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Crunch watch August 09: the auto industry

By Tim Pollard, Alex Michaelides, Ben Pulman and Freddie Fulton Motor Industry 31 August 2009 10:00 Welcome to CAR's news aggregator as we round up the seismic change in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hour  Monday 31 August 2009• Bank holiday today in UK; staff on a well earned break from Crunchwatch!Friday 28 August 2009• Toyota will stop producing vehicles at the New United Moor Manufacturing plant in California next March. Company officials and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the decision, which comes in the wake of factory partner GM’s announced that it would abandon the venture back in June (Detroit News)• Tengzhong may finalise its deal to buy Hummer from GM next week, well placed sources told AN (Automotive News, subscription required)• German economics minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg says it is 'hardly realistic' for GM to keep hold of its European outfit Opel and Vauxhall (Automotive News Europe, subscription required)• Ford's US cop car favourite, the Crown Victoria, is going to cease production in 2011 (Detroit News)Thursday 27 August 2009• Nissan and Chrysler have abandoned plans to build cars for each other in the wake of Chrysler’s alliance with Fiat.

Kitten hitch-hiker

COUNCIL STAFF staff are appealing for the owners of a black kitten to come forward - after it hitched a lift on one of their vans. The kitten was found cowering under the wheel-arch of the vehicle by horticultural workers at South Somerset District Council. It is believed to have boarded the van at the authority's Lufton Depot in Yeovil and clung on until arriving in Bruton - around 20 miles away.

Ferrari 458 dedicated to F1 driver Niki Lauda

In the aftermath of Formula One-inspired Hollywood blockbuster film Rush, one Ferrari owner has dedicated a very special 458 Italia to three-time F1 world champion and former Maranello driver Niki Lauda. It’s a real treat, too, as the mid-engined supercar combines cutting edge design and technology with a stunning 1970s-inspired retro livery created by Ferrari’s Tailor Made customisation programme. Please click on the image above to read more on the Niki Lauda Ferrari 458 Italia…