PSA-GM: The final solution?

It is quite clear that executives of General Motors Europe and PSA Group have been working behind the scenes for quite some time in secret to cobble together a deal to off-load General Motors’ Europe (GME) vehicle-making operations.

Is PSA now set to “push-for-pass” on Proton?

For the third year, the PSA Group has achieved growth of the Automotive division operating margin to 6 per cent 5% in 2015; growth in vehicle sales to 3.15 million, up 5.8 per cent; and growth of its net financial position due to €2.7 billion free cash flow; and finally a group recurring operating income up 18 per cent compared with 2015 of €3,235 million.

Opel diesel finds use in marine world

The Opel diesel engine adapted by Cimco Marine AB in Sweden for outboard use is based on the 2-litre diesel engine made in the Opel plant in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Will new Ampera really be a ‘game-changer’?

It will be interesting to see if the GM/Opel Ampera-e is as “game-changing” as the company claims it will be when it is launched next year.

Vauxhall Insignia latest to get ‘Whisper diesel'

Diesel engines have come a long way since the days when they emitted clouds of black smoke and a characteristic combustion sound. But they could be even better.

Next Astra has 1.4-litre aluminium engine

Leaked photographs have forced Vauxhall to reveal prematurely details of its next Astra, powered by an aluminium I4 gasoline engine; its predecessor has a cast iron cylinder block.

And Daimler’s Vito makes it three

An interesting situation will materialise when three Renault-powered vans line up in Europe’s marketplace.

Renault’s 1.6-litre diesel already powers both the Renault Trafic and the Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro in front-wheel drive configuration.

GM tosses 2-litre diesel gauntlet at Jaguar

General Motors, under the umbrella of Opel and Vauxhall, has thrown down the gauntlet to Jaguar by unveiling a more powerful 2-litre diesel than Jaguar’s “clean sheet” Ingenium engine to be built in a new £500 million facility in the UK.

GM has well and truly spiked JaguarLandRover’s guns with a new 2-litre CDTi engine giving a power output of 170PS and and a torque of 400Nm.

Vauxhall overturns bleak prospects

Five years ago, the future looked bleak for Vauxhall's light commercial vehicle plant in Luton.

Now the future is guaranteed for 10 years when the next generation model goes into production there at the end of the three-week August shut-down.

Vauxhall invests £185 million in Vivaro

Vauxhall claims to have invested £185 million, including £76 million in manufacturing facilities and £90 million in vendor tooling and special equipment for its all-new Vivaro.

The van, according to the company, secures 1,200 jobs at the UK’s last van manufacturing plant after workers won a 10-year contract and the £185 million investment.

€190 million for new Vito production

Daimler has invested €190 million to upgrade its van plant in Vitoria, Spain to produce the next generation Vito.

Following the summer shutdown, production will begin of the next generation Mercedes-Benz Vito at the facility, which has also just seen another model changeover for the new Mercedes-Benz V-Class factory. The new MPV goes on sale in June.

World premiere of all-new Trafic

Having claimed to have sold 1.6 million Trafic vans and derivatives since 1980, including ‘the first-generation developed solely by Renault’, the French company will reveal its third-generation design at the forthcoming commercial vehicle exhibition in Birmingham, UK on 29 April.

Observers will be able to make comparisons in detail between Renault’s Trafic and the Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro made only in Luton, Bedfordshire, UK. The Trafic is built in Sandouville, France.

Europe: Chevy out but Caddy stays

General Motors does not seem to know what to do in Europe: it is kicking out the Chevrolet brand, but giving Cadillac some extra shine. Why not dump Cadillac too? And why go to the expense of developing a new diesel for the brand?

The decision to withdraw Chevrolet from Europe was made to "clear the runway for Opel and Vauxhall," claims Dan Ammann, president of General Motors and chairman of Opel's supervisory board.

Vauxhall built only 44,000 vans in 2013

The Vauxhall Van Plant in Luton, UK built over 44,000 vans last year, making it Britain’s number one van maker for the 12^th year running, according to figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

The Bedfordshire-based Vauxhall celebrated 110 years of building and selling vehicles in 2013 and achieved 12 years of manufacturing dominance.

The Lion roars again

Blog readers with a good memory will recall the arrival of the Lion diesel engine from Ford’s Dagenham Engine Plant – the first Ford production engine to use compacted graphite iron (CGI) for the cylinder block material.

Now Ford has repeated history with the arrival of the first gasoline engine with a CGI block. Ford, ever resourceful and expansive in its choice of words, uses the word first liberally. The new 2.7-litre gasoline engine is not the first gasoline engine with a CGI block, but it might just be the first ‘production’ gasoline engine with CGI.

GM to bank-roll Millbrook’s pension scheme

It is rumoured that the cost to Rutland Partners of buying Millbrook Proving Ground Ltd is just under £15 million; a figure somewhat lower than some people expected. As part of the consideration, Rutland will not have to fund the employees’ pension scheme. It has not been disclosed how Rutland will finance the deal.

Also as part of the deal, there is a continued agreement from General Motors (GM) and Vauxhall Motors for Millbrook to maintain production of ‘blue light’ vehicles and other conversions. In this event, Millbrook will be a sub-contractor to Vauxhall.

GM will continue to provide durability, testing and engineering design work to Millbrook for a range of Vauxhall/Opel vehicles.

Millbrook acquired by Rutland Partners

As exclusively reported in this blogspot on 25 September, Rutland Partners of Regent Street, London has now confirmed it has acquired Millbrook Proving Ground Limited. The wait is over - this blogspot first revealed Millbrook being placed 'for sale' a year ago in October 2012!

The venture capitalist company exchanged contracts with General Motors (on 2 October) for the acquisition of Millbrook Proving Ground Limited for an undisclosed amount with additional funds being made available for the development of new facilities.

The nature of the ‘new money’ and new investments has not at this stage been disclosed. The consideration could be a multiple of Millbrook’s trading profits. For example, Rutland acquired Pizza Hut UK Restaurants for £20 million and the renowned test centre might seem a strange bedfellow alongside the Edinburgh Woollen Mill business which Rutland acquired for £80 million.

Vauxhall Motors on a roll

Vauxhall Motors is set to overtake take Ford Motor Company in the UK car retail business, according to a report in the Mail on Sunday.

Duncan Aldred, chairman and managing director of Vauxhall Motors, is reported as saying: We will be overtaking Ford by 2016. Just after the middle of the decade I expect us to be number one. So I have very high hopes for the Vauxhall brand in the UK. Our mission is to get Vauxhall right to the very top.”

Ford appears undaunted by the claims, noting “Vauxhall has always been feisty, but it’s been saying this kind of thing for 10 years.”

GM to build Mokka in Zaragoza

General Motors’ plant in Zaragoza (Spain) will start producing Mokka, a small sports utility vehicle (SUV) in the second half of 2014.

The combined GM and Opel/Vauxhall leadership made the joint decision because of the high demand for the vehicle in Europe. Also, additional capacity for small SUVs will be created at the plant in Bupyeong (Korea) that has been the sole source of production so far.

Opel chief executive officer Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann said: “The decision for Zaragoza follows our company's strategy of building vehicles where we sell them. The enormous demand for the Mokka underlines the attractiveness of our vehicles, adds momentum to our product offensive and secures jobs in Europe. The decision will help address the under-utilisation of available production capacity in Europe and therefore is good news for the entire organisation.”

Who will react first to VW’s CGI engine?

The decision by Volkswagen to use compacted graphite iron (CGI) for the cylinder block of the latest EA888 Gen 111 is being eagerly watched by other automakers in Europe and North America.

It is significant that VW has chosen North America as the launch region for this ground-breaking engine. Here the engine will be put under minute scrutiny by discerning customers.

The market too is close to Mexico where not only the engine will be manufactured but also the CGI cylinder block will be precision cast at Tupy’s foundry in Saltillo.