rorty:::tort: DAILY: Corvette convertible prepped for Geneva motor show | Ford posts $1.6B quarterly profit, predicts wider losses in Europe | Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to step down

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DAILY NEWSLETTER	January 29, 2013
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2013 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW
Corvette convertible prepped for Geneva motor show

The convertible version of the redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will make its world debut at the Geneva motor show in early March, according to Autoweek. Also, the Stingray convertible will go on sale as a 2014 model and could be in dealer showrooms by the end of this year. ... >> story Published: Jan 29 2:21 pm U.S. Eastern time

Ford posts $1.6B quarterly profit, predicts wider losses in Europe
North America remains bright spot; U.S. market-share gain seen

Ford posted fourth-quarter net income of $1.6 billion, carrying the company to its fourth straight full-year profit. Excluding a large year-earlier extraordinary gain, net in the latest quarter rose 55 percent, powered by strong results in North America. ... >> story Published: Jan 29 7:05 am U.S. Eastern time / UPDATED: 1/29/13 11:32 am ET - adds more details

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Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to step down

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, 67, who raised awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, said he will leave President Obama's Cabinet after a replacement is confirmed. ... >> story Published: Jan 29 10:02 am U.S. Eastern time / UPDATED: 1/29/13 4:01 pm ET - adds videos

Battery supplier to Boeing, Honda and Mitsubishi cleared in airliner review
GS Yuasa, the supplier of lithium ion batteries used in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner as well as in electric and hybrid vehicles made by Honda and Mitsubishi, has been cleared of responsibility for the fires that have plagued batteries in the airplane. ... >> story Published: Jan 29 2:33 pm U.S. Eastern time

Automotive News Blogs

Jamie LaReau covers auto dealers for Automotive News
Losing LaHood: What it means for the war on distracted driving
I have no political affiliation to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, but I consider him my kindred spirit in our mutual concern with distracted driving. ...

Read the blog Published: Jan 29 1:07 pm U.S. Eastern time

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Automotive News'
top 5 news stories of the week

1.	GM: Iowa dealer faked sales
2.	After a 24-yr. chase, dealer faces fraud trial
3.	Daimler, Ford and Nissan sign deal on fuel-cell cars
4.	U.S. Treasury failed to curb excess 2012 pay at GM, Ally, watchdog says
5.	Why can't cars do what phones do?

Tesla's Musk extends a hand to get Boeing Dreamliner flying again
Elon Musk has long considered Tesla Motors the bold, nimble answer to the auto industry's cautious culture. Now the electric-car maker's top executive has extended his help to another industrial giant: Boeing. ... >> story Published: Jan 28 9:50 pm U.S. Eastern time

Fisker hires consultant to help conserve cash during strategic review
Fisker Automotive, the plug-in hybrid sports car maker that’s seeking a partner or a buyer, hired Huron Consulting Group to help manage day-to-day operations during negotiations. ... >> story Published: Jan 29 3:50 pm U.S. Eastern time

Chinese firm wins A123 despite U.S. tech transfer fears
China's largest auto parts maker won federal government approval to buy A123 Systems, a bankrupt maker of electric car batteries that was funded with government money, the Chinese company said today. ... >> story Published: Jan 29 12:03 pm U.S. Eastern time / UPDATED: 1/29/13 1:02 pm ET - adds confirmation

New-vehicle shoppers look at more models before buying, study says
New-vehicle shoppers are considering more models before buying, and fuel economy remains the most influential factor in a purchase decision, according to a J.D. Power and Associates study. New-vehicle shoppers consider an average of 3.3 vehicles, J.D. Power’s 2013 Avoider Study says, up from 3. ... >> story Published: Jan 29 2:55 pm U.S. Eastern time

Penske bumps up stock dividend 7.7 percent
Publicly traded auto retailer Penske Automotive Group today announced that its board approved a cash dividend of 14 cents per share for the fourth quarter of 2012 -- a boost of 7.7 percent over the previous dividend. ... >> story Published: Jan 29 3:30 pm U.S. Eastern time

Gentex profits fall 2% for Q4, rise 2% for year
Gentex, the supplier of automotive rearview mirrors and related parts, today reported a 2 percent decline in quarterly profits and a 2 percent gain in annual profits. The company said it posted net income of $39.6 million in the fourth quarter, down from $40.5 million during the same quarter in 2011. ... >> story Published: Jan 29 2:06 pm U.S. Eastern time

Ford earnings: Analysts and experts react
What analysts and others have to say about Ford's 2012 earnings and outlook for 2013: ... >> story Published: Jan 29 11:20 am U.S. Eastern time / UPDATED: 1/29/13 12:37 p.m. ET

Mazda's O'Sullivan on outpacing industry growth
Mazda's North American CEO Jim O'Sullivan expects the automaker to outpace U.S. industry growth in 2013 after two years of lagging behind. In this video, O'Sullivan explains how stability in Washington, D.C., could positively impact the industry, and which vehicles will drive Mazda's sales. ... View the video Published: Jan 29 12:01 am U.S. Eastern time