Industry

Mahindra Automotive North America announced that it’s planning a second factory in Flint, Michigan in addition to its existing one in Auburn Hills. The facility -the former Buick City site- will produce Mahindra’s next-generation mail trucks, should the Indian car maker win the US Postal Service’s contract. Mahindra is competing with four other manufacturers for the contract, and the announcement will come later this year. Also Read: Mahindra Roxor Gains A Newly Optional Six-Speed Automatic Gearbox “Winning the USPS contract is a key element of our growth strategy but it’s only a piece of what we have planned,” said Rick Haas, President and CEO of Mahindra Automotive North America. “We have a long-term product plan and we believe the former Buick City site in Flint is a strong contender for what would essentially be Mahindra’s first large scale manufacturing operation in the United States.” Mahindra said that it’s also in … [Read more...] about Mahindra Wants To Open A Second Factory In Michigan

To say that the Leon has been a huge hit for Seat would be an understatement; after all, it’s become the brand’s best-selling model and the first to take over the number one spot held by the Ibiza for the past 30 years. The third-generation Leon is now celebrating an important landmark, as it has achieved 1,000,000 deliveries since its launch in 2012. The Spanish cousin of the Golf has been designed, developed and produced in the company’s Martorell factory and is underpinned by the VW Group’s modular MQB architecture. Also Read: 2020 Seat Leon Shows Uncovered Interior For The First Time “The most prominent aspect of this third generation of the Seat Leon is the wide acceptance that it still has in the market, even after seven years,” said Wayne Griffiths, Seat VP for sales and marketing. “In 2017, the current generation of the Leon achieved its record with 170,000 cars sold and now in 2019, we are still confident that it will maintain its … [Read more...] about Seat Celebrates 1 Million Leon Mk3s Sold Since 2012

Carlos Ghosn has filed a lawsuit against Nissan and Mitsubishi seeking 15 million euros ($16.8 million) in damages. Reuters reports that the lawsuit was filed at a district court in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and is still under review meaning a trial date has yet to be locked in. “In the Netherlands, if you want to fire an executive you have to first tell him what he’s being accused of, and you have to provide him with the evidence for the accusations. Neither of those things has happened,” Ghosn’s lawyer Laurens de Graaf told Dutch newspaper NRC. Also Read: Carlos Ghosn’s Lawyer Says Bail Conditions Violate Human Rights Carlos Ghosn has been in and out of jail in Japan since last November, when he was sacked by Nissan on charges of financial misconduct. The former exec has repeatedly insisted that he is innocent and claims that he is a conspiracy victim of “backstabbing” colleagues. On their part, Nissan and Mitsubishi claim that Ghosn … [Read more...] about Carlos Ghosn Sues Nissan And Mitsubishi Seeking $16.8 Million

Jaguar announced that Ian Callum is leaving his post as Director of Design at the car maker after 20 years of service, with current Creative Design Director Julian Thompson to take the reigns of the Jaguar Design Studio, effective July 01. “I have had an incredible career at Jaguar,” said Ian Callum. “One of my biggest highlights was creating XF because it represented the beginning of a new era moving Jaguar from tradition to contemporary design – it was a significant turning point in our story.” Callum started working as a designer in 1979 with Ford Design Studios, where he stayed for 11 years before moving on to TWR Design. While at Tom Walkinshaw Design, Callum was partially responsible for penning the Aston Martin DB7. Also Read: Jaguar’s Ian Callum Story Is A Must-Watch For Aspiring Car Designers In 1999, he joined Jaguar as Director of Design. During those early years, Callum was also responsible for Aston Martin and its Vanquish and DB9 … [Read more...] about Ian Callum Leaves Jaguar Design After 20 Years Of Service

Production and sales of new cars across the United Kingdom have nosedived – and the reason is none other than the Brexit. The United Kingdom had been scheduled to leave the European Union on March 29 this year and because of this, a host of local car manufacturers brought their annual factory shutdowns forward and closed facilities in late March and early April. As a result, 56,999 fewer vehicles were built in the UK in April 2019 than the same month last year. This also means that year-to-date production is down significantly on last year, as are year-to-date sales, Auto Express reports. Also Read: BMW, PSA Both Shutting Down UK Plants Despite Brexit Delay This year, the number of vehicles built through the end of April sat at 70,971, well down from the 127,970 built over the same time period in 2018. Production of vehicles to be sold locally dropped by 43.7 per cent while those bound for overseas markets fell by 44.7 per cent. What makes the lower production figures … [Read more...] about UK Car Production Down By Half Due To Brexit Shutdowns