Business

Ford's Family Of Strategic Suppliers

Traverse City, Mich., Aug. 15, 2008 – Ford Motor Company today announced seven new Aligned Business Framework (ABF) suppliers, bringing the total number of companies in the ABF network to 65. Under ABF, Ford and suppliers enter into long-term contracts to strengthen collaboration and drive mutual profitability and technology development.

Highlights:

* Aligned Business Framework members added in the last year include: Dürr, Imagination, Jack Morton Worldwide, Linamar, Microsoft, Neapco and Synovate
* ABF launched in 2005 to strengthen supplier collaboration and develop a sustainable business model for mutual profitability and technology development

Series of Activities Will Focus on Future of Transportation

DETROIT, August 16, 2008 - On September 16, 2008, General Motors (GM) will mark the beginning of its second century with GMnext Day, a series of forward-looking activities that will focus on the future of automotive transportation. The event also caps a year-long global initiative called GMnext, through which GM engaged audiences in a dialogue about its next-generation vehicles and technologies and offered commentary from GM executives and automotive thought-leaders from around the world.

August 18 , 2008 -- Subaru, the industry leader in all-wheel drive technology, is proud of its total business commitment to the environment. To ensure that Subaru’s environmental activities in remain at the forefront of business planning, the company formed the Subaru North American Environmental Committee (NAEC), which continually reviews progress and sets new goals.

The mission of the Subaru NAEC is to unite all North American Subaru operations in a cohesive environmental conservation plan to encourage environmental improvement activities within the company and the community, and help reduce dependency on natural resources.

New Team To Bolster Vehicle Connectivity

Traverse City, Mich., Aug. 13, 2008 -- Ford Motor Company expects the quality, fuel efficiency, smart technologies and shared global nature of its upcoming new Focus small car in North America and other derivatives built off a new global C-car platform to deliver a double-digit percentage profit improvement compared with today's North American Focus.

Highlights:
* Ford's upcoming new Focus in North America and other small car derivatives built off a new global C-car platform will deliver a double-digit percentage profit improvement compared with the company's current North American Focus

Aug. 13, 2008 -- Following are remarks given by Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company's president of The Americas, at "Transcending Turbulence," the Management Briefing Seminar held by the Center for Automotive Research in Traverse City, Mich., on Aug. 13, 2008.

Good morning, everyone. It's always great to be part of the Management Briefing Seminars - and energizing to hear what's top of mind among industry leaders.

I was thinking back to this event and others like it just two years ago:

* The industry was nervous because gas prices were approaching $3 a gallon.
* Second-quarter truck sales represented just 12.7 percent of the industry.
* Customers were just starting to hear a lot more about crossovers.

Wolfsburg/Sao Bernardo do Campo, 14 August 2008 -- Volkswagen do Brasil has just been ranked Best Company of the Year by IstoÉ Dinheiro in the fifth edition of the business magazine’s “Top 500 Companies in Brazil” awards. The ranking by Trevisan, one of the largest and most widely respected Brazilian consulting firms, is based on an analysis of data for 2007 submitted by the top Brazilian companies.

Turin, Tuesday, August 12, 2008 -- The Board of Directors of Pininfarina S.p.A. met this morning for the first time since the tragic demise of Andrea Pininfarina, to whom his brother Paolo Pininfarina paid homage with the following opening remarks:

Worldwide deliveries developed better than overall market

Wolfsburg, 21 July 2008 - The Volkswagen Group delivered 3.27 million vehicles worldwide (+5.8 percent) from January to June 2008, the highest figure ever for the first six months of a year. Group worldwide deliveries in June also reached a new record: compared with the same period last year, the number of vehicles delivered rose by 2.4 percent to 573,000. As a result, the development of deliveries by the Group both for the period January to June and for the month of June was significantly better than developments on the overall market (+1 percent from January to June and -5.1 percent in June).

Highlights:
- Delivery record despite deteriorating economic conditions in auto sector

PARIS/ TOKYO/ JOHANNESBURG, July 18, 2008 -- The Renault-Nissan Alliance has confirmed the launch of a new manufacturing project in South Africa. Nissan’s manufacturing plant at Rosslyn was identified as having the potential to maximize synergies between Renault and Nissan.

Highlights:
* A new Nissan half-ton Pickup NP200 and Renault Sandero are to be produced at Nissan’s Rosslyn plant (Pretoria). Production of the new Nissan half-ton Pickup NP200 has already started in the plant. The production of Renault Sandero will start in 2009.
* This project marks the first time that a Renault vehicle will be produced in South Africa.
* Some 300 jobs will be created in the plant in 2008.

In the first six months Ford of Europe sold a record 1,003,700 vehicles in its 51 markets

COLOGNE, July 15, 2008 – Ford of Europe's sales in its main 51 markets rose by almost two per cent to a record 1,003,700 in the first half of this year.

Highlights:
* First half record also for Ford Transit commercial vehicle sales which soared to 99,400 in the Euro 19 markets
* June market share in the Euro 19 markets was at 8.8 per cent, up 0.6 per cent vs the same period last year
* Germany sales increased by 16.9 per cent in June

2008 Ford Kuga (UK)

DEARBORN, Mich., July 15 – The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announced today that Ford Motor Company once again received one of the highest grades awarded on the Economic Reciprocity Initiative (ERI) automotive industry report card. Results of the study were released at the NAACP's 99th Annual Convention, themed Power, Justice, Freedom & The Vote, at the Duke Energy Center in Cincinnati, OH.

Highlights:
* NAACP votes Ford as one of its top performers on 2008 Economic Reciprocity Initiative report card
* Ford serves as title sponsor of NAACP Convention’s Youth Freedom Fund Dinner for the ninth consecutive year
* Ford sponsors attendees’ tickets to Freedom’s Sisters traveling exhibition at Cincinnati Museum Center

Initial stage of construction in Chattanooga to create capacity for 150,000 vehicles. Prof Winterkorn says Volkswagen is resolutely accessing US market.

Wolfsburg / Chattanooga, 15 July 2008 - Volkswagen is setting out to build a plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where vehicle production will be due to commence in early 2011. The supervisory board of Volkswagen AG today approved the plans and an investment volume of up to 1 billion USD (around 620 million euro). The Group’s management board had previously pinpointed Chattanooga as the site for its new plant. “The USA market,” said Prof Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen AG, “is an important part of our volume strategy and we are now very resolutely accessing that market. Volkswagen will be extremely active there.”

Share of voting rights will amount to 68.60 percent

Wolfsburg, 17 July 2008 -- The Volkswagen Group has received the antitrust approvals necessary to acquire a majority voting stake in Swedish truck manufacturer Scania AB. The majority voting stake is expected to be acquired on July 22, 2008. In addition to the approval by the European Commission, a large number of antitrust proceedings were required in other countries worldwide.

16th July, 2008 -- A meeting of the Board of Directors of Tata Motors Limited will be held on Wednesday, July 30, 2008, at the Registered Office of the Company to consider, inter alia, the Audited Results for the 1st Quarter ended June 30, 2008 of the Accounting Year 2008-09, pursuant to Clause 41 of the Listing Agreement.

Source: Tata Motors Limited

Citroën C1 is European No. 1 for vehicles emitting 110 g or less of CO2km

Paris, 8 July 2008 -- Citroën reports growth in France, Central and Eastern Europe and Mercosur and resilient results in Western Europe. Also, Citroën C4 Picasso confirms its success as Citroën is European No. 1 in the compact MPV segment. Additionally, ther were successful debuts by the latest models: Nemo, New C5 and New Berlingo.

2008 Citroen C4 Picasso

Highlights:
• Worldwide consolidated sales** up slightly at 765,000 units (+0.1%)
• Increased market share in France (from 14 to 14.4%) and Italy (from 5.4 to 5.6%).

July 9, 2008 -- “Amid a global economic slowdown that had a particularly strong impact on automotive markets in the industrialized countries, the Renault group pursued the growth started at the end of 2007,” said Patrick Blain, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing.

2008 Renault Koleos

Highlights:
• The Renault group’s world sales rose 4.3% in first-half 2008 to 1,325,504 units. The Group increased its global market share by 0.2 points to 3.8%.
• Renault brand sales rose 4% and Dacia sales increased 13.3%. Renault Samsung Motors sales fell 7.2%.

A fuel efficient range offering better operating economy in two variants - City and Highway, catering to different applications

July 8, 2008 -- Tata Motors is introducing a new range of Super Milo bus chassis across the country. As the name suggests, the Super Milo range delivers superior operating economies. The Super Milo range is available in two variants -- City and Highway -- each with customised parameters calibrated for their individual applications.

Both variants are powered by the BS II complaint 697 TCIC 130 HP engine. The higher power and better torque at a lower engine rpm -- 130 HP@2400 rpm and a torque of 410 Nm@1400-1700 rpm -- result in better pick up, and more mileage.

Oshawa, Ontario, July 2, 2008 – For June 2008, General Motors of Canada dealers delivered 32,355 units, down 23.8% from a year ago.

“GM Canada's June sales reflected the significant ongoing market impact of rising gas prices and the resulting further consumer shift toward cars and smaller crossovers,” said Marc Comeau, GM of Canada’s vice-president of sales, service, and marketing. “GM is shifting production and adjusting on the ground inventories to address demand for our hot selling fuel efficient cars like the Pontiac Wave and G5, the Saturn Astra and Aura, the Chevrolet Aveo, Malibu and our own Oshawa built Chevrolet Impala, which all performed exceptionally well in June.”

Nissan Green Program 2010 environmental commitments receives stamp of approval from Japan’s Ministry of Environment

TOKYO, July 1, 2008 -- Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., has been endorsed as an ‘Eco First’ company by Japan’s Ministry of Environment for its environmental commitments set out under the Nissan Green Program 2010. The official certification will be awarded to Nissan by the Minister of Environment, Ichiro Kamoshita, at a ceremony to be held at the Ministry of Environment on July 1.

Established under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment in April 2008, the ECO First program serves to recognize and promote the environmental actions of companies that are compliant with the Kyoto Protocol.

MAZDA5 Sales up 29 Percent, MAZDA3 Reports Best June Ever

IRVINE, Calif., July 1, 2008 -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today reported June 2008 sales of 23,771 vehicles, a 7.7 percent decrease over last year, but an increase of 3.7 percent on a Daily Selling Rate (DSR) basis. There were 24 selling days in June 2008, 27 in June 2007. Despite a tough economic state in the automotive industry, Mazda's year-to-date sales are up 0.3 percent with 153,141 vehicles sold (up 0.9 percent on a DSR basis).

2008 Mazda3