Obama sought Ghosn to run GM, ex-car czar says

The Obama Administration initially wanted Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn to run GM after Rick Wagoner was ousted in 2009, and repeatedly pressed Fiat to put up cash for a stake in Chrysler, according to an upcoming book about the government bailout of General Motors and Chrysler. Steven Rattner, President Obama's auto adviser who steered the government's $85 billion bailout of GM and Chrysler, is about to publish a tell-all account about his six-month stint inside the White House. The Detroit News, Washington Post and Huffington Post obtained draft copies of the book--"Overhaul: An Insider's Account of the Obama Administration's Emergency Rescue of the Auto Industry." It is scheduled to be published Oct.

New Golf Bluemotion launched

The new 2010 BlueMotion Golf Another day, another more frugal car. VW has been playing the ‘Bluemotion’ card for some time across the range. And each new launch sees a further improvement in emissions and economy.

National Motorists Association says get out of the way

This is a no-brainer to AutoWeek readers, but the National Motorists Association has launched a publicity campaign urging drivers to not block the left lane and cause traffic problems. The group has named June "Lane Courtesy Month," which coincides with higher traffic volumes for the summer. The group says a driver is lane-courteous when he or she is keeping clear of the left lane unless passing slower-moving vehicles, then moving back into the right lane as soon as possible.