Tracy Samilton
Tracy Samilton covers the auto beat for Michigan Radio. She has worked for the station for 12 years, and started out as an intern before becoming a part-time and, later, a full-time reporter. Tracy's reports on the auto industry can frequently be heard on Morning Edition and All Things Considered, as well as on Michigan Radio. She considers her coverage of the landmark lawsuit against the University of Michigan for its use of affirmative action a highlight of her reporting career.
Tracy graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English Literature. Before beginning her journalism career, she spent time working as a legal assistant at various firms in the Ann Arbor area.
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Cars manufactured in the United States are getting better. Analysts say it feels like the U.S. has entered a "golden age" of vehicle quality and reliability. Quality has been rising over the years, and the gap between the best and the worst is shrinking.
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Eddie Alterman, an editor for Car and Driver magazine, says he doesn't want to live in a world without stick shift vehicles. "It's a world without guys building treehouses for their kids. It's a world without train sets. It's a world without fun." Alterman has started a movement to save the manual shift. -
During the Great Recession, hundreds of parts makers went bankrupt or slashed their payrolls. But now that Detroit automakers have turned the corner and stepped up their orders, many of their suppliers find themselves short-handed. -
Three years after its bankruptcy, General Motors has had a record year. The company, meanwhile, is hiring again — adding third shifts to meet increasing demand for its cars. But Republican presidential candidates still insist the bailout was a mistake.
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Craftsman's CTX is fast, powerful and loaded with automobile-inspired features, including cup holders. The company hopes its new line of riding lawn mowers will appeal to consumers of luxury vehicles. -
Cadillac is drawing notice in the luxury car scene with its new ATS model, a small, high-performance car that directly competes with the likes of Audi and BMW. The stakes are high for GM. Luxury cars like the ATS bring in more profit per car than small economy models like the Chevy Cruze. -
In 2011, the Italian automaker introduced its first car for the U.S. market in 27 years, the Fiat 500. It opened new dealerships to sell only that model, but dealers had to manage without national advertising for months. And when an ad featuring Jennifer Lopez did finally come out, it was panned. -
China has announced that it will increase duties on some U.S.-made vehicles. The Ministry of Commerce in Beijing says it will levy "anti-dumping" duties on all U.S. imports with engines larger than 2.5 liters. It's the latest volley in an ongoing tariff war with China.
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Ford Motor Company and Toyota say they'll remain tough competitors even though they are working together to develop a fuel-efficient, affordable hybrid truck.
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The Prius is no longer the only "green" vehicle. Ford, Honda and GM all sell hybrids, too. Toyota's response: It's making Prius its own brand and rolling out new models, including the Prius v. The carmaker says the model could boost overall Prius sales by another 15-20 percent.
