http://www.just-auto.comDaily automotive news and comment - from just-auto.com© 2012 All content copyright just-auto.com. Published by Aroq Ltd.Wed, 16 May 2012 22:34:57 GMTWed, 16 May 2012 22:34:57 GMTjust-auto.com - RSS feedjust-auto.comhttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss20http://www.just-auto.com/images/small_logo_style.gifhttp://www.just-auto.com10021Isuzu Motors booked net income of JPY91.26bn (US$1.14bn) for the fiscal year ended 31 March 2012, up 76.9% year on year.http://www.just-auto.com/news/isuzu-2012-net-profit-surges-77_id123319.aspxWed, 16 May 2012 14:34:00 GMTThe words "Ford" and "turnaround" are today most likely to be used in the same sentence as "Alan" and "Mulally", the ex-Boeing chief recruited by Ford chairman Bill Ford who has transformed the fortunes of the company in recent years and helped it avoid a government bail-out. But tributes are being made this week to another top Ford man who help revive the troubled automaker in the 1980s - former chairman and CEO Harold 'Red' Poling.http://www.just-auto.com/news/tributes-flow-for-fords-1980s-turnaround-chief_id123295.aspxWed, 16 May 2012 13:19:00 GMTToyota and Honda's relationships with suppliers have slipped while Chrysler, General Motors and Ford have improved, the latest Planning Perspectives survey showed.http://www.just-auto.com/news/detroit-three-improve-in-supplier-relationships-survey_id123294.aspxWed, 16 May 2012 12:56:00 GMTSales by joint ventures with automakers including General Motors and Volkswagen helped SAIC Group boost sales 12.6% year on year to 367,600 vehicles in April. March growth was 10.4%.http://www.just-auto.com/news/jvs-boost-saic-april-sales-126_id123293.aspxWed, 16 May 2012 12:28:00 GMTGM is to halt paid advertising on social media website Facebook.http://www.just-auto.com/news/gm-axes-paid-for-advertising-on-facebook_id123291.aspxWed, 16 May 2012 11:59:00 GMTHonda Motor's Chinese joint ventures Guangqi Honda and Dongfeng Honda said they sold a combined 62,089 vehicles in April, up 43.2% year on year.http://www.just-auto.com/news/honda-jvs-sales-up-43-in-april_id123286.aspxWed, 16 May 2012 11:06:00 GMTNissan has begun production in the US of its fifth generation Altima after making over 4.4 m of the previous generations which date back to 1992 - the original was the US version of the Bluebird and replaced the Stanza.http://www.just-auto.com/news/nissan-starts-redesigned-altima-production_id123285.aspxWed, 16 May 2012 10:41:00 GMTVolvo truck deliveries in April fell 4% year on year to 18,497 vehicles.http://www.just-auto.com/news/volvo-truck-volume-off-4-in-april_id123320.aspxWed, 16 May 2012 14:35:00 GMTSORL Auto Parts, a Chinese manufacturer and distributor of automotive brake systems, said gross profit for the first quarter of 2012 was $12.2m, slightly lower than the $14.6m booked in 2011.http://www.just-auto.com/news/sorl-auto-parts-q1-gross-profit-dips_id123317.aspxWed, 16 May 2012 14:28:00 GMTEicher Motors reported that its consolidated profit after tax for the first quarter of 2012 increased 33.3% to INR1.63bn (US$30m) compared to INR1.23bn in 2011.http://www.just-auto.com/news/eicher-q1-aftertax-profit-up-33-to-us30m_id123296.aspxWed, 16 May 2012 13:30:00 GMTRussian automaker Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant (UAZ), controlled by Ford's local partner Sollers, posted a net profit of RUB70.8m (US$2.3m) in the first quarter of 2012 versus a net loss of RUB251.6m a year ago, the company said in a statement.http://www.just-auto.com/news/uaz-swings-to-net-profit-in-first-quarter_id123292.aspxWed, 16 May 2012 12:12:00 GMTNet profit at Russia's largest car maker Avtovaz plunged 88.5% year on year to RUB105m (US$3.4m) in the first quarter of 2012, the company said.http://www.just-auto.com/news/avtovaz-q1-net-profit-down-885_id123290.aspxWed, 16 May 2012 11:53:00 GMTFormer sales director Nick Connor has been confirmed as managing director of Volvo Car UK as well as its Ireland and Iceland subsidiaries.http://www.just-auto.com/news/volvo-car-confirms-connor-as-md_id123322.aspxWed, 16 May 2012 15:35:00 GMTMercedes Benz India plans to regain top spot in the Indian luxury car market with measures including extending its model range.http://www.just-auto.com/news/mercedes-eyes-top-luxury-spot-by-2020_id123282.aspxTue, 15 May 2012 15:16:00 GMTGerman Hesse state prime minister, Volker Bouffier, has added his powerful voice to those clamouring for Opel/Vauxhall to expand its export philosophy.http://www.just-auto.com/news/hesse-pm-piles-pressure-on-opel-to-expand-export-envelope_id123281.aspxTue, 15 May 2012 15:14:00 GMTMain Saab blue collar union, IF Metall, has taken the extraordinary step of writing directly to US president Barack Obama in a bid to put pressure on former owner, General Motors, to make its licences available. http://www.just-auto.com/news/if-metall-asks-barack-obama-for-saab-licence-help_id123283.aspxTue, 15 May 2012 16:39:00 GMTWith manufacturers already naming models that will have their world premieres at the Paris motor show, just-auto compiles its first round-up. The show's media preview days are 27 and 28 September.http://www.just-auto.com/news/updated-list-of-global-debuts-chevrolet-trax-renault-espace-added_id123030.aspxTue, 08 May 2012 10:43:00 GMTOpel has confirmed it will concentrate future Astra production across just two sites working three shifts at the same time as firing a broadside across its Russelsheim factory's bows.http://www.just-auto.com/news/opelvauxhall-to-focus-on-two-astra-sites-as-it-cautions-on-russelsheim_id123252.aspxTue, 15 May 2012 10:13:00 GMTThe Russian car market continued its recovery in April with sales of light vehicles up 14% on last year according to data released by the Moscow-based Association for European Businesses (AEB).http://www.just-auto.com/news/light-vehicle-sales-up-14-in-april_id123280.aspxTue, 15 May 2012 14:44:00 GMTTest production of the first engines has been successful at Opel's new EUR500m engine plant in Szentgotthard, western Hungary, plant spokeswoman Edit Legradi told local news agency MTI. Serial production is scheduled to start in December.http://www.just-auto.com/news/opel-engine-plant-starts-test-production_id123279.aspxTue, 15 May 2012 14:41:00 GMT