1961-1974 Volkswagen Transporter / Bus / Shop Manual / Clymer's 73 72 71 70 69++ on 2040-parts.com

Saab unable to pay wages as financing crisis deepens

Saab's money troubles have worsened to the point that the struggling car maker is unable to pay its employees' wages on the eve of the Swedish mid-summer vacation period.In a brief official statement last night, Saab's parent company Swedish Automobile N.V (formerly Spyker Cars) announced that it was 'will be unable to pay the wages to employees as it has not yet obtained the necessary short-term funding.'  While Swedish Automobile and Saab continue to pursue options for securing short-term financing to solve the cashflow crisis, the company admitted 'there can however be no assurance that these discussions will be successful or that the necessary funding will be obtained.' Saab share prices tumble, Swedish government will not intervene Reaction to the worsening financial crisis from stakeholders has been predictably bleak. Swedish Automobile's shares dropped 61% in value yesterday, and are currently trading at 0.948 euro. The Swedish government, already guaranteeing a €400m loan to Saab by the European Investment Bank, shows no inclination to bail-out Saab, which employs 3800 staff.

Audi develops new A2; plans for U.S. unclear

Audi is developing a reincarnation of the A2 small car that will slot between the A3 and the A1 minicar introduced in Geneva last week. "There's clearly room for another product and another concept between the A3 and A1," Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said on the sidelines of the Geneva auto show. Michael Dick, Audi's board member for technology, said in an interview that the company's push to add electric variants will play a role with the next-generation A2 "in the near future." The German media have reported that the A2 is expected by 2014.

U.S. vehicle sales rise 2 percent in April

UPDATED: U.S. light vehicle sales rose 2 percent in April to 1.2 million units, slightly above analysts' expectations, as consumers continued to snap up new cars and other fuel-efficient models at a faster clip than trucks and SUVs. In another sign the U.S.