Ajax Fasteners Will Cease Trading
A rescue package that was designed to keep the ailing parts supplier open has collapsed. Workers at the factory have been stood down and the Administrator says that the company will cease trading.
Ajax Fasteners Manages to Survive For Another Week
Ajax Fasteners, the parts manufacturer that supplies specialist screws and clips to all four Australian car manufacturers has managed to stay in business until at least Friday. Aussie Motoring reported back on August 12 that the company was on the brink of collapse and if it did go the consequences for Ford, Holden, Mitsubishi and […]
LPG Subsidy for Motorists
It seems that the Federal Government is about to announce a $1,000 subsidy for motorists who convert to LPG and, while that is certainly to be applauded, it does leave you wondering when the Government is going to stop being reactive and start being proactive. There is little doubt, when you think about it, that […]
Mitsubishi Making Further Job Cuts
Mitsubishi is now looking at cutting a further 100 positions at its plant in South Australia after sales of the 380 sedan fell well short of the monthly target. The company has a target of 1500 vehicles a month but only managed to sell around 800 in July. It’s obvious that the car is not […]
The Australian Car Manufacturing Industry – Teetering on the Brink of Collapse
It’s hard to believe but that headline is closer to fact than fiction. As reported on August 8 in More Supply Problems for Holden and Ford the industry is in dire trouble as another parts supplier is on the brink of closure. Ajax Engineering Fasteners, a company that supplies fasteners and bolts for Holden, Ford, […]
More Supply Problems for Holden and Ford
Yet another supplier of parts for the Australian automotive industry is in trouble and the supply of bolts and screws for Holden and Ford are threatened. Ajax Engineering Fasteners has gone into voluntary administration and the administrator has warned both Holden and Ford that they will have to start paying more for the goods Ajax […]
Fuel Prices – They’re Still Going Up
BP announced today that it would be closing down production at its Alaskan oilfields due to production problems and of course that is going to affect the price of fuel in Australia. The NRMA is predicting that Australian motorists could be paying up to $1.80 a litre within months. The closure of the Alaskan fields […]
Mark Webber Goes to Red Bull
After yet another dismal failure beyond his control it’s no wonder that Mark Webber is leaving Williams. Actually reaching the chequered flag has almost become distant memory for him during this Formula 1 season. Williams would have loved him to stay but there was really very little chance of that happening and finally they were […]
Intergrating Your iPod into Your Car
Are you one of those really advanced techno-geek revheads that would love to be able to intergrate your iPod into the dash of your car? Well you’re not alone, it seems that there are many people around the world who would love to be able to do that and dispense with the current non-tech plug-in-cigarette […]
Australian Car Sales Slide
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries announced today new car sales continue to lag behind sales for the same time last year. 1079 fewer new vehicles were sold during July than for July 2005. That monthly drop now means that 3.1% fewer new cars have been sold so far this year compared to the same […]
Ford’s Response to the New Holden VE Commodore
‘Check back next month’ seems to be the main response when Tom Gorman, Ford Australia’s president was asked what Ford was planning on doing to meet the new competition. Ford will be releasing an updated Falcon next month but one thing Ford claims it won’t be doing is cutting prices to keep Falcon sales happening.
VE Commodore Production Under Threat
The industrial dispute involving parts supplier Huon Corporation may be over for Ford and Toyota but Holden is still not receiving the parts they need to continue production. Ford and Toyota both signed on to a rescue package for the troubled parts supplier but Holden has not yet agreed to it. Workers at Huon’s Bendigo […]
Volvo C30
My brother-in-law drives a Volvo and has done for many years. He is your very typical Volvo driver … well at least he doesn’t wear a hat … but I’m sure you get the picture. However, I’m not sure you will ever see him in a Volvo like this one. It’s the new Volvo C30 […]
Holden VE Commodore Pricing and Fuel Consumption
Holden have finally announced the fuel consumption figures for the new Holden VE Commodore. I think most people might have expected better figures than these but most of them are slightly down on the figures for the last Commodore. The VE Commodore’s fuel consumption varies from 10.9 litres per 100km for the base model Omega […]
Huon Corporation Talks Stall
The industrial action at the major car parts supplier Huon Corporation looks set to continue. Talks aimed at ending the industrial action and keeping the company afloat until a buyer could be found came to a halt last night when Toyota and Ford asked for more time to consider the proposals. Part of the proposal […]
Industrial Action Could be Over
The industrial action by staff at a major parts supplier that has brought production to a halt at Ford and severely affected Holden and Toyota could be over tomorrow. The staff of Huon Corporation have voted to return to work tomorrow if seven major customers join a rescue package being put together to save their […]
Holden VE Commodore
The Holden VE Commodore is definitely the car on everyone is thinking about at the moment. Even the release of the new Toyota Camry isn’t arousing as much interest – even though it’s more likely to be the vehicle that people would tend to buy in these days of high petrol prices. If you would […]
Industrial Action Halts Vehicle Production
Industrial action at a major parts supplier is causing serious problems in the Australian car industry. Due to a lack of parts Ford has stood down staff at Broadmeadows and told them not to report for work on Monday. Staff at Ford’s Geelong plant are likely to be stood down some time next week. Holden […]
Honda Lifts the Face on Accord & Odyssey
Honda have released slightly altered Accord sedans and Odyssey vans into the wild. Accord Rear styling changes have been made and include LED tail lamps. Other changes to the sedan include a drive-by-wire throttle, new allowy wheels and alterations to the interior trip The V6 Accords now include Vehicle Stability assist and satellite navigation has […]
The New Commodore is Almost Here
Holden’s new VE Commodore has been launched – although you won’t find one in a showroom just yet. This model is said to be the first all new Commodore since 1997 and despite years of work and a lot of testing Holden have not yet been able to produce fuel consumption figures. Despite some criticism […]