Automotive News back issues from January 2009:
Auto shows; Glitz and glamour still could be found at the world's major venues.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 05, 2009 ... Parisian star Mazda unveiled its Kiyora small coupe concept at the Paris show in October. What's cool about it? A filtration system collects rof water aqnd makes it drinkable for car occupants. Electric show Nissan unveiled the sleek Nuvu electric vehicle ...
Faces of the bailout; George W. Bush threw GM and Chrysler a $17.4 billion lifeline in December, but not before an electrifying few weeks in which the two companies appeared to face oblivion.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 05, 2009 ... Talking heads In November, key players in the Washington drama met to formulate what they hoped would be a quick bailout of the Detroit 3. From left, Ford's Alan Mulally, GM's Rick Wagoner, Chrysler's Bob Nardelli and the UAW's Ron Gettelfinger pleaded their case to Congress ....
The dealers; 2008 was a tough year to be selling cars - or trying to.(NEWS)
Jan 05, 2009 ... The Saccucci way Saccucci Honda, a small Rhode Island dealership owned by Cora Saccucci and daughters, Barbara, left, and Carol, built one of the nation's top-selling retail Web sites for Honda parts and accessories. It may also have become the No. 1 retailer of Honda-backed ...
Chrysler turns green with ENVI.(Detroit auto show )(Brief article)
Jan 05, 2009; ... Byline: Bradford Wernle A year ago, Chrysler LLC brought a herd of steers to the Detroit auto show to herald the global launch of the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup. Now Chrysler is fighting for survival. It must show that it has a plan for a more fuel-efficient future. ...
Chevy: Time is right for 30-mpg Equinox.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 05, 2009; ... Byline: Rick Kranz Chevrolet will tout 30-mpg fuel economy when the restyled, re-engineered 2010 Equinox goes on sale next summer. "It is a refined yet responsible crossover, said Ed Peper, General Motors' North American vice president of Chevrolet. Peper ...
Ford to unveil new Taurus, Shelby GT500.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 05, 2009; ... Byline: Amy Wilson Ford marketers say the company will protect the budget for its auto show presence in 2009 in hopes of making a big splash among the Detroit 3. Starting at the Detroit show, Ford will unveil one of its most important products of the year: the re-engineered and ...
World debuts.(NEWS)
Jan 05, 2009 ... PRODUCTION VEHICLES 2010 Bentley Continental GTC Speed convertible 2009 BMW Z4 roadster 2010 Buick LaCrosse sedan 2010 Cadillac SRX crossover 2010 Chevrolet Equinox crossover 2010 Fisker Karma sedan 2010 ...
Cadillac downsizes SRX in bid to grab more sales.(NEWS)
Jan 05, 2009 ... Byline: Rick Kranz If size matters, the redesigned 2010 Cadillac SRX should hit the sweet spot occupied by the highly successful Lexus RX series. The new Cadillac crossover seats five, like the RX, and is a mere four inches longer than Lexus' No. 1 seller. The SRX ...
China's BYD touts battery technology.(Detroit auto show)(Lithium batteries)(Brief article)
Jan 05, 2009; ... Byline: Kevin Huang BYD Co. is a small automaker here but a major producer of lithium ion batteries for cell phones. The company wants to use its expertise in batteries to make practical plug-in hybrids. At the Detroit auto show, BYD will show its F3DM ...
Detroit show: Glitz on a shoestring.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 05, 2009 ... Welcome to the first Detroit auto show in the bailout era. Automakers will roll out new cars, and top executives will take questions from the press as they do every year at the North American International Auto Show. But in the process, we'll get our first glimpse of ...
Can the Detroit 3 make their case? They must.(NEWS)
Jan 05, 2009 ... This month, the Detroit 3 will resume their plea in Washington for emergency federal aid to help avert bankruptcy. They can expect to deal with a less hostile Congress and a less ideologically narrow White House than they confronted last year. But it's also true that the ...
The buzz: Technology; Powertrain prowess grabs the spotlight.(Detroit auto show )
Jan 05, 2009; ... Byline: Rick Kranz These are tough times, but the show must go on. The 2009 Detroit auto show kicks off at Cobo Center with press days Jan. 11-13. The pre-show news has centered on automakers that opted out of the show to conserve marketing money namely Ferrari, Land ...
GM's stake in revived GMAC will shrink.(NEWS)
Jan 05, 2009 ... Byline: Jim Henry The government bailout of GMAC Financial Services gives General Motors a lender that's back in business with dealers and consumers. But GMAC is even less of a captive finance company for GM than ever before. Nonetheless, the bailout has provided ...
Better get used to the fishbowl.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 05, 2009; ... Byline: Keith Crain Everyone in this business will be in a fishbowl in 2009, and the world will be watching. We had better get used to it. All the challenges of the past year are still with us. New issues this year will make the auto business even tougher. ...
Cars and stars; Celebrities made us laugh, sing and get up and dance - all while helping auto companies move the metal.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 05, 2009 ... Jay's jabs Nothing was sacred as one-time dealership lot boy Jay Leno gave the NADA convention opening session in San Francisco a solid hour of stand-up. Among his targets: radio ads for "Jag-you-are." Vette set Detroit rap-rocker Kid Rock made a splash ...
Cars and trucks; It was a year of newcomers and nostalgia as carmakers from India and China gained notice while GM and Ford celebrated their heritages.(General Motors global design boss Ed Welburn resgined)(Tata Motors product Nano car have received more attention)
Jan 05, 2009 ... Shock of surprise In September, someone put photos of the still-secret Chevrolet Volt on a Web site accessible only to journalists. The Volt and vehicle line director Tony Posawatz appeared in the photos. Chevy later said it was a case of "human error" inside GM - photos being ...
People; Faces of the industry in 2008.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 05, 2009 ... Man in motion Nissan-Renault boss Carlos Ghosn was the star of the Nissan 360 event in Cascais, Portugal, a two-day Nissan and Infiniti product extravaganza for journalists in May. Chamco chief Bill Pollack, chairman of would-be distributor Chamco Auto, of ...
Postscript; The lighter side of a difficult year.(dealer Paul Fotopoulos ran TV commercials featuring impersonator)(marketing of redesigned Toyota Corolla)(Brief article)
Jan 05, 2009 ... Supersmarts This turned up on the Web in September: something called "The Newest Smart Cars!!!" - doctored photos of alleged Smart-based performance-car kits. The ubiquitous unsigned e-mail included pictures of a "Smamborghini," far left; a "Smorvette," shown next to the ...
Web program lets repair shops bid for work.(SceneExchange)
Jan 05, 2009; ... Byline: Alysha Webb An online program called SceneExchange aims to help dealership service departments compete for collision repair work more efficiently. About 140 franchised dealerships take part in the program, which enables them to submit bids for repair jobs via ...
Technology; In a year of turmoil and turbulence, engineering know-how was still king.(Toyota Partner Robot)(Brief article)
Jan 05, 2009 ... Box of goodies Dodge unveiled the RamBox, a lockable box on its redesigned 2009 Ram pickup that can store anything from shovels to 240 12-ounce beverage cans - with enough ice to keep them ready for a party. Toyota's trumpetplaying robot Toyota showed off ...
Service techs want out of union.(NEWS)
Jan 05, 2009; ... Byline: Donna Harris Service technicians at a Florida auto dealership who joined a union in 2007 want to quit it now but they're finding that it isn't easy. Last year, 17 of the 21 technicians at Ed Morse Sawgrass Auto Mall in Sunrise, Fla., petitioned the National ...
Rental fleets slash new-vehicle orders; Tight credit, recession shrink inventories.(NEWS)
Jan 05, 2009; ... Byline: Arlena Sawyers The credit freeze that is helping to kill new-vehicle retail sales also is forcing car rental companies to slash their fleet orders. In 2008, rental companies bought 1.5 million new cars and trucks, down from 1.9 million in 2007, according to an ...
Acura eases demands for store upgrades.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Alysha Webb Acura won't push dealers to do the store upgrades that had been a key part of a plan to boost the brand's luxury image. "Due to the economic climate, we have not pressed dealers to implement the interior upgrade program, nor has an official launch ...
Audi may do A7 hatch.(Detroit auto show)(2010 A7 sedan )(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: April Wortham With the Sportback concept, Audi offers a glimpse of the 2010 A7 sedan while signaling its intent to take hatchbacks beyond the compact category. The five-door concept, which was scheduled to debut Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Detroit auto show, is a ...
Ford's cash dips below $15 billion.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Byline: Amy Wilson Ford Motor Co. apparently slowed its cash burn during the fourth quarter of 2008, but the company is using cash fast enough that it likely will need to tap more funding this year. Ford, the only U.S. automaker operating without federal loans, said ...
Former AIADA official is at center of tax fraud trial in Virgin Islands.(American International Automobile Dealers Association)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Harry Stoffer In January 2003, federal prosecutors say, auto dealer Jamie Auffenberg told an undercover Internal Revenue Service agent that when Auffenberg went to the U.S. Virgin Islands, he made a point of recruiting people to share meals or go fishing. ...
Detroit's hope: No more Beg 3; Federal loans help, and more aid looks likely as the new president takes office.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Byline: Harry Stoffer Detroit 3 CEOs won't be back in the nation's capital to grovel for more taxpayer money any time soon, industry officials say with cautious optimism. One reason: More federal aid is likely for the industry even without groveling. The huge ...
Downturn slams Calif. dealerships; U.S. slump cuts deeper in import stronghold.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Alysha Webb It's a grim business being a car dealer in California these days whether you sell Detroit 3 vehicles or one of the import brands that account for nearly 70 percent of sales in the Golden State. In California, where the housing crisis struck first ...
Chinese suppliers see U.S. as a land of opportunity.(NEWS)(automotive parts industry)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Steven Ribet For Chinese suppliers, dark clouds over the North American auto industry have a silver lining. Cost cutting in Detroit, they think, could push more business their way. "Our products are high-quality, said Jane Huang, a saleswoman working at Wuxi ...
Study: Dealers waste Web leads.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Byline: Alysha Webb Dealerships are losing business because they don't handle Internet leads correctly, according to a study by Cobalt Group. "There is good progress on timeliness, but dealers need to put more attention to quality of the response, says Chris Reed, ...
CORRECTIONS.(NEWS)(Correction notice)
Jan 12, 2009 ... A story on Page 14 of the Dec. 22 issue contained incorrect information about a salvage auction company that is affiliated with ADESA Inc. The salvage company, Insurance Auto Auctions, and ...
AUTO NEWS DIGEST.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Suzuki sedan to debut in N.Y. LOS ANGELES American Suzuki Motor Corp., refuting media reports from Japan last week, said it still plans to release a mid-sized sedan based on the Kizashi 3 concept in the United States this year. The Nikkei business daily reported that ...
Different diagnoses.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Here are 2 views on federal intervention in the auto industry and dealers' roles. NADA: Much has been done to loosen ...
Incoming AIADA leader: Feds must do more to get inventories moving.(American International Automobile Dealers Association)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Harry Stoffer Since the federal government is handing out money, why not give, for a limited time, $2,000 to every consumer willing to spend it on a new car or truck? That's a serious idea, says Russ Darrow, a top auto dealer in Wisconsin and the incoming ...
The crash of 2008: Can it get any worse?(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Jesse Snyder Remember that second-half sales upturn that automakers and analysts were forecasting a year ago? Instead, we got a train wreck of a second half and the biggest one-year plunge in U.S. sales since 1974. Who knew? Who even suspected? Exactly no one ...
Opinion.(NEWS)(Viewpoint essay)
Jan 12, 2009 ... GM must have a rock-solid finance source The government bailout of GMAC Financial Services can be an important part of helping General Motors and its dealers sell more cars and trucks. But GM should be prepared to establish its own captive finance company once GM is healthy ...
Bush punts again, this time on CAFE.(NEWS)(fuel economy rules)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009 ... One worry about departing presidents is that they try to jam through controversial rules in the final hours before handing over the keys to the White House. But on key automotive issues, President Bush is taking the opposite approach, leaving long-promised decisions on tough ...
Consumer Reports shows some love to Ford and GM - but spanks Chrysler.(NEWS)(Report)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009 ... The embattled U.S. auto industry part of it, anyway got a welcome attaboy last week from Consumer Reports, a frequent critic whose harsh reviews in past years have bumped many U.S. models from many shopping lists. In its February issue, the magazine singled out six Ford Motor ...
More proof: Toyota's hurting, too.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Desperate times are spurring desperate measures at Toyota. For the first time in its history, the world's largest automaker is idling all 12 of its Japanese factories simultaneously as it struggles to slash production amid tumbling sales and exports. The four assembly ...
Report: Honda scraps sporty models.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Two sounds dominate the early 2009 auto market: Deafening silence from new-car showrooms and the sounds of axes being swung by automakers worldwide. At Honda, horsepower and pizzazz are on the chopping block, according to the British magazine Autocar. Plans for the successor to ...
Hyundai's disaster-proof deal.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009 ... From discounted gasoline to free maintenance, automakers have dreamed up a slew of incentives to goose an ailing market. But a new one from Hyundai may be a first: If you buy a new Hyundai and then lose your job, Hyundai will take back the vehicle, and your credit rating won't be damaged. ...
GMAC will close subprime unit.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009 ... GMAC made it official last week: General Motors dealers must look elsewhere to find loans for subprime customers. GMAC confirmed that in March, it will close its Nuvell Financial Services subsidiary, which mostly wrote retail car loans to subprime customers. Nuvell accounted for ...
2008's winners? It's a Mini-list.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009 ... You can bet that few champagne glasses were raised after the sales numbers for 2008 were tallied. You don't even need all the fingers of one hand to count the brands that posted higher sales. Fueled by high gasoline prices, sales of BMW's Mini Cooper scored an impressive gain ...
Detroit 3's dismal sales decade: More than 5 million units disappear.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Byline: Jesse Snyder What a disastrous decade it has been for the Detroit 3 a nine-year downward spiral that has seen more than 5 million units of sales disappear for General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC. At the end of 2008, Detroit 3 sales were barely ...
Gettelfinger: Flying blind on eve of talks.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Byline: David Barkholz UAW President Ron Gettelfinger has a tough job ahead of him and he says the government's silence is making it tougher. "It's confusion, Gettelfinger told Automotive News last week, days before his bargaining team begins talks on contract ...
Merkin is out as GMAC chairman.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Byline: Donna Harris GMAC Financial Services' controversial chairman, J. Ezra Merkin, resigned Friday, Jan. 9. Merkin's hedge fund, Ascot Partners, made headlines for losing $1.8 billion in Bernard Madoff's investment scam. Merkin will be replaced by an interim ...
GM adds Auto/Mate to dealership system list.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Ralph Kisiel General Motors has added Auto/Mate Dealership Systems Inc. to its short list of endorsed dealership management system suppliers. Auto/Mate, of Clifton Park, N.Y., already has its system in more than 500 dealerships in 47 states. It becomes the ...
GM shows 6 new vehicles, including a Cadillac plug-in.(Detroit auto show)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Jamie LaReau Intending to show that it will be around a long time, General Motors scheduled three surprise vehicle launches Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Detroit auto show. GM added three fuel-efficient vehicles to its three previously announced debuts. GM's ...
LOS ANGELES.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Byline: Alysha Webb American Honda Motor Co. plans no new advertising campaigns for the next three months and says its ad budget for the fiscal year starting April 1 probably will shrink. "We are looking closely now at everything we are doing, says Tom Peyton, senior ...
Honda Insight sets sights on hybrid king Prius.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Alysha Webb The production version of Honda's new Insight hybrid has a cool interior, a Prius-like shape and, Honda says, a competitive price. "We think we offer a value package that will make the Insight appealing, says Dan Bonawitz, vice president of ...
Lots of questions, so little time.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Keith Crain General Motors and Chrysler LLC have received part of the bridge loans to forestall running out of cash, but they have a great deal of work to do. Each must quickly come up with a plan that will answer a lot of questions that have not yet been ...
LaCrosse moves upmarket; Buick redesign goal: Understated luxury.(2010 LaCrosse )
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Rick Kranz Buick is moving the next-generation LaCrosse a few notches upmarket in looks, materials, optional equipment and price. "We are going after what I am calling unpretentious luxury-seekers. They like near-luxury, they like great things, and they are ...
Leasing stages a comeback, sort of.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Arlena Sawyers After taking a nose dive late last summer, new-vehicle leasing is creeping upward. Data compiled by Edmunds.com and J.D. Power and Associates show that leasing represented roughly 13 to 14 percent of new-vehicle sales in December. That's up a ...
Maserati holds its own in a rough market.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Maserati cars evoke a strong emotional reaction from customers, says Marti Eulberg, CEO of Maserati North America, who has some quasi-scientific evidence to support her contention. With previous management posts at BMW, Volvo and Jaguar, ...
Global troubles plague Mercedes' Ala. plant.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Byline: April Wortham Mercedes-Benz's U.S. purchasing chief stood before a packed room of nervous suppliers in Alabama in November and reminded them of a painful fact: The automaker's factory there is the sole Mercedes plant worldwide that builds only SUVs. "Don't ...
In 2008, brands losing less than 18% gained market share.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Byline: Jesse Snyder In a year when everyone looked like a loser, there were a few small, but notable, victories and the eclipsing of several milestones. Indeed, the year of torment was also one of transformation. A one-year sales plunge of more than 2.9 million ...
Multitasker.(Detroit auto show)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Dealer Doug Fox is handling these duties for the Detroit auto show. Co-builder and co-operator of the Mitsubishi display President of the Detroit Auto Dealers ...
Dealer won't let Mitsubishi sit out.(Detroit auto show)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. pulled out of the Detroit auto show late last year. But southeast Michigan dealer Doug Fox wouldn't let the automaker go dark in Detroit. Fox and his fellow local dealers ponied up to operate a Mitsubishi ...
Nissan's new 370Z: More muscle for $30,000.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Lindsay Chappell To create the 2009 370Z coupe, Nissan could have cherry-picked high-end features from its recently introduced sports car, the $70,000 GT-R. But the sixth-generation Z remains true to its mission: a small and brawny Japanese sports car priced to compete ...
Auto bailout, Main St. style; Calif. city grants lines of credit to 2 struggling stores.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Kathy Jackson Norco, Calif., proudly calls itself Horsetown U.S.A. In some parts of the city, there are more horse trails than sidewalks. But while Norco loves its horses, the city of 27,000 residents about 60 miles southeast of here loves its auto dealers ...
Motown's big show kicks off.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009 ... A bit of glitter cut through the industry's gloom with global debuts of new products on Sunday, the first press day at the Detroit auto show. Pages 8, 20, 21 ...
Personnel.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009 ... APTERA MOTORS Tom Reichenbach, 57, to chief engineer. He had been assistant chief engineer for gasoline turbocharged direct injection with Ford Motor Co. David Oakley, 48, to vice president of manufacturing. He had owned his own consulting firm, Oakley Consulting Group, of ...
Study: Lender marketing builds buyer satisfaction.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Byline: Alysha Webb Good advance marketing pays off for auto lenders, a study of new-vehicle financing concludes. J.D. Power and Associates' annual Consumer Financing Satisfaction Study suggests that buyers who shop with a preferred lender in mind express greater ...
Output falls 2.5 million units.(NEWS)
Jan 12, 2009 ... Byline: Debi Domby North America car and truck production declined 2.5 million units, or 16.2 percent, in 2008 to 12,967,961. It is the third highest year-over-year unit decline and the first time the year-end total has been below 15 million since 1993. Only three ...
Mitsubishi kills Raider pickup.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jan 12, 2009; ... Byline: Hans Greimel Mitsubishi Motors Corp., which saw its U.S. sales plunge 24.6 percent last year, will kill the Raider pickup as the company overhauls its North American lineup. The Raider is a rebadged Dodge Dakota. Mitsubishi will not renew the contract when it ...