Automakers: Page

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

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

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from WardsAuto

Automakers are evaluating their long-term strategies, revisiting their product mix, and approach to both retail and manufacturing approach along the way.

By WardsAuto staff

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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