Auto Deal Fails in Senate Over UAW Wage Cuts

But key Republicans threaten to block measure in Senate

(NEWSER) - Democrats reached a tentative deal with the White House on a $15 billion rescue plan for GM and Chrysler, but unsatisfied Republicans threatened to block the deal, the Detroit Free Press reports. The measure could be presented to the House tomorrow morning and passed in the afternoon. But the Senate's a different story, and Harry Reid said key Republicans may filibuster if they don't wring more concessions from the automakers and the UAW. More»

(NEWSER) - Automakers may be returning to Capitol Hill humbled into driving instead of flying, but that won't stop them from holding out their hands for even more money. Collectively, they told Congress today to be willing to shell out a total of $34 billion in loans and lines of credit—up from $25 billion last month—or risk seeing at least two of them collapse quickly, the Detroit News reports. Company plans came out today, and the CEOs will testify later this week. More»

Some Republicans were ready to let GM, Chrysler die: Jonathan Cohn

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama reportedly plans to make the auto bailout a key part of his reelection campaign, and Jonathan Cohn of the New Republic thinks that’s a great idea. Chrysler and GM are in much better shape, he argues—GM in particular is “reporting big profits, it is winning design awards, and, most important of all, it is selling lots of cars.” More importantly, employment is creeping higher in states like Michigan with a heavy auto industry presence. More»

Demographic key to rebuilding for US automakers

(NEWSER) - Detroit automakers face a hard road when it comes to Generation Y—consumers aged 22-32 whose business is crucial to securing the firms' futures, BusinessWeek reports. Their boomer parents broke from tradition by shifting to Japanese cars, and Gen Y is following in those footsteps. Detroit “simply must do much better with Gen Y than they did with their parents, or the comeback we keep hearing about may not happen,” says an analyst. More»

Restructuring could convince consumers to take a chance, say marketers

(NEWSER) - Contrary to what GM and Chrysler contend, bankruptcies could actually end up boosting their sales. Customers who backed away from the brands amid uncertainty may return once the future is known—even if it's one that entails Chapter 11, marketers tell Advertising Age. Case in point: Studebaker lasted 30 years after it filed for Depression-era bankruptcy protection. More»