Nissan Motor Co. said it will make a new small car designed by Chrysler LLC and Chrysler will make a full-size pickup truck designed by Nissan.

The agreement is part of a growing relationship between Chrysler and the No. 3 Japanese automaker as they attempt to adapt to a U.S. market buffeted by the economic slowdown and rising gas prices.

Both products will be sold in North America, and the new Chrysler subcompact will also be sold in Europe and other global markets starting in 2010. No financial details were disclosed.

The new Chrysler small car will be made at Nissan’s Oppama plant in Japan. Chrysler will make the pickup truck at its plant in Saltillo, Mexico, and it will go on sale in 2011, the companies said.

The Nissan Titan, Nissan’s current full-size pickup, will remain on the market until the new pickup goes on sale, said Dominique Thormann, senior vice president for administration and finance at Nissan North America. The Canton, Mississippi, plant that makes the Titan will start producing commercial vehicles for Nissan and no jobs will be lost, Thormann said.

To clear room to build the Nissan pickup in Saltillo, Chrysler will shift production of its own pickup trucks from Mexico to truck plants in St. Louis and Warren, Chrysler President and Vice Chairman Tom LaSorda said.

“Forging the right tactical partnerships is critical to the long-term success of Chrysler,” LaSorda said in the statement.

Thormann and LaSorda said that the agreement is limited to the two vehicles and there are no ongoing merger discussions, but Thormann did say both companies would continue to consider product-sharing opportunities.

Aaron Bragman, an analyst with the consulting company Global Insight, said the agreement doesn’t necessarily mean Chrysler is headed for a full-fledged alliance with Nissan-Renault, although the two automakers are a good fit for Chrysler. Such deals allow automakers to play to their strengths and share the risk and capital costs of bringing products to market.

“I think this is exactly the kind of thing that Chrysler needs to be doing to guarantee its future,” Bragman said.

In January the two companies announced a deal for Nissan to supply versions of its Versa subcompact for Chrysler to sell in undisclosed parts of South America. No specific terms were announced.

Under the new deal, both the Chrysler subcompact built by Nissan and the pickup truck built by Chrysler will be unique designs, although LaSorda said they will share some mechanical underpinnings.

Thormann said the agreement will allow Nissan to offer more cab and engine configurations than it does now. He wouldn’t say whether Nissan will take advantage of Chrysler’s hybrid technology, which was developed in conjunction with General Motors Corp. and BMW AG. Chrysler plans to bring a hybrid version of its Dodge Ram pickup to market in 2010.

Thormann said U.S. pickup truck sales have been declining since the Titan was released in 2004, but he said there are still 2 million full-size pickups sold in the U.S. each year.

“It’s still a very attractive segment to have a product offering in,” he said.

Titan sales fell 9 percent in 2007. In the first quarter of this year, Titan sales plummeted about 40 percent. They were the victim of heated competition — the new Dodge Ram and Ford F-150 will be out later this year — and a slowdown in housing construction.

Chrysler has been desperate for a small car in North America as high fuel prices send consumers away from its trucks and sport utility vehicles to more fuel-efficient models. U.S. subcompact sales were up about 30 percent in the first three months of this year, and LaSorda said the global demand for subcompacts tops 10 million cars per year.

“I think the timing is good. I wish I had them now but I’ll wait for great cars,” LaSorda said. He said Chrysler has already finished designing its subcompact.

LaSorda said this deal won’t affect ongoing talks with Chinese automaker Chery Automobile Co. to make small cars for Chrysler to export to the U.S. and Western Europe.

“We believe we need more than one small car for NAFTA, so we will be counting on Chery to help us with that,” he said, referring to sales in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

According to the most recent information from Avis Rent-A-Car’s fleet department, the car hire firm has a large number of used Volkswagens currently up for sale, offering renters and others the opportunity to buy a well-maintained vehicle that has been retired from the company’s fleet. Some of the most popular and sought-after VW vehicles are now available, including the Golf, Golf Plus, the Passat and the Jetta. According Avis’ “We Try Harder” blog, the GT Sport, part of the Golf family, is apparently one of the cars that sells the fastest. Only a relatively small number of these are still up for sale, which means that former renters interested in purchasing this make are well advised to visit an Avis sales branch in the United Kingdom as soon as possible.

All of Avis’ vehicles currently available for purchase were once rental cars and as such, they were meticulously maintained and most are nearly new, with relatively little mileage. While a large number of VW cars are available, so are Fords, Hondas, Citroens and Mazdas. Most of these cars are under six months old and have been driven for only around 13,000 miles. Nearly all of these passenger vehicles also have a number of extras that would significantly increase the sales price at regular dealership, including air conditioning, remote control locking mechanisms and metallic paint.

Avis is currently offering ex-hire cars in the UK for as little as £5,900, such as the Ford Fiesta. Volkswagens, however, are more expensive, including the Golf (a five-door vehicle), which starts at £10,500.

Toyota through its sole agent PT Toyota Astra Motor (TAM) won 33.25 percent of car sales in Indonesia in the first quarter of 2008, the company`s president director Johnny Darmawan said here on Monday.

In the first quarter of this year the total car sales in Indonesia were recorded at 135,607 units or an increase by 60.8 percent if compared with the same period a year earlier.

Johnny said that Toyota led the market for all non-commercial vehicle (non-passenger) types such as sedan cars, multifarious vehicle (MPV) and sport vehicles (SUV).

“In the first quarter, we succeeded not only in maintaining our position as a market leader but also in leading all market segments for non-commercial vehicles,” he said.

On the sedan car segment, TAM controlled 41 percent of the sales with 3,548 units while on the 4×2 segment Toyota car was leading with a sale of 37,306 units or 43.1 percent, he said.

The same was also true to the 4×4 market segment, Toyota was leading with a market sale of over 40 percent.

In the first quarter of 2008, Toyota`s sales for Vios and Limo cars which were included in the mini-sedan segment reached 1,410 units (28.6 percent) and 545 units (11 percent) respectively.

The sales of Corolla and Camry which were included in the middle sedan car segment were recorded at 827 units (47.2 percent) and 763 units (46.7 percent).

“TAM`s sales of sedan cars increased 308 percent compared with those in the corresponding period last year. The increase exceeded the national sedan car sales level which rose 177.3 percent,” Johnny said.

The sales of Toyota sedans were ranked first with a market share of 41 percent, followed by Honda (31.8 percent) and Suzuki (14.3 percent).

In the 4×2 (MPV) segment, Toyota led the market with a controlled share of 43.1 percent, followed by Suzuki (15.5 percent) and Daihatsu (14.7 percent).

“In this segment, the highest sales remained with those of Avanza mini buses (16,158 units) and Kijang Innova (14,033 units). It was followed in the third place by Daihatsu Xenia with a sale of 7,778 units,” he added.

RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby’s, will offer an exciting line-up of important Ferrari sports and racing cars when they return to Maranello, Italy on May 18th for the much-anticipated ‘Ferrari: Leggenda e Passione’ auction event. Headlining the list of significant consignments for the single-day event is a pair of rare and ultra-desirable California Spyders, a 1951 Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe Pinin Farina with celebrity provenance, and a 1951 Ferrari 340 America Coupé with a superlative racing history.

London, England (April 14, 2008) – Ferrari aficionados will have a rare opportunity to peruse and bid on some of the marque’s finest – and oldest – sports and racing cars next month when RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby’s, returns to Maranello, Italy for their much-anticipated Ferrari: Leggenda e Passione auction event.

To be held May 18th at Maranello’s legendary Ferrari factory, the single-day event will present dozens of significant vintage Ferraris for auction, as well as a selection of newer Ferrari models, and items from one of the world’s most important Ferrari memorabilia collections, Jacques Swaters’ famed Ferrari Francorchamps Collection.

“Our upcoming Ferrari Leggenda e Passione auction is set to be a truly historic and international event, highlighting over 50 years of Ferrari history,” said Max Girardo, Managing Director of RM’s European Operations.

“We have received tremendous early interest in the event and have secured a magnificent assortment of consignments, including some of the earliest Ferraris produced, making this a ‘must attend’ event for professional collectors and those with a predilection for the Ferrari marque,” he added.

Headlining the growing list of significant consignments are no less than two rare and ultra-desirable California Spyders – a magnificent 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder, (s/n 0923GT) and a stunning 1961 Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spyder (s/n 2377GT) with celebrity provenance. Completed on March 3, 1961, 2377GT was shipped to the US in the 1960s after being purchased by Academy Award winning actor, James Coburn, who shared a passion for Italian sports cars with close friend and fellow Ferrari enthusiast, the legendary Steve McQueen. Over the course of his 25-year ownership, Coburn was a regular sight in his Spyder, using it as a daily driver to and from the movie studios. Additionally, on weekends, he, along with McQueen and fellow actor James Garner, could often be found testing their driving abilities through the winding Hollywood hills. Throughout Coburn’s ownership, he repainted the vehicle three times, first in dark blue, followed by silver and finally burgundy; today the car appears in its original black and includes extensive documentation relating to its restoration and maintenance.

Another star attraction with celebrity provenance, and just confirmed for the May auction, is a fabulously restored 1951 Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe Pinin Farina (s/n 0265EU). Fitted with a prototype 3.0-litre 250 type V12 engine, this unique example was purchased new by renowned film director Roberto Rossellini and used on a road trip to Sweden by him and his wife, three-time Academy Award winning actress, Ingrid Bergman.

Also set to cross the block at the Maranello event is a legendary 1951 Ferrari 340 America Ghia Coupe, (s/n 0150A). Regarded as one of the rarest of all early racing Ferraris, this example was the last of four 340 Americas bodied by Carrozzeria Ghia, and the only one with a superlative racing history. Sold new in 1952 to noted Ferrari patron, Antonio “Tony” Paravano, the car was subsequently shipped to California before making its racing debut at Torrey Pines in July 1952, closely followed by an appearance at the grueling Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, where Jack and Ernie McAfee drove it to a respectable fifth place finish.

To coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Ferrari Daytona, the May event will also offer an ultra-collectible, award-winning 1971 Ferrari GTS/4 Daytona Spyder, a fully restored 1971 Daytona Coupe; and a totally original 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, with just one owner from new and 2,500 original miles.