An opening and a closing made the news this week.

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The opening in question was General Motors Europe’s new Meriva ‘concept’ (which looks pretty much-production-ready to us) with its rear-hinged ‘suicide doors’ for greatly improved access and retained central B-pillar for body rigidity and crash safety. These rear doors open independently, GME said, claiming an industry first. Not so, said Rolls-Royce (hardly competition in the Meriva’s class) our Phantom’s ‘coach doors’ can also do that.


The closure was news that Honda’s first US plant, in Ohio, would soon be shuttered. This one was set up to make the famous Gold Wing touring motorcycle line way back in 1979 – car production nearby started with the Accord in 1982. Honda reckons it can now make the bikes more efficiently back home in Japan. It’s not sacking the workers, though, they’ll be found jobs elsewhere in the automaker’s remaining Ohio plants.


General Motors ‘product czar’ Bob Lutz is well known and respected for straight talk. But such straight shootin’ can sometimes get you into trouble, especially when you take the opposing view on global warming, the current environmental issue du jour. Which he did, in a blog. With predictable results.


Automakers’ expansion in emerging markets continued apace this week. Among other developments, Honda Siel doubled capacity in India, GM-Daewoo announced plans to expand in Uzbekistan, Ford was cleared to buy Automobile Craiova in Romania, Renault signed up for 25% of AvtoVAZ and PSA cleared the way for small vans to be developed in Turkey and exported outside the EU.

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Quite a week, and Geneva – and a possible announcement of a Tata-Ford deal on Jaguar/Land Rover – are still to come.


Enjoy your weekend.


Graeme Roberts
News Editor
just-auto.com