AUTO

Toyota Motor Corp said it would enter the growing Japanese minivehicle sector next year through a supply deal with unit Daihatsu Motor Co in a move set to intensify competition in the tough domestic market.

Saab owner and luxury car maker Spyker is in talks with German peer BMW about parts and technology in a move that could help it reach a goal of trebling sales volumes.

China's BYD rolled out the welcome mat for billionaire investor and backer Warren Buffett, flying him to its south China base on Monday for a series of events to showcase its clean car initiatives.

Ford will be cashflow positive and improve overall performance next year after solid earnings in 2010, as it intensifies its focus on smaller, greener models, its chief executive Alan Mulally said on Monday.

Hyundai Motor, South Korea's top automaker, will recall some 139,500 Sonata sedans sold in the United States, due to problems with the steering wheel that could cause a loss or reduction of control.

French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen is considering expanding its cooperation with German peer BMW in carbon fibers, the German business daily Handelsblatt reported.

Italian automaker Fiat is considering listing part of its sports car unit Ferrari to raise cash in order to increase its stake in U.S. carmaker Chrysler, Il Corriere della Sera said on Sunday.

The United Auto Workers health care trust and the governments of Canada and Ontario may not participate in General Motors Co's upcoming IPO in order to avoid taking a cut on the price of their shares

Toyota Motor Corp, Japan's largest automaker, has lifted a ban prohibiting office staff from working overtime, a move intended to give experienced workers more time to coach younger personnel, the Nikkei business daily said.

Hyundai Motor plans to disclose on Monday it is bidding for a controlling stake in Hyundai Engineering & Construction, an executive of the South Korean car maker said.

U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett could deliver some tough talk to BYD Co Ltd when he visits the Chinese automaker

Ford Motor Co President for the Americas Mark Fields said on Thursday he expects September U.S. light vehicle sales to top the 11.5 million annualized sales rate from August, which matches analysts' forecasts.

Early U.S. sales for Ford Motor Co's Fiesta show that consumers are buying higher-end versions of the new small car, boosting the automaker's profit on sales in a traditionally low-margin segment, company officials said on Wednesday.

Volkswagen AG will invest $550 million in developing a new engine facility in Mexico to supply parts to two of its North American plants, the German automaker said on Wednesday.

CarMax Inc, the largest U.S. retailer of used cars, posted market-topping results for the seventh straight quarter as customers continued to shy away from splurging on new cars in a sluggish economy.

Steel will remain the dominant material in the manufacture of cars even as environmental pressures lead to greater use of lightweight aluminum.

KKR & Co, TPG Capital, Carlyle Group and Bain Capital Llc are competing to acquire a part of Honda Motor Co's stake in India's biggest motorcycle maker, Hero Honda Motors

China's top automaker SAIC Motor Corp has reached out to General Motors Co GM.UL to explore the prospect of taking a stake in the automaker when it goes public this fall, four people with knowledge of the matter said.

Japan's Nissan Motor plans to double its capacity in China by 2012, joining a host of peers that have made similar recent moves to capture a bigger slice of the world's biggest auto market.

Europe's truckmakers anticipate profits will rebound faster than expected in 2010, thanks to emerging markets where enormous growth rates pushed aside painful memories of the industry's worst ever slump.

Honda Motor Co will overhaul its sourcing strategy by ditching its one-spec-fits-all method on global car models to better compete with Hyundai Motor and others in emerging markets, an executive said on Tuesday.

Toyota Motor Corp's Chinese auto finance unit has been fined by the authorities in the city of Hangzhou for alleged involvement in commercial bribery, China's Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.

General Motors will invest $655 million to expand capacity at its Opel factory in Hungary and Volkswagen's Audi may also expand production at its plant, both seen as boosting investor sentiment toward the country.

The United Auto Workers union will aim to ensure that its members share in General Motors GM.UL, Ford Motor Co (F.N) and Chrysler profits in contract talks next year, President Bob King said on Monday.

Senior officials from the United Auto Workers union will travel to Italy next week for a meeting with Fiat SpA (FIA.MI) Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne and a pitch to bring jobs to the United States for its suppliers.

Top Chinese automaker SAIC Motor Corp said on Monday it and Baosteel will jointly build a lab to research and develop new steel products to make cars lighter.

Renault SA, which said in July it expected Europe's car market to contract by 7 to 9 percent in 2010, now expects a decline closer to 7 percent, as the end of subsidies have hit sales less than feared, a senior executive said on Thursday.

Italian car maker Fiat known for its modern yet simple models and environmentally-friendly cars with a dominating market in Europe is reintroducing the Fiat brand in North America.

General Motors aims to sell at least 10 to 15 percent more vehicles in China next year, in line with the expected rate of growth in the world's biggest auto market, its China chief said on Thursday.