■ Automakers
Toyota overtakes Ford
Toyota continued its world expansion by pushing Ford Motors down to third place in world sales and claiming second place after General Motors, according to the US trade magazine Automotive News. Total worldwide sales were up 5.5 percent to 61.4 million vehicles. The study only included firms that produce more than 10,000 cars a year. European manufacturers however still held the lion's market share, with 33.5 percent, compared to 30.9 for Japanese and 24 percent for North American manufacturers. The North American figures dropped 1.4 percent over the previous year. GM sold 8.1 million vehicles last year, up from 8 million the previous year. Toyota sold 6.7 million, compared to 6.1 million the previous year. Ford sold 6.4 million, down from 6.5 million last year. Volkswagen claimed fourth place with 5.1 million, followed by DaimlerChrysler at 4.7 million. Sixth to 13th places were held by PSA/Peugot-Citroen, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, Renault, Fiat, Suzuki and Mitsubishi. BMW was 14th on the list with 1.2 million, and Porsche was 33rd with 76,827.
■ Labor
Fiat sues striking truckers
Italy's Fiat SpA said on Friday it has requested damages from striking truck drivers that transport the Turin-based giant's cars from factories across the country. The strike has effectively halted the flow of new cars to dealers since April 26 and saturated holding areas, Fiat said in a statement. It has also blocked production in three of its plants, it said. "The damages for the company are very serious, from the industrial, commercial and economic point of view," the statement said. Fiat said it reserves the right to quantify the damages it is seeking at a later date, and to possibly break the contract.
■ Automakers
Rover receives five offers
The administrators for collapsed British automaker MG Rover Group Ltd said on Friday they had received three offers for the firm's sports car business and two for the rest of the company. PricewaterhouseCoopers, which took over the UK's last major car manufacturer on April 8, said there was a possibility that production at the Longbridge factory in central England could continue. "We are still discussing a sale of the rest of the business and assets with two credible interested parties," said Tony Lomas, one of the administrators, though he did not name the potential bidders. "While there is still an outside possibility that some form of car production could recommence at Longbridge, the cost and complexity of the challenge should not be underestimated," Lomas said.
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