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Honda cutting production in Swindon again – 500 jobs at risk

Honda is cutting another 500 jobs in Swindon It’s only a year since Honda announced 800 job cuts at Swindon (which eventually was 550) and now they’re about to cut a further 500 as weak demand – particularly in Europe – sees the Swindon plant producing just half the cars it could. The plan is to cut shifts from 3 to 2 a day, which will result in the loss of 340 permanent jobs and 160 temporary ones, and production will be centred on just one production line to increase efficiency and flexibility. The Swindon Plant – which builds the Civic, Civic Tourer, CR-V and Jazz (and the Civic Type-R from next year) – has been hard hit by the slump in European sales in the last five years and, despite still strong UK sales, production levels of 120,000 cars a year – just half of the Swindon capacity – are not enough to sustain the current staffing levels.

How Mercedes sees into the future

Mercedes' crystal ball is named Alexander Mankowsky. At 56, he's dressed for CES in khaki trousers and a leather vest, with thin glasses perched on a round face; his frizzy white hair resembles what Einstein's would if he were caught in a wind tunnel. He might be a long-distant uncle, or he might be Doc Brown, fresh from the DeLorean.

Who's Where: Lorenzo Ramaciotti appointed Chief of Design for Fiat Group

Starting June 1, 2007 Lorenzo Ramaciotti will become the new Group Chief of Design at Fiat Group Automobiles. Ramaciotti was snatched up by Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne and convinced to head the company's design direction, filling a newly created position that hasn't previously existed at Fiat. Lorenzo Ramaciotti, who retired from Pininfarina in June 2005 after working for the famed coachbuilder for 32 years, will be responsible for all the Fiat Group brands, including Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Maserati.