Autoline Daily

Runtime 6:48

Ford chairman Bill Ford Jr., said the company will pay off more of the $34 billion in debt it still owes before restoring dividends to shareholders. Sales of medium- and heavy-duty trucks in the U.S. in April indicate the economy is headed in the right direction. China’s Shengrui Transmission Co. became the first company in the country to develop an eight-speed automatic transmission. All that and more, plus a preview of this week’s Autoline Detroit with the new owner of Saab, Victor Muller and how he plans to save the company.

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Runtime 8:57

Did GM’s TV ads with CEO Ed Whitacre claiming the company paid off the government actually work? GM is negotiating with Google about using its Android operating system to link phones to OnStar. NASCAR will open its own theme-based car washes. All that and more, plus a look at who Ford is targeting with the new Fiesta.

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Runtime 7:59

Ferrari idles its Maranello plant and lays off hundreds of workers. Toyota will permanently reduce production capacity in Japan for the first time ever. Porsche introduces the fastest production car in its history. All that and more, plus John answers your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

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Runtime 6:44

China’s hot automotive market begins to cool down as the country’s domestic automakers feel the crunch. Toyota announces a big financial turnaround as it goes “back in the black.” Detroit Three labor costs drop, placing them on par with foreign transplants. All that and more, plus John explains why minivans are better than most luxury cars.

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Runtime 8:29

Ford announced that it will build its first hybrids for the European market at its assembly plant in Spain. Hyundai could be working on a full-size truck for the American market. A camouflaged BMW X3 prototype caused a bomb scare in New York City. All that and more, plus a look at the brand new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet.

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Runtime 7:03

Automakers are up in arms over a proposed safety bill making its way through the U.S. House of Representatives. Indian truckmaker Mahindra has run all of the required emissions and safety tests for its pickups but it hasn’t submitted paperwork to the U.S. government. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety wants to mandate anti-lock brakes on motorcycles. All that and more, plus a preview of this week’s Autoline Detroit about how on-line start-ups like Autoblog and Jalopnik are challenging the enthusiast magazines.

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Runtime 9:04

GM shakes up its marketing staff again, sliding Susan Docherty aside and replacing her with Joel Ewanick from Nissan.  Renault announced that it’s building a small car to compete with the Tata Nano in India.  Could carbon dioxide be a fuel of the future?  All that and more, plus Bill Nye the Science Guy gives us his thoughts on Chevy’s Volt in the “You Said It!” segment.

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Runtime 9:17

BMW posts a first-quarter profit of $424 million. There’s a new proposal in Congress that would force the major U.S. banks to pay for any losses from the automotive bailout. Toyota says it needs to improve how it communicates with buyers and better educate them how to use their vehicles. All that and more, plus a look at a new show called Open Line, that gives you the chance to say what you think about cars and the automotive industry.

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Runtime 6:31

April car sales in the U.S. market have fallen short of forecasts, dropping 8 percent compared to March.  Chrysler had spectacular sales last month increasing 25 percent year over year.  The Honda Accord was the top-selling car in America.  All that and more, plus John takes a spin in the sporty BMW 128i.

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Runtime 7:58

In a clear sign that the automotive industry is recovering worldwide, sales in March were up more than 40 percent. Germany aims to have one million electric vehicles on its roads by 2020. GM announced that it won’t sell the Chevy Orlando in the U.S. All that and more, plus we get Mercedes-Benz’s reaction to the new alliance between Daimler and Renault/Nissan.

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