TURIN Almost half of the engines Mercedes-Benz put in its outgoing, W210-generation E-Class were 4-cyl. units. Yet Mercedes' all-new, 2003 E-Class (W211 platform) just launched with a single 4-cyl. engine choice and a diesel at that. What's going...
Look what Ford Motor Co. has started. With the addition of independent rear suspensions (IRS) on Ford Explorer/Mercury Mountaineer and the upcoming 2003 Lincoln Navigator/Ford Expedition, surely every SUV producer will clamor for IRS. That appears...
Even after 20 years of enduring heated competition from the Japanese auto makers on their own turf, there are some things the Big Three just haven't been able to swallow. Today, the yen-dollar exchange rate once again has reared its ugly head...
Although the Internet has not delivered on its initial promise of creating virtual dealer environments where consumers interact with cyber-dealers in a non-confrontational environment, it's delivering true business value in many other ways. One...
A question frequently asked at this year's NADA convention was Where are the dot-coms? It was often asked with smug overtones. The implication is that, despite all of the bravado and glitz the last couple of years, the dot-coms have been decimated...
Used-vehicle sales increased about one million in 2001 for a record 42.6 million units and a record $376 billion in revenue all this in a year that brought intense pressure and unique conditions to the market. Used-car prices were driven down in...
Mustang will not suffer through a mid-life crisis, as did Thunderbird, says Ford Motor Co. designer Mark Conforzi. The model's next generation will remain true to the vehicle's roots, assures the lead member of Mustang's design team. We do want...
Dealer Gregory Jackson, president of the Prestige Automotive Dealership Group, was quoted on page 15 of the January 2002 Ward's Dealer Business as saying that import automakers and Ford Motor Co. have shown an inability to bring minorities to the...
Hispanic auto dealers formed a national Hispanic automobile dealers association to deal with pressing issues affecting them. Some of the nation's leading Hispanic organizations gathered for the first time at the NADA 2002 convention to demonstrate...
Tennis star Lindsay Davenport (second from left) takes delivery of a new CLK AMG Cabriolet from Mercedes-Benz of Laguna Niguel (CA). With her (from left) are Sales Rep Keith LaRue, General Manager Pat Bolter and General Sales Manager Steve McCarthy.