COMPOSITE CHAMP

The Chevrolet Corvette was not the first car with a fiberglass body. But after 50 years and with production exceeding 1.3 million units, it remains an icon in the world of materials innovations. The '04 Corvette Commemorative Edition Z06 once again breaks new ground with a carbon-fiber hood that weighs only 20.5 lbs. (9 kg), a third less than the standard hood made from sheet molding composite (SMC).

By David C. Smith • Sept. 1, 2003

Understated Elegance

DETROIT It's hard not to cause some Rust Belt rubbernecking here when you're behind the wheel of one of the most-exclusive cars on the planet: the ''03 Bentley Arnage R. Bentley only sold a grand total of 1,116 cars last year worldwide, 925 of which were the Arnage. A mere 331 Arnages sold in North America. So while it's bound to be noticed, there's more than a fancy grille and unprecedented stature

By Kevin Kelly • Sept. 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

Harlem Finally Will Get a Dealership and It’s a Whopper

NEW YORK - There has not been an auto dealership north of 57th St. in Manhattan for more than three decades, despite a population that's larger than Atlanta. The Harlem Auto Mall is designed to fill that gap. General Motors Corp. will help develop the $42 million, 3-story auto mall in Harlem, home to 400,000 largely minority persons who have not had community access to a car dealership in more than

By Herb Shuldiner • Sept. 1, 2003

Dream Cruiser

The seventh variant of the Chrysler PT Cruiser cross/utility vehicle arrives in showrooms at a time when the quirky retro-ride needs to restore some of the buzz that surrounded its launch in February 2000. The '04 Chrysler PT Dream Cruiser Series 3 is the most expensive PT yet, at $28,810, excluding a $590 destination charge. The Series 3, which shares its 220-hp powertrain with the PT Turbo, sports

Sept. 1, 2003

Extraordinary Dealer Hits a 50-Year Milestone

In 1953, young Bert Boeckmann started working as a salesman at Galpin Ford in North Hills, CA. He bought the single-point store in 1960. He's since turned it into Galpin Motors, a $724 million business that includes the largest Ford dealership in the world as well as Jaguar, Lincoln Mercury, Aston Martin, Volvo, Mazda and Saturn stores in the San Fernando Valley. Boeckmann, his family and friends

By Steve Finlay • Sept. 1, 2003

He Knew What He Wanted

Mike Boguth of Hamilton Chevrolet in Warren, MI, knew what he wanted: A system that could give Internet shoppers dealership inventory information in real-time. Boguth, Hamilton's vice president and general manager, figured dealership websites should feature such fast and accurate data to accommodate the growing ranks of Internet car shoppers. But that's not always the case, especially with corporate-sponsored

Sept. 1, 2003

Visteon Moves to Commonize

Visteon Corp. was a disjointed company with almost as many quality manuals as plants before a concerted effort to its manufacturing process, says Thomas A. Burke, the supplier's vice president North American and Asian Mfg. Operations. Before its spin-off from Ford Motor Co. in 2000, there were about 80 different quality manuals. Now the 122 manufacturing facilities will follow one common system that

Sept. 1, 2003

Galpin Ford Raises F&I Yield

NORTH HILLS, CA Galpin Ford, using a staff 1-2 punch, has exceeded $1,300 in finance & insurance sales per vehicle sold. The top-volume Ford dealer in both total revenues and new vehicles sold achieves leadership in F&I incomeas well by letting vehicle salespeople complete the financing process before turning customers over to Brian Gelt's 20-person F&I team. This runs counter to the notion that F&I

By Mac Gordon • Aug. 1, 2003

Recipe for Disaster?

SALT LAKE CITY, UT Here's a recipe for disaster in the auto industry: Introduce an all-new product in a segment you've never played in. Make sure it's got a name nobody can pronounce. Just don't tell Volkswagen of America that's a mistake. The company is giddy about its first-ever cross/utility vehicle, the Touareg (Tour-regg). First, let's clear up the name. It loosely means free folk and is derived

By Kevin Kelly • Aug. 1, 2003

Hyundai’s U.S. Hopes Ride on Hope Hull

HOPE HULL, AL The McLane Garrett Cattle Co., Winn Dixie Retail Support Center and CocaCola Bottling plant near this tiny hamlet on Interstate 65 a few miles south of Montgomery soon will have a new and unlikely neighbor: Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. Buoyed by its relatively recent success in North America, the South Korean auto maker broke ground on April 16 last year for its first U.S. assembly plant on

By David C. Smith • Aug. 1, 2003

GM-Daewoo Platform Asia Bound

General Motors Corp.'s GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. Ltd., which rose from the ashes of the former Daewoo Motor Co. Ltd., now is tailoring its J200 platform for markets around the world. It soon will appear in different forms, and under different brands, in India, Thailand and China. It will be marketed by American Suzuki Motor Corp. in North America as the Forenza compact sedan and sold in Western

Aug. 1, 2003

Potential Dealer Magic Johnson a Linc Merc Pitchman

DEARBORN, MI Lincoln Mercury is partnering with Earvin (Magic) Johnson, an alliance expected to draw younger, trendier buyers to Lincoln Mercury showrooms and lead to new business opportunities for the legendary basketball great. Lincoln Mercury President Darryl Hazel says Johnson's business success, coupled with his sports stardom, is just what the automotive brand needs to enhance its chic, hip

By Kate Tomkie • Aug. 1, 2003

Setup Not So Bad After All

When Ford Motor Co. announced last year it was overhauling its aftermarket parts delivery system, certain dealers saw the new system as encroaching on their business. The cause for concern: 19 high-volume parts distribution centers that Ford is building throughout the country. The complainants were, for the most part, dealers with large wholesale parts businesses. They worried about potential loss

By Cliff Banks • Aug. 1, 2003

Freestar Minivan Goes 1st

Mercury Monterey production will lag behind that of its platform-mate, the Ford Freestar, the auto maker says. When Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd. fires up its refurbished plant in Oakville, Ont., its capacity for the first few months will be devoted exclusively to Freestar assembly. The Freestar replaces the Ford Windstar, which went out of production July 3 after a 9-year run. A push to control complexity

Aug. 1, 2003

Ford Unveils New Duratec V-6 at Lima

Ford Motor Co. announces it will invest $335 million in its engine plant in Lima, OH, where it will build a 3.5L DOHC V-6. While Ford doesn't say which vehicle programs will benefit from the all-aluminum engine, the auto maker confirms it will have applications in the passenger car and cross/utility segments. A source tells Ward's it will be available in at least two vehicles when it begins production

Aug. 1, 2003

Gung-ho on Golf

Where there's professional golf, there's often automotive sponsorships. It has more to do than just auto makers and dealers loving of the links. Golf is important to marketing vehicles, says Steve Lyons, Ford Div. president and chairman of the annual Ford Senior Players Championship. Why is it important to business? he says. More than 34% of golfers have a Ford in their garages. Twenty-three percent

Aug. 1, 2003

Dealer Allan Gilmour Back as Ford Credit Overseer

Ford Credit's operations have returned to the oversight of Ford Motor Company vice chairman Allan D. Gilmour, a dealer on the side who came out of retirement in 2002 to help Ford Chairman and CEO William Clay Ford, Jr. straighten out finances. Gilmour, 69, assumes the oversight of Ford Credit from Carl E. Reichardt, 71, a longtime company director who, from 1983 to 1994, served as chairman and CEO

Aug. 1, 2003

Tochigi Closing

Honda Motor Co. Ltd. will close one of its three assembly plants in Japan next year, turning the facility into a manufacturing research center. The assembly line and responsibility for three niche vehicles the S2000, Insight and Acura NSX will move from the facility in Tochigi to Honda's plant in Suzuka. The Tochigi plant will become a new model center where production processes for new vehicles are

Aug. 1, 2003

Cadillac’s Big Chance

In the course of my career I've watched Cadillac try to climb back to where it used to be - time and time again. For a brand that was the standard of the world for nearly 70 years, the last quarter century has been pretty rough on Henry Leland's baby. Cadillac's current problems actually started at the peak of its success. In the 1970s, then-General Manager George Elges started Cadillac on a tear

By John McElroy • July 1, 2003

GM Spends $30M on Metal Fab

General Motors Corp.'s Metal Fabricating Center in Flint, MI, will receive a $30 million investment to install two new high-tech presses. The presses are faster and more flexible than traditional equipment. Flint's fastest press runs at 24 strokes a minute; the new presses will run at more than 40 strokes per minute. Although GM refuses to provide an official timeline for the project, Ward's is told

July 1, 2003

Drivers Wanted CUV Drivers

SALT LAKE CITY, UT Here's a recipe for disaster in the auto industry: Introduce an all-new product in a segment you've never played in. Make sure it's got a name nobody can pronounce. Just don't tell Volkswagen of America that's a mistake. The company is giddy about its first-ever cross/utility vehicle, the Touareg (Tour-regg). First, let's clear up the name. It loosely means free folk and is derived

By Kevin Kelly • July 1, 2003

Big Blue Oval Logo Back Atop Ford HQ

DEARBORN, MI The Blue Oval logo is back atop Ford Motor Co. world headquarters here following a 3-year absence and after the current top management team deemed it better than what had replaced it. A big Blue Oval had adorned the Glass House since the 1960s, but was quietly removed in May of 2000. Replacing it was Ford Motor Company in script lettering. The switch sparked a debate that apparently is

By Steve Finlay • July 1, 2003

GM Objects

General Motors Corp. is unhappy with a provision in the Chinese government's first draft of its next vision for the automotive industry. Provision One stipulates at least 50% of cars sold in China be derived from Chinese intellectual property. While most major global OEMs now are manufacturing vehicles in China, the research and development work largely is performed in their home countries, as many

July 1, 2003

Love Fest Over?

Volkswagen AG's plan to develop a cross/utility vehicle for its luxury Audi marque is causing consternation at development partner Porsche AG. Porsche contends that for VW to bring a Touareg/Porsche Cayenne-derived Audi CUV to market, it must pay a licensing fee to Porsche for the engineering. VW executives are denouncing Porsche's stance, saying the joint contract covering co-development of the Touareg/Cayenne

By Kevin Kelly • July 1, 2003

Edsel Ford II Recalls Dad’s Family Rule

DETROIT Two of the late Henry Ford II's most famous sayings as head of Ford Motor Co. were: It's my name on the building, affirming who was in charge, and There are no crown princes at Ford, precluding automatic family claims to the top. His son, Edsel Ford II, cited the latter quote as the auto maker marked last month's centennial of the company founded by Edsel II's great-grandfather Henry. Henry

By Steve Finlay • July 1, 2003