A rebound in pickup truck sales led the way, especially for the Detroit automakers. Small businesses are replacing aging trucks that they've kept since the Great Recession.

8. Nissan cuts prices on 7 US models - Friday, April 26, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — Nissan is cutting prices on seven of its 18 models in the U.S., hoping its cars and trucks will show up in more Internet searches by shoppers.

The price cuts vary with the amount of equipment on each model and run from 2.7 percent, or $580, on the top-selling Altima midsize car to 10.7 percent, or $4,400, on the Armada big SUV. Other models getting price cuts include the Sentra compact car, Juke small crossover SUV, Murano midsize crossover, Rogue small crossover and the Maxima full-size car.

9. New Corvette to start around $52,000, GM says - Friday, April 26, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors said Friday that a base model of the 2014 Corvette Stingray will start at just under $52,000.

Considering everything that GM put into the newest Corvette, the $1,400 price increase over the current model seems pretty modest.

10. GM says Chevy Spark EV can go 82 miles per charge - Friday, April 19, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors said Wednesday that the battery-powered version of its Chevrolet Spark mini-car can travel up to 82 miles on a single charge, putting it among the leaders in mass-market electric vehicles sold in the U.S.

11. Toyota top-selling automaker despite China fall - Friday, April 19, 2013

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota held onto its status as the world's top-selling automaker in the first quarter of this year, although the three-way race with General Motors and Volkswagen is proving tight, as its sales fall in China and Japan.

12. Chinese automakers struggle against global rivals - Friday, April 12, 2013

SHANGHAI (AP) — These should be good times for Chinese automakers as they prepare to show off their latest models at the Shanghai auto show.

Their home market is the world's biggest and growing. But independent automakers such as Chery and Geely are being squeezed by bigger, richer global rivals including General Motors and Nissan that have moved into turf the Chinese makers considered their own: low-priced models for local tastes. Domestic brands account for less than half of their own market.

13. GM says diesel Chevrolet Cruze gets 46 mpg - Friday, April 12, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors Co. says the new diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze gets 46 miles per gallon on the highway, making it more efficient than some hybrids.

14. European car sales plummet, even in solid Germany - Friday, April 12, 2013

MILAN (AP) — Europe's auto market is in freefall. Once the motor for Europe's economy, the car industry has fallen victim to the region's widening recession and soaring unemployment. Carmakers have suffered 18 straight months of declining sales as people worried that they might soon be out of a job put off making big purchases.

15. GM to roll out new line of smaller pickups - Friday, April 12, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors plans to roll out a line of completely revamped midsize pickup trucks, with gas mileage and features designed to take sales from Toyota's market-leading Tacoma.

The trucks will replace the aging Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. Mark Reuss, GM's North American president, said Tuesday that the trucks will be able to do 95 percent of the work that a big truck can do.

16. GM, Ford to collaborate on new transmissions - Friday, April 12, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors and Ford are putting aside their longstanding rivalry to work together to develop a new generation of fuel-efficient automatic transmissions.

The companies said Monday that their engineers will jointly design nine- and 10-speed transmissions that will go into many of their new cars and trucks.

17. Japanese, other automakers hit with air bag recall - Friday, April 12, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — Six automakers, including Toyota, Honda and Nissan, are recalling nearly 3.4 million older-model vehicles worldwide because of defective air bags that can send shrapnel flying into the passenger compartment.

18. China's March auto sales up 13.3 percent - Friday, April 05, 2013

BEIJING (AP) — China's auto sales in March rose 13.3 percent over a year earlier but Japanese automakers suffered more declines, an industry group reported Thursday.

Customers in the world's biggest vehicle market bought 1.6 million cars, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. It said total sales including trucks and buses were just over 2 million vehicles.

19. Bernanke notes 'stress tests' show stronger banks - Friday, April 05, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve's annual "stress tests" of major U.S. banks have become better able to detect risks, Chairman Ben Bernanke said Monday night. He said the tests show that the banking industry has grown much healthier since the financial crisis.

20. GM to invest $332 million in 4 US factories - Friday, March 29, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors plans to invest $332 million into four factories in three Great Lakes states to build new, more efficient engines and transmissions.

The spending at plants in Toledo, Ohio; Bedford, Ind.; and Flint and Bay City, Mich., will allow the company to build a new V-6 engine, a new small motor and new eight-speed automatic transmissions, GM said Thursday. The company also added $46 million to a prior investment at plants in Romulus and Saginaw, Mich. to build the new V-6.

21. Health insurers lead stocks higher on Wall Street - Friday, March 29, 2013

The Dow Jones industrial average closed at a record high Tuesday after reports on auto sales and factory orders provided the latest evidence that the U.S. economy is strengthening. Traders plowed money back into European stocks as the financial situation in Cyprus appeared to stabilize.

22. Camry battles spruced-up rivals in midsize market - Friday, March 29, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — For nearly two decades, the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord have ruled the mid-sized car market.

Nobody accused them of being stylish or fast. But the cars rarely broke down, and they held their value better than competitors. For drivers who wanted a family car, Camry and Accord got the job done and were good enough to become two of the best-selling cars of all time.

23. GM recalls about 27K vehicles to fix transmissions - Friday, March 15, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling nearly 34,000 Buicks and Cadillacs in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere to fix a problem with the automatic transmissions.

The recall affects Buick LaCrosse full-size cars and Cadillac SRX crossover SUVs from the 2013 model year.

24. Feds could add a million GM midsize cars to recall - Friday, March 08, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. safety regulators are investigating whether to add more than a million General Motors midsize cars to a recall for brake light problems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it's checking into complaints about the 2004 to 2011 Chevrolet Malibu and the 2007 to 2009 Saturn Aura.

25. China's auto sales up 19.5 percent in Jan-Feb - Friday, March 08, 2013

BEIJING (AP) — China's auto sales accelerated in the first two months of this year, rising 19.5 percent over the same period of 2012 in a possible positive sign for an economic recovery.

Automakers sold 2.8 million cars in January and February, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reported Monday. Total sales, including trucks and buses, rose 14.7 percent to 3.4 million vehicles.

26. Fed says 17 of 18 top US banks have strengthened - Friday, March 08, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — All but one of the nation's 18 largest banks are more prepared to withstand a severe U.S. recession and a global downturn than at any time since the 2008 financial crisis, the Federal Reserve says.

27. Toyota chief stresses safe growth - Friday, March 01, 2013

TOKYO (AP) — After four tumultuous years bookended by an unprecedented recall crisis and a return to the top of the global auto industry, Akio Toyoda is refashioning Toyota Motor Corp. into a leaner company that's more imbued with the venture spirit of founder Kiichiro Toyoda, his grandfather.

28. Former GM executive tapped for Toyota board - Friday, March 01, 2013

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota has tapped a former executive at U.S. rival General Motors to join its board, the first time in the Japanese automaker's 76-year history it is appointing directors from outside the company.

29. Chrysler, VW, GM report sales growth in February; Nissan down - Friday, March 01, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — Americans want new cars and trucks, and they're not going to let higher gas prices or political dysfunction in Washington stand in their way.

General Motors, Toyota, Ford and most other automakers posted at least modest sales gains for February. Industry analysts estimate last month's sales rose about 7 percent from a year earlier as pent-up demand and cheap financing kept the U.S. auto sales recovery powering along.

30. Wireless connections creep into everyday things - Friday, February 22, 2013

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A car that tells your insurance company how you're driving. A bathroom scale that lets you chart your weight on the Web. And a meter that warns your air conditioner when electricity gets more expensive.

31. AT&T snags OnStar wireless contract from Verizon - Friday, February 22, 2013

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — AT&T Inc. is scoring a win over rival Verizon Wireless as it takes over the contract to supply wireless connections to cars with General Motors' OnStar service.

32. 5 big US banks have cut mortgage debt by $19B - Friday, February 22, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — Five of the biggest U.S. banks have cut struggling homeowners' mortgage balances by $19 billion, part of a total $45.8 billion in relief provided under a landmark settlement over foreclosure abuses.

33. Smyrna, Spring Hill grow along different paths with auto industry - Friday, February 22, 2013

Smyrna and Spring Hill, Tennessee towns with crucial ties to the automobile industry, are seeing a surge in economic prosperity as the auto plants add more and new projects.

Nissan remains the major player in Smyrna, and once again, General Motors has Spring Hill’s back, say county politicians and regional experts in growth and development.

34. Can the new Corvette save GM? - Friday, February 22, 2013

It looks part Ferrari, part Batmobile. But can this superhero save GM?

Auto industry analysts and mainstream media predict the 2014 Corvette Stingray will have all sorts of extraordinary, megastar powers.

35. Stocks mixed as Europe's economy slows - Friday, February 08, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) — Renewed worries about Europe overshadowed an encouraging U.S. jobs report, and stocks flipped between slight gains and losses on Thursday.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell eight points to 13,974, shortly after 2:30 p.m. E.S.T.

36. General Motors posts $898M 4Q net profit - Friday, February 08, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors made money in North America and Asia and lost a bundle in Europe as it nearly doubled last year's fourth-quarter profit.

But the numbers were complicated by a dizzying array of accounting gains and losses for tax credits and devaluation of European assets.

37. Transmission products maker expanding in Portland - Friday, February 08, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) — State economic development officials say auto transmission products supplier U.S. Tsubaki Automotive plans to expand its facility in Portland, adding 70 jobs in the process.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development says the company's expansion in Sumner County represents a $1.9 million investment.

38. China's January auto sales surge 46 percent - Friday, February 08, 2013

BEIJING (AP) — China's auto sales rose 46 percent in January to a monthly record on strong demand for SUVs in pre-Lunar New Year shopping, an industry group reported Friday.

Customers bought just over 2 million vehicles last month in China, the biggest auto market by number of vehicles sold, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

39. Humbled Toyota rolls out new Tundra pickup - Friday, February 08, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — Back in 2007, Toyota trumpeted its bulked-up Tundra as a game-changer that would cut into Detroit's dominance of the U.S. pickup truck market.

"The truck that's changing it all," was the tagline from an ad that featured the beefy Tundra pulling a 10,000-pound trailer up a steep ramp.

40. Toyota raises annual forecasts on profit rise - Friday, February 01, 2013

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota Motor Corp. raised its fiscal year profit forecast Tuesday to triple what it eked out for the disaster-struck previous year, as the world's top automaker continued on a comeback roll as sales surged, especially in the U.S.

41. US gains 157K jobs; jobless rate rises to 7.9 pct. - Friday, February 01, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. job market is proving sturdier than expected at a time when the economy is under pressure from Washington gridlock and the threat of government spending cuts.

Employers added 157,000 jobs in January, and hiring was much stronger at the end of last year than the government had previously estimated.

42. GM taps VW exec to run troubled Opel unit - Friday, January 25, 2013

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — General Motors has named the former head of Volkswagen's China business to head Opel, its unprofitable European arm.

The board of directors of Adam Opel AG on Thursday named 51-year-old Karl-Thomas Neumann as CEO.

43. Watchdog says taxpayers may lose $27B in bailout - Friday, January 25, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — A government watchdog says U.S. taxpayers stand to lose $27 billion from the 2008 financial bailout, up from an estimate of $22 billion made in the fall.

A report issued Wednesday by the special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program says the estimate is higher because of increased losses for the Treasury Department on sales of shares in bailed-out companies.

44. Toyota recalls 1.29M vehicles for air bags, wipers - Friday, January 25, 2013

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is recalling 907,000 vehicles, mostly Corolla models, around the world for faulty air bags and another 385,000 Lexus IS luxury cars for defective wipers.

Toyota Motor Corp. spokesman Naoto Fuse said Wednesday that two crashes were reported in the U.S. related to the air bag problem, but Toyota had not been able to confirm them. Fuse said it was unclear whether anyone had been injured in the two crashes. Toyota has confirmed 18 cases in the U.S. of abrasion-type injuries from the air bag problem, he said.

45. Nissan, Ford, Daimler to research hydrogen cars - Friday, January 25, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is joining with Daimler and Renault-Nissan to speed development of cars that run on hydrogen, with hopes of bringing a vehicle to market in as little as four years.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles generate electricity after a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is stored in special high-pressure tanks, and the only emissions are water vapor and heat.

46. Toyota leads industry with nearly 9.75M vehicles sold last year - Friday, January 25, 2013

TOKYO (AP) — Now it's official: Toyota is once again the world's top automaker.

Toyota Motor Corp. released its tally for global vehicle sales for last year Monday at a record 9.748 million vehicles — a bigger number than the estimate it gave last month of about 9.7 million vehicles.

47. Will smart machines create a world without work? - Friday, January 25, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — They seem right out of a Hollywood fantasy, and they are: Cars that drive themselves have appeared in movies like "I, Robot" and the television show "Knight Rider."

Now, three years after Google invented one, automated cars could be on their way to a freeway near you. In the U.S., California and other states are rewriting the rules of the road to make way for driverless cars. Just one problem: What happens to the millions of people who make a living driving cars and trucks — jobs that always have seemed sheltered from the onslaught of technology?

48. Why Geithner's Treasury leadership proved divisive - Friday, January 18, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has saluted the outgoing Timothy Geithner as one of the best U.S. Treasury secretaries ever. He's surely been among the most contentious.

Not since the Great Depression had an administration inherited so many grave financial threats at once. To many, Geithner deserves credit for helping steady the banking system and helping restore investor confidence. Yet his toughest critics say Geithner's policies consistently favored big banks over ordinary struggling Americans.

49. Toyota, BMW working on new battery technology - Friday, January 18, 2013

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota Motor Corp. and BMW Group are working together on next-generation batteries for green vehicles called "lithium-air" as their collaboration, first announced in late 2011, moves ahead in fuel cells, sports vehicles and other fields.

50. Tennessee, Kentucky plants cooperate in building Corvette - Friday, January 11, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) - Two General Motors plants 90 miles apart will be utilized to build the newest incarnation of the Chevrolet Corvette sports car.

The vehicle is assembled at the GM plant in Bowling Green, Ky.

51. Lithium batteries central to Boeing's 787 woes - Friday, January 11, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lithium batteries that can leak corrosive fluid and start fires have emerged as the chief safety concern involving Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, a problem that apparently is far more serious than government or company officials acknowledged less than a week ago.

52. Hot cars at the Detroit auto show - Friday, January 11, 2013

The North American International Auto Show begins this week in Detroit with media and industry previews. It opens to the public Jan. 19.

Here are some of the new cars and experimental concept vehicles unveiled at the show:

53. Chevy Volt goes upscale in new electric Cadillac - Friday, January 11, 2013

General Motors is trying to take the Chevrolet Volt's electric technology upscale with a new Cadillac.

The company on Tuesday introduced the ELR, which has the same battery and gas-powered generator as the Chevy version.

54. Nissan lowers price of electric Leaf - Friday, January 11, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — Nissan is lowering the price of its Leaf electric car to try to boost anemic sales.

The 2013 Leaf will start at $28,800, which is $6,000 lower than the previous model, company executives said Monday at the Detroit auto show. When combined with the federal electric-vehicle tax credit of $7,500 and other state and local tax incentives, the price could fall as low as $18,800 in California. That would make it comparable to gas-powered and hybrid cars of its size like the Toyota Prius. It would also be far lower than the electric Ford Focus or Chevrolet Volt, which both start around $39,000.

55. Toyota retakes global auto sales crown from GM - Friday, January 11, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — Toyota has once again dethroned General Motors as the world's top-selling automaker.

The Japanese company sold 9.7 million cars and trucks worldwide in 2012, although it's still counting. GM sold 9.29 million.

56. GM recalls nearly 69,000 vehicles worldwide - Friday, January 04, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling nearly 69,000 pickup trucks, SUVs and vans worldwide because they can roll away unexpectedly.

The recall affects certain 2013 models of the Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, Avalanche and Express. Also included are the GMC Sierra, Savana and Yukon as well as the Cadillac Escalade.

57. Chevrolet Sonic tells story of Detroit comeback - Friday, January 04, 2013

DETROIT (AP) - When the word reached the Orion Assembly Plant, it spread along the serpentine assembly line like news of a death or natural disaster: General Motors, the biggest automaker in the world, had filed for bankruptcy protection.

58. Startup vehicle company moving into old GM plant - Friday, January 04, 2013

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A startup company called Elio Motors is moving into the former General Motors plant in northwest Louisiana, where it plans to build three-wheeled vehicles with high fuel efficiency and a cheap price tag.

59. US auto sales end 2012 on strong note; Nissan tops 1M for 1st time - Friday, January 04, 2013

DETROIT (AP) — A steadily improving economy and strong December sales lifted the American auto industry to its best performance in five years in 2012, especially for Volkswagen and Japanese-brand vehicles, and experts say the next year should be even better.

60. US auto sales end 2012 on strong note - Friday, December 28, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — Strong U.S. sales in December capped a remarkable year for the auto industry — especially Japanese brands — and 2013 should be even better.

Sales of new cars and trucks are expected to total 14.5 million after all carmakers announce figures on Thursday. That is 13 percent better than 2011 and the best performance in five years.

61. Chrysler reports best sales year since 2007 - Friday, December 28, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — Chrysler's U.S. sales jumped 21 percent last year, the carmaker's strongest performance since 2007.

The company's impressive increase outpaced the U.S. auto industry, which is expected to post a 13 percent gain for 2012. Chrysler's sales were a strong sign that Americans felt more confident about the economy as they replaced aging cars and trucks last year.

62. Toyota plans to sell 9.7 million vehicles in 2012 - Friday, December 21, 2012

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota expects to sell a record 9.7 million vehicles this year, bouncing back by 22 percent from a disaster-struck 2011. It has set an even higher target of 9.91 million vehicles for 2013.

63. GM recalls pickup trucks to fix problem with hoods - Friday, December 14, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling nearly 119,000 pickup trucks in the U.S. because the hoods can fly open unexpectedly and block the driver's vision.

The recall affects Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize trucks from the 2010 through 2012 model years.

64. Stocks fall as sides snipe in 'cliff' talks - Friday, December 14, 2012

Stocks dipped Wednesday, recording their first loss of the week. President Barack Obama and Republicans in Congress sniped at each other, and a deadline to avoid sweeping tax increases and government spending cuts drew closer.

65. General Motors to buy back 200M government shares - Friday, December 14, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — The Treasury plans to sell its remaining stake in General Motors over the next 15 months, allowing the automaker to shed the stigma of being partly owned by the U.S. government.

66. GM gives its pickups a much-needed makeover - Friday, December 07, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is giving its big pickups a much-needed makeover.

The company is unveiling new versions of its top-selling Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra on Thursday. The 2014 models will go on sale by early spring or late summer.

67. Right-to-work debate heats up ahead of Michigan vote - Friday, December 07, 2012

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Even with the outcome considered a foregone conclusion, the heated battle over right-to-work legislation in the traditional union bastion of Michigan shows no sign of cooling.

68. GM's Opel to end car production at German plant - Friday, December 07, 2012

BERLIN (AP) — General Motors Co.'s Opel unit said Monday that it plans to end car production at one plant in Germany in 2016, but a slimmed-down factory may continue to make components.

69. General Motors hands over keys to Shreveport plant - Friday, November 30, 2012

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — General Motors LLC is officially gone from Shreveport.

The automaker closed its Shreveport plant in August. And The Times (http://bit.ly/11mLiDV) reports that it officially handed over the facility on Friday to the trust that took over 89 GM-owned facilities in 14 states after GM declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

70. Storm delays lift already strong US auto sales; Nisan climbs 13% - Friday, November 30, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — Superstorm Sandy gave an extra boost to already strong U.S. auto sales last month, although carmakers warned that uncertainty over the "fiscal cliff" could undo some of those gains.

71. Couple convicted of stealing GM trade secrets - Friday, November 30, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — A former General Motors engineer and her husband have been convicted of stealing trade secrets about hybrid technology for possible use in China.

Shanshan Du and Yu Qin (CHIN) were found guilty Friday by a federal jury in Detroit after a trial that lasted weeks. The government claimed Du sought a transfer while at GM to get access to hybrid car technology and then copied documents until she accepted a severance offer and left the company in 2005.

72. German auto supplier opening plant in Murray, Ky. - Friday, November 30, 2012

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The German automotive supplier iwis is planning to open a manufacturing plant in Murray, creating 75 jobs in the western Kentucky city.

Gov. Steve Beshear joined company officials to make that announcement on Friday. It will be the firm's first manufacturing plant in the U.S.

73. 'Green' program set for western NY GM plant - Friday, November 23, 2012

LOCKPORT, N.Y. (AP) — General Motors executives will give the media a tour of one of the company's western New York plants to unveil a new environmental program.

The GM Components Holdings executives are holding a news conference Thursday morning at the plant in Lockport in Niagara County to make the announcement. They'll be joined by the president of Local 686 of the United Auto Workers union.

74. GM rolls out new electric mini-car at LA Auto Show - Friday, November 23, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is giving its Chevrolet Spark a jolt of electricity.

An all-electric version of the mini-car will debut this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It goes on sale this summer in California, Oregon, Canada and South Korea, where it's made. Other markets will follow.

75. Steady US housing recovery is boosting economy - Friday, November 16, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — From purchases and prices to builder sentiment and construction, the U.S. housing market is making consistent gains.

The latest evidence came in reports Monday that sales of previously occupied homes rose solidly in October and that builders are more confident than at any other time in 6½ years.

76. GM opens new plant for Chinese budget brand Baojun - Friday, November 16, 2012

HONG KONG (AP) — General Motors Co. and its local Chinese partners have launched a second plant to make cars for its local discount brand Baojun, ratcheting up the battle for customers at the fast-growing lower end of the world's biggest auto market.

77. Eurozone back in recession in Q3 - Friday, November 09, 2012

LONDON (AP) — The 17-country eurozone has bowed to the inevitable and fallen back into recession for the first time in three years as a sprawling debt crisis took its toll on the region's stronger economies.

78. China's auto sales rebound in October - Friday, November 09, 2012

BEIJING (AP) — China's auto sales rebounded in October but Japanese brands suffered a sharp downturn amid a territorial dispute between Beijing and Tokyo, an industry group said Friday.

Sales in the world's biggest auto market rose 6.4 percent to 1.3 million vehicles, according to the government-sanctioned China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. That was a recovery from September's 0.3 percent contraction — the first monthly decline this year.

79. China helps BMW offset European weakness in Q3 - Friday, November 02, 2012

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Strong sales of its luxury cars in China helped Germany's BMW AG overcome weak markets in crisis-ridden Europe.

Net profit rose 16 percent in the third quarter to €1.29 billion ($1.65 billion) on a 13.7 percent jump in sales to a record €18.82 billion.

80. GM gets new credit lines totaling $11B - Friday, November 02, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors says it has received $11 billion in credit lines from 35 financial institutions in 14 countries.

The lines of credit include a $5.5 billion, three-year credit facility and another $5.5 billion line for five years.

81. Toyota quarterly profit triples, raises forecast - Friday, November 02, 2012

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota's quarterly profit tripled, driven by a recovery from natural disasters, and the company raised its full-year earnings forecast Monday despite a sales slump in China.

Toyota Motor Corp., on track to regain the crown of world's No. 1 automaker this year, reported a July-September net profit of 257.9 billion yen ($3.2 billion) compared with an 80.4 billion profit a year earlier. The result was better than the 238 billion yen ($3 billion) quarterly profit forecast by analysts surveyed by FactSet.

82. Consumers give US economy a lift before election - Friday, November 02, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — A flurry of data issued Thursday sketched a brightening view of the U.S. economy in the final days before a presidential election that will pivot on the strength of the recovery.

Cheaper gas, rising home prices and lower unemployment have given consumers the confidence to spend more. And retailers, auto dealers and manufacturers are benefiting.

83. Most automakers report sales jumps despite storm; Nissan down - Friday, November 02, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — Most major automakers reported sales increases in October despite losing at least three days of business to the punishing rain and wind from Superstorm Sandy.

Toyota said its sales rose almost 16 percent for the month, while Volkswagen reported another strong month with sales up 22 percent. Honda sales slowed from double-digit growth earlier in the year to 8.8 percent, while Chrysler sales rose 10 percent. General Motors was up 5 percent and Ford rose slightly.

84. Consumers give US economy a lift before election - Friday, October 26, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — A flurry of reports Thursday showed that U.S. consumers are growing more confident and spending more, boosting a still-weak economy just five days before the presidential election.

85. Most automakers report sales jumps despite storm - Friday, October 26, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — Most major automakers reported sales increases in October despite losing at least three days of business to the punishing rain and wind from Superstorm Sandy.

Toyota said its sales rose almost 16 percent for the month, while Volkswagen reported another strong month with sales up 22 percent. Honda sales slowed from double-digit growth earlier in the year to 8.8 percent, while Chrysler sales rose 10 percent. General Motors was up 5 percent and Ford rose slightly.

86. GM shares spike on strength in South America - Friday, October 26, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — Shares of General Motors surged Wednesday after the company announced big job cuts in Europe and reported third-quarter earnings that were far better than Wall Street expected.

87. Toyota on top in latest Consumer Reports survey - Friday, October 26, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — And the winner is ... Japan.

Japanese brands took the top seven spots in Consumer Reports' annual reliability rankings, pushing aside their U.S. and European rivals. Toyota Motor Corp.'s Scion, Lexus and Toyota brands took the top three spots and the Toyota Prius C, a subcompact hybrid, got the best overall score. Mazda, Subaru, Honda and Acura were close behind.

88. Chrysler 3Q profit nearly doubles - Friday, October 26, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — Strong U.S. sales powered Chrysler to a healthy third-quarter profit.

The company on Monday reported net income of $381 million, up 80 percent from $212 million a year earlier. The profit was due mainly to a 13-percent sales increase in the U.S., where Chrysler does three quarters of its business. The company sold nearly 417,000 cars and trucks in the U.S. under the Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat and Chrysler brands.

89. Toyota widens global sales lead over GM in 3Q - Friday, October 26, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — Toyota has widened its global sales lead over General Motors because its factories have recovered from last year's earthquake.

The Japanese automaker says it sold 7.4 million vehicles around the world through September, up 28 percent from a year earlier. That's 450,000 more than General Motors, which says it sold 6.95 million cars and trucks. GM's global sales are up 2.5 percent for the first nine months.

90. Bailout, layoffs: New pain ahead for EU carmakers - Friday, October 19, 2012

PARIS (AP) — The extent of the European car industry's troubles was laid bare Wednesday, when France's government tossed a financial lifeline to the continent's No. 2 automaker, Peugeot Citroen, and Ford said it would shut a plant in Belgium, cutting 9,500 jobs.

91. Nissan to add shift, 800 jobs at Tennessee plant - Friday, October 19, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) — Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. announced Friday it will add a third shift at a vehicle assembly plant in Tennessee, adding more than 800 jobs.

92. GM to hire 3,000 workers from Hewlett-Packard - Friday, October 19, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors will hire 3,000 workers from Hewlett-Packard, part of a push to bring most of its computer technology in-house.

The HP employees, who already work on GM projects, will help the automaker toward a larger goal: improving the software technology it puts in cars and uses to run its business.

93. Home sales stay hot in third quarter - Friday, October 19, 2012

Home sales are supposed to be weak during a presidential election year, but Nashville-area home buyers apparently haven’t heard that bit of conventional wisdom. The market is stronger than it’s been in years.

94. GM considers expanding Pontiac powertrain HQ - Friday, October 05, 2012

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — General Motors Co. is considering expanding its global powertrain engineering headquarters in Pontiac.

95. Auto sales, home prices help buoy weak US economy - Friday, September 28, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy is looking more resilient, thanks in part to encouraging signs for the two most expensive purchases most Americans make: cars and homes.

Cheap loans and a bounty of fuel-efficient models enticed people to buy new vehicles at a brisk pace last month. And the nation enjoyed another year-over-year surge in home prices in August — a sign that the housing industry is making a sustained comeback.

96. Stocks waver on Spain report, Mosaic miss - Friday, September 28, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) — Mixed signals on the world economy tugged on major stock indexes Tuesday.

The country's largest fertilizer company, Mosaic, said weak demand from China and India have hurt its profits. Mosaic, Dupont and stocks of other companies in the materials industry fell.

97. Medicare fining hospitals for excessive readmitting - Friday, September 28, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — If you or an elderly relative have been hospitalized recently and noticed extra attention when the time came to be discharged, there's more to it than good customer service.

98. GM's 3Q stock rise surprises industry - Friday, September 28, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — Surprise! The top-performing stock among automakers in the U.S. this quarter is General Motors.

The company, which endured management upheaval during the quarter and announced that it would lose substantial cash in Europe, saw its shares rise almost 18 percent from July through late September. The gain was the best since the first quarter of this year, when the stock climbed about 23 percent. GM posted strong profits in that period.

99. Canadian auto union has deals with 2 of Big 3 - Friday, September 21, 2012

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian autoworkers have reached contract deals with two of the Big Three and now are focusing in on the third — Chrysler.

The Canadian Auto Workers union said late Thursday it reached a tentative deal with General Motors Co., leaving Chrysler as the only Detroit automaker that hasn't agreed to a new labor deal.

100. GM recalls midsize cars to fix transmission cables - Friday, September 21, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling nearly 474,000 Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn cars to fix a transmission problem that can cause the cars to roll away unexpectedly.

The recall affects 2007-2010 Chevrolet Malibus, Pontiac G6s and Saturn Auras in the U.S., Canada and Mexico as well as a small number of exports. All the cars have four-speed automatic transmissions.