Advice From Late, Great Job Interviewer

The late Brian Wolfe was one of the best at hiring top-notch showroom sales people. Mr. Wolfe, 29, who died July 5, was sales manager at Pace BMW in Mamaroneck, NY. His success at hiring the right people stemmed from going about it the right way. He offered advice on that during an interview a few months before his death. Here's what he said: If the prospect is good at interviewing, it's like a sailor

By Dave Donelson • Sept. 1, 2004

Rolling Chassis Contract Sets Record

South Korean supplier Hyundai Mobis says its long-term contract with Chrysler Group in the U.S. to provide rolling chassis for Jeep models beginning in 2006 is the largest volume parts order ever signed by a Korean automotive company. The contract is worth 180 billion won ($154 million) annually. Chrysler announced its supplier selection for the new Toledo, OH, plant in August. Construction is set

By Vince Courtenay, Tom Murphy • Sept. 1, 2004

Explore the Trendline➔

Artificial Intelligence

Automakers and dealers alike are increasingly seeing the use case for AI within their operations. Explore some use cases in this trendline.

By WardsAuto staff

Ford’s Padilla Wins Politically Incorrect Comment of Week Award

TRAVERSE CITY, MI It’s almost guaranteed that sometime during the week at the Management Briefing Seminars here, somebody is going to say something politically incorrect on the podium. A trunk Tony Soprano will love? Jim Padilla, Ford Motor Co. chief operating officer and chairman-Automotive Operations, appears to have locked up this year’s award for the best faux pas. With comments that no doubt

Aug. 5, 2004

Ford Escape Hybrid Gets 33 MPG

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Claiming the ’05 Ford Escape Hybrid is “the cleanest and most fuel-efficient SUV on the planet,” Jim Padilla, Ford Motor Co. chief operating officer and chairman-Automotive Operations, announces here on Thursday U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy ratings for the cross/utility vehicle. The EPA has certified the front-wheel-drive Escape Hybrid at 36/31 mpg (6.5L-7.6L/100

By Drew Winter • Aug. 5, 2004

OnStar Expands Crash Notification

TRAVERSE CITY, MI General Motors Corp.’s OnStar telematics division is planning to significantly expand use in the ’05 model year of its advanced automatic crash notification (AACN) system that provides vital crash information to emergency response centers. “We launched it last year, but in a very low-volume way on the (Chevy) Malibu,” OnStar President Chet Huber tells Ward’s at the Management Briefing

By Brian Corbett • Aug. 4, 2004

109-Year-Old GM Retiree Still Collecting Benefits

TRAVERSE CITY He retired in 1958 from General Motors Corp. after 32 years service, he’s now 109 and he’s still collecting GM pension and health-insurance benefits. That amazing story was revealed at Tuesday’s 2004 Management Briefing Seminars by Jerry Elson, GM vice president and general manager-vehicle operations, to underscore why GM’s health costs are running $1,400 per vehicle. Elson didn’t reveal

By David C. Smith • Aug. 4, 2004

Chrysler Outlines New Toledo Plant, Suppliers

TRAVERSE CITY, MI After months of planning, Chrysler Group executives unveil the final structure for the auto maker’s all-new Toledo, OH, Jeep plant, which will begin production in 2006. The plant features a unique partnership with suppliers that puts them in charge of running the paint and body shops and developing rolling-chassis systems. The plant will replace the Jeep Parkway and Stickney Avenue

By Kevin Kelly • Aug. 3, 2004

Ford Six Sigma Savings: $2 Billion Since 2000

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Ford Motor Co. has documented $2 billion in cost savings from its Six Sigma quality initiative since it was launched in 2000, a Ford executive tells an afternoon session at Monday’s Management Briefing Seminars here. Debbe Yeager, director of Consumer Driven Six Sigma, says the $2 billion doesn’t include items such as cost avoidance but, rather, is directly related to results from

By David C. Smith • Aug. 2, 2004

Nissan ‘Strike Zone’ Improves Ergonomic Practices

TRAVERSE CITY, MI Disgruntled players, managers and even the very umpires in charge of calling balls and strikes say Major League Baseball has a problem defining the strike zone. Not so for Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. Because its global sales are surging by veritable leaps and bounds, Nissan is getting down to the nitty gritty of improving its already industry-leading efficiency, says Hidetoshi Imazu, Nissan’s

By Bill Visnic • Aug. 2, 2004

Supplier: GM Still Not Lean Enough

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – How much courage does it take for a supplier to suggest its biggest customer isn’t as lean as it should be? He is tactful in doing so, but Michael Vella, vice president and general manager of TI Automotive’s Global Fluid Carrying Systems unit in Warren, MI, refers to General Motors Corp. at least twice in his speech here at the Management Briefing Seminars. Although he sees GM

By Tom Murphy • Aug. 2, 2004

Meanwhile, Frank Ghneim Likes Real Thing

At the same time Joe Parent, used-car manager for Tom Ahl dealerships, is 130 miles away in Lima, OH, bidding for cars online at Manheim's auto auction in Detroit (see story above), Frank Ghneim is at the auction in person, amid the hustle and bustle. Ghneim, whose partner owns Grass Lake (MI) Chevrolet, is not averse to logging on and participating in auctions via the Internet. He does so regularly

By Steve Finlay • Aug. 1, 2004

Dealership Sings Blues

A 75-year old dealership on the outskirts of Detroit called upon the city's finest blues bands to help serenade sales during an annual car cruise. They drew 2,000 people to the used-car lot and helped raise money for the Rotary Club. Blues music doesn't have a color or a city line, says Dennis Valentine, general manager of Merollis Chevrolet in Eastpointe, MI. We welcomed people from all over Detroit

Aug. 1, 2004

Their Need for Speed

If your idea of the perfect vacation is lying on a beach, soaking up the sun and sipping on a cold one, you might wonder about dealers like Barry Lundgren and Jerry Baker. Instead of opting for laid-back vacations, they prefer the emotional rush that speed and risk provide. And what a rush, says Lundgren, a Honda dealer in Auburn, MA. He races his 1974 Porsche 3.0 RS (only 57 were built) in vintage

By Cliff Banks • Aug. 1, 2004

War Cry: Beat Chevy!

As he approaches his 80th birthday this October 15, Lee Iacocca can fondly recall many accomplishments. The most obvious one, of course, is leading a nearly bankrupt Chrysler Corp. back to health and prosperity in the 1980s. The flamboyant Iacocca starred in numerous Chrysler-brand ads, something no industry leader had done so effectively at that point in the game. The persona of Iacocca as a hard-charging

By Mac Gordon • Aug. 1, 2004

Land of the Giants

In anticipation of U.S. sales beginning in 2006 and Canada sales this fall, executives and engineers for Smart GmbH, the microcar-making unit of DaimlerChrysler AG, demonstrate the structural integrity of their miniscule 2-seater, the Smart Fortwo, by crashing it head-on into a Mercedes E-Class sedan, a car twice its size and weight. The 40% offset frontal collision, with both vehicles traveling 31

By Bill Visnic • Aug. 1, 2004

Asbury & Audi in GA

The Asbury Automotive Group opened Nalley Audi, a new dealership in Roswell, GA. It's part of Asbury's Atlanta-based platform, the Nalley Automotive Group. The dealership is the newest stand-alone Audi franchise in the Southeast. In June, Nalley also opened the largest Lexus dealership in the region. Nalley Audi's showroom features an upscale lounge with a wireless business center and the Audi Quattro

Aug. 1, 2004

Where Sebring is King

LAHAINA, Hawaii Mitch Gordon has a thing about convertibles. He's owned ragtops for more than 40 years. He recently purchased an onyx green 2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible to replace his '98. The former Wall Street Journal news executive, who retired here on the island of Maui six years ago, still hasn't figured out how to use the CD, and he grumbles that the owner's manual needs an editor. He couldn't

By David C. Smith • Aug. 1, 2004

Strong Speaker Lineup Set for Convergence 2004

Ford Motor Co. Chairman William Clay Ford Jr. and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm are expected to headline a strong roster of speakers for the upcoming Convergence 2004 automotive electronics conference October 18-20. The every-other-year conference, which in the past 30 years has grown to become one of the auto industry's most important technical events, will have special significance this year.

By Drew Winter • Aug. 1, 2004

Stamping Strategy

If Chrysler Group has a winner with its latest product offerings, the company's modernized stamping operation should get at least some of the credit. In 1990, the average age of its presses was 25.2 years and, if time had run its course, Chrysler's presses today would be closing in on 40. Instead, Chrysler launched a capital-intensive revitalization plan in 1994 that has deeply cut stamping costs.

By John D. Stoll • Aug. 1, 2004

Three Years and Counting

For the past three years in Detroit, the city of cars, there has been but one name explicitly synonymous with Car Guy. Bob Lutz. Bob Lutz, the cosmopolitan General Motors Corp. vice chairman of product development who cut his teeth at BMW AG, cemented his reputation at Chrysler Corp. and speaks four languages. Bob Lutz, ex-marine pilot, still-extreme civilian pilot and ultimate auto-executive-as-auto-enthusiast.

By David C. Smith and Brian Corbett • Aug. 1, 2004

Saving at Line Speed

General Motors Corp. expects to reach its stretch target of a 30% cost reduction in future conveyor business by buying systems for its plants in bulk as part of its drive for manufacturing commonality and volume purchasing. The auto maker is changing how it buys, integrates and installs conveyors, Phillip Disch, GM executive director-controls, conveyor, robotics and welding, explains at the recent

By Alisa Priddle • Aug. 1, 2004

Jeepers, Creepers!

Jeep. It is one of the most-recognized brand names in the world, the kind that transcends the clutter and all but sells itself. When a pair of German newcomers took over the reins of Chrysler Group in November 2000, their eyes lit up when they spoke of the promise of Jeep. They had to quell rumors the Chrysler Group would be dismantled, with all but Jeep sold, it being the brand with the most value.

By Kevin Kelly • Aug. 1, 2004

ZF Meeting 300 Demand

It's never easy accommodating demand for a hot-selling car, as ZF Sachs Suspension Mexico S.A. de C.V. is learning. The unit of Germany's ZF Friedrichshafen AG is supplying the shocks for DaimlerChrysler AG's new Chrysler 300C and sister model, the Dodge Magnum, from its operations in Guadalajara, Mexico. ZF Sachs is responsible for 100% of the two models' shocks, which are shipped to DaimlerChrysler's

By Christie Schweinsberg • Aug. 1, 2004

UAW Confirms New Product for Atlanta

Ford Motor Co. is planning at least one new vehicle for its Atlanta Assembly plant following the departure of the Taurus and Sable as early as next year, union officials confirm to Ward's. The plant's United Auto Workers Local 882 Chairman Mitch Smith has informed workers that Ford plans to replace the Taurus and Sable with a new vehicle to be built there sometime after the '05 model year and possibly

Aug. 1, 2004

Proving Points in Desert

KINGMAN, AZ It's a hellishly hot summer day in the Arizona desert. It seems warm enough to solar roast a turkey. But to Ford Motor Co. staffers stationed here, it is a super day for putting beefed-up '05 Super Duty pickup trucks through their paces. For us, it's just another day in paradise, says Merle Ward, head of Ford's 3,400-acre Arizona Proving Ground where vehicles are tested under extreme conditions,

By Steve Finlay • Aug. 1, 2004