Automotive News back issues from June 2009:
Chrysler's Fiat makeover won't come cheap.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Richard Truett Fiat's grand plan to convert Chrysler plants for production of Fiat-derived cars won't be easy, quick or cheap. Manufacturing experts put the cost of redoing a Chrysler LLC plant for Fiat models at $200 million to $500 million. After all, the ...
Fewer dealerships.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... GM wants to trim its dealership count from 5,969 on May 15 to 3,600 by the end of next year. To do so, GM will Not renew franchise agreements with the owners of 1,124 stores when the agreements expire on Oct. 31, 2010 Inform additional ...
BMW's vision for 5-series GT: A people mover with style.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko BMW AG is preparing to launch another crossover the 5-series Gran Turismo that aspires to be a stylish heir to the dowdy minivan. The pricey five-door, rear-drive wagon will debut at the Frankfurt auto show in September and go on sale in the ...
Slump shows who's flexible, who's not; Japanese manufacturers can soften the economic blows with their ability to add and subtract models in days rather than months. Now the Detroit 3 are primed to do the same.
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Lindsay Chappell and Richard Truett When fuel prices went through the roof a year ago, most automakers were caught dangerously out of position. They weren't building anything like the mix of fuel-efficient vehicles that customers suddenly craved. And no ...
Jack the Dealer won't go quietly.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Edward Lapham Jack Fitzgerald is an honest, outspoken man, which is probably why Greta van Susteren likes to interview him for her Fox News program, "On the Record. Van Susteren calls Fitzgerald "Jack the Dealer you know, like Joe the Plumber, an everyman ...
CORRECTIONS.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... A digest item on Page 20 of the May 25 issue gave the wrong totals for U.S. sales of certified used vehicles in ...
As suppliers file Chapter 11, vehicle output proceeds (slowly).(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: David Barkholz and Robert Sherefkin Three recent supplier bankruptcies have not threatened North American production. So far, neither the Detroit 3 nor their Japanese counterparts have seen parts interruptions at their North American factories because of ...
SBA will guarantee floorplan loans.(Small Business Administration)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Donna Harris When the Small Business Administration last week broadened its loan guarantee program to include dealership floorplans, it was a victory for dealers but a limited one. The guarantees apply to 75 percent of loan amounts ranging from $500,000 to ...
Nader pleads for task force oversight.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Neil Roland The Obama administration's activist role in the turnaround of General Motors and Chrysler LLC has gone largely unchallenged by Congress, but it has drawn fire from THE consumer activist. Ralph Nader, the longtime safety advocate and former ...
When price goes up, will pickup buyers go away?(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... The cost of pickups is bound to rise thousands of dollars as automakers add direct injection, turbochargers and more aluminum to meet the new fuel economy standards of the Obama administration, says Himanshu Patel, an analyst ...
No matter what, GM will maintain product ties to Opel.(General Motors)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Rick Kranz General Motors says it will maintain deep product-development ties with Adam Opel AG despite a plan to sell a stake in the German subsidiary. On Friday, May 29, Magna International Inc. appeared poised to take a controlling interest in Opel. The ...
Bad fit: Fiat's quality lags - like Chrysler's.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Rick Kranz Chrysler is betting its future on Fiat's vehicle expertise, but there's a problem: Fiat's quality is below average in Europe, according to a series of studies. The quality issue is one more challenge facing Chrysler LLC as it emerges from U.S ....
Fiat will sell 500 at Chrysler dealerships.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Rick Kranz Fiat will market the Fiat 500 at Chrysler dealerships in about 11/2 years, a Fiat spokesman says. "The Fiat 500 we see that, like the Mini, as a sort of boutique car that we think we can sell in good numbers on the East and West coasts in the same ...
Service tips.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... To boost service revenue, a Muskegon, Mich., dealership Provides free loaners to all service customers who ask ...
Here come the Fiats.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Fiat and Chrysler officials are looking at 3 Chrysler plants where Fiat-based vehicles could be built. Windsor, Ontario Now builds: Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, Volkswagen Routan minivans Could build: Alfa Romeo MiTo subcompact and a small ...
Faulty Fiat.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Fiat finished 20th of 25 brands in J.D. Power's 2008 Customer Satisfaction Index Study in France. A sampling of brand rankings and scores 1. BMW (top score): 815 6. Toyota: 803 12. Ford: 792 Industry average: 791 20. Fiat: 766 ...
Service staff misses TVs, but not big picture; Work targets boost business, teamwork.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Arlena Sawyers In March and again in April, Scott Campbell set challenging work targets for his parts and service department. The reward: Each staffer would win a 50-inch plasma TV valued at about $1,125. The 24 service technicians and parts ...
Globe-trotter.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... GM's Fritz Henderson has tackled problems around the world. 1997-2000: Managing director, GM do Brasil 2000-02: President, GM Latin America, Africa and Middle East ...
With IS duo, Lexus joins small luxury convertible fray.
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Kathy Jackson Tired of watching competitors BMW and Mercedes dominate the entry-level convertible segment, Lexus has come out with its own. The IS 250C and 350C, derived from the IS sedan, go on sale this month. The hard-top convertibles join the upscale SC ...
Chrysler store survives on service as surrounding Calif. stores shut.
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Kathy Jackson Ziad Alhassen is frustrated by the dearth of customers in his new-car showroom at Clippinger Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge in suburban Los Angeles. But he smiles when he walks to the back. There, in the service area, customers may be watching a flat-screen ...
Mystery group would carve a 2nd Chrysler.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... More tales from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court crypt. A shadowy investment outfit has approached Chrysler LLC about buying enough pieces of the company to launch an automaker of its own. Benstar-Saturn Enterprises Ltd. is interested in acquiring several factories, some vehicle and ...
Magna talks Mexico with Chinese OEM.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Stephen Downer Magna International Inc. is in talks with an unidentified Chinese automaker that wants to build cars in Mexico, a senior executive for the Canadian supplier says. Magna would run the plant and build the vehicles. The arrangement would be ...
Ford to orphaned Chrysler owners: More cash for you; S. Carolina dealer gets help with "customers ... left out in the cold'.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Amy Wilson Ford Motor Co. is helping John Isgett keep his Chrysler customers. Isgett owns a Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge store in Hartsville, S.C., that Chrysler LLC has targeted to close. But he also owns a Ford store in neighboring Darlington, and Ford sees an ...
Transit Connect aims to connect with cabbies.(2010 Transit Connect )(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Ford calls the Transit Connect a game-changer. But will U.S. cabbies embrace a compact front-drive van, assembled in Turkey, as the spiritual successor to the big Crown Victoria sedan? "That is what we are assessing right now, says Gerry Koss, Ford's fleet marketing ...
Saturn bidder taps Chrysler brainpower.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... The future Saturn could look a bit like Chrysler-in-exile. Four alumni of Chrysler's very successful period in the 1990s have turned up as advisers for Telesto Ventures, which is bidding on General Motors' soon-to-be offloaded brand. The Chrysler cadre includes Tom ...
Opinion.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... U.S. auto sales could use a boost sooner, not later Time is wasting. Congress must get the cash-for-guzzlers bill to the president's desk so he can sign it and get it into effect immediately. The industry needs a sales boost this summer, and the bill could provide it. ...
Open a dealership ... now? So far, so good, says new Calif. Honda retailer.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Mark Rechtin At a time when car dealers across the country are fighting for their existence and maybe wondering why they became dealers in the first place, Don Palombi has just spent $14 million to open a 70,000-square-foot Honda store here. He admits the ...
Folsom Lake Honda.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Opened: March Location: Rancho Cordova, Calif. (near Sacramento) Partners: Don Palombi, Roberto ...
Chrysler store closings: Dead Ames; With 2 stores cut, automaker will be out of Iowa town.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Bradford Wernle The Benson and Willey families in Ames, Iowa, have enjoyed a friendly rivalry for decades. Benson Motors has sold Dodge for about 30 years, while the Willey family has sold Jeep in the area since 1981. They are the only Chrysler LLC dealerships ...
Manufacturing summit: Industry execs to meet in Ala.(NEWS)(Conference news)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... With one or more U.S. automakers in bankruptcy and the North American supply chain in turmoil, managing the production flow is more complicated than ever. Several of the industry's top manufacturing executives will discuss that topic at the Automotive News Manufacturing ...
Chrysler closings put holes in warranty repair network.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Arlena Sawyers If all goes as planned, on June 9 Island Dodge, the only store selling Chrysler LLC vehicles on the island of Maui, will be renamed Island Auto Center and will sell only used cars. And it won't offer warranty repairs anymore. Customers will ...
In a warranty fix.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Where will customers go for warranty service in markets that Chrysler is abandoning? Chrysler says it will unveil appropriate service solutions. At ...
Rejected Chrysler dealers opt for fire sales.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Arlena Sawyers and Donna Harris Bill Colter, owner of Performance Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge in Phoenix, says he had 300 new vehicles in stock at the beginning of May before learning that his store will be dropped as a Chrysler LLC dealership as of June 9. He sold 70 to 80 ...
For Mahindra, feathers still flying from chicken-tax war.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Assembly of complete knockdown kits, or CKDs, is a rarity in North American vehicle manufacturing, although Volvo once did it. Before it was acquired by Ford Motor Co., Volvo made a few thousand sedans a year at a small plant in Halifax, Nova ...
Moving the metal.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles, followed by a collapse in the market, has led ...
A brand new chapter in auto history.(NEWS)(Column)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Keith Crain As I write this, it seems certain that General Motors will be in bankruptcy court this week. I'm not sure that Billy Durant or Alfred Sloan could ever envision what has happened to GM. These are amazing days for anyone who follows the automobile ...
After the fall: Fritz's future; A proven cost-cutter, Henderson must drive revenue, too.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Dave Guilford As tough as it is to restructure General Motors, the biggest test for CEO Fritz Henderson will come afterward. Henderson has shown the skills and temperament to cut costs, hack away dead wood and run the high-stakes negotiations to clean up GM's ...
Colliver charts a new course - and a golf course.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... After four decades of selling Hondas, Acuras, Mazdas and various General Motors and Chrysler vehicles, Dick Colliver says he hopes in retirement to "find my lost golf game. But just weeks after retiring from American Honda Motor Co. in April, Colliver, 69, joined the board of ...
Ballmer and Mulally in Sync again.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Ford sells its 1 millionth vehicle equipped with Sync technology, and who buys it but Steve Ballmer himself? What a coincidence. The Microsoft CEO took delivery of a 2010 Fusion Hybrid from Ford CEO Alan Mulally in Seattle last week. It was the latest chapter in the ...
Discarded: How dealers deal with rejection; From bitterness to a broken heart to a stunned determination to hang on, termination letters brought a range of reactions from 3 retailers. Here are their stories.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Jamie LaReau Many General Motors dealers who received termination letters two weeks ago are appealing the decision. But few hold out hope for a successful appeal, especially with a GM bankruptcy looming. Some are moving on with new business plans while others ...
GM closings go slower, softer.(General Motors)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Jamie LaReau As of our deadline, General Motors was expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday, June 1. For the latest on GM's turnaround plan and courtroom maneuvers, visit autonews.com. While bankruptcy could accelerate the pace at ...
Canton passes its flexibility stress test - at least so far.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Nissan's assembly plant in Canton, Miss., was built to be flexible, but industry turmoil has tested the plant's adaptability in ways company officials could not have imagined. In fact, Canton's star-crossed six-year history is a good ...
Bill Taylor led Mercedes through a decade of shifts in Alabama; "Some people told us we were trying too many new things at once'.(NEWS)(Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc.)(Interview)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Bill Taylor was a Ford career man in Canada in the 1980s before joining Toyota to help launch a Corolla plant in Cambridge, Ontario. The Corolla plant's record for high productivity and low defects in the early 1990s caught the attention of Mercedes-Benz in Germany. In 1993, ...
At Spartanburg, flexibility means looking overseas.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko When the U.S. auto market crashed last year, BMW quickly shifted gears at its factory in Spartanburg, S.C. But instead of cutting production, it found new customers. Much of the plant's output was shifted to export markets in which sales were ...
Rapid response: Ford converted its Louisville plant in only seven weeks - just the beginning of a major transformation of its North American factories.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Amy Wilson As Ford hustles to convert three North American truck plants to small-car production by 2011, the company also is making major advances in factory flexibility. Are Ford's speed and adaptability up to Japanese levels? Industry watchers say no, not ...
Nissan in Mississippi.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Where: Canton Since: 2003 Products: Altima, Titan, Quest, Armada, Infiniti QX56; light-commercial ...
Mitsubishi in Illinois.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Where: Normal Since: 1988 Products: Galant, Eclipse, Eclipse ...
Kia in Georgia.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Where: West Point Plant opening: Dec. 2009 or Jan. 2010 Product: Kia Sorrento SUV ...
Mercedes in Alabama.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Where: Vance Plant opened: 1997 Products: M class, GL class, R class ...
Kia's go-to guy runs new Ga. plant and a lot more; For someone who seems to be everywhere, Ahn has kept a low profile.(NEWS)(Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group's Byung Mo Ahn)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Byung Mo Ahn, the top executive at Kia's first U.S. assembly plant, has been a kind of special assignment executive at Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group during the past decade and an inconspicuous one, at that. For example, he selected the West ...
Kia's suppliers: Up close and personal.(NEWS)(Kia Motors Corp.)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Visitors quickly notice three things about the plant Kia Motors Corp. is constructing here. It's very big, very white and very remote. It feels like the middle of nowhere as you drive along the plant's one-mile highway frontage on Georgia's ...
Joe Hinrichs: Ford's true believer in flexibility.(NEWS)(Ford Motor Co. )(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Amy Wilson Joe Hinrichs knows that Ford Motor Co. must do better. Ford has improved the ability of its assembly plants to make multiple vehicles, but experts say the company still lags its Japanese competitors in manufacturing flexibility. The ...
Bill Taylor.(NEWS)(Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc.)(Occupation overview)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Title: Retiring CEO, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Vance, Ala. Age: 59 Place of birth: London, Ontario First jobs: Newspaper delivery boy, bowling alley worker College degrees: Bachelor's from Fanshawe College in Ontario First ...
If Mitsubishi's plant has a future, agility will be the key.(NEWS)(Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc.)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Rumors of Mitsubishi's demise as a U.S. manufacturer have been around for years. But the company has passed up every opportunity to close its 21-year-old plant in Normal, Ill. If the plant does survive, it may be because of a new labor ...
Honda in Alabama.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Where: Lincoln Since: 2001 Products: Honda Ridgeline, Pilot, Odyssey, Accord V-6 (starting in ...
BMW in S. Carolina.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Where: Spartanburg Since: 1994 Products: X5, X6; X3 starting in 2010 ...
Obituaries.(NEWS)(Obituary)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Joseph O'Brien OTTAWA, Ill. Longtime auto dealer Joseph O'Brien died here on April 24. He was 84. From 1950 to 1958, he was a partner in O'Brien Bros. Dodge-Plymouth here. Starting in 1958, O'Brien owned and ...
AUTO NEWS digest.(NEWS)(Saab Automobile AB)(General Motors Corp.)(Fiat S.p.A.)(Chrysler L.L.C.)(Park Corp. (Cleveland, Ohio))(Q3 Industries Inc.)(Tokyo Toyota Forklift Co.)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Saab wins time as 3 suitors are named STOCKHOLM A Swedish court last week granted Saab an extension to its protection from creditors as a local newspaper named three potential buyers for the General Motors unit, Reuters reported. Saab was granted an extension until ...
Penske: Hands-on, with just the right touch.(NEWS)(Penske Corp. Penske Automotive Group)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Donna Harris Roger Penske probably runs more businesses than can be listed in this brief column. Yet he's mulling taking on another enterprise: Saturn. If negotiations pan out, Penske may win the right to distribute Nissan-designed cars and trucks to Saturn ...
So far, output is off by half.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Debi Domby North America car and truck production reached 3 million units on Friday, May 29. That is 11 weeks later than in 2008. North America vehicle production for the first five months of the year ...
Europeans gain in global supplier race.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Robert Sherefkin European auto parts makers overcame severe markets in North America and Europe to outperform that is, not fall as badly as their rivals on this year's Automotive News ranking of the top 100 global suppliers. Of the top 10 suppliers on this ...
Obituaries.(NEWS)(Martin Caserio from Martin Caserio )(automobile dealer Bob Graue )(Obituary)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Martin Caserio DETROIT Martin Caserio, a General Motors executive for several decades, died May 16. He was 92. He began his GM career as a metallurgical engineer with AC Spark Plug in 1937. He served as general manager of several GM divisions: Delco Radio, AC Spark ...
VW's plan for Chattanooga: A fast and flexible launch.(NEWS)(Volkswagen AG)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Lindsay Chappell After two decades of trying to serve the U.S. market from a low-cost production base in Puebla, Mexico, Volkswagen is returning to the United States with an entirely new strategy. The German company is preparing to build cars here, relying on ...
VW in Tennessee.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Where: Chattanooga Plant opening: 2011 Products: ...
How the industry crisis forced Toyota to rethink flexibility; San Antonio builds just one vehicle, the Tundra. So what to do when pickup sales collapse?(NEWS)(Toyota Motor Corp.)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Planning and executing a change in the daily line speed known in manufacturing circles as changing the "takt time is akin to directing the choreography of a Broadway musical. A decade ago, Toyota was famed for being able to pull off a change ...