Automotive News back issues from January 2006:
Pony cars may outbuzz SUVs, crossovers: Part 2 of 2; Cool Camaro, Challenger concepts could outshine production models.(News)
Jan 02, 2006 ... Lincoln The redesigned 2007 MKX succeeds the Lincoln Aviator. The Lincoln crossover is a sibling to the Ford Edge and shares the modified Mazda6 vehicle platform. Sales begin in late 2006. The vehicle targets the Lexus RX 330 as its main competitor. A Lincoln sedan ...
Top 10 stories on autonews.com in 2005.(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006 ... 1. 2005 Frankfurt preview - Sept. 7 - 13,733 hits 2. Kill a brand? GM's LaNeve says no - March 24 - 11,147 3. Buick goes upmarket with LeSabre replacement - Feb. 9 - 9,575 4. 2005 Geneva preview - Feb. 21 - 7,411 5. Saturn gives peek at next ...
Predictions for 2006.(News)
Jan 02, 2006 ... 1. After relocating with his company to Tennessee, Nissan sales boss Jed Connelly accidentally discovers oil on his property while hunting rabbits. His kinfolk advise him to move away from there. They say California is the place he oughta be, so he loads up his Infiniti and moves to ...
Letters to the Editor.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
Jan 02, 2006 ... Salesperson drubs GM giveaways To the Editor: I strongly protest the fact that General Motors continued a form of employee pricing for 2006 models. I am absolutely opposed to continuing to sell cheaply or give away the best vehicles Chevy has offered in 10 years. ...
The best (and worst) of everything.(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006 ... What's the best way to understand 2005? Make a list. Automotive News lays it all out, from the top 10 ...
10 friends in Congress.(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006 ... Here are 10 federal lawmakers recognized as consistent supporters of automotive interests. 1. Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich. The ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee has been a representative since 1955. 2. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Mich. He has ...
10 hot technologies.(News)
Jan 02, 2006 ... 1. Satellite radio: This is the must-have in-car gadget. High-profile entertainers such as Howard Stern and Snoop Dogg, above, are expected to increase the appeal of the pay-per-month service, which is optional on most car brands. 2. Hybrids: Despite the fact that ...
Big 3 take a battering.(News)
Jan 02, 2006 ... It was not a happy year for the domestic auto industry. The first six of 2005's top 10 stories involved events or situations that the Big 3 and their suppliers wish had never happened. There was no question about the Story of the Year. It was the Delphi bankruptcy, by ...
Colors.(automobile color)(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006 ... Most popular vehicle colors in North America in 2005 Color: % of vehicles 1. Silver: 18 2. White/white pearl: 17 3. Gray: 15 4. Blue: ...
Efficiency.(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006 ... table: These are the 10 most efficient vehicle assembly plants in ...
How about we just call it 'roller coaster pricing'?(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006 ... Our 2005 Flop of the Year is value pricing - specifically, the version of value pricing practiced by General Motors and Ford Motor Co. In the fall, GM and Ford cut sticker prices on most cars and trucks in an effort to bring them closer to the actual transaction price paid by ...
Lincoln's new name game; Ford's luxury division will try to soup up its lackluster image with alphabetic vehicle names.
Jan 02, 2006 ... Byline: Amy Wilson Lincoln will join other luxury brands by switching to alphabetic names for its vehicles, using letters instead of words. The alphabetic names begin this fall when a new Lincoln crossover goes on sale, a Lincoln official confirmed. Ford ...
Turbocharged Solstice GXP packs 260 hp.(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006; ... Byline: Richard Truett Pontiac's plan to re-establish itself as General Motors' performance division will pick up speed in August when the 260-hp Solstice GXP arrives at dealerships. The Pontiac Solstice GXP packs a with variable valve timing and direct injection. It ...
Hybrids helped Toyota avoid flak for big SUVs.(Toyota Motor Corp.)(sport utility vehicles)(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006 ... Never mind your grandmother. You can have your cake and eat it, too. Take Toyota Motor Corp. It offers a generous lineup of gas-guzzling SUVs and large pickups. At the same time, Toyota enjoys a reputation as an environmentally friendly company. The ...
Production table returns Jan. 9.(Production)(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006 ... There was no North American car and truck production last week because most manufacturers were shut down ...
No better way to start the year.(Column)(North American International Auto Show)
Jan 02, 2006; ... Byline: KEITH CRAIN No one is excited about leaving home right after the New Year, but what better way to kick-start 2006 than the North American International Auto Show in Detroit? It's really two shows in one. This weekend, we'll see the start of press days. Almost ...
And for 2006, I do solemnly resolve to ...(Opinion)(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006 ... Resolutions we may - or may not - hear for 2006: Steve Miller, Delphi Corp. CEO: No more Mr. Nice Guy. Carlos Ghosn, Renault CEO: I'll find a cheaper headquarters location than Paris for Renault. Rick Wagoner, General Motors CEO: We will remain the biggest ...
Stallkamp, Treadwell join panel on finance strategies.(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006 ... Two experienced auto industry leaders will discuss ways to locate financing at the Automotive News World Congress on Jan. 17. Tom Stallkamp, former Chrysler Corp. president, will participate in the panel discussion. Stallkamp is a partner in the New York equity firm ...
GM will take center stage at L.A. show.(News)(Los Angeles)(General Motors Corp.)
Jan 02, 2006 ... General Motors will dominate the last Los Angeles Auto Show held in January. GM will introduce the restyled 2007 Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL, a high-performance 2007 Pontiac Solstice, the redesigned 2007 Chevrolet Aveo sedan and a Saab concept. Volkswagen ...
Supershows.(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006 ... Crossovers will be fender to fender at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week. But two throwbacks will generate the most buzz: the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger concepts. Show preview | ...
Wining and dining; 10 CEOs' favorite restaurants.(News)(Directory)
Jan 02, 2006 ... 10 CEOs' favorite restaurants 1. Bill Ford, CEO, Ford Motor: Giovanni's Ristorante, Detroit 2. Mike Jackson, CEO, AutoNation: Jackson's Four Fifty, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 3. Koichi Kondo, CEO, American Honda Motor Co.: Ooedo, Tokyo Aoyama, Japan ...
2005 Newsmakers.(News)
Jan 02, 2006 ... Malcolm Bricklin The tireless promoter spins a vision of cheap Chinese cars flooding the United States. He hoped to sell Chinese cars here by 2007, to be financed by millions collected from eager dealer-investors. So far, the dealers aren't biting. Fujio Cho ...
Hyundai looks to IT to improve service.(Service & Parts)(Interview)
Jan 02, 2006 ... Byline: Gail Kachadourian Don Dees is Hyundai Motor America's new vice president of service. He oversees Hyundai's service operations, technical training and support, warranties and service contracts, customer surveys and consumer affairs. Before Dees, 46, joined ...
NADA: Credit scammers target parts departments.(Service & Parts)
Jan 02, 2006 ... Byline: Donna Harris Dealers must tighten policies on taking parts orders by credit card or risk getting scammed, the National Automobile Dealers Association warns. A new e-mail message from NADA to state and metropolitan dealer groups includes tips for curtailing ...
10 marketing gambits.(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006 ... 1. Lee Iacocca pitches Chrysler's employee discount plan with rapper Snoop Dogg and actor Jason Alexander. 2. Pontiac introduces the Solstice on NBC reality show "The Apprentice.'' 3. Lexus attempts product placement in magazine articles. 4. GM budgets ...
A fond farewell; The auto industry said goodbye to a number of luminaries in 2005. Here are some of those who died last year.(News)(Obituary)
Jan 02, 2006 ... * Tom Adams, 85, retired CEO of Campbell-Ewald, died Jan. 25. He joined the advertising agency in 1945, worked on the Chevrolet account, and became a vice president in 1955. He was named president in 1958 and chairman and CEO in 1968. Among the Chevy ad themes during his tenure were "See ...
Telling signs.(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006 ... 10 signs that Toyota Motor Corp. will conquer the world 1. In its dealings with the public and press, Toyota sounds more confident and less modest. 2. Toyota earns record profits from building and selling vehicles, not vehicle financing and nonautomotive operations. ...
BMW aims to be top-selling European brand in U.S. again.(News)(BMW of North America L.L.C.)(Interview)
Jan 02, 2006; ... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko As 2005 came to a close, BMW of North America LLC was poised not only to outsell archrival Mercedes-Benz again but, for the second year running, become the top selling European brand in the United States, says CEO Tom Purves. Purves has ...
10 rising stars.(News)
Jan 02, 2006 ... Jim Bolte, 46 Vice president, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama Inc. After heading Toyota's North American IT push, the company dispatched Bolte to its new Huntsville, Ala., truck engine plant. He's focusing on keeping up with Toyota's engine demand. ...
Family marketing message now is to parents, not kids.(Marketing)
Jan 02, 2006; ... Byline: Laura Clark Geist A few years ago, automakers thought they had the key to marketing to parents through their children: Put characters from cartoons and kids' TV shows and movies in ads for minivans and SUVs. Ford Division used characters from "Blue's Clues'' ...
10 top concept cars.(News)
Jan 02, 2006 ... 1. Mazda MX-Crossport: The Mazda6 provides the underpinnings for a five-seat crossover that arrives as a 2007 model. Styling cues were taken from the sporty MX-Crossport concept. The production vehicle, dubbed CX-7, debuts at the Detroit auto show. 2. Opel Antara GTC: This ...
10 European cars we wish were sold here.(News)
Jan 02, 2006 ... 1. Alfa Romeo Brera Ah, Alfa Romeo! Sigh ... Why did those fabled Italians abandon America? The sexy Brera coupe is the kind of car that could rekindle a passionate American-Italian automotive affair. The coupe has just the kind of emotional appeal that U.S. car designers used ...
Challenger takes cues from pony era.(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006; ... Byline: Rick Kranz Dodge harnessed styling cues from the pony car era for its new Challenger concept. The Hemi-powered, rear-drive coupe draws on design themes first seen on the 1970 Challenger. The Challenger competed against the Ford Mustang in the 1970-74 model ...
Nissan will debut 3 small vehicles.(News)(Nissan Motor Company Ltd)(Brief Article)
Jan 02, 2006; ... Byline: Kathy Jackson The theme at the Nissan display could aptly be labeled "Think small.'' The automaker will introduce three small vehicles at the Detroit auto show: 1. The 2007 Versa, a car that will be positioned below the Sentra. 2. The ...
Pony cars may outbuzz SUVs, crossovers: Part 1 of 2; Cool Camaro, Challenger concepts could outshine production models.(News)
Jan 02, 2006 ... It's kind of like 1970 - the year the Chevrolet Camaro was redesigned and the Dodge Challenger was introduced - all over again. Chevrolet will introduce the new Camaro next week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and Dodge will take the wraps off the ...
Departures.(News)(Peter Butterfield resigns from Kia Motors America Inc.)(Eckhard Cordes resigns from DaimlerChrysler AG. Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars & smart Div.)(Earl Hesterberg resigns from Ford Motor Co.)(as well as others from Delphi Corp., Volkswagen, General Motors China, Mitsubishi Motors North America and Collins & Aikman Corp.)
Jan 02, 2006 ... 2005 was a year filled with surprise executive defections from across the auto industry. Here are 10 of the biggest. J.T. Battenberg III CEO, Delphi Corp. He said his retirement had nothing to do with an accounting scandal unfolding at the largest U.S ....
Wheel suppliers take a pounding; Amcast's woes disrupt Corvette wheel shipments.
Jan 02, 2006 ... Byline: Robert Sherefkin The wheels are coming off the wheel industry. Beset by reduced business from automakers, higher raw material and energy costs and cutthroat pricing, the key players in North American wheel making are grappling with financial problems. ...
10 big blunders.(News)
Jan 02, 2006 ... Only 10 blunders in 2005? Hardly. But here are 10 that caught our eye. 1. Now everybody's mad A public-relations crisis involving gays was not on Ford Motor Co.'s Christmas wish list. But that's what it got. In early December, Ford said its Jaguar and Land Rover ...
Auto News Briefly.(Briefs)
Jan 09, 2006 ... Here's a concept: Lamborghini will stay small Although it unveiled the Miura concept last week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Automobili Lamborghini has no plans to expand its lineup beyond the Murcielago and Gallardo sports cars. And it doesn't want to increase its volume to ...
Fields: Nap time is over.(Final assembly)(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006 ... The Field of Dreams mind-set has become a nightmare - and the Big 3 had better wake up, says Mark Fields. "That `Build it and they will come' attitude is ... old thinking that we need to shed as American automakers,'' Ford Motor Co.'s president for the Americas said last week in ...
Asian firm plans plastic microcar for Europe.(News)(Innovech International Ltd.)
Jan 09, 2006; ... Byline: Alysha Webb Visit Europe and you will quickly get used to seeing tiny cars zipping around the cities. Now, an Asian company wants to add a new, plastic-bodied vehicle to the mix. The auto, called the mycar, is just 81/2 feet long and 5 feet high. The ...
Investors plan to reopen former Venture plant.(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006 ... A group of investors has purchased a closed Venture Holdings Co. LLC plant in Kentucky with plans to re-establish production. The group, Melleck LLC, of Hopkinsville, Ky., is contacting customers of Venture's former plastics-injection-molding site in Hopkinsville in an attempt ...
Obituaries.(Obituary)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
Jan 09, 2006 ... Thomas Naquin ELKHART, Ind. - Thomas Naquin, retired chairman of Tom Naquin Chevrolet-Cadillac-Nissan-Oldsmobile-Suzuki Inc. here, died Dec. 20. He was 78. John Roberts AUSTIN, Texas - John Roberts, dealer principal of Lexus of Austin and former owner of ...
LaNeve: It's time to talk product at GM.(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006; ... Byline: Kathy Jackson General Motors' top sales executive says gloomy financial news has overshadowed the GM product story, but new ads this month will begin to change that. "These ads will say we have the best product, here's why - and that we also have the best ...
Auto News Digest.(Briefs)
Jan 09, 2006 ... Warrantech shops for insurer BEDFORD, Texas - Warrantech Corp., a large provider of vehicle service contracts and aftermarket warranties, has extended its insurance relationship with Great American Insurance Co. The relationship was scheduled to end Nov. 14, 2005. The extension ...
GM encourages dealers to use Reynolds or Quorum systems.
Jan 09, 2006; ... Byline: Ralph Kisiel General Motors is asking its 7,300 dealerships in the United States and Canada to use computer systems and services from either Reynolds and Reynolds Co. or Canadian vendor Quorum Information Technologies Inc. The initiative could affect thousands ...
Hybrid supply chain expands.(Saturn Vue Green Line from Cobasys)(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006; ... Byline: Richard Truett When the Saturn Vue Green Line goes on sale in August, it will mark the birth of the North American supply chain for gasoline-electric hybrids. The Green Line's battery pack comes from Cobasys, a joint venture between Electronic Conversion ...
Ford Reflex: Sporty, diesel-electric hybrid.(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006; ... Byline: Richard Truett Had Ford kept its Probe coupe around for a third generation, it might have morphed into something like the low-slung Reflex concept car. The Ford brand hasn't had a front-wheel-drive performance coupe since the Probe expired in 1997. The Reflex, ...
Chrysler shows off rwd options.(News)
Jan 09, 2006; ... Byline: Rick Kranz The Dodge Challenger and Chrysler Imperial concepts show the versatility of the Chrysler group's rear-drive LX vehicle platform. The Challenger is a sleek retro-styled four-passenger coupe that draws inspiration from the 1970 Challenger. It's ...
Can GM get bugs out of shipping? UAW: Crates from Mexico contain more than parts.(General Motors Corp.)
Jan 09, 2006; ... Byline: Robert Sherefkin Globalization could be taking a bite - literally - out of some General Motors operations. UAW officials report that shipments from Mexico sometimes contain unwelcome stowaways, including scorpions and large, furry spiders. In ...
GM teams with Ukraine carmaker to avoid tariff; AvtoZAZ builds Chevys from kits, then ships them to Russia duty-free.(News)
Jan 09, 2006 ... Byline: Lyle Frink As its partnership with Russia's largest automaker, AvtoVAZ, cools, General Motors has found another way to get its cars into the country. Ukrainian automaker AvtoZAZ builds the Chevrolet Lanos from kits and ships them duty-free into Russia. ...
Valeo splits approach to night vision; Supplier develops active, passive systems.(Vehicle Technology)
Jan 09, 2006; ... Byline: Jens Meiners, Jason Stein In a bid to become a larger player in the high-technology market, Valeo SA is trying to sell night-vision technology to automakers. The French supplier is developing two night-vision systems, one active and one passive. ...
Experts will discuss finance strategy.(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006 ... Three corporate finance experts will join a panel discussion on financial strategy at the Automotive News World Congress on Jan. 17 in Dearborn, Mich. Robin Adams, CFO of supplier BorgWarner Inc.; John Casesa, Merrill Lynch's global coordinator of automotive research; and ...
UAW, Opel worker reps will discuss GM cost cuts.(News)
Jan 09, 2006 ... Byline: Harald Hamprecht Trade unions at General Motors' Opel subsidiary in Germany will discuss joint action with their U.S. counterparts to fight cost-cutting moves. Opel workers' representatives also are demanding that GM export Germany-built Opels to the United ...
Personnel.(People)(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006 ... COLLINS & AIKMAN CORP. - Tim Trenary to vice president and treasurer. He was finance director for South America and director of financial services and processes at Federal-Mogul Corp. Matti Masanovich to vice president of internal audit. He was chief audit executive and director ...
View to the Cosmos.(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006 ... ASC Inc. developed a two-directional sliding roof system for its Cosmos concept vehicle. The Southgate, Mich., supplier says the ...
GL is Mercedes' 1st full-sized SUV.(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006; ... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Despite higher gasoline prices and waning consumer interest in large SUVs, Mercedes-Benz is adding a seven-seat SUV to its U.S. lineup. Mercedes was scheduled to unveil the full-sized GL class at the Detroit auto show on Sunday, Jan. 8. ...
Ford pickup concept burns hydrogen.(News)
Jan 09, 2006; ... Byline: Richard Truett The F-250 Super Chief concept provides a peek at where Ford Division wants to take its next generation of heavy-duty pickups. The brawny body looks as if it were chiseled out of granite. It has an in-your-face version of Ford's corporate ...
J.D. Power: Ford Credit tops in leases.(Finance & insurance)
Jan 09, 2006 ... Byline: Gail Kachadourian Ford Credit leads automakers' captive finance companies for customer satisfaction with its leasing practices, a new study says. According to J.D. Power and Associates' 2005 Consumer Financing Satisfaction Study, Ford Credit finished first in ...
GM gets a break on hybrid rule; Government gives company time to re-engineer system.(General Motors Corp)
Jan 09, 2006; ... Byline: Harry Stoffer Evolving vehicle technology and government regulation again are proving a prickly combination. Hybrids provide the latest example. The emergence of hybrid cars and trucks forced federal regulators to rewrite a 35-year-old rule that requires a ...
How to buy American and save money; Careful cost analysis makes a difference in the long run.(Opinion)
Jan 09, 2006; ... Byline: Donald A. Manzullo Recent news reports have painted a gloomy picture for domestic carmakers. Ford Motor Co. and General Motors face serious credit and profitability issues and foreign incursions into their domestic markets. While America's appetite for new cars remains ...
The Final Say.(Final assembly)
Jan 09, 2006 ... "General Motors, the world's largest automaker, announces that, despite a massive program of rebates, zero-interest financing, employee discounts, lifetime mechanical warranties and dealer incentives, it ...
How the 2 systems work.(Vehicle Technology)(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006 ... Both active and passive night-vision systems detect infrared energy that is invisible to the human eye. Each system helps people see in the dark - even when there is an absence of light, infrared radiation is still there. Like the human eye, passive night-vision systems receive ...
Ford Credit, Allstate back in business.(Finance & insurance)
Jan 09, 2006 ... Byline: Donna Harris Ford Motor Credit Co. has resolved a dispute with Allstate Insurance Co. over claims procedures. As a result, the captive will continue to finance Guaranteed Asset Protection, or GAP, contracts insured by Allstate and its affiliates. Ford Credit ...
Japanese automakers see exports as key to growth in 2006.(News)(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006; ... Byline: James Treece Japan's domestic auto market is expected to improve only modestly this year. Two industry associations forecast some gains for foreign-brand imports and trucks. But they predict other segments will be soft. The implication of a weak ...