Arcon Bulb #1895 Cd/2 16792 on 2040-parts.com

Bill Ford steps down

By Angus Fitton Motor Industry 06 September 2006 08:50 Bill Ford is set to step aside as chief executive of Ford Motor Company. Replacing him is 61-year-old Alan Mulally, previously the boss of Boeing's commercial aircraft division. Ford stepped down as part of a major management reshuffle designed to reverse the ailing fortunes of the world’s third largest car manufacturer.

New Lexus LS600 Hybrid launches at Frankfurt

The revised 2010 Lexus LS600h Hybrid The 2010 version of the LS600h gets a set of styling tweaks, which include modifications to the front end with LED indicators, new bumper and grill, and new fog lights. Other changes include the door mirrors and chrome detailing. This hybrid only LS600 (Lexus has said they intend only making hybrids in future ) has had improvements made to the Hybrid System including an ‘Eco’ mode which effectively turns down throttle response to make the LS600h more economical.

Akio Toyoda waves family flag, heir makes crisis personal challenge

The reclusive Akio Toyoda is taking the rare step of waving the family flag, as the scion to Toyota Motor Corp.’s founding dynasty tries to steer the world’s largest car company out of a spiraling safety crisis. In testimony prepared for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, President Toyoda pursues a rare personal tack on the emergency, saying “my name is on every car.” “As you well know, I am the grandson of the founder, and all the Toyota vehicles bear my name,” Toyoda says in prepared comments circulated ahead of Wednesday’s committee hearing in Washington. “For me, when the cars are damaged, it is as though I am as well.” The intimate reflection is a departure for Toyoda, who has spent most of his career sidestepping public discussion of his lineage.