USA - RAM trucks break Guinness world record for largest parade of pick-ups.

• 451 Ram truck owners from seven U.S. states and Canada help set new world record, Saturday, April 18, 2015
• Ram Truck 'Round-up’ held in conjunction with 50th Academy of Country Music Awards weekend in Arlington, Texas, April 17-19
• ACM Awards to be broadcast for the first time ever LIVE from AT&T Stadium in Arlington this Sunday, April 19 on CBS

Ram truck owners from seven U.S states and Canada helped the Ram Truck brand set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the largest parade of pickup trucks, Saturday, April 18, in Arlington, Texas. 451 Ram trucks participated in the “Ram Truck Round-up,” breaking the previous world record of  438 trucks.

Ram, the “Official Truck” of the Academy of Country Music Awards, invited its customers to help break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS in honor the 50th anniversary of the ACM Awards, which will be broadcast live for the first time ever from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, April 19, at 8 p.m. live Eastern time/8 p.m. delayed Pacific time on CBS Television Network.

“Our hard-working Ram truck owners are passionate and loyal, and today they proved once again that everything is always bigger in Texas,” said Robert Hegbloom, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ram Truck Brand, FCA – North America. 

“Ram is the fastest growing truck brand in Texas, where trucks are king, and it was great to see 451 Ram owners travel far and wide for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of a special record-breaking rally and pickup parade.”

The Ram Truck Round-up parade route started on the east side of AT&T Stadium in Arlington and traveled approximately 3.2 miles around the stadium and neighboring Globe Life Park grounds.

Participants in the Ram Truck Round-up parade were treated to a special morning of activities including car-crushing appearances by the Raminator monster truck, music performances by the Austin, Texas-based Midnight Social, appearances by country music artists Kix Brooks, Thomas Rhett and Easton Corbin, and giveaways from Ram brand partners.  Participants also received free tickets for the ACM Party for a Cause Festival, taking place at Globe Life Park.

Ram Trucks in Texas Facts

More Texans drive pickup trucks than any other state (20 percent of motor vehicle registrations versus 12 percent national average) and Ram is the fastest growing truck brand in Texas. Ram’s current market share of 20 percent has risen 2.52 points (15 percent) in the past five years and the brand sells two-and-a-half times as many pickup trucks in Texas as it does in the next highest volume state.

ACM Party for a Cause Festival

Ram Truck Round-up participants received tickets for Saturday’s ACM Party for a Cause Festival. The two-day outdoor music event, taking place Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18, at Globe Life Park in Arlington, which includes multiple stages for ongoing live country music performances, interactive experiences, a family-friendly country marketplace with vendors from around the country and much more. Country music icons, including many 2015 ACM Award nominees, are set to perform. 

The festival also will be taped for a two-hour special “ACM Presents: Superstar Duets!,” which will air on Friday, May 15, on CBS. Additional information on the event is available at ACMcountry.com.

This is the sixth consecutive year that the Ram Truck brand has partnered with, and been, the "Official Truck" of the ACM Awards. Ram Trucks' involvement has evolved over the years. 

This year, Ram is the sponsor of the Ram Lone Star Stage at the ACM Party for a Cause Festival and is running a national radio promotion where winners receive trips to Dallas for the ultimate ACM weekend experience. 

In addition, Ram promotes the ACM Awards and ACM Party for a Cause Festival through social media, as well as television and digital advertising.

About the Academy of Country Music Awards

The 50th Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry. The show is produced for television by Dick Clark Productions, Inc. and will broadcast from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Sunday, April 19, at 8 p.m. live Eastern time/delayed 8 p.m. Pacific time on CBS. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, R.A. Clark and Barry Adelman are executive producers. Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

About GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS

Guinness World Records (GWR) is the universally recognized global authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, more than 132 million copies, and 3 million e-books, have been sold in 20 languages, in more than 100 countries. 

Since then, the internationally renowned brand also is available across a number of platforms; Guinness World Records global television shows are watched by more than 750 million viewers annually, more than half a million subscribe to the GWR YouTube channel, the global website receives 14 million viewers annually and has more than 8 million fans on Facebook.

About Ram Truck Brand

Since its launch as a stand-alone division in 2009, the Ram Truck Brand has steadily emerged as an industry leader with one goal: to build the best pickup trucks and commercial vehicles in the industry.

Creating a distinct identity for Ram Trucks has allowed the brand to concentrate on core customers and features they find valuable. Whether focusing on a family that uses a Ram 1500 day in and day out, a hard-working Ram 3500 Heavy Duty owner or a business that depends on its Ram ProMaster commercial van every day for deliveries, Ram has the truck market covered.

In order to be the best, it takes a commitment to innovation, capability, efficiency and durability. Ram Truck invests substantially in its products, infusing them with great looks, refined interiors, durable engines and exclusive features that further enhance their capabilities.

Moving into the 2015 model year, Ram continues to beat the competition in the two most sought-after titles, fuel economy and towing capacity:

• Best-in-class fuel economy with exclusive EcoDiesel – 29 mpg with Ram 1500
• Best-in-class towing capability – 30,000 pounds with Ram 3500 
• Best-in-class payload – 7,390 pounds with Ram 3500
• Best-in-class torque – 865 lb.-ft. with Ram 3500 equipped with Cummins 

Truck customers, from half-ton to commercial, have a demanding range of needs and require their vehicles to provide high levels of capability. Ram trucks are designed to deliver a total package.

NHTSA announces that about 64,000,000 vehicles were recalled in JUST the USA last year.

Carmakers recalled about 64 million vehicles in the U.S. last year, more than double the previous record set in 2004, according to official government data.

The tally released today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closes the book on one of the worst years ever for automotive safety as defective General Motors ignition switches and exploding Takata Corp. airbags sent millions of drivers to dealerships in search of repairs.

“These figures demonstrate the need for vigorous, effective oversight to remove safety defects from our highways,” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said in a statement. “When defective vehicles or equipment put Americans’ safety at risk, NHTSA will act.”

Rosekind said last month that 2015 may see an even greater number of recalls as regulators ratchet up the pressure on automakers to more quickly disclose and fix defects. Both the GM and Takata recalls occurred only after years of consumer complaints and multiple deaths that led to congressional hearings critical of NHTSA’s effectiveness at policing the industry.

The GM ignition switches have been linked to 52 deaths in the U.S. so far and the Takata airbag inflator ruptures are confirmed in four U.S. deaths and being investigated in a fifth.

The final tally for last year shows there were 803 automotive recalls, covering 63.9 million vehicles. About 3.5 million cars and trucks have been recalled so far this year, according to NHTSA data. Before last year, the annual record for recalls was set in 2004, when 30.8 million vehicles were recalled.

Even with 2014’s record tally, an estimated 46 million cars with unfixed recalls were still on the road at the end of the year and as many as 5 million of those changed ownership in 2014, according to Carfax Inc., which tracks vehicle sales and accident history.

REPORT HERE

The Volkswagen Transporter - 60 Years in 60 Seconds

• First Transporter launched at the Earls Court Commercial Motor Show in 1954
• Over 11.5 million Transporters built to date
• From 786 UK sales in 1954 to 18,350 in 2013 – enduringly popular with British business
• The van which helped build Britain and launched a million road trips

This year marks a significant milestone in the history of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles: sixty years ago, the first ever right-hand drive Transporter arrived in the UK.

Simple, cleverly engineered and more practical than anything else on the road at the time, the T1 marked the start of a revolution in the commercial vehicle industry. Today, celebrating its diamond anniversary, the jewel in the commercial vehicles’ crown is one of the world’s biggest-selling light commercial vehicles, with variants such as the camper enjoying cult status across generations of owners.

The Transporter’s appeal remains unique. Over the years, the Transporter has helped millions of owners build businesses and fulfil dreams. From globetrotters to gardeners, beatniks to builders, the Transporter has become the default choice for many generations. And while the Transporter has evolved dramatically during that time – through five generations – the philosophy and vision that created the original still holds true.

In addition to mobilising a nation, the Transporter has also been the backbone of Volkswagen’s commercial vehicle business for the past six decades. From humble beginnings – just 786 were sold in its first year in the UK – the Transporter has been a driving force for Volkswagen. In 2013, UK sales of the Transporter reached 18,350 – a record figure that demonstrates the vehicle’s appeal is continuing to grow. Globally, total Transporter production stands at 11.5 million units.

The British connection

Long before the Transporter made its first appearance on UK soil, the idea for a load-carrying vehicle based on a Beetle platform came from Major Ivan Hirst – a senior British army officer placed in charge of re-commissioning the post-war Volkswagen factory. He ordered the creation of a flat-bed truck – dubbed the Plattenwagen – to move parts around the factory. The innovative truck soon caught the eye of visiting Dutch importer Ben Pon in the mid-1940s, who proposed the idea of a more developed panel van version. 

From factory mule to global icon

While the idea of a Beetle-based commercial vehicle was enthusiastically welcomed by Volkswagen, it wasn’t until the late 1940s that the factory had the resources to put in into production. In a timeframe that would be unthinkable today, the T1 went from drawing board to production line in just 13 months. In 1954, having tested the water in Volkswagen’s home market, the Transporter T1 made its public debut at the Earls Court Commercial Motor Show.

Having quickly established its superiority over its rivals, the T1 became the template for light commercial panel vans, pick-ups and microbuses – selling strongly for 17 years.

Such was the brilliance of the original that the T2 that replaced it in 1967 retained much of its underpinnings. Even the boxy third-generation T3 that appeared in 1979 employed the neatly balanced, load-friendly rear engine layout of the original.

Indeed, it wasn’t until the fourth-generation T4 arrived in 1990 that Volkswagen switched to the now familiar front-engine, front-wheel drive layout. And just as the original had done in 1954, the T4 set new standards for refinement, quality and flexibility.

The fifth-generation Transporter (T5) appeared in 2003 and raised the bar even higher with an even bigger load area, broader range and a host of advanced new technologies.

Getting the job done efficiently and reliably has been at Volkswagen’s heart for the past 60 years. It’s a reputation for rugged reliability that has endured over the decades to make the Volkswagen Transporter one of the world’s biggest selling light commercial vehicles. 

USA - More GM recalls - that's 13.6 million units recalled THIS YEAR

In a continuing effort to quickly address emerging safety issues, General Motors announced today it is recalling about 2.42 million vehicles in four separate U.S. recalls. The recalls are for:

• 1,339,355 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia medium crossovers from the 2009-2014 model years and Saturn Outlooks from 2009-2010 because front safety lap belt cables can fatigue and separate over time. In a crash, a separated cable could increase the risk of injury to front seat passengers.
• 1,131,113 of the previous generation 4-speed automatic transmission Chevrolet Malibu from the 2004-2008 model years and Pontiac G6 from the 2005-2008 model years because of a shift cable that could wear out over time, resulting in mismatches of the gear position indicated by the shift lever.
• 1,402 Cadillac Escalades and Escalade ESVs from the 2015 model year because an insufficiently heated plastic weld that attaches the passenger side air bag to the instrument panel assembly could result in a partial deployment of the air bag in the event of a crash.
• 58 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD full-size pickups from the 2015 model year because retention clips attaching the generator fuse block to the vehicle body can become loose and lead to a potential fire.

There have been no fatalities associated with these recalls.

GM has added 35 product investigators since the beginning of 2014, and, including those announced today, has initiated 29 safety and non-compliance recalls in the U.S. so far this year. Two of the recalls involve fewer than 100 vehicles.

In the full-size crossover recall, the flexible steel cable that connects the safety belt to the vehicle at the outside of the front outboard seating positions can fatigue and separate over time as a result of occupant movement into the seat. GM has told dealers they cannot sell new or used models of the vehicles until repairs are made.

The previous generation Malibu, Malibu Maxx and Pontiac G6 were added to an April 29 recall for certain 4-speed transmission Aura models from the 2007-2008 model year. The Malibu and G6 vehicles equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission have a condition in which the transmission shift cable may fracture. When the fracture occurs, the driver may not be able to select a different gear, remove the key from the ignition or place the transmission in park. 

GM is aware of 18 crashes and one injury among the 4-speed Malibu and G6 population. Dealers will replace the shift cable and attachment bracket at no charge to the customer.

GM stopped sale of the 2015 Escalade and Escalade ESV and sent overnight letters, called and emailed the 224 customers who had taken delivery of the vehicles and instructed them to not let occupants sit in the front passenger seat until the vehicle has been serviced. GM knows of no crashes or injuries associated with the Escalades.

The passenger airbag module is attached to a chute adhered to the backside of the instrument panel with an infrared weld that was not sufficiently heated. The issue has been corrected at the supplier and Escalade production is under way at the Arlington, Texas, Assembly Plant.

In the heavy-duty truck recall, certain 2015 model year Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD model vehicles equipped with a 220 Amp Generator have a condition where the retention clips that attach a fuse block to the vehicle body can become loose, allowing the fuse block to move out of position and lead to a potential fire. No crashes or injuries are known to be associated with the trucks.

GM expects to take a charge of up to approximately $400 million in the second quarter, primarily for the cost of recall-related repairs announced in the quarter. This amount includes a previously disclosed $200 million charge for the five recalls announced May 15.