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Well, we have to say we saw this coming. Ford has officially sold off approximately 20% of its stake in Mazda. The sale reduces Ford's share from a controlling 33.4% interest to just over 13% and puts about $540 million into the Dearborn coffers, based on a sale price figured at Mazda's closing value Tuesday. The cash infusion will certainly help Ford's bottom line in these rough economic times, and the fact that the shares are being sold back to Mazda (7 percent) and to about 20 of its strategic partners means that Ford's remaining stake will still give it...

Mazda is planning to launch a diesel version of the Mazda 3 in February. The car is likely to be badged D Sport and will have a 143 horsepower engine with a top speed of 130 mph. The new Mazda 3 Diesel will give Mazda the chance to compete with cars such as the Ford Focus and Peugeot 307 which already come in diesel varients. The car is expected to do 0-60 in 8.5 seconds and is expected to achieve 55mpg.

Wednesday October 25, 2006 By TOM KRISHER AP Business Writer DETROIT (AP) -- From July to September, GM, Ford and Chrysler racked up losses as large as the entire annual gross domestic product of Africa's Malawi. That's $7.5 billion. Despite the massive losses, company officials and some industry analysts say the Big Three can do little more than wait for drastic cost cuts to kick in and new products to take hold before they can staunch the bleeding. All three reported third-quarter losses this week, with General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group joining the misery Wednesday. A $1.5...

Amazingly, the Mazdas may be OK. Crews have righted the huge car carrier Cougar Ace, the ship that went sideways 230 miles south of the Aleutians, and are preparing to tow it to Portland, Ore., according to the U.S. Coast Guard. It could be ready to leave Sunday or a couple of days after that, said Cmdr. Joe LoSciuto, who is deputy over the Western Alaska Coast Guard sector. The ship keeled over onto its port side July 23 as the crew was attempting to adjust the ballast water at sea. International rules require a change of ballast before a...

Vancouver, British Columbia - The fate of thousands of Mazda cars was uncertain this week after the ship carrying them to North America rolled on its side in the Pacific Ocean. The Cougar Ace rolled sideways when the massive ship's ballast tank was adjusted. The automaker had 4700 vehicles aboard the automobile carrier Cougar Ace that began taking on water on Sunday and listed so heavily that the 23 crew had to be rescued by the US Coast Guard. The 199.3m Mitsui O.S.K. Lines ship was still afloat on Wednesday with its keel and propeller out of the water and...

J.D. Power and Associates Ranked the different classes of cars by quality. There were 19 classes of cars. Asian car makers too 14 of the top spots in the 19 classes. Japan was on top in 12 classes. 11 of those were taken by Toyota alone! The last Japanese spot was taken by Mazda. South Korean car makers Kia and Hyundai each took a top spot. Subcompact: Kia Rio Compact: Toyota Corolla Compact Sporty: Mazda MX-5 Miata Entry Premium: Lexus IS 250/350 Mid-size Premium: Lexus ES 330 Large Premium: Lexus LS430 Premium Sporty: Lexus SC 430 Mid-size sporty: Toyota Solara...

DETROIT -- For the first time in nine years, all of the top picks in Consumer Reports' annual vehicle guide are made by Japanese automakers. The Honda Civic is the magazine's top small sedan, while the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is the top mid-sized sport utility vehicle, according to results released Wednesday. Vehicles from Nissan Motor Co. and Subaru, a division of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., round out the top picks in 10 categories. Asian brands also fared best in the magazine's survey of vehicle reliability. Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus brand was first, while Honda was second and the Toyota brand...

Apple today announced that Nissan, Mazda and Daihatsu in Japan have joined BMW, MINI, smart and Alfa Romeo in Japan to deliver iPod integration with their car stereos for 2006 model lines. "Seamless integration of iPods in cars allows music lovers to enjoy high-quality sound through their car's stereo system, easily access their entire music library and take their music with them everywhere they go," according to a statement released by Apple. "We're delighted to have such a wide variety of car companies in Japan offering iPod integration," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. "iPod...

Prince George's County resident Synetra Mendheim and her father, Terry, had noticed the car as they headed toward her white Mazda Millenia that Sunday morning, but they thought the men inside were waiting for a parking place. It was 3:30 a.m., and Synetra Mendheim, 25, was going to Reagan National Airport for a flight to South Africa, where she would join other missionaries from her church to work with young AIDS patients. Terry had driven up from Virginia Beach to drive her to the airport. SNIP As Synetra Mendheim reached for her keys, three car doors opened and a shotgun...

If one looks for the company which has done the most to affirm and promote the homosexual lifestyle, he would be hard-pressed to find a company which has done more than Ford Motor Company. While this is hardly known to the general population, it is well known by numerous homosexual organizations. In fact, the Human Rights Campaign (a national homosexual organization whose goal is homosexual marriage) gave Ford a 100% corporate rating. Ford makes not only Ford, but also Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover. From redefining family to include homosexual marriage, to giving hundreds of thousands of...