Automobiles

Bush Approves $17.4 Billion Auto Bailout

The $13.4 billion in short-term financing and $4 billion at a later date are intended to prevent the collapse of General Motors and Chrysler.

• The Lede: Auto Industry Supporters Grateful for What They Got

Plug-In Hybrid Goes on Sale, in China

On Monday, BYD Auto of China began selling the first mass-produced plug-in hybrid car in the world, beating General Motors and Toyota to market.

Paulson Takes Lead in Auto Rescue Talks

The Bush administration and G.M. and Chrysler are said to be negotiating terms of an overhaul plan.

Chrysler to Shut Factories for a Month

The automaker said it would close its plants for two weeks longer than usual in response to plunging vehicle sales in the United States.

• Times Topics: Auto Industry Bailout

Hertz Tosses Some Car Keys Into the Ring, Battling Zipcar

A new model for rental-car companies in an economic environment that has hurt businesss.

From Detroit to Jerusalem

As a sitting president and a president-elect maneuver over how to bail out Detroit, there may be some lessons in the Middle East peace process.

Excitement, Yes, but Is It Too Late?

While the future of Pontiac is in doubt, the V-8 version of its new G8 arrives with the power and grace to hang with luxury-sport titans.

• Is Pontiac Doomed?

Detroit's Small Packages Arrived, and Left, Early

A wave of small cars from American manufacturers failed to captivate car buyers in the early 1950s.

• Slide Show
• Rust in Peace: Pontiac LeMans

Long-Lived, but Not Immortal: Fears Fade on Hybrid Batteries

Hybrid critics have long said that battery replacement would wipe out savings on gasoline, but the issue is fading as a concern.

AUDIO & PHOTOS: Thoughts From a Champion Racecar Driver

Jimmie Johnson, who won his third consecutive Nascar Sprint Cup championship this season, is worried about the plight of U.S. automakers and hates sitting in traffic.