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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.

Who's Where: Dagoberto Tribia promoted to Director of Interior Design at GM Brazil Design

Dagoberto Tribia was promoted to Director of Interior Design at GM do Brasil Design on January 1, 2011. Working under the direction of Carlos Barba, Executive Director of Design, GM South America, Tribia has assumed responsibility for all interior programs at General Motors Brazil Design, both local and global. In doing so, he has also become the first Brazilian Design Director at the company.

Production of U.S.-spec Lotus Exige and Elise to end in August

The end is near for production of U.S.-specification versions of the Lotus Elise and Exige sports cars. Lotus said on Thursday that it will pull the models from the United States because the airbags no longer meet safety standards. Rules require cars to have smart airbags, which adjust deployment for the speed of impact.