NEW YORK, March 26 (Reuters) – U.S. industry sales in March
have been strong, with the annual sales rate tracking at a pace
that would top 15 million for the fifth consecutive month, a
senior U.S. executive for Toyota Motor Corp said on
Tuesday.

Bob Carter, Toyota’s senior vice president for U.S. auto
operations, said the Japanese automaker is “very optimistic”
about the economy in 2013 – citing a jobs recovery, rising
consumer confidence and an improving housing market.

DETROIT (Reuters) – The United Auto Workers has won the backing of the head of an influential German union in its effort to represent the hourly workers at Volkswagen AG’s (VOWG_p.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Chattanooga, Tennessee, assembly plant.

“In Chattanooga, you need union representation” to negotiate working conditions, IG Metall President Berthold Huber said in a letter distributed in early March to the plant’s 2,350 hourly employees. A copy of the letter was obtained by Reuters.

DETROIT, March 18 (Reuters) – The United Auto Workers union
could soon get a big boost in its efforts to represent hourly
workers at Volkswagen AG’s assembly plant in
Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Horst Neumann, VW’s board member in charge of human
resources, told reporters on Friday that the automaker was in
talks with the UAW about setting up a German-style labor board
at the Tennessee plant. It was an about-face for a company that
has resisted opening the U.S. plant to the UAW.

DETROIT, March 14 (Reuters) – General Motors Co is
planning to build an entry-level Chevrolet Corvette that would
cost less than $50,000 and widen the iconic sports car brand’s
appeal, people familiar with the plans said.

The No. 1 U.S. automaker is looking at bringing out the less
expensive model in mid- to late- 2015, according to the people,
who asked not to be identified discussing future product
strategy.