Ex-Toyota exec preaches production gospel to aspiring supplierAuto News

Paula Lillard is now the bright hope for nth/works. She has come to help instill the Toyota Production System -- or TPS -- for a supplier that urgently wants it.



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Who's in charge at Cadillac?Auto News

Last week, Cadillac's U.S. sales chief, Bill Peffer, left abruptly after less than 10 months in the job, the third head of sales to leave in two years. Dealers desperate for some stability will have to wait for that promise.



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Takata says moisture may be culprit in airbag recallsAuto News

For a global airbag producer, it's hard to imagine worse news: A few defective airbag inflators from Takata Corp. malfunctioned during accidents, rupturing the airbags.



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Reversal on stalling risk forces new look at ignition issuesAuto News

Ten years ago, General Motors insisted that engine stall is not a safety defect. Now, in the face of evidence that faulty ignition switches contributed to at least 13 deaths, GM's position has changed.



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The DCH deal: How Lithia will absorb its new assetAuto News

CEO Bryan DeBoer will transform Lithia Motors Inc., the smallest of the publicly traded dealership groups, with his planned purchase of DCH Auto Group Ltd. But it won't be easy.



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GM bogs down in effort to fix supplier tiesAuto News

Grace Lieblein has been doing a lot to repair General Motors' strained relationship with its suppliers during her 18 months as global purchasing chief.



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New era afoot for dealership MandAs?Auto News

Lithia's purchase of DCH Auto Group will have major implications on the buy-sell market going forward. It could spark more activity, perhaps prompting bigger dealership groups to buy other large groups.



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Suppliers outfit Transit vans in massive Kansas City cave complexAuto News

Six upfitters are finishing Kansas City-built Ford Transit vans for commercial customers in a most unusual setting: a mammoth cavern system carved from limestone deposited 560 million years ago.



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Ford mpg strategy is at a crossroadsAuto News

Ford Motor Co. plans to retain fuel economy as a pillar of its marketing, but its rollback of mpg numbers on six models this month will force the company to abandon many of the competitive and superlative claims it has made over the past 18 months.



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Mass. store becomes a one-stop shop for fleetsAuto News

Imperial Municipal Partners caters to an important segment that many traditional dealerships aren't well equipped to handle -- commercial and government fleet buyers, including police departments.



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Sonic targets 1-price, 45-minute transactionsAuto News

Sonic Automotive is spending tens of millions of dollars to transform the customer buying experience in the company's dealerships. The goal is to get buyers in and out the door faster.



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Volt owners want more room, longer rangeAuto News

Chevrolet Volt customers are telling General Motors they want three things in the next version of the range-extended electric car: a fifth seat, a longer electric driving range and a lower price.



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Toyota, Nissan green-car divide widensAuto News

While other automakers hedge their bets on alternative powertrains, Toyota and Nissan are placing risky wagers that each knows exactly which will dominate among next-generation green vehicles.



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Asian automakers still reluctant to embrace aluminumAuto News

As western carmakers such as Audi and Ford embrace aluminum to save weight and boost fuel economy, their Asian rivals remain reluctant to invest in the costly retooling required that would disrupt existing manufacturing processes and supplier...



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Mini, beloved by Chinese women, seeks a few good menAuto News

How much do women in China love BMW's Mini? Perhaps a bit too much for Mini's comfort. So the company is taking pains to give its cars more masculine connotations.



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TI Automotive plans debt-fueled dividend for hedge fund owners, report saysAuto News

TI Automotive's hedge fund owners that include Oaktree Capital Group LLC will reap a $435 million dividend by saddling the longtime auto supplier with more debt for the second time in two years.



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GM quality manager warned board of serious problems in 2002Auto News

A former head of General Motors corporate quality audit warned the company's board in a letter in 2002 that it needed to 'stop the continued shipment of unsafe vehicles' and 'recall suspect vehicles that were already in customers'...



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Lexus lifts cap on how many stores a group can ownAuto News

Lexus dealers are cheering the brand's having expanded a cap that had limited retailers to owning no more than six Lexus stores.



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Volvo's goal: Turn around U.S. salesAuto News

Volvo will reverse its downward sales trend in the second half of the year as new four- and six-cylinder engines and connectivity features become widely available.



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What's behind Hyundai-Kia quality win?Auto News

Hyundai-Kia's first-ever first-place showing in the 2014 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study is a significant milestone for a Korean manufacturer that once struggled with quality.



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