CLIPPING FORD'S WINGS:The head of Ford's loss-making North American operations has joined in efforts to cuts costs by giving up use of a corporate jet for personal travel.
Mark Fields (45), Ford's president of the Americas, is overseeing a restructuring that calls for the closing of 16 plants and the cutting of nearly 45,00O workers. The cost of flying Fields for the fourth quarter of 2005 was $214,479.
A Ford spokesman said Fields would now use commercial aircraft to fly from Ford's headquarters near Detroit to his permanent home in Florida at the weekends and the company would pay for his flight.
FIAT BRINGS IN THE PANDA:Fiat is adding the recently launched Panda 100 HP to its line-up here. The newcomer features a 1.4-litre 16v engine, which produces 100bhp, giving the car a top speed of 185km/h and a 0-100km/h time of 9.5 seconds.
Along with several additional standard features the new car features a "Sport" button on the dash which sharpens steering and throttle sensitivity. Prices start at €16,715.