A report in London's Sunday Times over the weekend suggests that outgoing GM Europe chief Carl-Peter Forster could be heading for a role as head of Tata-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) 'within the next few months'.

The automobile sector may be one of the most globally integrated manufacturing industries on the planet, but national governments (or continental bodies in Europe) still hold sway regarding regulation. As part of a management briefing exclusively available to just-auto's members,

Thanks, GM. Months and months of coverage, analysis and speculation and what happens at the board meeting Tuesday night? "Tell you what, boys, why don't we just keep Opel and restructure it ourselves?"

Car sales in Western Europe grew by 16.5% year-on-year in October according to data released by analysts at JD Power who also told just-auto today that the outlook for 2010 is for a market drop of 10%.

Magna International has reported a surprise third quarter operating income of US$81m, net income of $51m and earnings per share of $0.45, increases of $193m, $266m and $2.38, respectively, year on year, benfiting from cost cutting an restructuring started last

Magna does not plan to seek compensation from General Motors after its decision not to sell subsidiary Opel to a consortium headed by the Canadian based supplier.

If you turned the Jodrell Bank radio-telescope on its side and filled it with cornflakes to create one colossal breakfast bowl, you would still have fewer cornflakes than there are kilobytes residing in just-auto's automotive research archive. Dave Leggett dives

General Motors has said it was readying a plan to restructure Opel and could pay off debt due this month as German workers went on strike to protest the automakers decision to keep the European unit.

Germany's finance minister on Friday indicated a readiness to offer General Motors aid to help restructure Opel/Vauxhall, saying the government felt a "responsibility" for the firm's 25,000 German workers.

Opel chief Carl-Peter Forster is leaving the company after the surprise decision by GM's board this week to block the sale to a Magna-led consortium, Spiegel Online reported on Friday.

GM is aiming for big growth of Chevrolet sales in Europe according to Chevrolet's global head.

A South Korean court Friday delayed its decision on whether to approve a rescue plan for debt-burdened carmaker Ssangyong Motor after creditors failed to agree on it.

Pirelli raised 2009 operating targets on Thursday on the back of strong tyre operations, after posting a third-quarter net profit at the top end of expectations.

General Motors doesn't plant to develop Volt as a brand, unlike rival Toyota whuch is considering an expanded Prius line, a senior executive has said.

A former General Motors executive on Thursday pleaded guilty to a kickback scheme involving bulk aluminum sales that cost the automaker some US$83m.

Workers at an Indian autoparts maker have ended a six-week strike, which had hit supplies to General Motors and Ford and caused the shutdown of some North American plants, an official at the Indian firm has said.

In the run-up to the Autosport International show to be staged in Birmingham, UK, in January, just-auto talked with show director Ian France about initiatives to transfer motorsport technology to the automotive industry.

PSA Peugeot Citroen's supplier network in France is burdened with 40% too much industrial capacity, its head of purchasing said on Friday.

Valeo on Friday said it had increased to 100% its shareholding in a JV based in Changchun, China, which develops and manufactures compressors.

Renault, which already produces its Mégane hatchback and estate and Modus lines exclusively in Spain, has decided to make the future electric vehicle (EV) based on the Twizy ZE Concept at its Valladolid plant, 150 km north west of Madrid.