Lotus Into The Future With Gusto

For all of its existence, Lotus cars has been a relatively small, fringe sports car maker. Originator of the brand Colin Chapman was more interested in F1. Of recent times, the Elise got Lotus some decent sales numbers, but not profitability. The new plan is to have more models and go more upmarket, where the profits are to be made.

Current owner Proton has decided to go for broke with the

Tata's Now Profitable JLR

Just after Tata bought Jaguar - Land Rover off Ford in 2008, a world economic crisis struck. Ford had sold largely unprofitable brands and with the downturn, just in time. Ford has gone on to do well so they are happy. How about Tata though? Mr Tata seemed unfazed by it all, saying he was looking to the long term benefits. Well he didn't have to wait long as JLR have quickly and consistently been

Tata's New Electric Vehicle

A Tata Indica Vista EVX an electric vehicle from a team of engineers at the Tata Motors European Technical Centre based at Warwick University, UK. Apparently it will be produced in Coventry, a city known as the centre of UK car manufacturing in times past. Tata already make the car in India as a petrol powered vehicle. It goes on sale in the UK and Europe next year, in the first quarter of 2011.

Ford's Struggle To Stay #1 In The UK

Ford has been number one in the UK for decades. It stopped making cars in England in 2001 but makes millions of engines and does extensive design and research there so supports the UK economy well. The brand it has had to keep at bay for many years is GM's Vauxhall, which cannot quite do enough to dethrone it. Vauxhall makes the Astra and Astra van as well as the Vivaro/Trafic vans but that's

Honda’s Decline In New Zealand

In NZ private buyers pay top dollar and fleet buyers get generous discounts. When the private buyer comes to sell his car, its value had been seriously undermined by large numbers of fleet cars being returned to the used market. Private buyers have shunned the new market, but can be enticed by discounts which most brands offer from time to time.

Honda NZ had a plan. Have the same price for all

Can Fiat Gain Concessions For Italian Production?

Fiat supremo Sergio Marchionne has criticised Italy's poor labour efficiency and industrial competitiveness. He says Fiat doesn't make money from making cars in its home country and it is the overseas factories that make its profit. However, others within Italy say that Fiat is what it is because of the loyal public toward its products. Indeed, in 2009 the Fiat brand had 25.5% of car the Italian