GENERAL MOTORS

Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) said it would begin selling the Mazda2 hatchback in the United States toward the end of 2010, getting a late start in a segment that has held up relatively well as consumers seek cheaper and smaller cars.

American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc said on Thursday it has reached a new commercial agreement with General Motors Co, its main customer, and a revised credit agreement with lenders.

Magna's planned acquisition of Opel is proof that carmakers have lost the upper hand in the industry by outsourcing development work to suppliers and relying on them for technological knowhow, a top GM executive said.

China's Geely Automobile has approached Magna International about joining the Canadian auto part maker's bid for Opel, a source familiar with the matter said, as China chases Western brands and the technology it needs to drive future growth.

General Motors GM.UL is examining ways to ramp up production of four newer models that are selling well above its expectations, a GM spokesman said on Wednesday.

Fritz Henderson, the chief executive of General Motors GM.UL, expects that a deal to sell a majority in Opel to a Russian-backed consortium around Magna (MGa.TO) can be signed by the beginning of next month.

Opel's chairman warned that turning around the unprofitable automaker in the next few years would not be an easy road as the sale of the European carmaker to Canada's Magna (MGa.TO) drew a political storm.

President Barack Obama's decision to restrict tire imports from China shows a more activist approach to enforcing rights Washington has negotiated in trade deals, as well as making good on a promise to labor groups that helped elect him.

U.S. retail sales rose in August at the fastest pace in 3-1/2 years and a gauge of New York State manufacturing hit a near two-year high, offering hope for a solid recovery from a severe recession.

U.S. President Barack Obama promised struggling autoworkers on Tuesday he was committed to rebuilding a thriving U.S. auto industry and said the world's largest economy was on the mend.

German carmaker Opel needs to cut capacity and workforce quickly to return to profitability, but any decision on restructuring the company would not be driven by political considerations, Opel Chairman Carl-Peter Forster said on Tuesday.

Opel workers aim to avert closure of a Belgian factory in Antwerp following a takeover by Canadian automotive group Magna (MGa.TO) by shortening working hours there, Opel's labor leader said on Tuesday.

Magna International (MGa.TO) does not believe its controlling stake in European automaker Opel will have a negative impact on its current customers, a top executive said on Monday.

The cash for clunkers stimulus program helped the auto industry but there is no need for another similar program, General Motors GM.UL Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said on CNBC on Monday.

Germany's plan to provide 4.5 billion euros ($6.5 billion) in state aid to Opel threatened on Monday to spark a political storm across Europe over where the carmaker was likely to cut plants and jobs.

General Motors Co [GM.UL] has ended temporary pay cuts for salaried workers that were put in place four months ago to preserve cash before the automaker filed for bankruptcy, a spokeswoman said.

A decision by General Motors Co to sell a controlling interest in its European unit, Opel, was the first major decision for GM's new board and an important test of the U.S. government's pledge to let the directors and management run the company.

Canadian automotive supplier Magna International promised on Friday to ringfence its Opel operations once it takes control of the former General Motors carmaking unit.

When General Motors Co Chief Executive Fritz Henderson saw the automaker through bankruptcy in July, he emerged with a new mantra.

General Motors on Thursday ended months of uncertainty, announcing it had reached a deal to sell a majority stake in its European unit Opel to Canadian car parts maker Magna, backed by Russia's Sberbank.

General Motors Co said on Thursday it will offer consumers a 60-day, money-back guarantee on new vehicles and roll out a barrage of new advertising over the next year aimed at winning back American consumers who have abandoned its brands.