Automotive News Europe back issues from April 2004:
Suppliers are urged: 'Come to China'; Pressure increases to set up in fastest-growing auto market.
Apr 05, 2004 ... Byline: Alysha Webb Major European suppliers and automakers that are rapidly ramping up their China operations want smaller suppliers to join them in the world's fastest-growing auto market. Valeo and DaimlerChrysler are among companies encouraging small and ...
Seat wants to cut 600 jobs.(News)(Sociedad Espanola de Automoviles de Turismo S.A.)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Paulo Soares de Oliveira Seat plans to shed 600 of its 12,000 jobs in Martorell, Spain. Executives say the reduction results from a drop in Seat sales and a loss of production at the plant. Seat also is being affected by parent Volkswagen's ?2 ...
New CLEPA head will challenge OEMs; Head of supplier association says trust has broken down.(News)(Comite de Liaison de la Construction d'Equipements et de Pieces d'Automobiles (European Association of Automotive Suppliers) )
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Bradford Wernle Lars Holmqvist has not even begun his official duties as CEO of the European auto component supplier association CLEPA, but he has already started a controversy. Holmqvist bluntly criticized automakers, particularly Ford, DaimlerChrysler and ...
GM pushes Chevrolet as a brand in Europe; The No. 2 US marque seeks to boost public awareness abroad.(News)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Jason Stein Chevrolet has extended its marketing "revolution" to Europe from North America. The Chevy logo was hard to miss during last month's figure skating championship in Hungary and world championship in Germany. General Motors featured the ...
Magna focuses on 4x4 powertrains.(News)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Byline: Georg Auer Magna group has created a specialist 4x4 drivetrain division called Magna Drivetrain. The company will act as a separate company within the group and will take over the operations of the Magna Steyr Powertrain division. Magna Drivetrain will focus ...
European Ad Awards contest.(News)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Automotive News Europe is calling for entries for its second annual Advertising Awards. The contest honors the European auto industry's best advertising campaigns. Entries are requested in the following categories: best national and international TV campaign; best print ...
eBay Motors sees growth in top markets; German and UK sites sell hundreds of vehicles a day.(News)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Alex Ricciuti eBay Motors' online auction business is growing rapidly in Europe's top two markets. eBay Motors Germany's gross sales soared 192 percent in the second quarter of 2003 compared with the same period in 2002. In the third quarter of last year, the ...
German automakers join forces to beat China logistics challenge; DaimlerChrysler, VW and BMW set aside rivalries to cooperate.(News)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Byline: Alex Ricciuti They may be rivals in the marketplace, but German automakers are cooperating on logistics in China, the world's fastest-growing auto market. Volkswagen, Audi, Daimler-Chrysler and BMW have formed a joint logistics partnership to support their ...
Land Rover to go alphanumeric in US; New Discovery will get a different name for North America.(News)(Land Rover UK Ltd.)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Mark Rechtin Following the lead of other European and Japanese luxury automakers, Land Rover will give its vehicles sold in the US alphanumeric codes instead of names. The change will begin later this year with the launch of the redesigned Discovery SUV, ...
Supplier mergers decline, but deals get bigger; Activity rises for mid-sized firms hit by price squeeze.(News)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Byline: Edmund Chew There were fewer supplier mergers and acquisitions last year. But a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey shows the value of the deals actually increased between 2002 and 2003, if data-altering transactions by the supplier TRW are not counted. ...
D/C plant to supply China.(News)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Byline: Alysha Webb, Paulo Soares de Oliveira DaimlerChrysler's plant in Vitoria, Spain, will provide parts for passenger and light commercial vehicle models to be built in China starting in late 2005. Specific parts have not yet been decided upon, said D/C China ...
EU law fights gray imports; Auto distributers pledge to use trademark directive against unofficial sales.
Apr 05, 2004 ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink A seldom-used European Union trademark directive may become the most effective weapon official car distributors have to counter gray-market imports. Gray-market imports circumventing official dealer channels are currently spreading all over ...
News Digest.(Briefs)(Dr. Schneider Automotive Systems)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Astra gets new damping control MUNICH - Opel/Vauxhall is offering continuous damping control (CDC) as an option on the new Astra. It will be the first mass-market application of the system. ZF Sachs developed the CDC system. CDC exchanges data with the car's ...
Automakers rely on suppliers for more key parts; Nissan, Ford, BMW outsource fuel tank, chassis, cockpit jobs.(News)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Byline: Edmund Chew Auto manufacturers are outsourcing more design and production of key components to designated suppliers. New deals involving European partsmakers and Volvo powertrains, Nissan fuel tanks and BMW modules illustrate the trend. Even ...
Ford Fiesta gets feature role in novel; US carmaker wants to reach more young women in its top European market.(News)(Ford Motor Company Ltd.)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Bradford Wernle Ford of Britain has enlisted British writer Carole Matthews as part of an unusual marketing program. The automaker wants to reach young women in Britain, its top European market and one of the few countries in the world where Ford is the ...
PSA will build Peugeot 206 successor in Slovakia; Small car is built in western Europe, Mideast, S. America.(News)(Peugeot S.A.)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Sylviane de Saint-Seine The first model to roll out of PSA/Peugeot-Citroen's new plant in Trnava, Slovakia, will be the Peugeot 207, successor to its top-selling 206 small car, suppliers say. PSA has said that Trnava will be dedicated to the production of ...
Safety is car buyers' top concern, survey says; Suppliers say passive systems like airbags are just the first step.(News; Society of Automotive Engineers 2004 World Congress)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Rhoda Miel Auto engineers think car buyers are more interested in safety than performance. They shared this view in an annual survey of automakers and suppliers attending the Society of Automotive Engineers 2004 World Congress, held in Detroit last month ....
Valmet seeks new contracts.(News)(Valmet Automotive Inc.)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Jens Meiners Valmet Automotive wants more work but isn't afraid its business is at risk because it has only one customer. "We could survive and be a profitable business with Porsche alone," Valmet CEO Tapio Kuisma says. "But we are hungry for new work." ...
Feast or famine for German firms.(Opinion)(contrasting performance in the German auto industry)
Apr 05, 2004 ... There couldn't be a starker contrast in the German auto industry. On one side are Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler. On the other are Porsche and BMW. It has been a difficult winter for the first two and spring isn't looking much better. VW is struggling to make a success of the ...
Letter to the Editor.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Renault: No full Nissan consolidation To the editor: With regard to your March 8 article "Renault, Nissan to report combined sales and earnings," I would like to point out that the nature of the alliance means, among other things, that assets and liabilities of ...
Volvo lesson helped Renault to forge successful alliance with Nissan.(Opinion)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Byline: Sylviane de Saint-Seine When Renault took control of Nissan in 1999, it applied lessons its had learned from its failed takeover attempt of Volvo six years earlier. The Volvo negotiations died as Swedish shareholders balked at the perceived arrogance of the French and ...
Martinez Serra is de' Silva's savior.(News)(head of design management, Audi brand group)(Interview)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Luca Ciferri Car designers frequently overstate their real contributions to many projects. Audi's Jose Maria Martinez Serra is an exception. He does not claim any car as "his" despite 33 years in the design business. When Walter de' Silva was named Seat's head of design ...
BMW pushes run-flat tires.(Bayerische Motoren Werke AG)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Jens Meiners BMW will make run-flat tires standard on its upcoming 1 series entry-premium car. This will be the highest-volume car yet equipped with run-flat tires as standard equipment. BMW has been the industry leader in adopting run-flat technology, first ...
Confidential.(News)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Is the Kolin plant too small? Production is still a year away at the Toyota-PSA/Peugeot-Citroen joint-venture plant in Kolin, Czech Republic, but insiders are already saying capacity is too limited. Only 50,000 small cars will be built in 2005. But by 2006 production ...
5 years ago.(News)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004 ... The top stories from Automotive News Europe's March 29, 1999, issue - and how they developed. A second try for Smart DaimlerChrysler relaunches its slow-selling Smart minicar. * DaimlerChrysler committed $70 million to get its Smart car project back on ...
Industry by numbers.(News)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004 ... 100,000: German supplier jobs lost in shift of manufacturing to eastern Europe 1,500: Supplier employees who will work on-site at new BMW assembly plant in Leipzig ...
PAG still a work in progress for Fields; Common electrical architecture is possible in 5 years.(News; Mark Fields; Premier Automotive Group)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Bradford Wernle When Mark Fields was named to take the top job at Ford's luxury-brand stable two years ago this month, some skeptics were puzzled at the choice. Could a young American with no previous experience in luxury brands really fill the shoes of his ...
Fiat has long way to go to be profitable.(News)(Fiat Auto)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Luca Ciferri Fiat Auto says its net 2003 loss narrowed 24.9 percent, but the size of the shortfall showed the company has a long way to go to achieve its goals. The troubled auto division of Fiat group reported a net 2003 loss of [euro]2.06 billion compared ...
Scaglietti is a leap ahead for Ferrari; Italian sports-car maker freshens its image, technology.(News)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Mark Rechtin Ferrari's new 612 Scaglietti represents a technological leap forward for the Italian automaker. The 612 is Ferrari's first effort at mating an aluminum spaceframe to an aluminum body powered by a V-12 engine. But there are other ...
BMW's new design head defends style shift; Van Hooydonk drew the controversial 7 series' exterior.(News)(Bayerische Motoren Werke AG)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Adrian van Hooydonk, the 40-year-old Dutch native who has emerged as the real designer of BMW's much-criticized 7 series, makes no excuses for the break-the-mold look of the automaker's flagship sedan. The 7-series redesign three years ago ...
No plant yet, but DaimlerChrysler China chief predicts locally made Mercedes sedans in 2005.(News)(Interview)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Alysha Webb DaimlerChrysler is still waiting for government approval to begin building Mercedes sedans in China with its partner, Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings Co. Plant construction has not even begun, but C- and E-class sedans should start rolling ...
VW hits trouble in the US.(News)(Volkswagen AG)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Volkswagen's US strategy of maintaining high residual values while avoiding generous incentives is coming unglued. After suffering a disastrous 25.9 percent US sales decline in January, VW sharply increased incentives to $2,000 per vehicle. ...
Ferrari enters Russia.(News)(Ferrari S.p.A.)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Luca Ciferri Ferrari will open its first showroom in Russia next month. Along with China, Russia has been identified by the Italian sports carmaker as one of its most important future markets. The company's importer, Mercury, will ...
New 911 to debut in Paris.(Porsche 997)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Jens Meiners Porsche will introduce its next-generation 911 at the Paris auto show in late September. Sales of the current 911 have been declining so Porsche has relied on a flurry of special editions to maintain interest in its flagship model. The new car, code-named ...
Nissan faces engine dilemma; Lack of V-6 diesel keeps successful models from Europe.(News)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink Nissan's plan to bring some of its top-selling US and Japanese models to Europe has stalled. The Japanese automaker needs a large diesel engine to introduce models such as the Maxima and Skyline sedans and its Infiniti luxury brand in ...
VW implements ForMotion cost-cut plan.(News)(Volkswagen AG)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Henning Krogh Volkswagen group's board of directors has set a tight deadline for its managers to implement the automaker's [euro]2 billion ForMotion savings plan. VW's project managers responsible for the cuts must define the specific aims of their work ...
VW Brussels plant will build Audi A3.(News)(Volkswagen AG)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Pia Krix Audi will outsource some A3 production to the Belgian plant of its parent company Volkswagen. The move will lead to better capacity use at VW's Brussels plant and avoid the high investment required to increase capacity at Audi's own factories. ...
Volvo ad sparks record dealer visits.(News)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Bradford Wernle Volvo executives say an ad campaign based around a car-buying mystery has created record traffic in its showrooms across Europe. "The Mystery of Dalaro" ads stated that 32 people in a Swedish village all bought new Volvo S40s on the same day - ...
Iveco's China syndrome.(News)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Luca Ciferri Human rights organization Amnesty International asked Iveco, the medium and heavy trucks subsidiary of Italy's Fiat group, to stop selling its Daily minibus to Chinese authorities. Citing reports from the Beijing News, Amnesty International ...
SupplyOn takes a crack at US market; German suppliers will try to achieve what Covisint couldn't.(News)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Ralph Kisiel SupplyOn, the electronic marketplace owned by some of Germany's largest auto parts suppliers, faces tough competition as it tries to break into the US. SupplyOn, which was created in 2000, has had some success in Europe and wants to expand ...
Korea gives automakers a tax break.(News)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Peter Chang BMW and Mercedes-Benz are among foreign automakers expected to benefit from new tax breaks for passenger vehicles in South Korea. Sales tax has been cut to 8 percent from 10 percent for cars with engines more than 2.0 liters. For cars with engines ...
Nissan plans to export pickups.(News)(Nissan Motor Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Nissan will export pickups built in South Africa to Europe and the Asia-Pacific region starting in 2005. Nissan's South African operations plan to ship 4,600 of the Hardbody single cab pickup a year to Europe, Singapore, Australia and New ...
Suppliers to the Mercedes-Benz SLK.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Alex Graham The second-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK replaces a car that sold more than 308,000 units worldwide during its seven and a half year lifespan. The new SLK is sportier and more agile than its predecessor, says Detlef Barthelmes, Mercedes senior product manager ...
Ghosn takes charge of Nissan's US operations; North American execs will report directly to Nissan CEO.(News)(Carlos Ghosn)(Nissan Motor Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: James Treece, Yuzo Yamaguchi Carlos Ghosn is taking control of Nissan's North American operations and shedding many of his other responsibilities as he heads into his final year at Nissan headquarters in Tokyo. Top North American executives now report directly ...
Police probes Ford warranty unit; Problems uncovered in automaker's UK used-car operation.(Ford Motor Co.)(Warranty Holdings Corp.)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Bradford Wernle Police in the UK are investigating fraud in the financial collapse of Warranty Holdings, the Ford Motor Co. unit that covers the manufacturer's extended warranty and used-car programs. Ford placed the unit in bankruptcy administration after ...
Rover V8 returns; Rear-drive car built alongside front-drive models.(News)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Bradford Wernle MG Rover overcame a manufacturing and product development challenge to revive the Rover V8, a rear-wheel-drive flagship version of the Rover 75 sedan. The challenge was converting the Rover 75 front-wheel-drive platform into a rwd model. ...
GM China profit triples in 2003.(News)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Dave Guilford General Motors more than tripled its net profit in China last year, earning $437 million ([euro]360 million) from its partnerships there. In 2002, GM had earned net income of $142 million in China, according to figures in its annual report. ...
M-B technology sets course for US diesels; Urea is seen as solution to 2007 emissions rules.(News)(Daimler-Benz AG)(emissions system)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Richard Truett Mercedes-Benz has developed an emissions system that could open the way for the widespread return of the diesel engine in North America. The German automaker plans to meet tough new US diesel emissions regulations scheduled for 2007 by using an ...
Renault-Nissan is a success - so far; Nissan's critical need for change helped Renault.(News)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Byline: Jesse Snyder It is no surprise that the alliance between Renault and Nissan is working well five years after it was formed. After all, it was an excellent strategic fit. The French and Japanese automakers had complementary skills and their respective ...
PSA's Folz warns against 'fuzzy galaxy'.(News)(Peugeot S.A., Jean-Martin Folz)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Byline: Sylviane de Saint-Seine As Renault celebrates the fifth anniversary of its takeover of Nissan, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen CEO Jean-Martin Folz says he does not believe that mergers and acquisitions are a good proposition for car manufacturers. "I never believed in ...
How Renault and Nissan cooperate.(News)(Regie Nationale des Usines Renault)(Nissan Motor Company Ltd.)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Sylviane de Saint-Seine Cash * Renault spent [euro]4.9 billion buying a controlling 36.8 percent stake in Nissan in 1999 and an additional [euro]1.9 billion in 2002 to boost its stake to 44.4 percent. Even though it has a minority stake, Renault is clearly in ...
Aim is to be one of the world's top three; Only Toyota had higher operating profit in 2003.(News)(Regie Nationale des Usines Renault)(Nissan Motor Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Sylviane de Saint-Seine Marking the fifth anniversay of their alliance, Renault and Nissan said they want to rank among the top three carmakers in profits, quality and technology. In 2003, the combined operating profit of Renault and Nissan was [euro]7.77 ...
Germany will lose more supplier jobs; Eastern Europe, Asia will continue to gain positions, study shows.(Suppliers)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Klaus-Dieter Florecke, Armin Gotz, Franz Rother Automobilwoche Every fifth job in the German auto supply industry is under threat from low-wage countries, a study shows. About 100,000 jobs already have been lost as companies transfer production to eastern ...
Mercedes will unveil new A class in June.(News)(Daimler-Benz AG)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Wolfgang Eschment Automobilwoche Mercedes-Benz will unveil its second-generation A-class model on board a luxury yacht off the coast of Greece on June 28. M-B dealers will start taking orders for the car in June. The A class will be in European showrooms in ...
Leipzig plant has first BMW supplier park; 1,500 of the plant's 5,500 employees will work for suppliers.(News)(Bayerische Motoren Werke AG)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Lyle Frink BMW's new [euro]1.3 billion factory in Leipzig, Germany, will change the way Tier 1 suppliers are integrated into the luxury carmaker's production. The Leipzig plant is the first BMW factory to have a supplier park on site. BMW wanted ...
Nissan faces labor strife in Spain; 3,000 workers plan strike to protest 160 scheduled layoffs.(News)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Paulo Soares de Oliveira Many of Nissan's 3,000 factory workers here will strike April 21, complicating the carmaker's plans to reduce costs at its Spanish plant. Nissan wants to fire 160 workers at its Barcelona plant. It is part of a plan to trim 600 jobs ...
Kolbenschmidt aims high in N.A.(Suppliers)(Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG)(North America)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Julie Armstrong German supplier Kolbenschmidt Pierburg expects North American sales of $500 million in 2008, up more than 56 percent from last year. The Kolbenschmidt side of the company is best known for pistons. But it will be the Pierburg unit that will ...
Hyundai SUV here in July.(News)(Hyundai Tuscon)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Peter Chang The Tucson, the smaller version of Hyundai's Santa Fe SUV, will reach European showrooms in July. The Tucson went on sale in South Korea earlier this month. The Santa Fe will be repositioned slightly more upscale when the Tucson arrives ...
Top 10 sellers in western Europe.(Sales)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004 ... February 2004 1. Volkswagen Golf: 40,068 2. Peugeot 206: 38,720 3. Peugeot 307: 33,206 4. Renault Clio: 31,185 5. Opel/Vauxhall Astra: 27,528 6. Fiat Punto: 26,709 7. Ford Focus: 26,546 8. Renault ...
Winners and losers.(Sales)(change in automaker sales from February 2003)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004 ... February 2004 Change in automaker sales from February 2003 Winners 1. Bentley: 364.3% 2. Rolls-Royce: 100.0% 3. Lamborghini: 58.3% 4. TVR: 50.0% 5. Jaguar: 49.8% Losers 1. Chevrolet: ...
Continental sees growth of active safety systems; German supplier predicts big jump in ESP installation rate.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Byline: Julie Armstrong German supplier Continental is spending more than $1 million to promote ESP (electronic stability program) in North America. Vehicle installation of ESP has hit the 10 percent level in North America, compared with 30 percent in Europe. ...
Demel, Peugeot, Cesarini to speak at Montreaux Congress.(News)(Automotive News Europe Congress)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Herbert Demel, Robert Peugeot, Paolo Cesarini and Wilhelm Becker will be speakers at Automotive News Europe's annual Congress in June. Demel, the recently appointed head of Fiat Auto, will speak on Monday, the first day of the two-day event. Peugeot, who is in charge ...
Automakers face more steel price increases; Cost for crucial material has risen 30% in 6 months.(News)
Apr 05, 2004; ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink Automakers and suppliers are bracing themselves for a further rise in steel prices. The cost of cold-rolled steel, the main material for auto body construction, will increase in the next two quarters, according to Luxembourg-based Arcelor, ...
News Digest: Plastic Omnium improves bumper.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004 ... Plastic Omnium will launch the second generation of an automotive bumper designed to improve recyclability while also using recycled material. The French company began producing the polyolefin bumper in July 2002 for the Renault Megane. The bumper system ...
Late News.(Brief Article)
Apr 05, 2004 ... ArvinMeritor wins roof contract TROY, Michigan, USA - ArvinMeritor's Light Vehicle Systems business group has won another new, multi-year, $90 million contract to provide a large-opening, three-panel sunroof with a European automaker. Production begins in November 2006. The ...