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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.

Former Fiat exec will revive iconic De Tomaso sports-car brand

Italian businessman Gian Mario Rossignolo plans to revive the De Tomaso sports car brand. The former Fiat S.p.A marketing executive aims to build 8,000 De Tomaso cars a year in a former Pininfarina S.p.A. factory near Turin.

Peugeot confirms BB1 for production

Peugeot has confirmed it will build a production version of the BB1, the concept car that's a cross between a car and a scooter. Coming less than a week after it unveiled the SR1 – a roadster concept car that’s supposed to be a line in the sand for Peugeot design – the announcement came as the 200-year old French car company launched its Marque plan that'a aimed at rejuvenating the brand. The five-year scheme has three goals: to move Peugeot up three places in the world car market; to establish the company as a benchmark for style; and to make it a leader in mobility services.