Clik here to view.
South African Auto Industry Takes Off
When I think of the South African car industry, I’m a bit ashamed to admit that I first think of the Citi Golf, the ageless Mk.1 VW Golf that was built there from ’84 to 2009 (or possibly armored...
View ArticleOut Of Africa, A Car For Africa
In the auto industry, as in so many other areas, Africa is something of a forgotten continent. Without the new roads and emerging middle class of a China, the most underdeveloped part of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Iranian Connection In The GM/Peugeot Alliance
As a member of The Tribe with an Iranian best friend, the general policy on politics pertaining to the Middle East is “don’t talk about it” (although like most young Iranians, my friend’s take on...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Don’t Give LaHood Ideas: They’ll Take Your Phone Away
They do that in South Africa. Use your phone for texting or gabbing, and police in Cape Town will arrest your cell. Police in unmarked “ghost squad” cars seized 16 phones from motorists who flaunted...
View ArticleClik here to view.
PSA’s Low Cost Efforts Bear Fruit
PSA is looking to challenge Renault-Nissan’s dominance of the low cost car segment with a new sedan branded as a Peugeot. The 301, shown above, will debut first in Turkey, with introductions following...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Renault, VW, In Spat Over North African Plants
Renault’s plans for a plant in Algeria have stalled, amid the French auto maker’s desire for an agreement barring auto makers from setting up shop in the country for 5 years after the plant comes...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Algerian Government Rejects French Offer Of PSA Stake, Seeks Renault’s Love
The fate of PSA and the Algerian people has been intertwined for decades. The group’s Aulnay plant, which is due to close, was originally staffed by immigrants from North Africa, lured by the promise...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Renault Says “Kuss Ummak” To VW, French Unions With Algeria Deal
Renault’s Algerian plant became a done deal Thursday, with production beginning in mid-2014, which will see the French auto maker become the sole passenger car builder in the North African state. The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Labor Unrest In South Africa
South Africa’s main auto union threatened to “halt production” at a Volkswagen after union members were fired, Reuters says. “We call on the Volkswagen South Africa oligarchy to immediately stop these...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Capsule Review: Toyota HiLux Surf (United Nations Edition)
Diesel and Baby Blue to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies The durability of the original Toyota HiLux, known in the United States as simply “Truck,” is the stuff of legend, especially if you...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Beyond The BRICs
Emerging markets have been a big theme at TTAC for the past few years, with our coverage going beyond the cursory articles on automotive developments in the BRIC countries. Our articles on places like...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ford to Fight for the Heart of Middle East, Africa
From the Blade Runner future in Dubai to the shores of Tripoli, Ford aims to launch an aggressive campaign in the Middle East and Africa markets through the creation of a fifth business unit that will...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Toyota Looking To Conquer Africa
Though Toyota already has a presence in South Africa, the automaker is eyeing the last untapped market in the world: The African continent. Automotive News reports Toyota patriarch Shochiro Toyoda...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Datsun Is Go In South Africa
Nissan’s budget brand Datsun is ready to go to South Africa, the fourth market that the resurrected nameplate will either see again or for the first time. Just-Auto reports the first car to arrive in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mobius Leads Path Toward Local Manufacturing For African Consumers
Today, 50 units from Nairobi-based manufacturer Mobius are set to be delivered to customers, marking the first step for the company as it aims to prove Kenya — and the continent of Africa — can...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fiat Compact Sedan to Debut at Istanbul Autoshow
In related news: Istanbul has an auto show. The new built-in-Turkey sedan is described as a “compact three-box,” hinting the model will be a fairly basic affair. We expect it to be a replacement for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fiat Aegea Is the Dodge Dart for Elsewhere
Fiat, in conjunction with Tofaş R&D, revealed its new compact three-box Aegea sedan project at the Istanbul Motor Show. The new sedan, which will get a different name when it goes to production,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
With New Honda CEO, Possible FCA Partnership?
New Honda CEO Takahiro Hachigo told media Monday that the automaker wouldn’t aim for a specific global sales figure to drive growth and would be open to partnerships with other automakers, Automotive...
View ArticleClik here to view.
GM to Develop Global Car with China-based SAIC Motors
General Motors will invest $5 billion to build a global line of cars with Shanghai-based SAIC Motors that will be sold in Brazil, China and other emerging markets, the automaker announced Tuesday. The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ford Posts $1.9B Second Quarter Profit, Largest Since 2000
Ford announced that it made a $1.9 billion net-adjusted profit in the second quarter of 2015, marking the largest gain for the automaker since 2000, according to Automotive News. The profit represents...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Could Africa Support Its Own Auto Industry?
Africa may be one of the last untapped continents for automakers and one of the largest growth markets in the future. But the opportunity is now for carmakers such as Uganda-based Kiira Motors,...
View ArticleFCA Signs Fullback Mitsubishi L200 To Fiat Professionals For 2016 Season
Making its debut at the 2015 Dubai Motor Show, the Fiat Fullback will be playing its first season in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa next May. The Fullback — a rebadged Mitsubishi L200 — takes its...
View ArticleFour Weeks in Africa with the Land Rover Defender
After 67 years, production of the iconic Land Rover Defender ends today. It’s an amazing feat that the Defender has lasted this long. It was a utilitarian vehicle developed at a time when going...
View ArticleMarchionne Straddles the World, Shouting ‘Jeeps for Everyone!’
The Jeep brand is Fiat-Chrysler’s biggest money maker, so it’s no wonder that CEO Sergio Marchionne is scattering factories around the world like a sailor’s offspring. The company’s head honcho...
View ArticleFrom In-Road Rock Formations to Traffic-Directing Robots: A Dispatch from Congo
If you can describe a road surface as being home to a rock formation, you might be in Kinshasa, Congo. Protrusions of solid rock extend several feet above the road surface, as though thrust upward by...
View ArticleCarmakers Shutter Plants In Egypt As Riots Escalate
Most automakers are suspending operations in Egypt while riots continue. Here is a list of current closures: GM has halted operations at its plant near Cairo.- Daimler has stopped production at its...
View ArticleIs Toyota Losing the Market for “Technicals” to China?
You’ve seen them before, photos from some godforsaken place of insurgent warfare. A half dozen rag tag soldiers, if you can call them soldiers, bristling with Chinese Kalishnikov knockoffs, piled into...
View ArticleThe Big, Bad, Automatic Benz That Took on the WRC – the C107
In 1978, Mercedes-Benz made the decision to expand its efforts in rally competition. But its choice of platform to enter into the World Rally Championship was, to say the least, unique. At the time,...
View Article