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Crunch watch Dec 08: the auto industry in crisis

By Tim Pollard and Simon Stiel Motor Industry 31 December 2008 14:05 Wednesday 31 December 2008• GMAC, GM's finance arm, said it would immediately revise its criteria for providing loans, after the US government bail-out of the General's credit arm. It will now supply credit for anyone with a score of 621 or more on the Fico scale, the scale used to assess Amercian customers' creditworthiness (Financial Times)• The news means that 80% of US consumers would now qualify for a loan from GMAC – which should improve sales in the depressed US market (Detroit News)• Chrysler is being lambasted for taking out full-page adverts in the American national press thanking the nation for supporting its auto industry. But critics point out this is a fresh waste of bail-out resources, as pages in the Wall Street Journal – one of the titles in which the ad ran – reportedly cost up to $264,000.

Long-wheelbase stretch Jeep Wrangler spied

A Jeep Wrangler JK with a third row of seating was recently spied at a suburban Detroit gas station. Wearing manufacturer plates, at first glance it looked like a prototype being tested by the Auburn Hills manufacturer. Closer inspection of the photos showed pieces from Wixom, Mich.-based American Expedition Vehicles, including bumpers and wheels with the AEV logos covered by painter's tape.

Pininfarina family to lose control of company

The Pininfarina family is set to lose its controlling share stake in the company as it takes a step closer to restructuring its €76 million net debt. The Italian design firm, founded in 1930, has been plagued with debt in recent years, shutting its manufacturing branch in 2011 to concentrate purely on design, ending a joint venture with Volvo that saw the company assemble Volvo's C70. The move is seen as a positive one for the company in the long-term, making it more financially secure for future developments, but it also means that the Pininfarina family will lose control of the company by selling its 77 percent share.