Automotive News back issues from July 2007:
Wake-up call: Toyota outsells GM; Does America really want to be first again?(Viewpoint essay)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Tom Nemet What is the meaning of Toyota Motor Corp. outselling General Motors worldwide in the first quarter of this year and Toyota Division outselling Chevrolet and Ford in the United States in May? Although purely a commercial matter, those developments ...
GM's ad plan: 1 agency for Buick-Pontiac-GMC.(News)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Byline: Jamie LaReau General Motors' firing of two longtime advertising agencies last week was made without the traditional review. GM marketing executives moved quickly to gain efficiencies by using a single agency to mirror GM's Buick-Pontiac-GMC sales channel, get ...
Dealers.(People)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Milestones Marian Tansky of Tansky Honda in Zanesville, Ohio, received a 30-year award for Honda from American Honda Motor Co. Dennis Hooks of Hooks Lincoln-Mercury in Weatherford, Texas, received a 25-year award for Lincoln and Mercury from Ford Motor Co. ...
First V-8 makes Hummer H3 an Alpha male; Engine promises greater oomph for off-road tasks.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Rick Kranz Hummer pumps up the 2008 H3 with the addition of the model line's first V-8. For 2008, Hummer is touting enhanced capability through a new model, the H3 Alpha. The V-8-powered model aims to capture the hearts of serious off-roaders along with ...
UnitedAuto Group takes Penske name.(Final assembly)(Penske Automotive Group Inc. )(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Say goodbye to UnitedAuto Group Inc. The public dealership group based in suburban Detroit is now Penske Automotive Group Inc. - as in CEO Roger Penske. Shareholders approved the new name at the company's annual meeting. The board of directors proposed the change because the ...
Chinese may revive Austin-Healey name.(Final assembly)(Nanjing Automobile; Healey Automobile Consultants )(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Austin-Healey, one of Great Britain's most cherished sports car brands, could be heading back to production, thanks to the Chinese. Nanjing Automobile and Healey Automobile Consultants have signed a deal to develop sports cars bearing the Austin-Healey and Healey brand names. ...
Faster chips pack more functions.(News)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Byline: Tim Moran Driven by relentless demands for new automotive electronics systems, two microchip makers say a powerful new generation of chips could be running car systems as soon as 2010. In a statement last month, STMicroelectronics Inc. and Freescale ...
JM Family shop offers accessories work.(News)(JM Family Enterprises Inc.)(Company overview)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Arlena Sawyers A new business run by Southeast Toyota Distributors LLC installs aftermarket accessories on new vehicles for Toyota dealerships. The pilot center opened in suburban Atlanta this spring. Five Toyota dealerships there are taking part in the ...
Production.(reopening of plant)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007 ... 3 tables: Scheduled plant overtime * Plant closings * North America car and truck production: see print copy CAPTION(S): The Chrysler group's Windsor, ...
Auto News Digest.(Briefs)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Chrysler certifies Auto/Mate for parts orders CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. - Chrysler group dealers can connect to Chrysler's parts inventory management system through a computer system operated by Auto/Mate Dealership Systems. Auto/Mate, of Clifton Park, says Chrysler has ...
Toyota is asking for trouble if it cranks up imports.(Opinion)
Jul 02, 2007 ... As Toyota Motor Corp. celebrates 50 years of selling cars in the United States, the company finds itself at a crossroads and seems headed in the wrong direction - back to the days when it relied heavily on exports from Japanese factories. Toyota's rapid growth - which has ...
Auto News Digest.(Briefs)
Jul 02, 2007 ... GM will sell Allison unit DETROIT - General Motors last week agreed to sell its Allison Transmission commercial and military business to the private equity firms Carlyle Group and Onex Corp. for about $5.6 billion. The agreement encompasses seven manufacturing operations in ...
Ford is paying $2,007 bonus on pickups, SUVs.(Incentives)(Ford Motor Co.)(sports utility vehicles)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. Along with fireworks, speeches and holiday parades, Ford Motor Co. customers can save a few bucks on cars and light trucks this week. In a Fourth of July promotion, Ford is offering 0 percent interest on all 2007 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury ...
Chrysler confirms 2-tier strategy for Chery vehicles.(News)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Byline: Rick Kranz Nissan's Carlos Ghosn talks about a $3,000 car. But the best Chrysler can hope for from China's Chery Automobile Co. is a car that might sell for around twice that price. Three thousand "is pretty low,'' said Frank Klegon, Chrysler's ...
Klegon: Time for soul-searching.(News)(Chrysler Corp.'s Frank Klegon)(Interview)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Rick Kranz The split from Daimler offers Chrysler a chance to reinvent itself, says Chrysler product development czar Frank Klegon. That's especially true on the engineering side, he said. Klegon said there are many questions to consider: "Where do ...
How do you say 'Firestone' in Chinese?(Final assembly)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Now, along with contaminated seafood, toxic toothpaste and kids' toys slathered with lead-based paint, comes another image booster for Chinese exports: tires that self-destruct. Foreign Tire Sales of New Jersey will recall replacement tires it imported from Chinese tire ...
GM, dealers seek to boost service work; Herberger's goal: More customer-pay maintenance and accessories sales.(Service & Parts)(Doug Herberger of General Motors' Service and Parts Operations)(Interview)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Laura Clark Geist For Doug Herberger, head of General Motors' Service and Parts Operations, the goal is nearly a mantra: One more out of 10. Just three of every 10 U.S. owners of GM vehicles take those cars and trucks to GM dealerships for regular maintenance, ...
What the Vatican forgot.(Final assembly)
Jul 02, 2007 ... The Vatican raised eyebrows recently by issuing a list of commandments for the road, and wags were quick to note a few that might have been added. Here are some from Tom and Ray Magliozzi, the Massachusetts wiseguys who host National Public Radio's "Car Talk'' program. ...
Energy chief: Bush would veto Senate's bill.(Final assembly)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007 ... It appears President Bush has his little-used veto pen aimed at the Senate's recently passed energy bill and its auto fuel economy provisions. Until this year, Bush has used the veto just once - the fewest of any president since the brief administration of the assassinated James ...
Despite slow sales, Crossfire will be back in 2008.(News)(Chrysler Crossfire )(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Bradford Wernle The Chrysler Crossfire - once a dramatic symbol of the promised synergies in the DaimlerChrysler merger, a marriage of German technology and American style - has become a bargain bin sports car. That merger is ending with the sale of Chrysler ...
Supply Line.(Briefs)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Metaldyne opens 1st China plant SUZHOU, China - Metaldyne Corp. opened a plant here last month, marking the company's first operation in China. In a statement, Metaldyne said it invested $10 million in the project and expects annual revenue of more than $100 million ...
Wanted: A few innovative dealers.(News)
Jul 02, 2007 ... If you are a franchised new-car dealer and have pioneered any winning strategy in any part of your business, please tell us about it. We're gathering ideas for a ...
Race is on for low-priced car in India.(News)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: James B. Treece The global race to build an inexpensive car is shifting to India. Today, the $4,000 Maruti 800, built by a unit of Suzuki Motor Corp., owns the low end of that market. But plans by Tata Motors Ltd. for a car that would be priced below $3,000 ...
Nissan's turnaround artist; Mark McNabb returns to restart Nissan, Infiniti sales.
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Mark McNabb's sudden return to Nissan North America's top executive ranks comes with a challenge: His demanding boss, Carlos Ghosn, is not happy. McNabb, 46, spent the first 20 years of his career working up the ladder at the Nissan and ...
New GM work salves Delphi's pains.(News)(contract of General Motors Corp. and Delphi Corp.)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: David Barkholz General Motors sweetened the UAW-Delphi Corp. agreement with new work, including future fuel cell product assembly, to make the concessionary contract a little more palatable to the rank and file. UAW-represented Delphi workers ratified the ...
Late News.
Jul 02, 2007 ... Pension fund opposes offer for Lear DETROIT - The California State Teachers' Retirement System says it will vote against Carl Icahn's $36-a-share bid for Lear Corp., further dampening the chances of the $2.86 billion sale. The pension fund, which controls nearly 2 percent of ...
Crash test dummies race against new competition; Market's growth plods but margins remain strong.(News)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Byline: Robert Sherefkin The world's two largest makers of automotive crash dummies are struggling with a slow-growth industry and new forms of competition. So to protect profits, the companies late last year hatched a merger plan with a strategy of winning "the mid- ...
New Accord only looks longer.(News)(information of 2008 Honda Accord)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007 ... The re-engineered 2008 Honda Accord sedan, snapped in Canada, has new sheet metal. The taillights, above, slope rearward to create the illusion that it's much longer ...
Honda retools; top exec seeks to be closer to plant floor.(News)(Honda of America Manufacturing Inc.)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Byline: Ralph Kisiel The Japanese head of Honda manufacturing in the United States has removed a layer of general manager roles in an effort to improve communication and teamwork between management and the factory floor. Akio Hamada, president of Honda of America ...
Some suppliers see dollars in a higher CAFE.(News)(corporate average fuel economy)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Harry Stoffer Most auto industry lobbyists are united against what they call "extreme'' fuel economy proposals. But some companies see business opportunities in the proposals. A case in point: Top executives of CellTech Metals Inc. last month pitched to ...
Ford will expand development plan.(People)(Ford Motor Co.)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Byline: Amy Wilson The new Ford Fiesta will be the first car designed and engineered under Ford Motor Co.'s new global vehicle development program. Derrick Kuzak, Ford's global product development chief, says the aim is to develop a small car (which Ford calls a B-car) that is ...
Jeep thrills: Ad blast focuses on fun.(News)(Jeep Eagle Corp.)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Mary Connelly Jeep's first advertising campaign produced by its new creative agency promotes the brand's off-road heritage and expanded SUV lineup. Cutwater, the San Francisco ad agency hired this year to handle creative duties, is presenting a three-stage ...
Suzuki joins the crowd in St. Petersburg; Automotive cluster takes shape near Russian port.(News)(Suzuki Motor Corp.)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Anna Smolchenko Global automakers are turning this northwestern Baltic port into a Russian production center because of its proximity to Europe, logistics links and access to this country's car-hungry customers. Suzuki Motor Corp. is the latest to pick St ....
Letters To The Editor.(Letters)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Needed: Diesels, 35 mpg by 2010 To the Editor: With the exception of a few hybrid vehicles, the Detroit 3 and the major import brands have done nothing to improve vehicle fuel economy in the last 20 years. National security suffers when we subsidize global ...
Look to Asia, Europe for new products.(Column)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Byline: KEITH CRAIN There will be a lot of tears and hand-wringing if and when the new corporate average fuel economy rules go into effect. During the next decade or so, they will ratchet up fuel economy to about 35 mpg from the current 27.5 mpg for cars and 22.2 mpg for light ...
Young techs strut their stuff; why not give them hybrids?(Final assembly)(Editorial)
Jul 02, 2007 ... It had been a while, so I stopped by the national finals of the Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills competition, which were held last week on the front lawn of the Glass House in Dearborn. That's the contest where high school student mechanics race one another to debug engines that have been ...
Driven to diesels; Powerplants boost fuel economy in light-duty trucks.(News)(diesel engines saving fuel economy )
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Richard Truett The Detroit 3 are racing to install fuel-saving diesel engines in their U.S. light trucks. Nissan and Toyota may be in the race, too. Diesels are common in domestic brands' heavy-duty pickups. But fuel economy concerns and competitive pressures ...
The main man at Manheim describes his perfect day.(Interview)(Cox Enterprises Inc. Manheim Auctions Div.)(interview with Dean Eisner)(Interview)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Arlena Sawyers Back in his yuppie days, Dean Eisner was a rising young star at some of the world's most prestigious blue-chip corporations. But he wound up a used-car salesman - and boy, is he glad. Eisner held executive jobs at Sony, CBS and General Electric ...
High court ruling roils vehicle pricing waters; Makers may get more muscle to enforce stickers.(News)(United States. Supreme Court)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Byline: Donna Harris, Harry Stoffer Auto dealers and shoppers routinely ignore manufacturers' vehicle sticker prices. But a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week appears to give car companies greatly expanded power to set the retail prices that dealers charge. In a 5-4 ...
Coalition drafts guidelines to protect dealership data.(News)(A)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Open Secure Access Inc. has completed the first set of guidelines designed to protect auto dealership data while in the hands of third-party vendors. The guidelines were developed by the 50 members of Open Secure Access - including some of the ...
Lobby group: Senate bill gives Nissan a CAFE freebie.(News)(corporate average fuel economy)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Harry Stoffer Automakers' top lobbying group here says a Senate-passed increase in fuel economy standards would give Nissan "an unfair competitive advantage.'' A letter to House members last week from Dave McCurdy, president of the Alliance of Automobile ...
Ferrari future: Lean, green.(News)(Ferrari S.p.A.)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Byline: Luca Ciferri Pressure to improve fuel economy is a big challenge to all carmakers - even Ferrari. Ferrari's response is to make future models lighter. The strategy: Smaller engines and lighter vehicles that will emit less carbon dioxide without dulling the ...
GM design exec: We'll keep brands fresh.(People)(General Motors Europe AG)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink On June 1, Mark Adams was named General Motors Europe's vice president of design, giving him responsibility for the Opel, Vauxhall and Saab brands. The 45-year-old London native began his career in 1986 at Ford of Europe. He joined GM Europe in ...
Volvo won't build plant in North America.(News)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Byline: Dale Jewett Volvo Car Corp. won't build an assembly plant in North America because it is less expensive to produce vehicles in Europe, CEO Fredrik Arp said. "The payback on a North American plant is pretty long,'' Arp said here at the Automotive News Europe ...
After building DaimlerChrysler Financial, it's time to blow it up; Exec must undo combo he spent years creating.(News)(Klaus Entenmann)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Brent Snavely After spending the better part of a decade combining the financial service arms of Mercedes, Freightliner and Chrysler into one company, Klaus Entenmann now must pull the companies apart. It won't be easy. Entenmann, CEO of ...
Chrysler bets big on dual-clutch transmissions.(News)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Bradford Wernle The Chrysler group wants to become the North American leader in dual-clutch transmission technology. Chrysler, in conjunction with its transmission joint venture partner Getrag Corp., started construction last month on a $530 million ...
Chamco begins recruiting Mexico dealers.(News)(China America Cooperative Automotive Inc.)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Stephen Downer Top officers of would-be Chinese auto importer and distributor Chamco Auto met formally here with potential suppliers and dealers for the first time last week. Sports car impresario Steve Saleen and Chamco CEO Bill Pollack were conspicuous at ...
Dealer hits big time with boost from private equity.(Carlos Hoz de Vila )(Company overview)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Donna Harris When Carlos Hoz de Vila wanted to leave his native Bolivia and go to college in the United States, the teenager earned $50,000 by handling complicated financial deals for banks. After he later got a job in Washington, D.C., as a fledgling car ...
Elena Ford gets Ford Credit marketing post.(People)(Ford Motor Co.)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Richard Truett Elena Ford's star continues to rise at Ford Motor Co. The 41-year-old great-great-granddaughter of Henry Ford takes over Aug. 1 as executive vice president in charge of global brand marketing at Ford Motor Credit Co. Since 2005, Elena Ford has ...
Asensio: Auto industry must retain women.(News)(Anne Asensio)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink If the auto industry does not involve more women in its product decisions, it risks becoming irrelevant. That is one of the views that car designer Anne Asensio shared when she addressed the Automotive News Europe Congress here last week. ...
Continental: Siemens prefers VDO go public.(News)(Siemens VDO Automotive AG)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Paul McVeigh Continental AG has made a competitive offer for Siemens VDO, Continental CEO Manfred Wennemer said last week. But Wennemer admitted that parent Siemens AG prefers an initial public offering for the future of Siemens VDO. "We are ...
Alapont: Wages must fall for suppliers to compete.(News)( Jose Maria Alapont)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Dale Jewett Wage rates in North America, Europe and Japan must fall for auto suppliers to be competitive, says Federal-Mogul CEO Jose Maria Alapont. Speaking at the Automotive News Europe Congress here last week, Alapont said suppliers are headed for a ...
Chevy drives GM growth in east Europe, Russia.(News)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink General Motors expects to sell 505,000 vehicles, or 25 percent of its European sales volume, in Russia and eastern and central Europe this year - up from 6 percent in 2001. "In 2010, 33 percent of our volume will be generated in these ...
Carmakers put less cash on barrelhead.(News)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Customer cash rebates are shrinking. In the second quarter through June 17, the average giveback was $2,100, according to the Power Information Network. That's down from $2,290 in the second quarter of last year and $2,555 in the second quarter of 2005. The average ...
Toyota scuttlebutt: New Scion SUV, hybrid-only Lexus.(Final assembly)(Toyota Motor Corp.)(sport utility vehicles)(Brief article)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Will Toyota rebadge a Subaru Tribeca SUV as a Scion to join the xB? Will the carmaker offer another hybrid-only model? Japan's New Model Magazine X floats the Scion xTribeca idea in its latest issue. A spy photo accompanying the story shows a Tribeca-like vehicle camouflaged for ...
Exports soar, put Japan back atop production list.
Jul 02, 2007; ... Byline: James B. Treece Japan is the world's biggest vehicle producer - again - thanks to a huge, Toyota-led surge in exports to North America. After a 12-year span in which the United States held the title, soaring exports thrust Japan back into first place in 2006 ....
Mitsubishi promotes Kuhnert.(News)
Jul 02, 2007 ... Byline: Kathy Jackson Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s top sales executive in North America has picked up responsibility for marketing, too. Dan Kuhnert has been named executive vice president of sales and marketing at Mitsubishi Motors North America. That's a promotion ...
Calendar.(Calendar)
Jul 02, 2007 ... AUTOSHOWS July 26-29 - Expo Auto & Moto Brazil, TransAmerica Expo Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 55-11-31495111, www.expoautomoto.com Aug. 29-Sept. 2 - Moscow International Motor Show, Crocus Expo, Moscow, 44 20 7596 5177, www.motorshows-ite.com Sept. 13-23 - ...
The Fit fits in - but Honda dealers can't get 'em.(News)(Brief article)
Jul 09, 2007; ... Byline: Kathy Jackson Honda dealers are begging for more small Fit cars, but they're not likely to get all they want. Dealers will receive about 54,000 units of the Japan-built Fit this year, says Dan Bonawitz, vice president of corporate planning and logistics for ...
Job swap works for BMW, Mini marketers.(News)(Brief article)
Jul 09, 2007; ... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko It isn't often that two auto executives swap jobs and corner offices. But that's what happened at BMW of North America LLC two years ago. Jack Pitney became vice president of marketing, and Jim McDowell took over as vice president and head of ...
Pick up the PACE applications now.(News)
Jul 09, 2007 ... Auto suppliers have until Sept. 14 to apply for the 2008 Automotive News PACE Awards. The awards - co-sponsored by Microsoft, SAP and the Transportation Research Center Inc. - recognize suppliers for innovation. This will be the 14th year for the awards. Independent judges will ...
GM's awful June depresses market.(Sales)(Statistical data)
Jul 09, 2007; ... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. Shackled by an absolutely horrific performance by General Motors, June sales of new cars and light trucks were the second-lowest in 10 years for that month. The rest of the U.S. industry did reasonably well, but GM's sales of domestic cars and trucks ...
Late News.(Brief article)
Jul 09, 2007 ... Dana unveils plans to exit bankruptcy DETROIT - Troubled parts supplier Dana Corp. on Friday announced a plan to leave Chapter 11 reorganization. The plan includes new labor agreements and a $750 million investment led by the private equity firm Centerbridge Capital Partners LP ....
Foreigners invest in N. American suppliers; Expansion-minded companies from Asia are especially active.(Suppliers)
Jul 09, 2007; ... Byline: Brent Snavely For nearly two years, merger and acquisition pros have said foreign companies were shopping for U.S. auto suppliers. But actual deals were hard to find. That's changing. In recent months, several overseas automotive suppliers and ...
Ford thinks pink for breast cancer.(Final assembly)(Brief article)
Jul 09, 2007 ... Finally, Ford has a rare, limited-production Mustang that won't send your banker and insurance agent into convulsions. It's called the Warrior in Pink. Under the hood is a tame and economical 4.0-liter V-6, not the fire-breathing V-8s of the Shelby or GT models. The WIP, as Ford ...