Filed under: China, Europe, Ford, Earnings/Financials What a difference a few years make. Back in 2009, Ford Motor Company’s North American operations were dragging down its earnings. The company reported a net loss of $1.4 billion in that year’s first quarter when market share in the U.S. was falling but rising overseas. The situation today, however,... 

Filed under: Budget, Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Technology, Hatchback, Ford, Humor We’ve got to hand it to Ford of Europe – this is one of the most brilliant marketing stunts we’ve ever seen. Blending the correct amounts of populist outrage, mockery of the common man, hidden cameras, big budget technology, and gritty urban realism into... 

Filed under: Budget, Europe, Hatchback, Peugeot, Diesel, Quick Spins Euro Hatch Icon Reclaims Some Of Its Mojo The challenge of small, efficient and clever hatchbacks catching on with the American masses is a long story that shows infrequent signs of becoming less challenging. The bottom line is that most U.S. consumers feel such vehicles are simply too small... 

Filed under: Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Fiat Several years ago, we were surprised to discover that the Yugo was still being made. Sometimes dubbed the worst car in history, Serbian automaker Zastava continued producing the Yugo through 2008 when the last one rolled off the assembly line in Kragujevac after a twenty-year production run. That was only months... 

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Etc., Europe, Design/Style You may remember the Pininfarina Cambiano as the creation that walked away with the honor of being named the most beautiful concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The design house decided to commemorate the honor by crafting something else special for the 2012 Milan Furniture Show. Pininfarina turned... 

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Europe, Work, Mercedes-Benz We tend to think of Mercedes-Benz as a luxury automaker – and indeed it is – but overseas it’s a full-line brand, known as much for its trucks and vans as it is for its upscale passenger cars. And this is the latest. Previewed back in February, the new Citan has just been revealed in Amsterdam... 

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Volkswagen Apparently the Jetta and Passat redesigns are working well, because Volkswagen is reporting 1.36 million vehicle deliveries for the first quarter of 2012. That’s an increase of more than ten percent over last year, and in March alone, VW delivered a record 536,600 cars. Wait a minute, aren’t things bleak in Europe?... 

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Videos, MISC The Koenigsegg Agera R recently took to the Nürburgring for a little fun. Not surprisingly, there were a few cameras on hand to see the 1,100-horsepower titan whomp its way around the course, including one lens stationed at the exit to the pits. At the end of the track’s long straight,... 

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Classics, Convertible, Ford, Lincoln, Design/Style If you’ve attended major international auto show in the U.S. this season, you’ve likely seen this car: Edsel Ford’s 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster. We first saw it at the Monterey Concours d’Elegance last August, then again in January at the Detroit Auto... 

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Videos, Specialty The PAL-V One is a Dutch take on the flying car, and whereas its Terrafugia contemporary is more like a plane you can drive, the PAL-V One (Personal Air and Land Vehicle) is perhaps more accurately called a driving gyrocopter. According to the company, this flying Dutchman can reach terrestrial speeds of 112 miles...