Anchor 8344 Front Left Mount on 2040-parts.com

Groupon vouchers for cars? No

The Groupon juggernaut rolled into auto retailing last week, and dealers around the nation watched intently to see whether the online coupon phenomenon could drive herds of shoppers into showrooms. So far, no. Only four consumers agreed to pay $200 for a $500 discount voucher on a new-vehicle purchase at LaFontaine Buick-GMC-Cadillac in Highland, Mich.

News watch June 2010: today's auto industry news

Welcome to CAR Magazine's news aggregator as we round up the daily stories in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hour Wednesday 30 June 2010• Tesla shares have rocketed 40% on their first day of trading; the company went public this week with the first IPO of an American car company since Ford in the 1950s (BBC News)• GM may sell off its interests in finance arm GMAC and parts supplier Delphi as it seeks to write down its debts (Financial Times)• A Federal judge has approved the $20m sale of a former GM plant in Wilmington to Fisker Automotive; Fisker hopes to build 100,000 cars a year once production hits a peak after launch in 2012. It is using a $529m government loan to fund its launch (Detroit News)Tuesday 29 June 2010• UK business secretary Vince Cable has warned that the car industry is no longer in an emergency – and cannot expect direct government support.

Oprah viewers get keys to 2012 Volkswagen Beetle giveaway cars

The redesigned 2012 Volkswagen Beetle is arriving at dealerships, and some of the first people to get one have waited nearly a year. Talk-show host Oprah Winfrey revealed the Beetle's design silhouette on her "Ultimate Favorite Things" giveaway show in 2010 and told audience members that they would be among the first owners. On Thursday, 276 people got their cars.