Bentley Motors loses trademark battle over branded clothing

Automotive industry Luxury carmaker may have to destroy its stock after family firm behind Bentley Clothing brand wins 20-year fight Chris Lees, pictured with his father, Bob, who bought the company in the early 1990s. Photograph: Charlotte Graham/Guzelian Bentley Motors has lost a long-running high court trademark battle with a small, family-owned business, which could… Continue reading Bentley Motors loses trademark battle over branded clothing

Bosses leave car dealer Lookers as Brexit blamed for profit warning

Automotive industry Shares plunge and company announces the closure of 15 branches Lookers says it expects annual underlying pre-tax profit to plunge to about £20m from £67m a year earlier. Photograph: Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters Lookers, one of Britain’s biggest car dealerships, has parted company with its chief executive and chief operating officer as it blamed Brexit… Continue reading Bosses leave car dealer Lookers as Brexit blamed for profit warning

Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot owner PSA agree £35bn merger

Automotive industry Tie-up of Italian and French firms would create world’s fourth-biggest carmaker The two companies said the merger would generate cost savings without closing factories. Photograph: Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty Images The boards of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the Peugeot owner, Groupe PSA, have approved a €40bn (£35bn) merger that would create the world’s fourth-biggest… Continue reading Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot owner PSA agree £35bn merger

GM strike ends after 40 days with 48,000 staff to return to work

General Motors Strike that started 16 September cost GM more than $2bn Employees wanted fair share of GM’s $25bn profits The UAW plans to have a final tally after the 4pm vote deadline on Friday. Photograph: Troy Stolt/AP The longest strike by autoworkers in a decade came to an end on Friday as United Auto… Continue reading GM strike ends after 40 days with 48,000 staff to return to work

SUVs second biggest cause of emissions rise, figures reveal

Greenhouse gas emissions If SUV drivers were a nation, they would rank seventh in the world for carbon emissions Fri 25 Oct 2019 09.57 EDT Last modified on Fri 25 Oct 2019 14.43 EDT Growing demand for SUVs was the second largest contributor to the increase in global CO2 emissions from 2010 to 2018, an analysis has… Continue reading SUVs second biggest cause of emissions rise, figures reveal

Snail fail: Australia turns back Mercedes-Benz cars after escargot cargo found

Invasive species Biosecurity officers shell-shocked after finding 30 snails never before detected in Australia The port of Fremantle in Western Australia, one of four ports where the cars containing the heath snails were found. Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images Nine-hundred Mercedes-Benz cars have been turned away at the Australian border after dozens of rare and… Continue reading Snail fail: Australia turns back Mercedes-Benz cars after escargot cargo found

GM workers anxiously await resolution to longest strike in decade

General Motors Feelings ranged from ‘cautiously optimistic’ to ‘skeptical’ among striking members of the UAW in Michigan as they prepare to vote Striking United Auto Workers member Anesha Towell keeps warm at a burn barrel while picketing at the General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Detroit, Michigan, on Thursday. Photograph: Rebecca Cook/Reuters The autoworkers picketing outside… Continue reading GM workers anxiously await resolution to longest strike in decade

General Motors and UAW reach tentative deal to end month-long strike

General Motors Deal won’t immediately end strike of 49,000 car workers that began on 16 September General Motors assembly workers picket outside the company’s Bowling Green plant during the United Auto Workers (UAW) national strike in Bowling Green, Kentucky, earlier this month. Photograph: Bryan Woolston/Reuters General Motors and the United Auto Workers union have reached… Continue reading General Motors and UAW reach tentative deal to end month-long strike

Volkswagen’s $75m fine over diesel emissions scandal rejected by judge

Automotive industry Judge questioned the imputation that the top layers of the corporation would not have known about the emissions software Volkswagen settled a class action for between $87m and $127m with owners of some of the 100,000 cars that were affected by the emissions test cheating and subsequent global recall in Australia. Photograph: Rick… Continue reading Volkswagen’s $75m fine over diesel emissions scandal rejected by judge

One-third of car firms have cut jobs amid Brexit uncertainty

Automotive industry Survey reveals divestment and relocation as industry warns against no-deal departure Workers at the Nissan car factory in Sunderland. The firm has said a no-deal Brexit would jeopardise its European operation. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian One in three car firms are cutting jobs and one in eight have divested from their UK businesses… Continue reading One-third of car firms have cut jobs amid Brexit uncertainty