DEE-ANN DURBIN

AP Auto Writer
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Hot pursuit: Competition heats up for police cars

Ford Motor Co. wants to remain the top gun in the U.S. police car market with a new cruiser due out next year, but its competitors are in hot pursuit.

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GM's Lutz says hybrids, electrics are future

WARREN, Mich. — General Motors Co. will keep making big trucks and SUVs because U.S. buyers demand them, but a major portion of them will be gas-electric hybrids in the near future, retiring Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said Friday.

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Drivers, cars are ill-equipped when panic sets in

You're driving down the highway and suddenly your car starts accelerating on its own. Knuckles white, going from 60 to 90 miles an hour in seconds, you do what comes naturally — hit the brakes. But what if the car keeps going?

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Toyota drivers pull in for repair; Prius fix looms

Responding to two recalls and facing the prospect of another one, Toyota dealers across the country were repairing thousands of cars Saturday, the first weekend day that many drivers had a chance to take action.

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GM to make its own electric motors

General Motors wants smaller, lighter, more powerful electric motors for its cars and trucks, and the way to get them is to make them, a GM official said Tuesday at the plant where the new motors will be made.

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Revamped brands are key to Chrysler turnaround

Chrysler sold more than 118,000 Sebring sedans in 2001. Eight years later, the automaker barely sold 27,000 as its bankruptcy filing sent customers fleeing to the car's newer, better competitors.

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Ford looks smart, brings new Focus to Detroit show

In a year that humbled most automakers in America, Ford came out looking smart.

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Ford seeks tax credits to make batteries

Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday it could invest up to $500 million in Michigan for the development and production of batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles if it wins state tax credits.

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Mustang, Camaro flex muscle in horsepower showdown

Ford is cranking up the horsepower on the 2011 Mustang as it tries to win back muscle car sales from its archrival, the Chevrolet Camaro.

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Ford to put air bags into back seat belts of SUV

Air bags have long been mounted in the steering wheel, dashboard and sides of vehicles. Now, they're in the seat belts.

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Meltdown 101: Ford has suffered less than rivals

Ford Motor Co. has been riding a wave of positive public sentiment since it steered clear of bankruptcy protection and avoided taking federal bailout money — unlike its crosstown rivals, General Motors Co. and Chrysler LLC.

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Philly likes blue: Ford color data reveals quirks

In Philadelphia, they've got the blues. In Cincinnati, they've got — well — the reds.

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Automakers face conflicting safety rules worldwide

It seems like an easy solution: Americans are looking for more fuel-efficient vehicles, so Ford Motor Co. is bringing over some of the small, gas-sipping cars it's been selling to Europeans for years.

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GM offers more fuel-efficient pickup trucks, SUVs

General Motors Corp. is releasing new, more fuel-efficient versions of its full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles later this fall.

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US auto sales slump to 16-year low in July

U.S. auto sales slumped to a 16-year low in July as automakers failed to keep up with consumers' growing demand for smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. While production changes may help that problem, trouble in the credit and auto leasing markets will continue to take a toll on sales.

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GM's Young: Automaker may consider more layoffs

General Motors Corp. might offer another round of buyout and early retirement offers to its U.S. hourly workers because of production cuts, the company's chief financial officer said Friday.

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GM to cut 15 pct of US, Canadian salaried workers

General Motors Corp. plans to cut 15 percent of its U.S. and Canadian salaried work force — or around 5,100 jobs — by Nov. 1 as part of a plan to slash billions of dollars in costs and help the automaker ride out a slump in U.S. sales.

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July auto sales expected to keep downward trend

Take automakers' inability to finance leases, combined with gas prices, the weak economy and other problems facing the industry, and you have the makings of what could be one of the worst months for auto sales in more than 15 years.

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Ford, Daimler, Hyundai profits fall; Renault up

Ford Motor Co. posted its worst quarterly loss ever Thursday in a roiling global auto market that also saw profits fall at Daimler AG, Hyundai Motor Co. and AutoNation Inc. Renault SA reported a profit increase in the first half of the year but still plans to cut jobs and scale back production.

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Ford posts $8.7 billion loss on asset write-downs

Ford Motor Co. posted the worst quarterly performance in its history Thursday, losing $8.67 billion in the second quarter.

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Chrysler plans to cut 1,000 salaried jobs

Chrysler LLC said Wednesday it will cut 1,000 salaried jobs worldwide by Sept. 30 as it tries to return to profitability amid a severe downturn in U.S. sales.

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GM's recovery depends on winning over car buyers

People want small cars that get great gas mileage. General Motors Corp. is known for making top-notch trucks and sport utility vehicles. The company's survival now hinges on the difficult task of convincing buyers that its upgraded cars are just as good as its trucks and worth some extra cash.

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General Motors to announce more cuts Tuesday

General Motors Corp. is expected to cut several thousand salaried jobs and further slash truck production in response to falling U.S. sales and Wall Street's demands for more action to stem its losses, according to two people briefed on the plan.

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Toyota will start making Prius hybrid in US

Toyota Motor Corp., the seemingly unstoppable juggernaut that saw its U.S. sales double in the last decade, has come back down to earth. Stung by rare double-digit sales declines and burdened by a growing inventory of slow-selling pickups, Toyota said Thursday it will start producing the Prius hybrid in the U.S. and will shut down truck and SUV production to meet changing consumer demands.

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