Automotive News Europe back issues from January 2008:
Tata moves closer to deal with Ford.
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Tony Lewin Ford Motor confirmed last week that negotiations with Tata Motors on the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover have moved to "a more detailed level." The sale would provide Ford an estimated $2 billion (about [euro]1.36 billion) and would allow it to focus on its core ...
Green cars share spotlight with gas guzzlers at US show; Europeans aim small SUVs and crossovers at North America.(News)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Dave Guilford Next week's Detroit auto show will feature fuel-sipping hybrids, zero-emissions fuel cells and performance cars. Five Chinese companies also will unveil models that they hope to launch in the US. Green concepts that will make their ...
EU politicians promise to fight tougher car CO2 rules.(News)(european union)
Jan 07, 2008; ... Byline: Bettina Mayer, Paul McVeigh European pro-auto industry politicians say they have a good chance of changing a proposed tough new CO2 emissions regime for Europe's new-car fleet. The European Commission has angered the auto industry with a proposal to cut CO2 ...
Dutch rely on trading tradition.(News)
Jan 07, 2008; ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink The Dutch auto industry is thriving despite dwindling output at Mitsubishi's NedCar assembly plant. That's the passionate argument of Arjen de Jong, chairman of RAI, the Dutch automotive industry and car distributors association. ...
For Belgians, cars are to build or buy.(News)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink Belgium may be politically divided into Flemish- and French-speaking camps, but both sides love cars equally, says Pierre-Alain de Smedt, president of FEBIAC, the Belgian auto industry association. Belgium's 10 million residents buy more ...
Luxembourgers love their cars.(News)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink In a European market of almost 20 million units, a country with 44,000 annual sales may seem insignificant. But residents of the tiny grand duchy of Luxembourg own more cars per capita than any country in Europe: 659 cars per 1,000 people ....
Deals with West boost expertise of Chinese; Maturing automakers will not 'reinvent the wheel' to compete with global giants.(News)(Company overview)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Alysha Webb In July, Chery Automobile said it had agreed to supply small cars to Chrysler for the US, Europe and other export markets. The deal helps Chrysler because the small, inexpensive car from Chery will fill a large hole in its US lineup. And the deal ...
ANE site gets a face-lift - and more.(News)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Jason Stein General Motors is interested in buying Chrysler. Tata makes a bid for Jaguar and Land Rover. Executive changes are taking place at Fiat. If you saw these stories in Automotive News Europe, you probably saw them first online. Within the ...
Survey: Suppliers expect more financial pressure.(Suppliers)(Survey)(Brief article)
Jan 07, 2008; ... Byline: Jesse Snyder Suppliers say financial pressure from customers and rising raw materials prices will be as bad in 2008 as last year. But they are slightly less pessimistic about their future relationships with automakers. Those are the key findings of a new ...
SsangYong shakes up its UK and German new-car distribution.(News)(Brief article)
Jan 07, 2008; ... Byline: Gary Anglebrandt SsangYong is reorganizing it distribution network in Europe. The Korean automaker has appointed a new distributor in the UK. It is looking for an importer in Germany. Kevin Lee, SsangYong's head of corporate communications, said ...
Finding opportunity in Europe's CO2 mess.(Opinion)
Jan 07, 2008 ... The EU Commission has spoken. Just before Christmas, it announced that it would stick by its goal of cutting average CO2 fleet emissions by about 40 grams to 120 grams per kilometer by 2012. The industry response was in line with expectations. With most design and engineering ...
Challenges and change in 2008.(Column)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: KEITH CRAIN Here we are, ready to put all our New Year's resolutions into action. It's only a short time until press days at the Detroit auto show, where there will be plenty of national and international discussions and rumors. There will be lots ...
Volkswagen's aim for the top is too ambitious.(Opinion)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Jason Stein If you read the company's predictions, just about everybody will be driving Volkswagens in the near future. There will be small ones (the Up concept). Big ones (new Phaetons). And in-between ones (radically redesigned Golfs). The line ...
OICA boss calls himself an easygoing perfectionist.(News)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Paulo Soares de Oliveira Yves van der Straaten has been secretary general of the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) since 1999. The Paris-based lobbyist's 43 members include trade groups such as the European car manufacturers ...
Confidential.(Briefs)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Kangaroo farts are green Kangaroos are more ecologically virtuous than us mammals. They, um, emit less greenhouse gas blamed for global warming. That's because the marsupials don't make methane in their digestive systems. Australian scientists are isolating the ...
The lighter side of 2007.(News)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Covering the auto industry is serious business, but Automotive News Europe cartoonist Roger Bowles (right) always knows how to inject ...
Advances near goal of better engines; Big gains are likely to take decade, but other, smaller ones are closer.(Technology)
Jan 07, 2008; ... Byline: Tony Lewin European automakers and suppliers are close to launching a series of new powertrain technologies. Although they are more evolutionary than revolutionary, the solutions are a step forward in the race to reduce emissions without robbing performance. ...
Change the engine's stroke.(Technology)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Tony Lewin A consortium including Denso, Ricardo and Ma2T4 is developing a novel gasoline engine using advanced valve train control to switch between two- and four-stroke modes. Almost all automotive engines use a four-stroke cycle. The first ...
Eliminate those cams.(Technology)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Formula One drivers have long used camless valve actuation because it enables very high engine revolutions, but the concept promises different benefits for ordinary cars. Valeo's camless engine uses electromagnetic solenoids rather than mechanically driven camshafts to open and ...
Integrate to boost efficiency.(News)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Tony Lewin By integrating the inlet or exhaust manifolds into other parts of the engine, designers can save weight, improve packaging, boost fuel efficiency and even speed the cold-start warm-up process. Lotus Engineering claims lower emissions and reductions ...
Vary the compression ratio.(Technology)(Brief article)
Jan 07, 2008; ... Byline: Tony Lewin The theory is simple: Improve efficiency by adjusting the effective size of the engine to produce the power needed at any given moment. In practice, the hardware to do it is more complicated. Only a handful of such projects - such as Saab's SVC ...
What's happening at www.autonewseurope.com.
Jan 07, 2008 ... * January 9: VW's Ferdinand Piech takes the witness stand in the carmaker's sex and bribery trial * January 9-10: Tata will have a lot to announce at ...
Reduce the engine's size.(Technology)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Tony Lewin Designers are unanimous on one point: Engines will become smaller and more efficient while producing the same power. Greater efficiency means engines can be lighter and smaller. That gives freedom in styling and better fuel economy. Designers can ...
Saint-Gobain Sekurit keeps the Renault Laguna cool.(Suppliers)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Steven Wingett French suppliers have key parts all over the Renault Laguna. The windshield that Saint-Gobain Sekurit supplies includes a heat-absorbing interlayer to prevent sunshine from making the vehicle's interior too warm. The innovation also reduces fuel ...
Personnel.(People)
Jan 07, 2008 ... De Meo is named Alfa Romeo CEO TURIN - Luca De Meo is the new CEO of Alfa Romeo Automobiles. He started December 12. De Meo, 40, replaced Antonio Baravalle, 42. De Meo keeps his job as chief marketing officer of Fiat group and CEO of Fiat's sporty Abarth ...
Renault names new managers.(People)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Tom Armitage Renault named two new members to its management committee, covering engineering and resources roles. The two managers started their jobs January 2. Michel Balthazard, 53, is senior vice president of pre-engineering, projects and requirements. He ...
It's not easy being green.(News)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Every automotive executive in Europe will face increased pressure to reduce CO2 emissions in 2008. Those who fail likely will face costly penalties, which will make profits even tougher to achieve. Below we outline the other challenges facing 10 of Europe's top auto bosses. See Pages 16 & ...
Guide to Industry Executives: Part 1 of 2.(News)
Jan 07, 2008 ... ASTON MARTIN Banbury Road, Gaydon, Warwick, CV35 0DB, England CEO Ulrich Bez Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Carling Director, Sales and Marketing Bill Donnelly Director, Finance David ...
How Tatra town was revived; Czech city is booming because of revived truck maker and improved technical school.(News)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Lyle Frink A car town that almost died instead became a model of industrial retooling. For more than a century, Koprivnice has been home to Tatra. In its early years, the pioneering carmaker launched innovations that inspired Ferdinand Porsche's Volkswagen ...
Renault faces a critical year; Carmaker needs a sales surge to meet CEO's 2009 target.
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Jesse Snyder Renault predicts it will boost global sales more than 10 percent this year. But even such a quarter-million unit gain may not be enough to help CEO Carlos Ghosn hit his ambitious 2009 growth target. "If in 2008 we don't achieve our goal of at ...
Tatra is back.(News)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Lyle Frink Pioneering Czech automaker Tatra is back, although heavy trucks lead the rebirth rather than passenger cars. "In the last 12 months, we have added almost 1,000 new people at Tatra, bringing our employment level to over 4,000," Tatra CEO Ronald ...
Want cleaner air? Unclog the traffic; British study pairs hybrid technology, road mapping to cut congestion, fuel use.(News)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Ian Morton Traffic gridlock is not just a commuter headache. Now it's recognized as an emissions issue with a negative environmental impact. A new British test project aims to improve traffic flow and thus fuel efficiency. Business and government partners will ...
'In Europe': One auto industry, many countries.
Jan 07, 2008 ... The European auto industry is often seen as one. It no longer matters where companies are headquartered. Cars can be built anywhere. Borders are becoming less relevant. But Europe's auto industry consists of companies with strong national identities. Countries compete vigorously for ...
SAIC will revive Longbridge assembly plant; Chinese carmaker likely to build mass-market cars at historic UK factory.
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Tony Lewin Under its new, cash-rich Chinese owners, England's historic Longbridge assembly plant is likely to start building mass-market cars again. Volume production at the plant stopped in 2005 when former owner MG Rover collapsed. Up to three ...
2008: Winners and losers; Emissions rules will force industry to get greener; India will make big gains.(News)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Arjen Bongard A year ago, on this page we predicted that new CEOs would spark significant change at many of Europe's biggest automakers in 2007. As we look back on the year, it is safe to say we were right. * In the premium segment, BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer ...
Travel taught Opel brothers key lessons.(News)
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Bettina Mayer In the early 20th century, the Opel brothers traveled to France to see what made other pioneering automakers successful. Their adventurous spirit and ability to adapt have earned Carl, Wilhelm, Heinrich, Fritz and Ludwig Opel induction into the ...
Suppliers say Chery export model delayed.
Jan 07, 2008 ... Byline: Alysha Webb Chery Automobile is delaying the first model it plans to export to Europe to make it more appealing to European buyers, said two suppliers to Chery. The problems mainly relate to the interior design, they said. "The design was for ...
Guide to Industry Executives: Part 2 of 2.(News)
Jan 07, 2008 ... NISSAN EUROPE Parc de Pissaloup, 13 avenue Jean d'Alembert, BP 123 78194 Trappes Cedex, France Chairman; Executive Vice President, Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management Hidetoshi Imazu Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing ...
Lancia could build Musa successor.
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink Fiat group could launch a new Lancia Musa in 2011. The entry-premium car (shown), which is derived from the Fiat Idea small minivan, was introduced in 2004 as a stopgap to give Fiat's flagging near-premium brand a new product. The Musa is ...
Chrysler's China car is not EU-ready.(News)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: Luca Ciferri Chrysler still plans to sell a China-built small car in Europe and the US, but the project is proceeding very slowly. "There is still a lot of work to do to get our new small car compliant with EU and US standards," said Michael Manley, Chrysler ...
News digest.(Briefs)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Daimler nears decision on plant in the East Daimler will decide whether to build a new assembly plant in eastern Europe by the end of the second quarter. First, the German automaker must resolve whether it will cooperate with another carmaker for the next-generation ...
Giacosa dedicated a lifetime to Fiat.(News)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink It is not stretching the truth to say that Dante Giacosa dedicated his life to Fiat. Although he officially retired in 1970 after 42 years with the company, the legendary engineer was still working part time for the company in the early 1990s. Even in ...
Readying for Romania: Ford recruits suppliers; Autoliv, Continental, Johnson Controls, others are already producing in the country.(News)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: Lyle Frink Ford of Europe is turning to suppliers for help so it can start production at the former Daewoo Motor plant in Romania on schedule. Ford needs to quickly build up a local supply base for the plant, in Craiova, southwest Romania. The ...
De Meo's new task: Fix ailing Alfa; Analysts doubt anyone could double sales at Fiat-owned sports car brand by 2010.(News)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: Luca Ciferri Luca De Meo is used to tough assignments from his boss. In 2004, Fiat group CEO Sergio Marchionne asked the then-37-year-old executive to turn around the struggling Fiat brand. De Meo succeeded. Marchionne's newest task for De Meo ...
Renault rewards Romania for Logan success.(News)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: Lyle Frink Renault is investing [euro]300 million in its Romanian subsidiary Dacia to expand production capacity and r&d support for the budget-priced Logan. Once the expansion at the central Romania plant is complete in 2009, Dacia will be able to annually ...
Ford, Tata have issues to resolve; Sources from both sides say they are working out the fine details of Jag-Land Rover sale.(News)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: John Revill, Tony Lewin Ford Motor and Tata Motors still have many issues to resolve as they seek to complete the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover. Earlier this month Ford confirmed it was in "focused negotiations" with the Indian industrial group to buy the two ...
Ford has spent billions on its British brands.(News)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: John Revill Ford Motor has spent billions of euros on Jaguar and Land Rover since it acquired the two British luxury carmakers. It paid [pounds sterling]1.6 billion to buy Jaguar in 1989 and [pounds sterling]1.7 billion to buy Land Rover from BMW 11 years ...
Top BMW engineer Richter will develop new flagship.(News)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: James Franey One of BMW's top engineers, Gerhard Richter, will oversee the development of BMW's new flagship model, the Gran Turismo. A German native, Richter, 55, has the experience to develop the Gran Turismo. He has worked on developing prestige cars for ...
Click here! What's happening at www.autonewseurope.com.
Jan 21, 2008 ... * January 23: General Motors announces its 2007 sales results * January 24: Ford releases its 2007 financial results * ...
Audi expands dealer-training effort; Sweeping program aims to boost customer satisfaction at stores throughout Europe.(News)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: James Franey Audi will expand a program to improve customer service in its dealers throughout Europe in the next 12 months. There are currently 180 Audi dealerships in Germany taking part in the program, which began in November 2006. By the end of 2009, 400 ...
Chevrolet is Russia's No. 1 foreign brand.(News)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: John Revill Chevrolet overtook Ford Motor to become the top-selling foreign brand in Russia during 2007, according to figures released last week. Chevrolet sales rose by 71 percent to 190,533 from 111,458 vehicles, said the Association of European Businesses ...
News digest.(Briefs)(Brief article)
Jan 21, 2008 ... VW Mexico predicts record volume in 2008 MEXICO CITY - Volkswagen's Mexico unit expects to produce a record volume of about 450,000 vehicles at its Puebla assembly plant in 2008. In 2007, Volkswagen de Mexico produced 411,129 vehicles, up 18 percent from 2006, the company said. ...
Global challenges offer huge rewards for suppliers.(Opinion)
Jan 21, 2008 ... It is very early, but 2008 is shaping up to be a promising year for suppliers. So far this month, three auto shows on three continents have been used to introduce seemingly divergent technologies: alternative fuels in Detroit, low-CO2 cars in Brussels and ultra-cheap ...
Fiat boss must reset 3 goals.(Opinion)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: Luca Ciferri Fiat group CEO Sergio Marchionne has developed a reputation for making bold promises - and systematically over-delivering on them. The latest example will come next week. He is expected to announce a 2007 group operating profit that exceeds ...
We're just getting started on the CO2 debate.(Opinion)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: Jason Stein Here's an interesting tale about car emissions, automakers and government that might have you emitting a little CO2 when you gasp in disbelief. A European automotive executive and a member of the European Parliament met recently to discuss the ...
Bentley's Gaskell has a passion for books and art.(News)(dialogue with Christine Gaskell)(Interview)
Jan 21, 2008; ... Byline: Olive Keogh The motor industry gets into people's blood. It becomes an all-consuming passion making it difficult for insiders to settle anywhere else. This is what Bentley's Christine Gaskell discovered when she left the industry for two years to work as ...
Confidential.(Briefs)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Time is relative For most purposes, the time difference between Detroit and Brussels is six hours. But in the exotic world of auto marketing, sometimes Saturday comes before Thursday. European carmakers Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz value the distinction of having ...
Brose buys former Siemens VDO unit; Window regulator specialist adds electric motors business that had [euro]740m in 2007 sales.(Suppliers)(Siemens VDO Automotive AG acquired with Brose Group)
Jan 21, 2008; ... Byline: April Wortham Continental's takeover of Siemens VDO Automotive has been good news for Germany's Brose Group. Brose, a privately-held manufacturer of window regulators, door systems and seat adjusters, agreed last month to purchase the former Siemens VDO's ...
Lamborghini to create a US sales company.(News)(Automobili Lamborghini USA Inc.)(Brief article)
Jan 21, 2008; ... Byline: Mark Rechtin Lamborghini will set up a separate sales company in the US - the first such operation outside Italy for the exotic-car manufacturer. About 40 percent of Lamborghini's global sales are in the US, and demand has been growing. US sales went from 100 ...
Chevrolet to the rescue; Underused GM Europe plants in Germany and Sweden could build Chevy cars.
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: John Revill General Motors Europe could build Chevrolet cars in Germany and Sweden to meet booming European demand for the brand. GM's underused factories in Russelsheim, Germany, and Trollhattan, Sweden, could begin production of Chevrolet cars within two ...
EDAG sells French unit to SEGULA.(Suppliers)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: Tom Armitage German engineering and design specialist EDAG has sold its operations in France to SEGULA Technologies. The move comes after a disappointing year for French carmakers PSA/Peugeot-Citroen and Renault. The companies have faced falling new-car sales ...
Renault expects Russia sales boost from SUV; Market demand is rising for models like the new Koleos.(News)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: Gary Anglebrandt Renault thinks its Koleos medium SUV will reach Russia at just the right time. Renault spokeswoman Raphaelle Gomez said the automaker expects strong sales in Russia for the Koleos because foreign brands are popular in Russia and because ...
Maserati sales soar in China.(News)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: Namrita Chow China will become the fifth biggest market in the world for Maserati in the next two years as sales here soar past Japan, France and Switzerland, the automaker's Shanghai-based importer predicts. If that happens, China would be behind only the US, ...
Behrendt praised for being fair, focused; Ford of Europe's VP of purchasing has helped fix relations with suppliers.(News)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: Arjen Bongard, Bettina Mayer With an annual budget of $20 billion dollars (about [euro]13.5 billion), you would think that Ford of Europe Vice President of Purchasing Birgit Behrendt has enough money to keep suppliers happy. Think again. Behrendt, ...
Behrendt's keys to success: Drive, flexibility, a supportive partner.(News)
Jan 21, 2008 ... Byline: Arjen Bongard, Bettina Mayer Like many women in senior industry positions, Ford of Europe Vice President of Purchasing Birgit Behrendt does not give much thought to gender issues. But in recent years, as she rose up the corporate ladder, she has come to ...