the general contractor supporting the pre-construction services phase for Nissan's new battery plant that will be built at the automaker's vehicle assembly plant in Smyrna, Tenn. The battery plant will support the assembly of the Nissan LEAF that will be built at the Smyrna plant in late 2012.
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Launch of a synchronized production system at Audi Toolmaking
Friday, March 26, 2010
The Toolmaking Division of AUDI AG is today celebrating the opening of an extension building and with it the introduction of a synchronized production system. The new system ensures that all work steps are now perfectly coordinated for an even leaner and more efficient production process.
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BMW Manufacturing Launches New X5
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
More dynamic, efficient, and luxurious than ever, the new BMW X5 continues to strengthen its leading position within the four-wheel drive, premium vehicle segment. The new BMW X5 has a fresh new look and features new engines, drive trains, and thousands of new parts. The associates at BMW Manufacturing have been planning the launch of this new model for over 18 months, which involves nearly 4,000 new parts.
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Sixty Years of Porsche Production in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The home of today's Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, has a very special sound in the world of motoring: Zuffenhausen. Indeed, Zuffenhausen is far more than "just" a production plant rich in tradition for Porsche AG, since it is here in Zuffenhausen that the heart of the Company beats to this very day.
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Tesla looses three of their own
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
On Wednesday morning, February 17th, a Cessna 310 carrying three employees, crashed in a residential neighborhood in East Palo Alto, California, about a mile northeast of the airport.
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Southern Hospitality
Monday, January 25, 2010
To be completely frank, I was excited to come to Georgia to see the shiny new Kia plant that is manufacturing the 2011 Sorento-- Georgia itself was incidental. The tour of KMMG was awesome-- yellow robotic arms working in a poetic rhythm with errant sparks flying into the cluster of automotive journalists who gazed on with childlike wonder (well at least this journalist felt like a 7 year old on a class field-trip!). It was truly a sight to behold. But there was something else going on in that factory, and honestly, I know I will not and cannot do it justice with my words.
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2011 Buick Regal to be built in Ontario
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Oshawa, ON, -- North American production of the all-new 2011 Buick Regal was today confirmed for the Oshawa Car Assembly plant beginning in Q1 2011. The new 2011 Regal is a midsize sport sedan based on the award-winning Opel Insignia - the 2009 "European Car of the Year" - and it brings all of Insignia's award-winning design, technology and European-inspired performance capabilities to the North American market.
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Kia Motors begins production at its first manufacturing plant in North America
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The first U.S.-built Kia vehicle, a white All-new Sorento, rolled off the production line today at Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG), officially opening the first U.S. Kia Motors plant. KMMG is expected to produce 300,000 vehicles at full capacity and employ 2,500 people, with on-site and nearby suppliers creating 7,500 additional jobs in the region.
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BMW Group to build second plant in China
Thursday, November 12, 2009
At a ceremony held in Beijing on Thursday, the BMW Group and Brilliance Automotive Holdings Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build a second production plant at the Shenyang site. The investment volume for the new plant amounts to 560 million euros. Construction work is scheduled to begin in 2010, with the start of production slated for early 2012.
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Chrysler's 2010-2014 plan
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
I just sat through the first half of Chrysler's webcast on their 2010-2014 plan. The following is summary of most of the interesting points that were discussed buy a few of Chrysler's bigwigs.
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Production Of Mazda2 Starts Today At New Passenger Car Plant In Thailand
Thursday, October 08, 2009
HIROSHIMA, Japan--Mazda Motor Corporation today announced that it has commenced production of the Mazda2 (known as Mazda Demio in Japan) at the new passenger car plant at AutoAlliance Thailand Co., Ltd. (AAT), a joint venture manufacturing facility with Ford Motor Company. Mazda2 units produced at AAT will be sold mainly in the ASEAN markets.
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New plant in USA fully on schedule
Monday, October 05, 2009
During his one-week trip to the USA, Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Christian Wulff visited Volkswagen of America at the Chattanooga site accompanied by an industry delegation. The guests used the opportunity to find out more about the status of work on the new Volkswagen factory in the State of Tennessee.
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Porsche Academy opens the "Model Factory" at the Leipzig plant
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
With a "Model Factory" directly at the Porsche plant in Leipzig, Porsche Consulting GmbH, Bietigheim-Bissingen, is expanding its training portfolio. The management consultancy, a subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is already running a comparable academy at its headquarters.
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GGC : First, an assembly plant, then (maybe) the Canadian market!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
On September 4, US-based Global Green Cars (GGC) announced the construction of a plug-in hybrid assembly plant in Kentucky. The word came from group president Brooks Agnew, who also said Canadian sales operations are a definite possibility.
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Methanol Fuel Cells Reduce Nissan Plant's CO2 Emissions
Friday, August 28, 2009
SMYRNA, Tenn., Nissan North America has become the first vehicle manufacturer to commercially deploy methanol fuel cells to power its material handling equipment (tugs) at its Smyrna, Tenn., assembly plant.
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Toyota Will Add Capacity In Huntsville Plant To Produce Four-Cylinder Engines
Friday, August 21, 2009
ERLANGER, Ky., - Toyota will add capacity at its engine plant in Huntsville, Ala. to increase North American production of four-cylinder engines. The expansion will allow Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama (TMMAL) to produce 216,000 four-cylinder engines annually. Production will begin by summer 2011.
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Volkswagen invests $1 billion in Mexico
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
German automaker Volkswagen is on a real hot streak. After announcing their goal of becoming the number one manufacturer in the world within the next 10 years, executives now have confirmed plans to invest $1 billion in the Mexican plant where the New Beetle, Jetta and Bora (the latter not available in Canada) are currently being produced.
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Third time's the charm for Campagna Motors and T-Rex! (video)
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Boucherville, Quebec -- You know the T-Rex, that striking three-wheeler created by Quebec's Daniel Campagna in the early 1990s? Well, it's now enjoying a new lease on life. To mark the occasion, newly-formed Campagna Motors brought together investors, suppliers and friends last Friday along with members of the T-Rex Club on Saturday and shouted to the world that their product is absolutely not on the endangered species list.
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Mazda2 and Ford Fiesta : New Passenger Car Plant
Monday, July 13, 2009
Mazda Motor Corporation has announced the completion of the new passenger car plant at AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT), a joint venture manufacturing facility with Ford Motor Company.
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Chrysler Group is no longer pursuing a sale of the Viper
Monday, July 13, 2009
Originally slated to cease production in December 2009, the Chrysler Group Conner Avenue Assembly Plant -- the exclusive home of Dodge Viper production since 1995 -- will continue to build the V-10 powered sports car. Chrysler Group is no longer pursuing a sale of the Viper business assets.
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BMW Manufacturing announced it would invest $750 million in its upstate South Carolina
Monday, June 15, 2009
It has been over one year since BMW Manufacturing announced it would invest $750 million in its upstate South Carolina factory to add 1.5 million square feet. Since that time, design, engineering and construction crews have been busy constructing the new 1.2 million square foot assembly facility and have added 80% or 300,000 square feet to the existing paint shop.
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Mazda : Aqua-tech Paint System
Monday, June 15, 2009
Mazda Motor Corporation today announced the successful launch of the newly developed Aqua-tech Paint System for vehicle body painting at its Ujina Plant No.1 in Japan.
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Experience the new Porsche Panamera up close and personal
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Porsche AG, Stuttgart, the production of the new Panamera has started. On April 19, it was presented to the global public in Shanghai for the first time. The car will be launched in September starting with some European markets. Porsche is manufacturing the four-door Gran Turismo together with the successful sporty Cayenne SUV on one product line.
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Ford invests $550 million to transform Michigan Assembly Plant
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
WAYNE, Mich., May 6, 2009 - Ford Motor Company said today it is investing $550 million to transform its Michigan Assembly Plant into a lean, green and flexible manufacturing complex that will build Ford's next-generation Focus global small car along with a new battery-electric version of the Focus for the North American market.
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Audi AG establishes fully-owned subsidiary in China
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Audi AG established Audi (China) Enterprise Management Co. Ltd., Beijing, on April 18, 2009. Its business purpose is to coordinate all Audi activities in China, in close cooperation with the Changchun-based joint venture FAW-VW. The new company's activities will include operating a test center for infotainment systems in Beijing.
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GM Reduces Output but Maintains New Model Launch Schedule
Thursday, April 23, 2009
General Motors Corporation announced today that, in order to Align Output with Market Demand, it is scheduling multiple down weeks at 13 assembly operations in the United States and Mexico. Under this plan, approximately 190,000 vehicles will be removed from GM's North American production schedule in the second and early third quarter of this year.
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GM confirms America will produce engine for Volt, Cruze
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
An existing engine plant in the U.S. will house production of an upcoming new 1.4 liter four-cylinder engine family. Slated for the use in the upcoming Volt and Cruze models, GM officials say that the new engine will begin production in Michigan at the end of next year.
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GM explains its restructuring plan
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The day after General Motors presented it restructuring plan, the American giant held an international press conference, broadcast over the Internet, to review the situation before the media's main financial analysts.
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Study shows CAWs most productive in North America
Monday, January 26, 2009
According to a study conducted across the North American continent, Canadian auto workers (CAW) are the most productive in North America. The study also shows that unionized workers are more productive than their non-unionized counterparts.
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Toyota's Woodstock plant opens, RAV4 now Canadian made
Friday, December 05, 2008
It's Toyota's first new Canadian plant investment in nearly 20 years. The automaker's new Woodstock plant, located in Woodstock Ontario, officially opened Thursday, December 4th. The plant will produce, among other models, the new Toyota Rav4. The updated bestseller was introduced earlier this year with several engine and styling upgrades, as well as reduced fuel consumption and increased safety.
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Fumes for fuel
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Oakville, Ontario - There was a time when the color black played a major role at Ford. However, from what I've seen on a recent tour of the company's Oakville Assembly Plant, green is becoming the prominent color nowadays. Yes, Ford is ramping up its Eco-friendly Fumes-to-Fuel program and will soon be turning emissions into "green energy".
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Model T plant rejuvenated
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The facade of Ford's original plant on Piquette Avenue in Detroit, where the first 12,000 Model Ts were assembled, has been restored. The plant now looks exactly the way it did when Henry Ford opened up the place, back in 1904.
During the summer, Quinn Evans Architects of Ann Arbor, a firm that specializes in historic preservation, worked on rejuvenating part of the century-old building. The restored front façade was the most deteriorated part of the structure. Bricks were repaired or replaced, windows were fixed and elaborate masonry was done. Old photographs were even brought out to help restore the original arched office entry of the 1904 building.
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GM invests 370 million in a new engine plant
Friday, September 26, 2008
General Motors has just announced that it will be investing 370 million dollars in the construction of a new engine plant in Flint, Michigan. The new facilities will see the assembly of the 1.4-litre turbo mill powering the Chevrolet Cruze, which will first be commercialized in Europe. An atmospheric version of this engine will also be assembled there, along with the electric mill of the Chevrolet Volt, to be commercialized in 2011.
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Venturi Automobiles to produce an electric car in France
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Venturi Automobiles is a French manufacturer that produced a few high-performance cars in the 1980s and 90s. In 1992, Venturi also made a brief foray into Formula 1. After a few quiet years, Venturi has launched a completely different, but just as ambitious, project: the production of an electric car.
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Ford to cut 500 jobs in Oakville, Ontario
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Ford Canada announced that they will be cutting 500 jobs at their Oakville plant in Ontario. These layoffs will mainly affect the body and paint shops, where one shift will be eliminated. Ford's sales have been dropping in North America due to rising fuel prices and the high level of debt of Americans. The manufacturer expects to see a marked decrease in its sales, which should drop from 16 million units sold in 2007 to 14 or 14.5 million in 2008.
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GM to invest $290 million in Ontario
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
General Motors has signed an important agreement with the Canadian government in which the manufacturer promises to invest $290 million in its Ontarian plants. GM accepted to invest $245 million in its St. Catharines plant, where a new, fuel-efficient, 6-speed automatic transmission for front-wheel drive vehicles will be assembled. The production of this transmission alone, slated to begin in April 2011, will ensure over 300 jobs.
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Subaru of Indiana Automotive : The green assembly plant
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
The Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) plant resembles many other modern, American assembly plants. With an annual production of 147,148 units in 2007, it's not the largest one, but it does stand out in a very special way: it's one of the cleanest, if not THE cleanest. The plant, which assembles Subaru Legacy and Outback sedans and station wagons (including the new PZEVs), Subaru Tribeca SUVs and Camry sedans, for its Japanese partner, Toyota, achieved zero-landfill status in 2004.
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Another solid blow to Ontario's auto industry: 2,000 jobs lost
Friday, July 04, 2008
Progressive Moulded Products Ltd., which manufactures plastic components for automakers, announced that all eleven plants in Concord and Rexdale will soon close. These facilities are currently supplying General Motors, which recently cut 1,000 jobs at its Oshawa assembly plant.
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Canadian-made vehicle quality on the rise: JD Power
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Automotive authority JD Power and Associates says that five Canadian plants rank among the top 15 in North and South America when it comes to the initial quality of the vehicles they produce. The results, released yesterday, come from the 2008 U.S. Initial Quality Study- which is based on the results of owners surveyed 90 days after a new vehicle purchase. The results are said to be a reliable indicator of vehicle quality down the line, JD Power says.
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Gretzky introduces the Flex!
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Oakville, Ontario -- The blue-oval automaker celebrated the official launch of the 2009 Ford Flex yesterday at its Oakville assembly plant, near Toronto. To illustrate the magnitude of the event, Ford Canada invited legendary hockey player Wayne Gretzky. At the end of the ceremony, the Great One made a surprise entry in an all-new Flex driven by Ford's president for the Americas, Mark Fields.
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GM closes 4 plants in North America, including Oshawa
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner announced that four assembly plants will soon cease operating, including Oshawa's, in Ontario. These facilities are all manufacturing pickup trucks and SUVs, two vehicles types that are steadily declining. GM has no immediate plans to allocate products to the Oshawa plant, which will therefore close in 2009. The move follows the elimination of a work shift a year ago and will send home over 1,000 employees.
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News & Events Multimedia
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Gone is the dash-mounted flower vase in the latest version of Volkswagen's Bug. Gone too is much of its cutesiness, replaced by a notable degree of sportiness intended to broaden the Beetle's target market by attracting male attention.
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