Carmakers 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 ArticleSouth 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 ArticleThe 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 ArticleDon’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 ArticlePSA’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 ArticleRenault, 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 ArticleAlgerian 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 ArticleRenault 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 ArticleLabor 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 ArticleCapsule 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 ArticleBeyond 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 ArticleFord 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 ArticleToyota 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 ArticleDatsun 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 ArticleMobius 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 ArticleFiat 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 ArticleFiat 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 ArticleWith 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...
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