No Road, No Problem

In the red rocks, canyons and serious terrain of Moab, UT, an off-roading mecca, the Hummer H2 SUT (sport/utility truck) is a very practical vehicle. A day of crawling up and down trails with names such as Hell's Revenge proved little match for this latest member of General Motors Corp.'s Hummer family. Like the H2 SUV with which the SUT shares its architecture, the short overhang is a must on a downslope

By Alisa Priddle • Aug. 1, 2004

Toyota Advances With ‘Onsite’ Suppliers in Texas

Ward’s spoke in early June with two top Toyota Motor Corp. executives as part of its annual U.S. purchasing interviews. In the interviews, Andy Lund, program manager-development and planning operations at Toyota Technical Center, discusses supplier contributions on the new Sienna minivan, while Osamu “Simon” Nagata, vice president-purchasing, discusses sourcing plans for the upcoming Tundra pickup

By Tom Murphy and Katherine Zachary • July 6, 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

Full Ownership

Behr America Inc. completes its 2-year joint venture with DaimlerChrysler AG, taking full ownership of the auto maker's thermal products plant in Dayton, OH. The two entered into the JV to ease the transition from DC to Behr management (see WAW May '04, p.40). With Behr having invested more than $60 million in new upgrades at the facility within the term of the JV and another $100 million investment

July 1, 2004

Nissan Consolidates to 5 Major Platforms

Platform consolidation, often with equity-partner Renault SA, marks the current phase of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.'s recovery, as it tailors its lineup to versatile, global manufacturing plants. When Nissan entered recovery mode in 1999, it had 24 platforms, five of which accounted for 62% of output. Nissan's goal, by 2005, is to cut platforms to 15, with the five highest-volume platforms comprising 91%

July 1, 2004

It’s Mind Over Matter

Mind of the Dealer sounds like a course in psychology and that it is, at Chrysler Financial. The captive lender has undertaken an intensive effort to bolster F&I numbers as dealer collaborators instead of confronters. Chrysler Financial created the training program as a guide for dealer relations managers (DRM) in their approaches to dealer personnel, from the owners and principals to salespeople

By Mac Gordon • July 1, 2004

Amore On Wheels

Just the name Maserati evokes thoughts of Italian style. Along with the likes of Armani, Versace and Dolce & Gabbana, there are few marques that exude Italian panache and Maserati is one of them. But Maserati is more than a mindset, as evidenced by the '04 Maserati Cambiocorsa Coupe, which combines Italian style with unbridled power and flair. The joy of the Maserati coupe starts with the exterior

By Kevin Kelly • July 1, 2004

Bucking the Trend

Motorists passing by Muzi Ford in suburban Boston in recent months may have noticed bright new banners proclaiming the formerly best-kept secret in town: Muzi sells Chevrolets, too. If drivers were tempted to do a double take, they weren't alone. Dale Cammarano Sinesi, part of the trio that runs the third-generation family business, Muzi Motors Inc., says the pairing of the two traditionally competitive

By Alan R. Earls • July 1, 2004

Ford Credit on Carpet

Ford Motor Credit Co. is issuing $100 restitution checks as part of a settlement affecting as many as 150,000 people in 37 states who allegedly were overcharged for early termination on a Red Carpet lease between 1991 and 1994. Ford's leasing practices were called into question by State of Michigan investigators who found that dealers sometimes were overcharging lessees for lease termination beyond

July 1, 2004

Accident Takes Dealer’s Life

Mike Fox was the paragon of the modern auto dealer: a smart and insightful gentleman who was active in community affairs and generous to various causes. Ward's Dealer Business often sought his comments and observations because he was accessible, understood the auto industry and always had something interesting to say. The owner of Mike Fox Toyota and VW dealerships in Rochester, MI, was candid and

July 1, 2004

Scion Brand Mulls 4th Car Model

Development of a fourth model for Scion could begin as early as next year, says Brian Bolain, national sales manager for Toyota Motor Corp.'s start-up youth brand. But Toyota won't expand the lineup until after the launch of the second-generation Scion xB, due to appear in 2007. Bolain declares a Scion truck or SUV is not a possibility, but some other type of vehicle such as a station wagon could

July 1, 2004

Kia Slowly Shedding Image of a Cheap Brand

The problem isn't that U.S. consumers haven't heard of Kia. Most Americans know it's a South Korean auto maker. But ask them to name all six Kia models. You might as well ask them to recite the Gettysburg address in Korean. Mention the name Amanti, and a lot of Americans might think you're talking about Armanti, an upscale Italian clothier, not an upscale Kia sedan with a sticker that nears $27,000

By Steve Finlay • July 1, 2004

Toyota Financial Services Fills New Post, Promotes 5

Danny Ray, Bank One's former senior vice president and chief risk officer, fills a newly created position of the same name at Toyota Finance Services. He'll provide strategic guidance in the areas of commercial and dealer credit and collateral risk, as well as defining the TFS' overall risk governance process. Ray will report directly to TFS President and CEO George Borst. Meanwhile five TFS managers

July 1, 2004

Toyota Stores in the News

Much activity has swirled around several Toyota dealerships on the Ward's Dealer 500. One store, Longo Toyota in El Monte, CA, draws attention for a singular achievement in new-vehicle sales. Longo, the top-ranked dealer on the 500 for the past three years, owned by the Penske Group, became the first dealer ever to almost surpass 20,000 new-vehicle sales for the first time in a single year, reaching

By Mac Gordon • June 1, 2004

Ford Credit Is Pulling Back

Ford Credit's pullback from non-Ford and used-vehicle financing and lease originations is continuing this year, says the Ford Motor Co. captive lender's 10K report to the Securities & Exchange Commission. For 2003, Ford Credit issued 2.2 million new vehicle loans, a 20% decline from 2002, and 274,000 new leases compared with 469,000 in 2002, a plunge of 41.9%. Data are for North America. Increased

June 1, 2004

Rewards & Punishments

No dealer ever put his or her name on a store, then set out to run a bad business. So says Ford Motor Co. Group Vice President James O'Connor, a former dealership general manager. That said, some dealers unceasingly struggle, score poorly on satisfaction surveys and miss minimum sales targets. How do manufacturers deal with such under achievers? That was a topic of a lively discussion at the California

By Steve Finlay • June 1, 2004

Pedestrian impact

Airbags on the outside of a car? To most Americans, the idea of changing vehicle designs and adding exterior airbags to protect folks on foot sounds like a joke. It's not. Long-anticipated regulations aimed at limiting deaths and injuries in 25-mph (40-km/h) vehicle-to-pedestrian impacts take effect next year in Europe and are expected in Japan by 2007, if not sooner. The Ford Motor Co. SUV on our

By Drew Winter • June 1, 2004

Our Last Chance

DaimlerChrysler AG has lost control of its major Asian alliance partner, and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. now will have a chance to live its cat-like ninth life thanks to a $4 billion cash infusion from Japanese companies interested in ensuring its revival. MMC's newly installed Chairman Yoichiro Okazaki calls the company's new bailout plan, our last chance at survival as an auto maker. But many analysts

By Barbara McClellan • June 1, 2004

PEOPLE Bloomfield Hills South

It's like Bloomfield Hills south, says Cliff Vaughan over a salad on the porch of the Marina Club in Bonita Springs, one of several small towns now part of the burgeoning greater Naples area. Dressed in khaki shorts and a striped short-sleeve shirt, attire not uncommon in this balmy area, the retired General Motors Corp. vice president and GMC Div. general manager is among scores of GM executives

By David C. Smith • June 1, 2004

AWD Not in Plans for PT Cruiser

Chrysler Group puts the brakes on rumors it plans to develop an all-wheel-drive version of its Chrysler PT Cruiser. Chrysler says it hasn't seen any indication adding AWD is a top priority for potential PT customers. Chrysler toyed with the idea of AWD in the PT via its PT Big Sky concept, which debuted at the 2002 Specialty Equipment Market Assn. show in Las Vegas in 2002. The auto maker said reaction

June 1, 2004

Blimp My Ride

It wasn't the Hindenburg crash, but a man with a shotgun fired at an advertising blimp that flew in a field next to Team Chevrolet-Cadillac-Geo in Salisbury, NC. The blimp was advertising Cloninger Ford-Toyota. Charged with discharging a firearm within city limits: Team Chevrolet owner Thom Dillard. The fine: $10. Estimated damage to the blimp: $10,000. Dillard indicated he'll pay for repairs. His

June 1, 2004

2-Millionth Lexus Customer

Lexus sold its 2 millionth vehicle, an RX 330 SUV, purchased by Steven Sandman at JM Lexus in Margate, FL, the world's highest volume Lexus store. The landmark purchase won Sandman a luxurious four-day, three night vacation to world-famous Pebble Beach Resort in Monterey, CA. JM Lexus sold a record 6,333 new vehicles and 1,137 pre-owned vehicles in 2003. In recognition of the dealership's success,

June 1, 2004

Markups OK if Equal

The good old days will soon be gone and with them, perhaps, dealer participation in financing. We've reported on the attacks on dealer participation for quite some time now. There was the class-action settlement in the racial discrimination suit against General Motors Acceptance Corporation and the contract disclosures that GMAC agreed to implement as part of that settlement. State attorneys general

By THOMAS B. HUDSON • June 1, 2004

DC Dumps 42-Volts

After years of hype, it appears the bloom is off the rose for the development of 42-volt electrical systems and other non-essential technologies in the auto industry. At least that's the proclamation from DaimlerChrysler AG. During the auto maker's annual Innovation Symposium here, Stephan Wolfsried, vice president-electrical/electronics, chassis for Mercedes Car Group development and engineering,

By Kevin Kelly • June 1, 2004

Increase Profits by $300

What is your strategy for working a deal at the sales desk in your store? Whatever your answer, I'd suggest you observe deals being worked and audit worksheets to see the real story. Would you like to raise your closing ratio and gross profit by at least $300? Let's take a look at how you can accomplish that through effective deal strategies. First let's look at the typical sales transaction in many

By STEVE EPPERSON • June 1, 2004

Thursfield Out in Ford Shakeup

In a bid to circulate fresh blood at the Glass House, Ford Motor Co. fine tunes its top management ranks while saying goodbye to its global purchasing chief. Changes include the naming of Jim Padilla to chief operating officer and chairman-automotive operations, as well as the retirement of David Thursfield as executive vice president and president-International Operations and Global Purchasing. Padilla,

May 1, 2004