http://www.just-auto.comDaily automotive news and comment - from just-auto.com© 2009 All content copyright just-auto.com. Published by Aroq Ltd.Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:39:41 GMTSat, 07 Nov 2009 15:39:41 GMTjust-auto.com - RSS feedjust-auto.comhttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss20http://www.just-auto.com/images/small_logo_auto.gifhttp://www.just-auto.com10021Thanks, GM. Months and months of coverage, analysis and speculation and what happens at the board meeting Tuesday night? "Tell you what, boys, why don't we just keep Opel and restructure it ourselves?"http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101964Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:11:00 GMTCar sales in Western Europe grew by 16.5% year-on-year in October according to data released by analysts at JD Power who also told just-auto today that the outlook for 2010 is for a market drop of 10%.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101955Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:15:00 GMTMagna International has reported a surprise third quarter operating income of US$81m, net income of $51m and earnings per share of $0.45, increases of $193m, $266m and $2.38, respectively, year on year, benfiting from cost cutting an restructuring started last year as the credit crisis hit the auto sector. Total sales fell 16% to $4.7bn.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101949Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:06:00 GMTMagna does not plan to seek compensation from General Motors after its decision not to sell subsidiary Opel to a consortium headed by the Canadian based supplier.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101948Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:07:00 GMTIf you turned the Jodrell Bank radio-telescope on its side and filled it with cornflakes to create one colossal breakfast bowl, you would still have fewer cornflakes than there are kilobytes residing in just-auto's automotive research archive. Dave Leggett dives in to the cornflakes, sorry kilobytes, in search of a few interesting factoids to brighten your Friday arvo (links are to articles freely available to all).http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101965Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:12:00 GMTGeneral Motors has said it was readying a plan to restructure Opel and could pay off debt due this month as German workers went on strike to protest the automakers decision to keep the European unit.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101952Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:50:00 GMTGermany's finance minister on Friday indicated a readiness to offer General Motors aid to help restructure Opel/Vauxhall, saying the government felt a "responsibility" for the firm's 25,000 German workers.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101951Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:21:00 GMTOpel chief Carl-Peter Forster is leaving the company after the surprise decision by GM's board this week to block the sale to a Magna-led consortium, Spiegel Online reported on Friday.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101950Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:10:00 GMTGM is aiming for big growth of Chevrolet sales in Europe according to Chevrolet's global head.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101947Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:50:00 GMTA South Korean court Friday delayed its decision on whether to approve a rescue plan for debt-burdened carmaker Ssangyong Motor after creditors failed to agree on it.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101962Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:49:00 GMTPirelli raised 2009 operating targets on Thursday on the back of strong tyre operations, after posting a third-quarter net profit at the top end of expectations.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101961Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:44:00 GMTGeneral Motors doesn't plant to develop Volt as a brand, unlike rival Toyota whuch is considering an expanded Prius line, a senior executive has said.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101960Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:28:00 GMTA former General Motors executive on Thursday pleaded guilty to a kickback scheme involving bulk aluminum sales that cost the automaker some US$83m.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101959Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:15:00 GMTWorkers at an Indian autoparts maker have ended a six-week strike, which had hit supplies to General Motors and Ford and caused the shutdown of some North American plants, an official at the Indian firm has said.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101958Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:01:00 GMTIn the run-up to the Autosport International show to be staged in Birmingham, UK, in January, just-auto talked with show director Ian France about initiatives to transfer motorsport technology to the automotive industry.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101957Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:53:00 GMTPSA Peugeot Citroen's supplier network in France is burdened with 40% too much industrial capacity, its head of purchasing said on Friday.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101956Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:47:00 GMTValeo on Friday said it had increased to 100% its shareholding in a JV based in Changchun, China, which develops and manufactures compressors.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101954Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:02:00 GMTRenault, which already produces its Mégane hatchback and estate and Modus lines exclusively in Spain, has decided to make the future electric vehicle (EV) based on the Twizy ZE Concept at its Valladolid plant, 150 km north west of Madrid.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101953Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:55:00 GMTToyota is expected to spend some US$330-440m on a new R&D centre near Shanghai to develop vehicles specifically for the Chinese market, the Nikkei newspaper reported without citing a source.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101946Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:17:00 GMTToyota's Prius hybrid was Japan's best-selling vehicle in October with sales of 26,918 units, staying in the top slot for the fifth straight month, according to industry data released on Friday.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=101966Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:31:00 GMT