Making Cars: A View From The Factory Floor

Cars%20by%20German%20automaker%20Volkswagen%20AG%20stand%20parked%20in%20one%20of%20two%20towers%20at%20the%20Autostadt%20customer%20reception%20center%20at%20the%20Volkswagen%20factory%20on%20the%20day%20of%20VW%26acute%3Bs%20annual%20press%20conference%20on%20March%2011%2C%202010%20in%20Wolfsburg%2C%20Germany.%20VW%20Chairman%20Martin%20Winterkorn%20admitted%20that%20VW%20had%20been%20affected%20by%20the%20worldwide%20financial%20crisis%20in%202009%2C%20though%20reported%20that%20many%20of%20VW%26acute%3Bs%20brands%20reported%20growth%2C%20especially%20in%20China.%20VW%20customers%20who%20come%20to%20Wolfsburg%20to%20pick%20up%20their%20car%20in%20person%20receive%20their%20new%20car%20after%20a%20robot%20extracts%20the%20car%20from%20one%20of%20the%20two%20towers%20and%20brings%20it%20to%20them%20via%20an%20automated%2C%20underground%20transport%20system.%20Each%20of%20the%20two%20towers%20hold%20400%20cars.

Robots%20weld%20elements%20to%20a%20car%26acute%3Bs%20chassis%20on%20the%20assembly%20line%20at%20a%20French%20carmaker%20Renault%20factory%20on%20May%2025%2C%202010%20in%20Douai%2C%20northern%20France.

Taken%20on%20August%2016%2C%202012%2C%20this%20photo%20shows%20workers%20assembling%20a%20car%20in%20the%20Chang%26acute%3Ban%20automobile%20factory%20in%20Beijing.%20Growth%20in%20Chinese%20auto%20sales%20slowed%20to%208.2%20percent%20on-year%20in%20July%2C%20traditionally%20a%20slack%20season%20in%20the%20world%26acute%3Bs%20largest%20car%20market%2C%20as%20total%20vehicle%20sales%20were%20around%201.38%20million%20vehicles%2C%20the%20China%20Association%20of%20Automobile%20Manufacturers%20said%20in%20a%20statement%20August%209.

Production%20of%20the%20new%20Ford%20Fiesta%20is%20seen%20at%20the%20Ford%20Fiesta%20manufacture%20in%20Cologne%20Niehl%20on%20December%204%2C%202008%20in%20Cologne%2C%20Germany.%20Cologne%20Ford%20manufacture%20has%20started%20on%20August%2014%20the%20world%20wide%20production%20of%20the%20new%20generation%20of%20Ford%20Fiesta.

Robotic%20arms%20work%20on%20a%20Kia%20Sportage%20car%20production%20line%20at%20the%20Kia%20Motors%20Slovakia%20factory%20in%20Teplicka%20nad%20Vahom%20on%20June%2029%2C%202010.%20When%20Kia%20Motors%20Slovakia%20launched%20the%20production%20series%20of%20their%20model%20Kia%20Sportage%2C%20they%20aimed%20to%20produce%2035%2C000%20units%20in%20the%20first%2012%20months.

Operators%20work%20at%20the%20assembly%20line%20of%20a%20Renault%20Twizy%20electric%20car%20on%20April%203%2C%202012%20in%20Valladolid.%20The%20Renault%20Twizy%20electric%20car%2C%20manufactured%20exclusively%20at%20the%20Renault%20factory%20in%20Valladolid%2C%20is%20a%20100%20percent%20electric%20vehicle.

An%20employee%20mounts%20a%20Daimler%20AG%20Mercedes-Benz%20emblem%20to%20the%20back%20of%20the%20new%20A-Class%20Mercedes-Benz%20passenger%20car%20at%20the%20Mercedes-Benz%20factory%20on%20July%2016%2C%202012%20in%20Rastatt%2C%20Germany.

A%20car%20under%20construction%20on%20the%20assembly%20line%20of%20the%20carmaker%20PSA%20Peugeot-Citroen%20automobile%20factory%2C%20on%20February%2017%2C%202011%20in%20Rennes%2C%20France.

An%20employee%20is%20at%20work%20on%20the%20assembly%20line%20of%20the%20new%20EB%20engine%20on%20December%201%2C%202011%20at%20PSA%20factory%20in%20Tremery%2C%20France%20on%20the%20day%20of%20its%20inauguration%20by%20French%20Philippe%20Varin%2C%20Chairman%20of%20the%20Managing%20Board%20for%20French%20Peugeot%20Citroen%20Automobiles%20%28PSA%29%20car%20manufacturer.

A%20red%20Volkswagen%20Golf%20car%20is%20retrieved%20by%20an%20automated%20palette%20from%20a%20storage%20tower%20near%20the%20company%26acute%3Bs%20main%20factory%20in%20the%20northern%20German%20city%20of%20Wolfsburg%20on%20March%2012%2C%202009.

A%20worker%20walks%20by%20car%20bodies%20at%20the%20Volkswagen%20factory%20on%20March%207%2C%202012%20in%20Wolfsburg%2C%20Germany.%20In%202011%20Volkswagen%20achieved%20record%20results%2C%20with%20profits%20of%20EUR%2015.8%20million%20and%20production%20of%20over%208%20million%20cars%20worldwide.

BMW%20logos%20are%20pictured%20in%20a%20tray%20on%20on%20the%20BMW%203-series%20production%20line%20at%20the%20BMW%20factory%20on%20March%2015%2C%202010%20in%20Munich%2C%20Germany.

Two%20workers%20attach%20the%20hood%20to%20the%20car%20body%20on%20the%20BMW%203-series%20production%20line%20at%20the%20BMW%20factory%20on%20March%2015%2C%202010%20in%20Munich%2C%20Germany.%20The%20German%20car%20maker%20will%20present%20the%20company%26acute%3Bs%20business%20report%20for%202009%20on%20Wednesday.

Employees%20work%20on%20a%20car%20assembly%20line%20producing%20the%20Fiat%20Panda%20in%20a%20factory%20in%20Tychy%2C%20Poland%20on%20April%206%2C%202009.