The story of Harley Earl's life, and his influence on the auto industry, and popular culture, is chronicled in the new book "FINS: Harley Earl, the Rise of General Motors, and the Glory Days of Detroit" by William Knoedelseder.

The first generation of the Compass was always challenged in looks and quality. Auto correspondent Casey Williams says drive in the second-generation 2018 edition demonstrates much was improved.

Auto correspondent Casey Williams shares his automotive wish list for 2018.

Ford recently announced it is planning to discontinue virtually all of its cars, save the iconic Mustang. And, a reasons it is planning that move are excellent car-based crossovers like the Escape, Explorer, and Edge.

Auto correspondent Casey Williams shares highlights of the L.A. Auto Show, where an array of hot new vehicles includes roomy crossovers, plug-ins, and handsome redesigns of old favorites.

The European carmaker is planning to introduce a $30,000 to $40,000 electric car in 2020 to compete with similarly priced American vehicles.

The company says more than 6,000 employees work at these plants. It expects to cut 15 percent of its workforce in order to save some $6 billion by the end of 2020.

The Kia Forte is not quite an Audi, but auto correspondent Casey Williams says it is a surprisingly desirable car without the big brand mark-up.