Autoline Daily

Sales of new cars and trucks blew out of the gate in the American market last month. Even though General Motors spends less on research and development than Volkswagen and Toyota, the company is No. 1 when it comes to generating patents. Remember that California woman that was suing Honda in small-claims court because her Civic Hybrid didn’t deliver the fuel economy promised on the window sticker? Yeah, in a shocking bit of news she actually won the case! All this and more, plus the latest news from Mopar.

Chrysler posted its financial results for 2011, and the numbers look pretty good. Total revenue came to $55 billion, a 31 percent increase from the prior year. The head of the NHTSA says the agency will decide next year if it will impose regulations for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Navistar, the maker of International trucks potentially faces some huge fines for selling heavy-duty diesel engines that do not meet emission standards. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in the “You Said It!” segment.

Yazaki is hit with a massive fine for its bid-rigging scheme. Aussies are experiencing the lowest car prices in 36 years. And, just like a good pork roast, the economic recovery continues low and slow. All that and more, plus a look at Federal-Mogul’s innovative lighting solutions.

The National Automobile Dealers Association just released its latest Dealer Attitude Survey and for the third time in a row Hyundai topped the charts. Luxury sales in China skyrocketed last year. The California Air Resources Board approved new regulations that mandates that one out of every seven new cars sold in the state must be zero-emission by 2025. All that and more, plus a look at all the aerodynamic tweaks GM engineers made to the Chevy Malibu Eco.

Ford posted its financial earnings for 2011 and it was the company’s best year in over a decade but it still fell short of Wall Street targets. BMW will now offer a diesel engine for select M vehicles in Europe. Chevy announced all of its vehicles sold in the U.S. will have a window sticker explaining the environmental impact of the car. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about GM and Chrysler dealers who were forced to give up their businesses during the companies' bankruptcies.

Nissan just announced it will build a third plant in Mexico. The company plans to invest 2 billion dollars in the facility, with production scheduled to begin sometime in 2013. Opel has delayed the launch of the Ampera to fix a potential coolant leak in the battery. Ford’s successful “Drive One” slogan is being retired, replaced by another two-word catchphrase. All that and more, plus guest host Murray Feldman from FOX2 News, Detroit shares some of his thoughts on the resurgent American auto industry.

Japanese auto supplier Yazaki was hit with a record fine from the Japanese government over a bid rigging scheme involving wire harnesses. Limo Broker, a British limo company, is making a stretched version of the Audi R8. The city of Trollhättan, Saab AB and The Wallenberg Foundation have shelled out more than 4 million dollars to buy and preserve Saab’s official museum. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in the “You Said It!” segment.

It's predicted that in four or five years Russia will be the largest car market in Europe – beating out Germany. General Motors is putting enormous pressure on Opel to finally become profitable again, and now the company is in talks with SAIC to sell cars in China. Automakers fight for every ounce of weight they can take out of their vehicles. Today’s bulky and bloated lead-acid batteries are prime, low-hanging fruit that’s ready for pickin’. All that and more, plus a look at the new 2012 Honda CR-V.

Ward’s Auto is forecasting that car sales this month in the U.S. market will jump nearly 10 percent compared to a year ago which translates to a SAAR of 13.9 million vehicles. Honda delivered its first Fit EV as part of its Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program. Scosche, a company that sells electronic accessories, just introduced a device that can block mobile phones while in the car. All that and more, plus find out why Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne says the Jeep Liberty is the most important product the company is investing in.

GM announced that it sold just over 9 million vehicles globally last year which sparked off a flurry of news reports over who’s the Number One automaker in the world. Chinese automaker Youngman Lotus and Turkish private equity firm Brightwell Holdings intend to place bids for Saab. Hyundai will supply six-speed automatic transmissions for the Dodge Dart. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about the pitfalls and benefits facing automakers in China.