Automotive News back issues from November 2008:
Credit? Come and get it, industry groups say.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Byline: Donna Harris Following the three best-selling automakers in the United States, industry groups aim to assure wary consumers they can get financed despite the credit crunch. Credit is available, say groups as varied as the used-vehicle retailer CarMax Inc. and ...
Citizenship.(NEWS)(Jake Sweeney Chevrolet-Imports Inc's donation to American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008 ... * Jake Sweeney of Jake Sweeney Chevrolet in Cincinnati has invited the SPCA Cincinnati mobile unit to spend a day at the dealership three times this year. The SPCA, an animal shelter ...
Dealer wish list.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Among NADA's proposals for helping dealerships and boosting the economy. The feds should * Provide refundable tax credits to vehicle buyers * Restore the tax deduction for ...
NADA: Give us tax incentives, dealer loan guarantees.(NEWS)(National Automobile Dealers Association)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Byline: Harry Stoffer The National Automobile Dealers Association wants an economic stimulus bill to boost showroom traffic and vehicle sales. Dealers also need loan guarantees to keep their doors open, NADA says. Among the incentives the dealer group suggests are ...
Detroit 3 needand deserveU.S. help now.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Now is the time for government to come to the aid of the domestic auto industry. No rational person relishes the thought of the U.S. government getting involved in any business. But if the existence of a domestic auto industry is important to this nation, society through its ...
Waiting is what it's all about, Alfa.(NEWS)(Alfa Romeo S.p.A.)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Talk about on-again, off-again. American Alfisti could grow old waiting for their favorite Italian brand to return to the United States. For nearly a decade, Fiat Group has been planning, and un-planning, Alfa Romeo's re-emergence in the United States. Alfa departed these shores ...
Buy Chrysler? GM should sell Buick to SAIC.(NEWS)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008 ... So General Motors is lobbying Washington for money to buy Chrysler. But before tax money is approved for the deal, I'd like GM to try harder to sell assets and raise private capital. Here's an idea: Sell Buick to its partner in China, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. ...
Pickups pumped up by pump price plunge.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Wow. Driving through Brownsburg, Ind., last week, one of our far-flung correspondents found a filling station selling gasoline for $1.83 a gallon. True, gasoline is not that cheap everywhere. But the price of fuel sure has come down. So, is the reduced pain at the pump affecting ...
Chrysler hybrids, we hardly new ye.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008 ... It always did seem like a curious decision Chrysler's plan to build its first hybrid vehicles, the 2009 Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango Hemi hybrids, in a plant scheduled to close at the end of 2009. Chrysler began building the sibling SUVs in August, and they started ...
Ghosn: Your best partner is a president in your pocket.(NEWS)(Renault-Nissan' Carlos Ghosn )(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn says the global financial crisis may deter automakers from forming partnerships such as, oh, the one Nissan is reported to be considering with Chrysler. As for the current credit crunch, what is the key to survival? Cash lots of cash, Ghosn ...
Sonic wins, but Mercedes wants last word.(NEWS)(Sonic Automotive Inc.)(Mercedes-Benz USA Inc.)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Sonic Automotive has scored a victory in its nasty skirmish with Mercedes-Benz USA the one in which Sonic President Scott Smith accused Mercedes of trying to "extort millions of dollars in unneeded dealership improvements. In February, publicly held Sonic agreed to buy Beck ...
Ford Credit seeks to tap $700 billion package.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Byline: Amy Wilson Ford Motor Co. wants to share in the $700 billion bailout package approved by Congress last month. CEO Alan Mulally acknowledged that Ford is talking to officials in Washington about whether Ford Motor Credit Co. could be eligible for assistance ...
Still captive?(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Who owns Detroit 3 captive finance companies * Ford Motor Credit: Ford Motor Co. owns 100%. * GMAC Financial Services: Cerberus ...
Advantage, Ford: Mulally likes owning Ford Credit.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Byline: Jamie LaReau As its crosstown rivals deal with balky captive finance companies that they no longer control, Ford Motor Co. is pitching its full ownership of Ford Motor Credit Co. as a strategic advantage. Ford Credit has "been through a lot with the world ...
Flexibility will help Honda survive the storm.(NEWS)(Honda Motor Company Ltd's Takeo Fukui )(Interview)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Honda Motor Co. has weathered the U.S. market downturn better than its major competitors, thanks to fuel-efficient vehicles and flexible manufacturing. CEO Takeo Fukui says his company expects worse times to come. The key to staying ahead of rivals will be rolling out cars with ...
GM takeover would eviscerateChrysler ranks, model lineup.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Byline: David Sedgwick We've seen plenty of badge-engineered cars and trucks. But have we ever witnessed a badge-engineered company? It's hard to get enthusiastic about a merger between General Motors and Chrysler. Where are the synergies? Both companies need more ...
Help vehicles shed pounds.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Weight matters. Reducing weight is high on the list of ways to improve vehicle fuel efficiency. How to do so will be a prime topic at the first Automotive News Green Car Conference and Exhibition on Nov. 13 in suburban Detroit. Representatives of the steel, aluminum ...
Dealers squawk as GM ends used-car spiff.(NEWS)(General Motors Corp.)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Jamie LaReau For the first time in years, General Motors is pulling the plug early on a certified used-car financing program, a GM spokesman confirmed Friday, Oct. 31. The company is doing so because of a lack of credit funding, said spokesman John McDonald. ...
The green scene.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... What: Automotive News Green Car Conference/Exhibition When: Thursday, Nov. 13 Where: Rock Financial Showplace, Novi, Mich. Cost: ...
Cash crunch grows: GM delays vehicles.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Byline: Jamie LaReau General Motors executives are running the company "minute by minute as they slash the product development budget to save as much as $1.5 billion. GM's decision to delay key vehicles such as the Chevrolet Cruze as long as a year is a sign of ...
The bidders.(NEWS)(Bill Heard Enterprises Inc.)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Established dealers are the lead bidders for the stores in Bill Heard Enterprises' former empire. Here are the bidders so far. * Carl Black, 58. Bid for store in Kennesaw, Ga. Owns 5 new-car and 2 used-car stores in Georgia, Tennessee and Florida. Dealer since 1993. * ...
Chrysler needs a buyer, but not GM.(NEWS)(General Motors Acceptance Corp.)(Cerberus Capital Management L.P.)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Keith Crain Make no mistake; Cerberus is desperate to find a buyer for Chrysler. Cerberus is losing billions of dollars of its own and its clients' money and realizes that it cannot continue to do so. At the same time, Cerberus is trying to figure out what to ...
Honda's N.A. operating profit falls 80.6% in quarter.(NEWS)(Financial report)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Byline: Hans Greimel Honda Motor Co.'s operating profit in North America tumbled 80.6 percent in the July-September quarter, spurring the automaker to cut its full-year earnings outlook. Regional operating profit dropped to [yen]22.5 billion ($208.3 million) in the ...
Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda recast fiscal 2009 forecasts.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Byline: Hans Greimel Three Japanese automakers last week slashed their outlooks for the current fiscal year, which ends March 31. Nissan Motor Co. said it will cut output and its work force to bring inventory in line with tumbling U.S. demand. In an ...
Mexico sales fall 10.7%in September.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Byline: Chrissie Thompson Mexico's new-car and light-truck sales fell 10.7 percent in September from a year earlier, to 77,267. In the first nine months of 2008, sales dropped 2.0 percent to 763,020. In September, sales of vehicles made in Mexico rose 10.1 ...
Bidders bet they can rebuild Heard; 4 dealers aim to rescue stores afterempire collapses.(NEWS)(Bill Heard Enterprises Inc.)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: April Worthamand Chrissie Thompson A second-generation Michigan dealer with Detroit blood in his veins. A retired NFL player who turned a bad car-buying experience into a career. A Texas megadealer who built a Chevrolet empire with a laid-back approach. The ...
Quietly, Mini seeks 500 drivers to lease electric car for a year.(NEWS)(BMW of North America L.L.C.)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Mini is recruiting 500 drivers in California, New York and New Jersey to lease its electric car for a year. In the two weeks that MiniUSA.com has been offering a peek at the Mini E, 9,500 people have signed up for more information, says Trudy ...
Ford sticks with small-car plans; Mulally banks on strategy despite F-150 marketing blitz.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Byline: Amy Wilson A funny thing happened on the way to the Ford F-150 pickup launch. Last summer, Ford Motor Co. delayed the debut of the re-engineered "09 model after gasoline topped $4 a gallon. Next, Ford gave up on National Football League ads. Then gasoline ...
Customizer uses direct approach to quality.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Patricia Scott Customizing vehicles is one of the highest-margin businesses in the auto industry. Dealers, aftermarket installers and automakers all want a piece of the action. Last year, U.S. customers bought $38.1 billion worth of auto accessories, the ...
Talk from the top.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Honda CEO Takeo Fukui says flexible manufacturing has been a key part of Honda's strong performance during the U.S. market downturn. ...
Tracking the storm.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... * GM takeover would eviscerate Chrysler jobs, model lineup. Page 39 * Dealers want a federal stimulus to boost sales. Page 8 * Ghosn: Meltdown means automakers won't do deals. Page 42 * Mulally: Full ownership of ...
Reynolds bolsters document business.(NEWS)(Reynolds and Reynolds Co's acquisition of DiversiForm Inc.)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Reynolds and Reynolds Co. has acquired DiversiForm Inc., a Beaverton, Ore., business that provides printed forms and labels to dealerships. Reynolds, a Dayton, Ohio, supplier of dealership management systems, has a documents business. The ...
Plunging prices.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008 ... After rising for 44 consecutive months, retail vehicle transaction prices, year on year, began ...
The great revenue drop of 2008.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008 ... It has been a truly lousy year for the auto industry, but you knew that. Still, let's plumb the depths of the 2008 downturn a little further. Consider that even with this year's shockingly steep decline in unit sales, the plunge in industrywide revenue is even worse. That's ...
Aug. RV shipments fall 44%.(NEWS)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Chrissie Thompson August shipments of motor homes to retailers hit their lowest level for that month in more than 35 years. U.S. shipments for the month totaled 1,700, a loss of almost two-thirds from August 2007's total of 4,900, according to the Recreation ...
Suzuki's new ad strategist: This brand has soul.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Rob Siltanen has plenty of auto advertising experience. While creative director at the Chiat/Day agency for several years, he worked on the Nissan and Infiniti accounts and supervised several big launches. In 1999, Siltanen started his own agency, Siltanen & Partners, with an ...
New ads aim to raise Suzuki's low profile.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Byline: Kathy Jackson If Suzuki can't get traction when small-car sales are soaring, when will the brand get going in the United States? Except for the XL7 SUV, all of the Japanese brand's models have fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines. All have four- or ...
1 size fits all; Catalog offers Infiniti ragtop before L.A. show.(NEWS)(Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A. Infiniti Div.)(contract with Bloomingdale's Inc.)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Lindsay Chappell A long-awaited Infiniti convertible will go public at the Los Angeles auto show on Nov. 19. But Bloomingdale's customers will get the opportunity to buy it before then. A limited-edition Infiniti G convertible featuring a red interior, ...
Campaigns' climate, energy plans hit economic wall.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Harry Stoffer They haven't attracted as much attention as Joe the Plumber. But the proposals on climate change and energy offered by presidential contenders John McCain and Barack Obama would have far-reaching and long-lasting effects on the auto industry. ...
Mitsubishi CEO: Let's halt Galant production in U.S. Masuko wants Normal plant to build small cars for export.(NEWS)(Mitsubishi Motors Corp's Osamu Masuko )
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Hans Greimel Mitsubishi CEO Osamu Masuko wants to kill Galant production in the United States. In its place, Masuko plans to produce small cars suitable for export at the company's unprofitable factory in Normal, Ill. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. also is ...
Nardelli: Bailout not perfect - but needed.(NEWS)(Chrysler L.L.C's Bob Nardelli )(Interview)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Cerberus Capital Management LP stunned the industry in August 2007 when it made industry outsider Bob Nardelli the chairman and CEO of Chrysler LLC. Critics doubted he was up to the job, but Nardelli surprised them by holding his management team together amid rumors of discord ....
Detroit 3 tieshurt profits ofdealer groups.(NEWS)(Statistical data)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Exposure to the Detroit 3 contributed to third-quarter net losses for many publicly held dealership groups. Last week Sonic Automotive Inc. wrote down about $21 million in devalued Detroit 3 properties. Group 1 Automotive Inc. took an after-tax charge of about $30 million in franchise ...
Sticker, sticker at the mall, what's the cheapest of them all? The Versa.(NEWS)(Nissan Motor Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008 ... What's the least expensive U.S. car? Starting Nov. 18, it's the Nissan Versa. By putting in a smaller engine and taking out air conditioning, Nissan will offer a base Versa for $10,685, undercutting the $12,625 Chevrolet Aveo. Both sticker prices include shipping. ...
On the Web.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... This week at www.autonews.com: *Monday: Automakers report U.S. vehicle sales for October; Chrysler celebrates the 25th anniversary of the minivan in Windsor, Ontario. *Tuesday: ...
Supplier execs join innovation panel at congress.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Andrew Brown, chief technologist at Delphi Corp., and Phil Martens, president of the light-vehicle systems group at ArvinMeritor Inc., will join a roundtable discussion on the role of innovation in auto industry sustainability. The panel will meet Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 20, at ...
Acura offers quick service to win business.(NEWS)(American Honda Motor Company Inc. Acura)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Alysha Webb Acura division is testing a program that aims to capture quick-service business to boost its dealerships' service department revenues. Acura's Accelerate program offers dealership service customers an oil change, tire rotation with tread-depth and ...
Ford and GM jockey for steel discounts.(NEWS)(Ford Motor Co.)(General Motors Corp.)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Robert Sherefkinand David Barkholz General Motors and Ford Motor Co. appear to be putting off until the last minute their bulk purchases of steel to take advantage of rapidly falling prices. Falling vehicle production in North America and the consumer shift ...
Audi goes high-tech to boost service.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Byline: Jim Henry Audi of America Inc. and its dealers are pushing to improve dealership service departments as the luxury brand seeks to more than double U.S. sales. Audi is offering its 272 U.S. dealers bonuses for meeting prescribed service standards. The company ...
Battleground.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Florida's 13th Congressional District, where dealer Vern ...
A dealer - and his reputation - on the ballot; Suits against auto group heat up Florida campaign.(NEWS)(Vern Buchanan )
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Harry Stoffer The economy and the war are important, of course. But in Florida's 13th Congressional District, a raft of lawsuits against Rep. Vern Buchanan and his big auto dealership group is a defining campaign issue. Buchanan, a first-term Republican from ...
Calendar.(NEWS)(Calendar)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Oct. 31-Nov. 9 Johannesburg International Motor Show, Johannesburg Expo Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa, 27 12 323 2980, www.naamsa.co.za Nov. 5-9 Seattle International Auto Show, Qwest Field Event Center, Seattle, 206-542-3551, www.seattleautoshow.com Nov. 6-9 ...
Honda to boost CR-V, end Civic output in Ohio.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Honda Motor Co., wanting to build more Honda CR-V small crossovers in its East Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio, will end Honda Civic sedan production there in early 2009. That will leave Honda Motor Co. assembling the Civic in North America at a new ...
Mitsubishi plans electric hauler.(NEWS)(Mitsubishi Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Hans Greimel Mitsubishi President Osamu Masuko is planning a commercial variant of the upcoming i MiEV electric car in an attempt to steal a lead in fleet sales of emission-free mail trucks and delivery vehicles. The minitruck would have the same petite ...
China's stock market plunge has spooked car shoppers.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Steven Ribet China's once booming car market has gone flat. It's a new experience for Ma Xiaochao, 30, sales manager of a Buick dealership here. "Things are a lot worse than they were this time last year, he says. "I estimate sales are down by roughly ...
No off-lease cars? Certified will find othersArlena Sawyers.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Despite the downturn in leasing for many brands, automakers' certified used-vehicle programs will maintain an adequate supply of cars and trucks, executives say. Cars and trucks coming off lease traditionally are the major source of certified vehicles. But even as that supply ...
To match Toyota, Nissan offers 0% loans.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Nissan North America Inc. is joining rival Toyota in providing 0 percent financing to revive U.S. auto sales. Nissan Division is offering 0 percent factory financing on five models: the Altima, Rogue, Sentra, Versa and Murano. The 36-month ...
Winterkorn: Audi needs to build in U.S.(NEWS)(Martin Winterkorn)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: April Wortham Audi must build vehicles in America to reach its goal of more than doubling U.S. sales by 2015, says Volks-wagen group CEO Martin Winterkorn. The questions: What vehicle? Where? "Perhaps in Chattanooga, but we have no decision yet, Winterkorn ...
Our newcast debuts.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Automotive News Today, our daily newscast, begins today. Check our Web site, www.autonews.com, ...
VW drops hints about car for new Tenn. plant.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... Byline: April Wortham Volkswagen AG has been keeping its new mid-sized sedan under tight wraps since confirming this summer its plans to build the car at a new factory in Chattanooga, Tenn. The plant will begin production in early 2011. But a few details about the ...
Key facts.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008 ... When: Jan. 19-22 Where: Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center Cost: $1,495 early registration fee by Dec. 1 (save $200); ...
Expect stop-start's big start to arrive in 2010.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink Forecasters see 2010 as the big year for Europe's manufacturers of stop-start systems, which turn the engine off when a vehicle stops and restarts it when the driver's foot leaves the brake. An estimated 2.8 million vehicles with stop-start ...
Electrics edge closer by 2010.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Rick Kranz Automakers are exploring various forms of electric-powered vehicles in addition to their efforts to improve petroleum-fueled cars. Here's a rundown of plans for electrics, hybrids and plug-in hybrids in 2010. Plug-in hybrid Chrysler ...
Tougher CAFE standards loom.(NEWS)(Corporate Average Fuel Economy)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Rick Kranz The push to develop fuel-efficient cars began in earnest when the federal government raised its corporate average fuel economy standards under the new energy law enacted last December. Preliminary rules issued in April indicate that in the 2011 ...
Fuel efficiency is coming - it just takes time.(NEWS)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Byline: Rick Kranz LOOK TO 2010 FOR WAVE OF FUEL-EFFICIENT VEHICLES Consumers may want high mpg today, but automakers need at least 2 years to bring it to market Wait till next year. Or, rather, 2010.When gasoline prices hit an all-time high in July, ...
BYD envisions2010 exportsto U.S., Europe.(NEWS)(BYD Auto Co's Henry Li)(Brief article)
Nov 03, 2008; ... Henry Li, general manager of BYD Auto Co.'s export division, says BYD has 4,000 engineers working on hybrids, electrics and other vehicles. He spoke to Automotive News China Staff Reporter Kevin Huang at the company's headquarters in Shenzhen. BYD Auto is a unit of BYD Co. What ...