Autoline Daily

Lars Ulrich, the head of diesel marketing for Bosch in North America, says diesel sales will hit a critical mass sometime in the middle of this decade. Analysts at Morgan Stanley suggest buying Ford and Peugeot bonds because they are safe investments that pay better than government securities. All that and more, plus John test drives a vehicle that could be the last of its breed.

Volkswagen set a goal of becoming No. 1 in the world by 2018, but it looks like the company could get there this year. MINI is introducing a roadster version of its popular small car, its first ever two-seat drop-top. Renault revealed a new small car for the Indian market called the Pulse. All that and more, plus a look at which car companies raked in the most money and had the best profits for the first half of the year.

Victor Muller has thrown in the towel, agreeing to sell Saab to the Chinese. Caterham wants a piece of the Indian pie as it moves to build cars in the sub-continent. Opel Ampera sales are off to a surprising start. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week with J Mays and a walkaround of the Ford Evos concept.

Volkswagen posted astounding numbers in the third quarter, with a HUGE jump in revenue. French automaker PSA is finally taking steps to reduce its workforce as part of a bid to save money next year. The 2012 Ford Ranger just aced Euro NCAP’s battery of crash tests. All that and more, plus a look at a pedestrian safety system from German supplier company Continental.

Ford has a good quarter but slips a bit in Europe and elsewhere. Meanwhile, the company takes it on the chin in quality ratings, but are these surveys worth taking seriously? John Mendel from American Honda says the company is about to rebound from losses suffered earlier in the year. All that and more, plus John McElroy answers your comments and questions in You Said It!

The bowtie brand prepares to make a big splash at SEMA with its Z-Spec small cars. Ford inches toward an investment-grade rating. Thailand highways turn into parking lots, literally. All that and more, plus a look at how BMW is merging high performance and high fuel economy with the new Z4.

Car sales continue to be one of the few bright spots in the American economy and the October SAAR is looking up. Rolls-Royce is expanding its global footprint with plans to open dealerships in Brazil and Chile next year. Google has set a goal of hitting 1 million miles with its autonomous cars. All that and more, plus a look at how ZF is making it easy for automakers to electrify vehicles.

The National Auto Dealers Association is commissioning a study to see if OEM mandates ever really translate into more sales or higher profits for dealers. New fuel economy standards proposed by the Obama Administration earlier this year are under attack. People are hanging on to their cars longer. This has been bad news for dealers, automakers and suppliers, but it’s great for repair shops and parts makers. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about what was going on behind-the-scenes when the American auto industry collapsed.

Argentina is punishing companies that are hurting its trade balance. Nissan is one of those companies. Prices for iron ore, aluminum and other commodities are plummeting, and it’s all because of the Chinese economy. Car sales in the U.S. have steadily increased throughout the year and the top economists at Ford and GM say next year will be even better. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in the “You Said It!” segment.

Hourly workers at Ford in the U.S. ratified a new labor contract but now the attention will turn to the voting on the Chrysler contract. The price of steel could fall by nearly 300 dollars a ton compared to its peak in April. Several lawsuits have been filed against suppliers, accusing them of an international price fixing scam involving wire harnesses. All that and more, plus a walkaround of the new Fisker Surf with company CEO, Henrik Fisker.