Paul Eisenstein, author of The Detroit Bureau, is at arguably the biggest of all motor show's — and perhaps the most important: Beijing. What kinds of cars do the Chinese people like? The answer has important implications for the American auto industry. That's because what the Chinese want from their cars is increasingly dictating what American's get in their cars.

If you need proof that the economy is looking up, you need only look as far as your neighborhood car lot, or maybe even your own driveway. This week it was announced that there was a major bump in March auto sales. How major? Chrysler alone experienced a 34% increase in sales over the course of the month. Paul Eisenstein is the publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com. He explains what to make of these auto numbers, and whether they’re sustainable.

As voters in Michigan prepared to head to the ballots Tuesday, President Obama delivered a rousing speech to the United Auto Workers Union in Washington D.C., taking the opportunity to campaign on the success of the auto-bailout. Three years and some $80 billion later, the rescue of Chrysler and GM has remained fresh in the minds of voters in Michigan. However, the significance of the bank and auto bail-outs may mean something else — or perhaps nothing at all — to voters in other parts of the country.

On Superbowl Sunday, Clint Eastwood appeared in a two-minute ad that has been dubbed "Half Time in America." Sponsored by the Chrysler car company, it shows a Detroit that escaped the jaws of defeat to become a model for American recovery. Eastwood's narration goes on to suggest that America is in similarly dire straits: “This country can’t be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up again and when we do the world is gonna hear the roar of our engines. It’s half time America, and our second half is about to begin.”

Since President Obama introduced the American Jobs Act in September of this year, he has spoken publicly about it more than 50 times. The jobs report for November comes out this morning and the consensus call is that 125,000 new jobs were created this month. Charlie Herman, economics editor for The Takeaway and WNYC, speaks about the latest jobs numbers as well as specific economic and educational reforms that are trying — with mixed success — to remedy the situation.

General Motors and the United Auto Workers union have released the details of their tentative new four year agreement, which was reached on Tuesday. The deal will close the salary gap between workers in the two-tier wage system that is in place at GM and the two other Detroit automakers. Paul Eisenstein, publisher of The Detroit Bureau, has the latest on the deal.

Yesterday, we talked about the two-tier wage system implemented by three Detroit automakers. In the two-tier system, new employees make half the salary of workers already on the job. We talked with a few tier-two workers yesterday, and we asked our listeners if they would be willing to do their job for half the salary.

Four years ago, the United Auto Workers Union allowed the three Detroit auto makers to put in place a two-tier system for paying employees, which allowed them to continue to functioning and stay in business as they struggled to stay afloat. New hires were given a salary around $14 an hour, while their tier-one counterparts were making almost double that. The system has helped increase employment in Detroit and kept the auto giants from tanking, but many people say it's unfair.

Later today, President Obama plans to announce a major agreement between the White House and the nation’s top automakers. By 2025, cars sold domestically will have to drive 54.5 miles to the gallon. The president hopes this move will dramatically decrease the country’s need for foreign oil,  but this agreement  may also dramatically change the face of the American highway as we know it.

The American auto industry traveled a bumpy road in recent years. The big three auto makers watched their profits fall throughout the Great Recession. The Troubled Asset Relief Program saved Chrysler and General Motors from total ruin, but the American car industry was suffering long before the recession began. Bob Lutz was the vice chairman of General Motors from 2001 to 2010. His new book is "Car Guys vs. Bean Counters." He analyzes the auto industry and the culture of business.

It used to be that you'd buy a used car to save money. But now, prices for used cars are soaring to unprecedented heights, causing some buyers to wonder if it isn't savvier to just buy new.  

What's driving up the price of used cars? Paul Eisenstein, publisher of The Detroit Bureau, has the answers. 

With gas prices on the rise, and energy policy in the headlines, both consumers and governments have reason to be happy about GM’s new hybrid, the Chevy Volt. The car is still in limited supply, and it’s pretty expensive — near $50,000. But for those who can get their hands on a brand new Chevy Volt, the government has added an incentive — a tax rebate of $7,500. However, as Mary Chapman writes in The New York Times "Wheels" blog, that deal may have been a little too sweet. Car dealers across the country have begun snatching up the rebate for themselves, and leaving their customers in the dust.

Japan’s Sendai earthquake disrupted work in that country, shutting down factories, which supply parts to the United States. Thanks to hi-tech supply chain issues, car parts are missing and U.S. factories are beginning to shut down. Last week, General Motors stopped production at its Shreveport Louisiana production facility. This week, the Detroit based car company laid off 59 of its 623 full time employees at its Tonawanda New York production facility — before ultimately halting all production. All of these shutdowns were due to shortages of parts that are produced in Japan.

At a CNBC Town Hall Meeting on Monday, President Obama announced some good news coming out of Michigan: the three US automakers are making a profit for the first time in a long time.

It hasn’t been so long since the day when GM was almost synonomous with doom. But it’s been long enough, apparently, for the companies to start turning a profit — and for the Car Czar behind the recovery to write a book about how it all came to pass.

A friend of mine quit smoking when doctors found a lesion on her right lung. Another lost 250 pounds when he found out that the extra weight was killing him. And GM has reported more than $2 billion so far this year, after filing for bankruptcy last year.