Sonari Glinton

Credit Doby Photography / NPR

Sonari Glinton is a NPR National Desk reporter based in Detroit, primarily covering the auto industry and transportation. He focuses on the business of cars as well as the economy and the business climate of the Detroit area and the industrial Midwest.

In this position, which he has held since late 2010, Glinton has tackled big stories including GM's road back to profitability and Toyota's continuing struggles. Glinton has traveled throughout the Midwest covering important stories such as the tornado in Joplin, Missouri, and the 2012 presidential race. He has also covered the U.S. Senate and House for NPR.

Glinton came to NPR in August 2007 and worked as a producer for All Things Considered. During that time he produced interviews with everyone from UN Ambassador Susan Rice to Joan Rivers. The highlight for Glinton came when he produced Robert Siegel's 50 Great Voices piece on Nat King Cole.

Glinton began his public radio career as an intern at member station WBEZ in Chicago. He went on to produce and report for WBEZ. While in Chicago he focused on juvenile justice and the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Prior to journalism Glinton had a career in finance.

For his work on a series uncovering abuse at the Cook Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, Glinton was honored with the Society of Professional Journalist's Sigma Delta Chi Award for Investigative Reporting.

Glinton attended Boston University.

Pages

Business
6:20 pm
Tue March 5, 2013

As Construction Picks Up, American Truck Makers Race

Credit Carlos Osorio / AP
Ford unveils the F-150 Atlas concept pickup during January's North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Experts say the boom in construction will boost pickup sales.

Originally published on Thu March 7, 2013 7:34 pm

Economists look at many tea leaves as they try to determine the health of the economy. One of the most important surrounds vehicle sales, and more specifically pickup truck sales, which are tied to the construction industry. And as last month's sales rose 18 percent, the auto industry is betting big on a real estate rebound.

It's arguable that the Ford F-150 is the most important vehicle to come out of Detroit since the Model-T. It's also built where many parts for the old Model-T were made in Dearborn, Mich.

Read more
Planet Money
2:18 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

Why Buying A Car Never Changes

Credit Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

Originally published on Tue February 19, 2013 6:42 pm

"Buying a car sucks," Scott Painter says. "It's something that most consumers fear."

Back in the '90s, Painter started a company to try to change this. "The name of the company was Cars Direct," he says. "The mission was to sell cars directly."

Painter wanted his company to build virtual dealerships that would let people go online and buy cars. But after talking with a few car execs, he realized nobody would even consider his idea.

Read more
Business
3:33 am
Mon January 28, 2013

Beyond Portlandia: Subaru Drives For America's Heartland

Credit Bill Pugliano / Getty Images
Subaru, known for its success in Denver, the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast, aims to expand its market to Texas and Tennessee.

Originally published on Mon January 28, 2013 10:11 am

All Tech Considered
5:38 pm
Thu January 17, 2013

Bump On The Road For Driverless Cars Isn't Technology, It's You

Credit Julie Jacobson / AP
Car companies are picking up automobile concepts such as this Lexus SL 600 Integrated Safety driverless research vehicle, shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in early January in Las Vegas.

Originally published on Fri January 18, 2013 1:07 am

Business
3:24 am
Tue January 15, 2013

With Redesigned Corvette, GM Ushers In New Era Of American Muscle Car

Originally published on Tue January 15, 2013 10:24 am

This week, the sleek, speedy Chevy Corvette turns 60 years old. In the increasingly competitive auto business, where few cars make it past their teens, that makes it nearly ancient.

General Motors, however, is not retiring one of America's oldest sports cars just yet, and is embarking on the perilous path of updating the beloved brand. The auto company unveiled the new 2014 Corvette at the Detroit Auto Show on Sunday, a model that also revives the long-dormant Stingray name.

Read more

Pages