The Auto Writer

The automotive industry is never boring. There is always something new, different, even weird going on, making it a rare day when there isn’t anything to report. On Christmas Day when many of us will be preoccupied with opening gifts, sipping egg nog, visiting family, or otherwise busy, breaking automotive news will happen somewhere in the world. Just don’t expect to read it here. At least on Christmas Day!

Each day, The Auto Writer attempts to share one story of significance with our readers. Some days we’ll publish two or more articles, especially when it comes to news from the major auto shows. But our article du jour seems to be working out rather well, because you keep coming back for more and we’re busy coming up with stuff that isn’t always more of the same.

We have a handful of stories in the mix for 2010 including interviews, product news, and our usual commentary. In the meantime we’re following several news items including some which are being reported by our colleagues:

Will the Saab story never end? The moment we published that the Swedish automaker is dead, news comes forth that someone is still interested in the brand. Koenigsegg wasn’t able to buy Saab, a Chinese company has purchased some of its technology, while Spyker seems alive and dead as a possible suitor all at once. (see The Wall Street Journal: Saab Talks With Spyker Continue)

Wi-fi goes mobile. Last week, The Auto Writer reported that Chevrolet mobile wi-fi was becoming a reality thanks to Autonet Mobile. The company claims to be the first automaker to offer that service, but wouldn’t you know that Ford quickly announced is own mobile wi-fi thanks to SYNC technology. A side story is playing out here: Ford v. Chevrolet will heat up over the months ahead with Chevy claiming the Cruze is better than the all new Focus. Bring it on! (see Cars.com: Ford’s Sync Adds Wi-Fi)

Not the news. Months ago, news that a new Louisiana based automaker would launch was met with skepticism. Turns out that the V-Vehicle Company is having difficulty obtaining needed federal loans to get started. Yes, the “V” really seems to stand for vaporware! (see Monroe News Star: Feds slow to make V-Vehicle loan)

Cadillac veiled in secrecy. The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) will be operational in three weeks, with two days of press coverage to start out. GM has something up its sleeve in Detroit, an all new model for Cadillac. Speculation is rampant, but we’re betting that the code named XTS is the car that will be revealed, the replacement model for both the DTS and STS. (see Autoblog: Detroit Preview: Cadillac to unveil new concept….)

Merger mania. Fiat and Chrysler are essentially one, Peugeot and Mitsubishi appear ready to forge a relationship, while a number of Chinese automakers will consolidate in order to emerge as players on the world stage. Though we can’t put our finger on it yet, expect a major announcement sometime in 2010 concerning a blockbuster merger to form what will become the largest automaker in the world. By 2015, there will be far fewer independent automakers in the world with companies merged or alliance forged. Expect that several of these new entities will be selling north of 10 million vehicles annually.

That’s it for today – Merry Christmas to all of our readers!