Despite the fact that Ford is still the last of the big three automakers to not have accepted any government bailout money, they’re still operating in a tough environment.  Let’s face it–everybody’s been operating in a tough environment ever since about 2007.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone to hear this:

“We plan to sell,” Booth said. “It’s not about Volvo, but because we want to focus on Ford. The situation for Ford around the world is still tough. Ford is still losing money.”

Ford is still losing money and they want to focus on Ford.  Well, frankly, you can hardly fault them for planning to deal with their own problems and, meanwhile, spin off some divisions.  Especially given that Volvo is a loss-maker for Ford.

Who’s going to buy?  Well, some have said that the Chinese are interested.  But some Chinese firms have said that they never actually made an offer.  If something doesn’t happen soon, Volvo will be Ford’s albatross.

Continue reading...

There is no stopping anyone from using their phone despite laws prohibiting their use. So as a businessman or an ordinary civilian, the best thing you can do is to find alternative ways to take a call and keep your eyes on the road. And for the new iPhone 3G S which was launched recently, it did not take long to have holders come out which are especially made for it.

These holders, designed and manufactured by Brodit AB in Sweden, are custom made and attach to vehicle specific ProClip dashboard mounts. Once this two part solution (Device Holder plus Vehicle Mount) is attached, to the dashboard, the solution provides better viewing and easier access. ProClip holders may also be attached to other manufacturers’ vehicle mounts or any other flat surface.

Here are some of the mounts that ProClip USA launched:

• The Padded Holder with Tilt Swivel
• The Padded Holder with Tilt Swivel and Charging/USB Cable
• The Holder with Tilt Swivel and Pass-Through Connector
• The Adjustable Holder with Tilt Swivel and Pass-Through Connector
• The ProClip Vehicle Mount

These are all available at the ProClip USA website.

(Source) Press

Continue reading...

First Hummer, then Saturn, now Saab — GM seems to have found a buyer for their Saab brand in Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg who has banded together with a group of Norweigen investors.

GM says that while Saab had several potential buyers Koenigsegg made the best overall offer. Unforunately there were no details on how much the deal will go down for but we do know that it will happen sometime before the end of the suimmer.

According to KickingTires, Saab hasn’t turned a profit for GM since they bought a stake in it back in 1990. Worse yet, sales peaked at 133,000 so it’s really no wonder that GM would want to sell off the brand.

Continue reading...

Ford keeps denying the rumors which say the Volvo brand will be soon sold. But Volvo sales have dropped in Europe and in the U.S. which means some people will loose their current job with Volvo. It appears that no less than 900 jobs will be cut in 2009 in Sweden. That means an entire shift might be canceled in Goteborg’s Volvo plant.

Are we going to see Volvo rise again? I guess it’s up to Ford’s management and marketing to make it happen.

Continue reading...