Out of Focus

Ford of Europe's Belgium investment cancellation should shake out before second-quarter 2004 with the announcement of production plans for four new products, Ward's learns. Having reversed a decision to spend E900 million ($1.05 billion) on flexible manufacturing capability to build the next-generation Focus at its 39-year-old Genk assembly plant, Ford is expected to announce before year's end where

By Eric Mayne • Nov. 1, 2003

AutoTrader Study Finds Best Practices

Autotrader.com conducted a study of all of its dealership clients to determine the best practices of its most successful dealers. The idea came from California dealer Joe Drew, says Autotrader CEO Chip Perry. I was visiting Drew Ford in San Diego, says Perry. Mr. Drew called me into his office and wanted to know what we could tell him about the best practices of other dealers using our service. Autotrader,

Nov. 1, 2003

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

Accord Tops Online Interest

Kelly Blue Book's most researched vehicle online is the Honda Accord, even though its archrival, the Toyota Camry, is outselling it. Every month more than five million unique visitors go online to Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, many of them researching new vehicles. More than 28 million vehicle pricing reports were generated in August and in-market shoppers' top-research pick was the Accord. It's held

Nov. 1, 2003

Big 3, Toyota Launch Network

RouteOne, a new dealer finance communications network owned by the Big Three and Toyota, has started a rollout schedule that calls for coverage of the entire U.S. by mid-2004. The 10 members of the Southfield, MI-based network's dealer advisory board constitute the first pilot of the precedent-setting system. Next is a 30-dealership pilot in Atlanta, GA, and an expansion throughout the entire Southeast

By Mac Gordon • Nov. 1, 2003

Chrysler Denies Seeking Dealer Margin Cuts

NEWARK, DE - Chrysler Group denies reports it's seeking to reduce dealer margins in order to improve profits. The auto maker says its dealers are a crucial part of its turnaround plan. None of our top management thinks dealer margins are too high, says Chrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche during ceremonies here for the production launch of the Dodge Durango SUV. He says the reports are unfounded, adding that

By Kevin Kelly • Nov. 1, 2003

Dodge Sees Boost From Durango

When the '04 Dodge Durango reaches showrooms in mid-November, Chrysler Group intends to ride its coattails to an end-of-year sales surge. We're going to leverage the dickens out of Durango, John H.O. Sloan, senior manager-car marketing, says of a vehicle he believes can be a showroom traffic driver. Dodge sales are down, Sloan says, because it did not keep up with General Motors Corp. in incentives

Nov. 1, 2003

GM’s All-New Platform

FRANKFURT General Motors Corp. uses the eve of the Frankfurt auto show to unveil a luxury sedan concept from an all-new global premium large-car platform. The auto maker aims to re-enter that market with products for several continents, including North America. The first look at the premium platform is the captivating Opel Insignia concept, a 4-door personal car embodying a more muscular and upscale

By Alisa Priddle • Oct. 1, 2003

DC Kills Sprinter Van Plant

DaimlerChrysler AG pulls the plug on plans to build a $754 million commercial van plant in Pooler, GA. The facility would have built the Dodge Sprinter but fell victim to a poor commercial vehicle market. A spokesman says the auto maker could not justify the business case for the plant, despite $320 million in state incentives. DC plans to continue building Dodge and Mercedes-Benz Sprinters under

Oct. 1, 2003

ZF Batavia Finally Shipping CVTs

More than two years later than initially planned, the transmission manufacturing facility owned jointly by Ford Motor Co. and ZF Friedrichshafen AG in Batavia, OH, is supplying its first continuously variable transmission (CVT). Production at Batavia currently is ramping up for the CFT 23 CVT, which will be shipped from Batavia to Ford's Focus plant in Saarlouis, Germany, for use in the '04 C-Max,

By Tom Murphy • Oct. 1, 2003

407 Prelude

The Peugeot 407 Elixir concept unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show is a version of the 407 coming next year. The concept combines dynamism and elegance, with its long front overhang and a rear end, says Frederic Saint-Geours, PSA Peugeot Citroen executive vice-president-Peugeot brand. The 407 Elixir is presented as a coupe whose high back end allows rear seat passengers some head room. Enormous rear

Oct. 1, 2003

Immaculate Conception

DRESDEN, Germany Rich parquet floors, a 5-star restaurant, interactive displays and a climactic burst of light and music serve as the prelude then cylindrical doors open to reveal a customer's new Volkswagen Phaeton luxury sedan, ready to be driven home. Welcome to Die Glaserne Manufaktur, also known as the Transparent Factory, in historic Dresden, a city restored to its culturally rich past on the

By Alisa Priddle • Oct. 1, 2003

F-150 Hits Info Superhighway

With the efficiency of a computer virus, Ford Motor Co. spreads its '04 F-150 marketing message in cyberspace. In a 1-day push on Sept. 4 that coincided with the launch of a campaign aimed at National Football League fans, Ford exposed its redesigned flagship to 75% of the Internet's portal traffic with high-profile ads on Yahoo!, MSN and AOL. The auto maker also launched an animated, interactive

By Eric Mayne • Oct. 1, 2003

Power of 3

In one of the most significant redesigns in the 50-plus-year history of its V-8 engine architecture, General Motors Corp. powertrain engineers are developing a new 3-valve-per-cylinder layout for GM's overhead-valve V-8 and V-6 engines. The new 3-valve design is meant to enhance the performance of the OHV V-6 and V-8 engines currently using 2-valve-per-cylinder layouts that GM prefers to the overhead-camshaft

By Bill Visnic • Oct. 1, 2003

Popular GMAC Conference Rescheduled to November

GMAC's popular national F&I conference is Nov. 19-23, moving from a May date, but remaining in the same locale the Double Tree/Paradise Valley Hotel in Scottsdale, AZ. Approximately 250 dealers with General Motors Acceptance Corp. provider agreements took part in last May's conference. It includes seminars, social events and exhibits. Cost of the impending conference is $1,900. A guest package costs

Oct. 1, 2003

Testbed Hotbed

It may be the birthplace of the Big Three, but southeastern Michigan increasingly is playing host to the Asian auto makers as well. A trio of recent announcements by Toyota Motor Corp., Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. and Suzuki Motor Corp. amount to significant investment in the Ann Arbor area. Toyota's effort, a production design center, aims to make North American concept cars production-ready, while Hyundai

By KATHERINE ZACHARY • Oct. 1, 2003

Profitable Prius

Toyota Motor Corp. traditionally has viewed its gas-electric hybrid technology as a solid investment for the future, but officials say the '04 Prius will be profitable from the get-go. If we couldn't make a profit, we wouldn't be doing it, says Ernest Bastien, corporate vehicle marketing manager, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. The auto maker claims the first-generation Prius, which launched in the

Oct. 1, 2003

What’s After Zoom-Zoom?

HANTILLY, France What's after for Mazda Motor Corp., which has centered its advertising campaign worldwide on the catchy slogan, sometimes whispered, sometimes chanted to the beat of not-so-distant drums? It's been so successful in the last year that it's almost become a global catch phrase. But no ad campaign lasts forever, even though some enjoy greater longevity than others. Were it creatively

By Steve Finlay • Oct. 1, 2003

Jeweler-Turned-Dealer Builds Facility Gem

Champion Motorsport, a new subsidiary of Champion Motors, the world's largest Porsche dealer since 1989, is building a new 22,000-sq.-ft. showroom, service and design facility in Pompano Beach, FL. Designed by architect Neil R. Duputy, the new structure will be completed this year and sport the same design construction in its central cylindrical section as the Epcot Center at Disneyworld. Champion

Oct. 1, 2003

Looking Beyond the Almighty Incentives

What strategies should U.S. automakers consider now that ultra-low car prices and massive incentives are no longer motivating people to buy? Manufacturers intent on building market share without cannibalizing profits are looking past the almighty incentive and are forcing themselves to invest in stronger relationships with their customers, according to research led by Mark Peacock of Deloitte Consulting.

Sept. 1, 2003

GM Plans Incentives on Colorado/Canyon

General Motors Corp. expects to offer incentives on its new '04 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon models when they're launched later this year, but the spiffs will be lower than those currently available with the '03 S-10/Sonoma models, promises one marketing executive. Despite the lower incentives, GM predicts it still will gain share in the midsize pickup market as a result of the new models. We're

By Herb Shuldiner • Sept. 1, 2003

On the Move

Although Ford Motor Co. continues to endure a rough ride through the U.S.'s faltering economy and is absorbing ongoing upheaval in its European operations, the two continents' long hot summer brought plenty of action for the company's Powertrain Operations. In North America, Ford formally announced production of an all-new V-6 engine family, the Duratec 35. And in Europe, Ford launched its first gasoline

By David Scott • Sept. 1, 2003

‘04 Breakthrough Year

The '04 model year may be a turning point for aluminum in the auto industry. After surpassing plastics in 2001 as third most-used material in the auto industry, behind steel and iron, aluminum rolls into '04 with two major breakthrough programs the Jaguar XJ and BMW 5-Series. The '04 models are two of the most aluminum-intensive, mainstream vehicles in automotive history, continuing an expansion trend

By Brian Corbett • Sept. 1, 2003

Dealer Demos Prop Chrysler Pacifica Sales

Chrysler's all-new Pacifica cross/utility vehicle gave signals it was showing signs of traction on the sales front, with 6,857 units sold in July. The only problem: 1,200 of them never left the lot. Chrysler dealer demos prop up sales of Pacifica. Chrysler initiated an offer in July to provide a $3,000 incentive to dealers to purchase a Pacifica as a demo as part of a program to get customers to take

By Kevin Kelly • Sept. 1, 2003

Bleak Future?

The United Auto Workers union is firm about preserving health care benefits in this year's contract negotiations with the Big Three, but there's still another issue to confront: overcapacity. General Motors Corp., which is giving Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler Corp. fits by forcing them to follow its lead in the money-losing game of market incentives in order to keep capacity utilization up, has

By Haig Stoddard • Sept. 1, 2003

Executive Exodus

Recent changes in Ford Motor Co.'s executive leadership represent an opportunity for enrichment, rather than a disruption in the chain of command, says Center for Automotive Research Chair-man David Cole. His remarks follow in the wake of Martin Leach's abrupt resignation in August from his post as Ford of Europe president and chief operating officer. Lewis Booth, 54, succeeds Leach. Booth had been

By Eric Mayne • Sept. 1, 2003