Automakers: Page 391

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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