Ford Shares Climb; GM's Stall

Remember when GM shares were climbing up the ladder from its low of less than $20 earlier this year, and the market was rewarding GM for making deep cuts and reforms, and hoping for takeover of the automaker by Renault/Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn? Now, it's Ford that is stunning investors while GM's share price takes a long pause. 

Trading of Ford continued to drive the price of the struggling automaker's shares up this week, closing at $8.26 Wednesday. That's a whopping 36-percent gain since Ford bottomed out at $6.06 on July 21. The market seems to be anticipating announcements expected around September 18 by Ford management that plants will be closed more quickly and asset sales, such as possibly Jaguar and Land Rover, are in the offing. 

GM closed Wednesday at $30.99, 69 percent higher than its 52-week low. But the stock has dropped back a bit from the $32.35 it hit on July 28, and it's way off its 52-week high of $35.02. In part, it could be due to investors in the auto sector backing out of GM and taking some profits and take a speculative flyer on Ford. There seems to be mounting belief that even an unprofitable Ford is worth more than $6 a share, what with the combined value of its brands. -Jim Burt

Power: Audiophiles Want More

IPod users and MP3 hoarders want their music in the car with them. That's the big lesson from the latest J.D. Power Emerging Technologies study, which measures what gadgets and technology auto shoppers want in their next new vehicle. At an arbitrary price of $100, the Power study found that 54 percent of us want the ability to plug in USB minidrives full of music, while 58 percent want in-vehicle hard drives to host their on-road music collection and 60 percent want iPod/MP3 player connectivity. Upping the price point to $600, Power respondents would commit to side airbags in their vehicle; 40 percent of respondents already have them in their current vehicles.

Miata Hardtop Priced from $24,530

Mazda's new MX-5 Power Retractable Hard Top model will carry a price tag of $24,530 when it arrives in U.S. dealers in September, the Japanese automaker said on Wednesday. Standard equipment for the vehicle includes power windows/mirrors/locks, side airbags, and a CD player. Mazda will offer leather seats, stability and traction control, and run-flat tires as options.

2006 Mazda Miata by Paul A. Eisenstein (6/27/2005)
Raising the benchmark, one sunny day at a time.

British Motor Show to Change Name

Could this year's British Motor Show have been the last ever? With the exhibits barely removed from the London venue, the organizers are already considering a major change for next time round in summer 2008 - dumping the name and calling it the London Motor Show.

The move, which has been suggested by a number of U.K. industry representatives as part of the post-expo debrief, would bring the event into line with every other major auto exhibition. Geneva, Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo, and New York are all named after the city they're staged in, rather than the country, although Detroit's auto show is formally known as the North American International Auto Show.

"We have had feedback asking if we think it's a good idea," said a spokesman for the organizer, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). "As part of the review that takes place it may well be a theme that emerges. London has the international kudos to carry it off."

But the change wouldn't be without its problems. The London Motor Show was previously a rival car event, traditionally staged in the city's Earl's Court arena in the years when the British Motor Show wasn't on. The last one was in 1999, but since then it's been unable to get vehicle manufacturer support.

"We would be cautious about a name change," said the SMMT spokesman. "We have built a platform this year and we want to make 2008 even better, but we would be wary about undoing that good work." -Richard Yarrow

FROM THE SOURCE headlines from the latest press releases

GM's XM Satellite Radio Option Now $199

Uncharted: The Jeep(R) Compass Music Tour to Feature Emerging Music Artists Playing Free Concerts Across the U.S.

Study Shows Strong Consumer Consideration for Flex Fuel Vehicles Including E85 Plug-in Hybrids Peak Interest

Chrysler Group Launches Production of All-New 2007 Dodge Nitro at Toledo North Assembly Plant

Name	Symbol	Last	Change
Autobytel, Inc.	ABTL	2.85	-0.10 (-3.39%)
Autoliv Inc.	ALV	56.74	+0.31 (+0.55%)
AutoNation Inc.	AN	19.85	+0.37 (+1.90%)
ArvinMeritor Inc.	ARM	15.03	+0.07 (+0.47%)
American Axle & Mfr. Holdings Inc.	AXL	16.75	+0.69 (+4.30%)
Ballard Power Systems Inc.	BLDP	6.01	+0.11 (+1.86%)
BorgWarner Inc.	BWA	60.52	+0.70 (+1.17%)
Cummins Inc.	CMI	120.47	+1.68 (+1.41%)
DaimlerChrysler AG (ADR)	DCX	52.68	+0.37 (+0.71%)
Dura Automotive Systems	DRRA	0.42	+0.01 (+2.44%)
Eaton Corporation	ETN	66.22	+1.04 (+1.60%)
Ford Motor Company	F	8.26	+0.34 (+4.29%)
General Motors Corporation	GM	30.99	+0.45 (+1.47%)
Gentex Corporation	GNTX	14.54	+0.20 (+1.39%)
Goodyear Tire & Rubber	GT	11.49	+0.15 (+1.32%)
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (ADR)	HMC	34.31	+0.58 (+1.72%)
Johnson Controls Inc.	JCI	77.50	+2.42 (+3.22%)
Lear Corporation	LEA	21.96	+0.84 (+3.98%)
Magna International Inc.	MGA	72.00	+0.53 (+0.74%)
Motorola Inc.	MOT	23.81	+0.27 (+1.15%)
Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (ADR)	NSANY	22.01	+0.44 (+2.04%)
Sonic Automotive Inc.	SAH	22.22	-0.09 (-0.40%)
Siemens AG	SI	84.85	+1.56 (+1.87%)
Sirius Satellite Radio	SIRI	3.65	-0.10 (-2.67%)
Toyota Motor Corporation (ADR)	TM	111.56	+1.67 (+1.52%)
TRW Automotive Holdings	TRW	27.68	+0.40 (+1.47%)
Tower Automotive Inc.	TWRAQ.PK	0.095	+0.003 (+3.26%)
United Auto Group Inc.	UAG	21.36	+0.02 (+0.09%)
Visteon Corporation	VC	8.80	+0.05 (+0.57%)
XM Satellite Radio Hold.	XMSR	11.48	+0.47 (+4.27%)