Chevrolet Europe and a New GM Strategy

Chevrolet is a classical American brand with a French name, but its success in Europe has always been hampered by Opel, a German brand owned by GM. Beginning in 2005, GM sought to expand Chevrolet’s presence in Europe, selling Chevrolet and Opel (or Vauxhall) models side-by-side, often rebadged products at … Read more

Automotive Branding: Are Sub-brands the Way to Go?

Ask what should seem to be a fairly straightforward question and you would hope for similarly worded answers. That wasn’t the case when I made a query to auto industry and public relations professionals about branding. That query asked: Are sub-brands the way to go? By sub-brands, that would represent … Read more

Ford’s Risky Reductive Lincoln Approach

The Ford brand is sailing smoothly, bolstered by hot-selling and exciting products ranging from its burly F-Series pickup truck line down to its tiny Fiesta subcompact. Arguably, we are witnessing the best product mix in the history of the blue oval brand and with a new F-150 truck due out … Read more

Larger, More Luxurious 2014 Cadillac CTS Sedan Debuts

On the eve of the New York International Auto Show media days, GM used Manhattans Lincoln Center as the stage for debuting its all-new 2014 Cadillac CTS Sedan. Home to the Metropolitan Opera, the Lincoln Center also hosts the New York City Ballet and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, among … Read more

Buick Aspirations and the Opel Cascada

GM’s Buick brand will get two new redesigned models later this year as both the larger LaCrosse and midsize Regal sedans will drop cover this month at the New York International Auto Show. Buick sales continue to rise, the average age of Buick owners is falling and the brand has … Read more

Car Guys vs. Bean Counters (Book Review)

Car Guys vs Bean Counters book review

Former GM vice-chairman offers an insider’s look at a once proud industry. Bob Lutz is one of the most colorful, if not controversial figures in the automotive industry today. Although he officially retired from General Motors in 2010, ending a 47-year automotive career that also began with GM and included … Read more