DETROIT, Michigan, Sept 28, 2007 (AFP) - A landmark deal which could help the Big Three US automakers narrow their labor cost gap with Asian competitors faced opposition Thursday among the union's rank-and-file workers ahead of a crucial ratification vote expected next week.

Leaders of the United Auto Workers union expressed confidence that they would receive the votes necessary to approve a contract negotiated with General Motors Wednesday after a two-day strike.

DETROIT, Michigan, Sept 26, 2007 (AFP) - The United Auto Workers union could meet some resistance as it tries to wrap up contract negotiations at struggling Ford Motor Co. and privately-held Chrysler LLC following Wednesday's landmark deal with General Motors Corp., analysts said.

While Ford would benefit significantly from the same kind of health-care deal offered to GM, it could balk at the kind of job security concessions offered by its rival.

CHICAGO, Sept 27, 2007 (AFP) - The Big Three US automakers will likely substantially narrow their labor cost gap with Asian rivals following a landmark deal reached between General Motors Corp. and the United Auto Workers union, analysts said.

While details of Wednesday's tentative agreement are being withheld pending union ratification, GM is expected to be able to cut its nearly 30 dollars-per-hour labor cost disadvantage with non-unionized US plants run by Toyota Motor and other foreign competitors by more than half.

NEW DELHI, Aug 24, 2007 (AFP) - Indian automaker Mahindra will not bid for luxury British car brands Jaguar and Land Rover, although India's Tata Motors is still 'strongly committed' to a deal, a report said Friday.

The Economic Times newspaper said the Mahindra Group feared the onset of new tighter European Union emission regulations due in 2012, noting that neither of the two brands had smaller fuel-efficient models in their product lines.

The paper also said Mahindra was also concerned about continued dependence on Ford for key vehicle components.

FRANKFURT, Sept 12, 2007 (AFP) - The head of Ford Europe, John Fleming, said Wednesday that the group had closed a deal with Romania to buy an automobile plant in the southern city of Craiova.

'We signed an agreement to purchase automotive Craiova, which is a plant in truth that we have been working to try to capture for about two years,' Fleming told automotive specialists on the sidelines of the Frankfurt motor show.

NEW YORK, Sept 4, 2007 (AFP) - Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday its August sales tumbled 14.4 percent from a year ago on sharp declines in volume to rental fleets and slippage in retail sales, especially of its passenger sedans.

The number two US automaker said August sales totaled 218,332 vehicles. Sales to daily rental companies were down 44 percent and sales to individual retail customers fell 13 percent.

NEW DELHI, Aug 24, 2007 (AFP) - The head of India's Tata conglomerate confirmed Friday that his group was interested in bidding for luxury British car brands Jaguar and Land Rover, in an interview with an Indian news channel.

Last month, Indian news reports said that two Indian automakers -- Tata Motors and the Mahindra group -- were considering separate bids to buy the British icons from struggling US carmaker Ford Motor Corp.

TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan, Aug 8, 2007 (AFP) - The United States should consider imposing a European-style gasoline tax if it hopes to improve energy security and tackle global warming, the head of Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday.

'The way to get at is to make an economic decision just like in Europe where the fuel prices are seven or eight dollars a gallon,' Ford chief executive officer Allan Mulally said. 'Then our behavior would change dramatically.'

DETROIT, Michigan, Aug 1, 2007 (AFP) - Ford Motor Company saw US sales drop 19 percent in July as demand for nearly all its product lines skidded, the automaker said Wednesday.

Some of the loss came from a planned 57 percent cut in low-margin sales to rental car companies. But sales to individual retail customers also fell 17 percent.

Overall sales reached 195,245 vehicles in July and were down 12.2 percent at 1.57 million vehicles for the year to date.

DETROIT, Michigan, Aug 1, 2007 (AFP) - After a long string of losses and setbacks, US automakers are showing new signs of life thanks to strong overseas earnings and cost-cutting at home.

General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Company posted surprisingly solid second quarter profits as the massive restructuring programs at both automakers began to pay dividends.

GM on Tuesday reported that its quarterly results had improved by more than 4.2 billion dollars to an 891 million dollar gain.

CHICAGO, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Struggling Ford Motor Co. stunned analysts Thursday with a surprise second-quarter profit of 750 million dollars, aided by improvement in global operations and the divestment of its Aston Martin brand.

Even accounting for special factors, the results were far better than the forecasts of Wall Street analysts, most of whom expected the second-largest US automaker to remain in the red after a record 12.7 billion-dollar loss in 2006.