Union news and Saab updates were amongst the most-read stories on just-auto this week.
French metalworking union CFE-CGC said earlier in the week Renault would consider – later today – its suggestion for the Fonderie du Poitou Aluminium (FPA) site to supply the automaker with between 900,000 and 1m extra cylinder heads a year. Simon Warburton is keeping an eye and ear out for the automaker’s answer and we’ll let you know.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Ford quietly started making its Focus line in Russia in 2002, in St Petersburg (once Leningrad), a region now dubbed the ‘Detroit of Russia’ since other automakers and suppliers have piled in, taking advantage of incentives offered by local government to attract factories and the jobs that come with them.
The plant in Vsevolozhsk was the first complete-manufacturing, non-domestic automotive plant in Russia when opened and is now one of three plants operated by the Ford Sollers joint venture inked in June 2011. Total capacity is 350,000 vehicles per year and the 500,000th car has just rolled off the line.
You’ll have noticed we’ve increased the number of interviews we conduct with industry players and this, with Tata chief Ratan Tata, these days also boss of English automaker Jaguar Land Rover, was a popular read this week.
And, while at the UK Optima launch (to which he biked, helping save the polar bears), editor Dave Leggett took time to have a chat with Kia’s dealer development director.
While in Detroit, Simon Warburton spoke to Chrysler chief Sergio Marchionne and he’s also been busy this week keeping track of how the bones of Saab are being picked over, including the mystery of why receivers didn’t take up an invitation to visit Youngman in China (some analysis here) and grim news on Saab worker pay.
Meanwhile, the Geneva show, always a new model fest, isn’t far off now. Product guru Glenn Brooks is keeping track.
Have a nice weekend.
Graeme Roberts, Deputy Editor, just-auto.com
