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PSA's purchase of Opel from GM is expected to be finalized soon

PSA's purchase of the Opel/Vauxhall division from General Motors is expected to be officially announced on Monday, according to The New York Times. PSA, the parent company of European automakers Peugeot and Citroen, will reportedly hold a joint press conference with GM in Paris to announce the deal. GM has worked as part of an alliance with PSA in Europe since 2012. The deal could be a big boon for both companies. For PSA, the addition of Opel and Vauxhall into its fold would catapult the automaker into second place behind Volkswagen for European marketshare, and would allow the company to spend research and development costs across a greater number of vehicles. And GM, which has struggled in recent years to turn a profit with its European division, would be able to focus more squarely on the areas where it's most profitable and to invest in future technologies like automation. But the deal isn't without its potential pitfalls, primarily for PSA. GM hasn't been able to make a success of Opel and Vauxhall, and it's not a sure bet that PSA will, either. What's more, the addition of Opel and Vauxhall doesn't expand PSA's reach any further into new markets, like China or India. The NYT cites data from Ferdinand Dudenhoffer, a professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, showing that 70 percent of PSA and Opel business is done in Europe, a market that has been shrinking since 1999. We'll have to wait a few days to see exactly how the deal between PSA and GM will be structured. We're also curious to see how the loss of Opel may affect GM's lineup in the States, especially for Buick, since the company's Regal sedan is based on the European Opel Insignia. In other words, stay tuned. Related Video:

Lexus LC 500 dominates 2016 EyesOn Design Awards

The Lexus LC 500 captured top honors for the best-designed production car and the best interior at the 10th annual EyesOn Design awards at the Detroit Auto Show. The awards are handed out by the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology. The Buick Avista won the concept car category, just as its four-door predecessor, the Avenir, did last year. Other winners this year included the Chrysler Pacifica, which won for the best-designed production "truck" (as crossovers and minivans are sometimes categorized), and the Audi H-Tron Quattro, which won for the best concept truck. The Acura Precision concept was also recognized for its "innovative use of color, graphics, and materials." And the new Volvo S90 was singled out for its human-machine interface. The panel of jurists this year included designers from an array of automakers and art schools. Several past honorees for the organization's LifeTime Design Achievement Award participated in the voting, including GM's Wayne Cherry, BMW DesignworksUSA founder Chuck Pelly, Hyundai's Peter Schreyer, and Jack Telnack (formerly of Ford). Telnack also served on the select panel of chief judges this year, alongside Chris Chapman from Hyundai, Dave Marek from Acura, and Stewart Reed from the Art Center College of Design. Lexus Takes 2 and Buick Wins Best Concept For 2nd Year at EyesOn Design Awards at NAIAS January 12, 2016, Detroit, Michigan. A panel of design leaders representing worldwide automotive manufacturers and transportation design chiefs from top design schools around the globe today selected these vehicles to receive the following EyesOn Design Awards at the North American International Auto Show: * Production Car: 2017 Lexus LC500 * Production Truck: 2017 Chrysler Pacifica * Concept Car: Buick Avista Concept * Concept Truck: Audi h-tron Quattro Concept * Best Designed Interior: 2017 Lexus LC500 * Innovative Use of Color, Graphics and Materials: Acura Precision Concept * Human Machine Interface: 2017 Volvo S90 Chief Judges were: Chris Chapman of Hyundai, Dave Marek of Acura, Stewart Reed of ArtCenter College of Design, and Jack Telnack of Ford Motor Company (retired). 2016 marks the tenth year the EyesOn Design Awards have been an integral part of the North American International Auto Show. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 EyesOn Design Award Winners News Source: EyesOn Design Detroit Auto Show Acura Audi Buick Chrysler Lexus Volvo chrysler pacifica volvo s90 lexus lc 500 acura precision concept

Frustrated GM investors ask what more Mary Barra can do

DETROIT — General Motors Co Chief Executive Mary Barra has transformed the No. 1 U.S. automaker in her almost five years in charge, but that is still not enough to satisfy investors. Ahead of third-quarter results due on Oct. 31, GM shares are trading about 6 percent below the $33 per share price at which they launched in 2010 in a post-bankruptcy initial public offering. The Detroit carmaker's stock is down 22 percent since Barra took over in January 2014. After hitting an all-time high of $46.48 on Oct. 24, 2017, the shares have declined 33 percent. In the same period, the Standard & Poor's 500 index has climbed 7.8 percent. Several shareholders contacted by Reuters said GM could face a third major action by activist shareholders in less than four years if the share price does not improve. "I've been expecting it," said John Levin, chairman of Levin Capital Strategies. "It just seems a tempting morsel to somebody." Levin's firm owns more than seven million GM shares. Barra has guided the company through the settlement of a federal criminal probe of a mishandled safety recall, sold off money-losing European operations, and returned $25 billion to shareholders through dividends and stock buybacks from 2012 through 2017. GM declined to comment for this story, but the company's executives privately express frustration with the market's reluctance to see it as anything more than a manufacturer tied mainly to auto market sales cycles. GM's profitable North American truck and SUV business and its money-making China operations are valued at just $14 billion, excluding the value of GM's stake in its $14.6 billion Cruise automated vehicle business and its cash reserves from its $44 billion market capitalization. The recent slump in the Chinese market, GM's largest, and plateauing U.S. demand are ratcheting up the pressure. GM is one of the few global automakers without a founding family or a government to serve as a bulwark against corporate raiders. In 2015, a group led by investor Harry Wilson pressed GM to launch a $5 billion share buyback, and commit to what is now an $18 billion ceiling on the level of cash the company would hold. In 2017, GM fended off a call by hedge fund manager David Einhorn to split its common stock shares into two classes. Einhorn, whose firm still owned more than 21 million shares at the end of June, declined to comment about GM's stock price. Other investors said there were no clear alternatives to Barra's approach.