Automakers: Page
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
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 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
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 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Courtesy of Toyota Motor North America
TrendlineTop 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 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
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 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
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 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
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 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
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 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
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 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
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 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
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 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
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 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GM Can’t Lose Buick
Has anyone noticed that Buick is pretty much where Oldsmobile was when GM decided to fold it? Back in 1999, Olds sold 352,000 cars and trucks. Last year Buick sold 337,000. In 2000 the announcement came in late 2000 Olds sold 289,000. This year Buick is tracking around 290,000. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest: To lose one division, Mr. Wagoner, is a misfortune. To lose
By Jerry Flint • May 1, 2004 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
STS Aims at Benz and BMW
Unveiling the '05 Cadillac STS at the New York International Auto Show, Cadillac General Manager Mark LaNeve says he expects to sell 30,000 of the new rear-drive flagship sedans annually. He notes it's the first new rear-drive car for Cadillac in 25 years. LaNeve expresses confidence that Cadillac will compete with the German luxury brands more forcefully with the STS, while declining to predict how
By Herb Shuldiner • May 1, 2004 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
No-No to MX-Micro Sport
Mazda Motor Corp. will not put the MX-Micro Sport concept into production for the North American market this year because the business case is not there, officials say. The B-segment hatchback was shown at January's North American International Auto Show in Detroit. At that time, the auto maker said it would go into production by year end, but officials would not confirm where the cars would be sold.
May 1, 2004 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Risky Business
In the fall of 2002, the sun was setting fast on New Castle, IN. One of its largest employers, DaimlerChrysler Corp., was preparing to pull the plug on its 1,200-employee Machining and Forge plant, which made suspension and powertrain components for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles. In this small town of 17,000 east of Indianapolis, nothing is bigger than the Machining and Forge plant, although the
By Tom Murphy • May 1, 2004 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Hyundai, Kia Tech Center Under Way
Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. and sister-company Kia Motors Corp. break ground on their future technical center near Ann Arbor, MI. Construction began in April. When Hyundai America Technical Center Inc. opens in 2005, it will take the place of a small facility that since 1986 has concentrated solely on U.S. emissions work. Thecenter represents a $117 million investment over two phases, $56 million of which
May 1, 2004 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Aiming Straight at Gays
Can auto makers afford to ignore a $485 billion market with 15 million consumers who buy new products earlier than most, have more discretionary income than average folks and are very brand loyal? Can anyone? No, of course not. That's why major companies, United Airlines, American Express and Proctor and Gamble in fact, most of the Fortune 500 aggressively are marketing to the GLBT (gay, lesbian,
By Drew Winter • May 1, 2004 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Chrysler Takes Hollywood Cues
Chrysler Group is taking a cue from Hollywood as it holds a series of festive events at dealerships nationwide for potentially millions of customers to promote a bevy of new Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles. Three brand-specific national events will give the public a sneak preview of new Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge products, some on display at dealerships even before they become widely available. Dealers
By Ward's Staff • May 1, 2004 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Audi Stalled
Audi of America Inc. says it will receive fewer vehicles from parent Audi AG for the '04 model year because of sluggish demand and the battering euro/dollar exchange rate that is stifling profits in the U.S. Plans call for Audi to divert vehicles originally earmarked for the U.S. to other markets where demand is stronger and there is less negative impact from the strong euro. In all, as many as 2,000-3,000
By Kevin Kelly • May 1, 2004 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
International Auto Diplomacy
Perhaps Don Esmond should have chosen diplomatic service. The senior vice president and general manager of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. downplays discussion about the significance of recent headlines touting the success of the Japanese auto maker and the foundering of its U.S. counterparts. We focus on our own numbers, not the others, says Esmond, a former Ford executive. We simply expect our sales
By Jim Mateja • May 1, 2004 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Monkey Shines in Ads
A friend who's a former ad man sent an e-mail that simply says, And this is a real commercial. Attached was a video clip. Turns out, it's one of four TV spots touting a fake product but a real dealership, the Suburban Auto Group, selling Fords, Chevys and Suzukis in Sandy, OR, south of Portland. All four ads have aired locally. They were also on www.suburbanautogroup.com. But in one week on a dedicated
By Steve Finlay • May 1, 2004 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
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 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
STS Returns Cadillac to Pinnacle of Luxury Market
NEW YORK – Unveiling the ’05 Cadillac STS at the New York International Auto Show, Cadillac General Manager Mark LaNeve says he expects to sell 30,000 of the new rear-drive flagship sedans annually. LaNeve expresses confidence that Cadillac will compete with the German luxury brands more forcefully with the STS, while declining to predict how close Cadillac's volume can get to the Mercedes and BMW
By Herb Shuldiner • April 8, 2004 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford to Debut Hybrid Mercury Mariner in 2006
Ford Motor Co. says it will expand its hybrid vehicle lineup with the addition of a hybrid Mercury Mariner cross/utility vehicle by 2006. The Mariner disclosure is the third such announcement by Ford involving hybrid vehicles. The hybrid Mariner will bow as an ’07 model and will employ much of the same technology found on Ford’s Escape Hybrid, which hits the market later this year. In addition to
By John D. Stoll • April 7, 2004 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
New Xterra Stays Close to Original Concept
Generation X may be all grown up, but the Nissan Xterra, a defining vehicle of that demographic group, sticks close to its original, rough-and-ready concept. Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. chooses the New York auto show for the world debut of the second generation of its once-iconic SUV. Nissan's second-generation Xterra. “Xterra was a cornerstone vehicle in launching Nissan’s remarkable product revival in
By KATHERINE ZACHARY • April 7, 2004 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Honda RL Prototype Features Industry-First AWD System
American Honda Motor Co. Inc. will provide New York show goers with a close-up look at the future direction of its Acura luxury division’s flagship car when it unveils the RL Prototype. Most notable is the focus on all-wheel drive in the RL Prototype current RLs are front drive. Honda says its AWD system, dubbed SH-AWD, is the first that distributes optimum torque side to side as well as front to
By Ward's Staff • April 5, 2004
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