According to the now-infamous Georgetown, Kentucky memo, ToMoCo’s brass are concerned that their workers’ wages are growing faster than the company's profits. To rectify this situation, Toyota’s newest plants will pay workers based on local manufacturing wages– not United Auto Workers (UAW) scale. Naturally, the UAW is using this as flamebait to organize Toyota’s stateside operations, starting with Georgetown. Toyota’s launched its next salvo in this ongoing war of wages: they’re contemplating pulling Tacoma production from NUMMI.

Late last week, the United Auto Workers union (UAW) and Delphi signed a tentative contract. Even though the two sides spent 21 months wrangling over the deal, Delphi's remaining UAW workers have only a few days to ratify the agreement. To make sure they do, the UAW has dispatched "national leaders" to perform the requisite "sales job" on Delphi's denizens. Once again, as always, the union expects their membership to do as they're told. Only this time it may not work.

The poker game known as the United Auto Workers' (UAW) contract negotiations officially begins on July 23rd. To hear the main participants, the cards have already been dealt. Ford and GM claim they're bust, or about to go bust. They say there's only way they can get back in the game: the UAW has to share some of the chips they stole won from their tablemates. The UAW is saying yeah right sure. Shut up and play. And Chryslerberus just sits at the table, wearing dark shades, saying nothing. 

Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal reported that Toyota executives have put the brakes on their American manufacturing plans. This rapid retrenchment comes against a backdrop of seemingly relentless growth in Toyota's U.S. market share. Sales of the Kentucky-built Camry are so high that Toyota is paying Subaru to build the model in Indiana. Thanks to generous incentives, the Texas-built Toyota Tundra pickup truck is keeping pace with the company’s ambitious targets. And just a few days ago, Toyota passed Chevy to become America’s top-selling automotive brand. So what’s up with the slow down? 

On Tuesday, Detroit's top execs made another pilgrimage to Washington, D.C. The Detroit News reported that the troubled troika all arrived at Capitol Hill in fuel-efficient vehicles as a "symbolic gesture." Mulally belted across the Beltway in a Ford Escape hybrid. Wagoner wheeled up in a hybrid Saturn Aura. And LaSorda made the scene in a flex-fuel Town & Country minivan. Of course, none of these vehicles are their makers' most frugal cars. However, we can't have America's automotive aristocrats getting off their avgas-sucking private corporate jets and jumping into a run-of-the-mill Aveo, Focus or Caliber, now can we?

Last month, I field tested a new methodology for analyzing the American car market. Reader feedback on TTAC’s month-by-month sales charts of “key” U.S. models was overwhelmingly positive. Your most excellent comments and insightful methodological suggestions were noted, logged and, where possible, incorporated. OK, so, May car sales were the highest so far this calendar year. Without further ado, here’s how our 19 models floated within this rising tide.

You heeded our call. You nominated the cars you considered the best of the best. Without fear or favor, TTAC’s tenacious tribe of telic keyboard tappers selected twenty vehicles from your list of over a hundred superlative automobiles. You voted for 10 of them, creating our first annual Ten Best Automobiles. The voting was often extremely close, but the end result was never in doubt: a selection of ten automobiles that any self-respecting motorist would be proud to own, and delighted to drive. Ladies and gentlemen, raise your tea mugs as I present to you: TTAC’s Ten Best for 2007.

You’ve made your nominations. At final count, we received over one hundred entries for our Ten Best Automobiles Going (TBAG). They ranged from the sublime (Ferrari F430 drop top) to the ridiculous (I'm not THAT stupid). Twenty-one of our most expert TTAC writers surveyed each and every entry, and then cast their votes from your list. They narrowed the field to twenty most excellent finalists (listed after the jump). Now it’s your turn. We need you, our well-informed and insightful readers, to link-on-over to our e-poll, cast ten votes and select TTAC’s Ten Best Automobiles Going (TBAG) for 2007.

In Greek mythology, Cerberus guarded the gates of Hades. Anyone who challenged the three-headed dog was ripped to shreds. In American business, the Cerberus private equity group guards the investment firm’s cash. Unlike the mythical canine, they don’t wait for foolish interlopers. They seek out struggling companies and rip them to shreds– sorry, “turn them around.” For reasons yet to be revealed, the United Auto Workers (UAW) have welcomed today’s announcement that Cerberus has purchased Chrysler from its German overlords. Is someone about to teach an old dog some new tricks?  

Nominations for the Ten Best Automobiles for 2007 remain open ‘til midnight tonight (Friday). So far you’ve nominated over 100 praise-worthy (if occasionally dubious) rides. Over the next week, TTAC’s writers will vote on which 20 vehicles deserve your final selection. You, our core of persnickety pistonheads, will then be charged with choosing ten cars from this list. We will announce the winners here, of course, and send a press release to our devoted fans in the automotive media. Meanwhile, we’ve had plenty of pithy comments and observations.

This month, a new approach. I’ve picked examples from the Big 2.5 and Toyota in four categories: passenger car, full-sized pickup truck, truck-based SUV and small SUV/CUV. I've also chosen one brand-new model from each of the 2.5. If this approach finds favor, we’ll follow these 19 vehicles through the calendar year, comparing their U.S. sales each month with sales from 2005 and 2006. I've also shown major rebates ($5K and over) and the "employee pricing" incentives from 2005.  Once we’ve looked at how well these key vehicles are selling, we’ll look at overall sales to see how the individual models’ sales track with the overall sales trends from their makers. Capisco? Here we go!

Nominations for our Ten Best Automobiles  for 2007 proceed apace. So far, you’ve nominated 96 different [sold as] new vehicles, from the A3 to the Z4. We thought you might appreciate some fresh cyberspace in which to nominate, elucidate and participate in this automotive love-fest. Nominations are open until midnight (EST) this Friday; feel free to forward any further contenders or add your comments up until the deadline. Our writers will then select twenty finalists so you can choose the Ten Best. Meanwhile, here are some highlights from your nominations for the best of the best.   

In Greek mythology, Heracles performed twelve tasks set by King Eurystheus. Any one of these tasks would have finished off a mere mortal, but the dynamic demigod persisted, prevailed and finished the job. Of course, ol' Herc only had to do things like slay the Nemean Lion, kill the Stymphalian Birds, obtain the Girdle of Hippolyte and capture Cerberus the guardian dog of Hades (not to be confused with Cerberus the guardian dog of GMAC). I mean, it's not like he had to do something really hard, like save the Chrysler Group. That's the one task that could have turned our hero back into a zero. Just ask Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President of Chrysler Group, Tom LaSorda.

NOMINATIONS FOR TTAC's TBAG ARE NOW CLOSED

I recently wrote a “where are they now” update for the winners of TTAC’s first annual Ten Worst Automobiles Today (TWAT) awards. Commentators Cellman and Drew shook their metaphorical heads at our negativity and challenged us to look at the other end of the spectrum. And so TTAC’s Ten Best Automobiles Going (TBAG) awards were born. Yes, yes; all the buff books and big sites do it. But TTAC readers are more discerning, our selection process more democratic and our timing… enigmatic. So read the rules below and then tell us which vehicles you consider worthy of a TTAC TBAG.

Six months ago, this website published its Ten Worst Automobiles Today (TWAT) awards. While the resulting publicity pretty much killed our access to press cars, it had to be said. As we ready ourselves for readers' '07 TWAT nominations and the eventual awards dinner (yes, you're invited), let's see how last year's "winners" have fared since TTAC named and shamed the Ten Worst Automobiles Today.