UNDER RESTRAINT

It's Aug. 16, 1999. The place: an Oklahoma City courtroom where a jury hears testimony in Clingenpeel v. Toyota Motor Corp. The case stems from a crash involving a '93 Camry. High school cheerleader Amber Clingenpeel was a rear passenger, wearing the only restraint device available to her seating position a lap belt. She listens to the proceedings from her wheelchair. On the witness stand is automotive

By Eric Mayne • April 1, 2002

GM Eyes Option-only ABS

General Motors Corp. and some of its suppliers confirm the auto maker, a long-time proponent of antilock brake systems as a safety feature, is considering making ABS optional on some of its models to keep vehicle prices down. ABS, standard equipment on most GM models since the early '90s, is one of several features GM is considering making optional. Bob Lutz, vice chairman-product development, spoke

April 1, 2002

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

Chrysler: Not Dead Yet

Bring out your dead, the cart master's English accent rings out in a scene from the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I'm not dead, is the feeble but persistent cry from an old man not ready to be tossed onto the cart. I'm getting better. You're not fooling anyone, you know, says the cart master, reluctant to move on. In the eyes of the onlookers, his fate has been sealed and no amount of protesting

By Alisa Priddle • April 1, 2002

Need an IRS ASAP?

Look what Ford Motor Co. has started. With the addition of independent rear suspensions (IRS) on Ford Explorer/Mercury Mountaineer and the upcoming 2003 Lincoln Navigator/Ford Expedition, surely every SUV producer will clamor for IRS. That appears to be the hope of at least two prominent automotive suppliers that are ready to take IRS to an even larger audience. Both ArvinMeritor Inc. and American

By TOM MURPHY and BILL VISNIC • April 1, 2002

Ford Credit is focusing on the basics

Greg Smith, new president and COO of Ford Financial, says the captive finance company takes a different approach to the Back to basics theme being preached at Ford Motor Co. in recent weeks. He explains, For us, we like to say, focus on the basics. That represents a change in strategy for Ford Credit. The finance company for the past seven years had sought to become a worldwide automotive financing

By Cliff Banks • March 1, 2002

Delphi loads up Peugeot 206 concept

Thanks to a technology partnership announced in 1999, Delphi Automotive Systems and French auto maker PSA Peugeot Citroen unveil a Peugeot 206 concept car equipped with seven advanced technologies from Delphi, most of which are ready for production. The 206 Environmental Technologies Demonstrator has Delphi's Energen 5 start-stop system, E-Steer electric power steering, non-thermal plasma exhaust

By Compiled by Senior Editor Tom Murphy [email protected] • March 1, 2002

HAIL TO GENERAL MOTORS’ NEW GENERAL

NOT SINCE THE DAYS OF JOHN DELOREAN HAS General Motors seen such excitement over the possibility of a charismatic leader. Of course Delorean's persona and personal lifestyle ultimately destroyed any possibility of him leading an institution such as GM. Now there's another car guy in the upper echelons of GM Bob Lutz, the new chairman of North American operations. GM CEO Richard Wagoner, in a gutsy

By Nat Shulman • March 1, 2002

Hyundai Motor to invest in Chinese venture

Hyundai Motor to invest in Chinese venture Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. signed a memorandum of understanding last month with Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. to establish a joint venture operation in Beijing. A Hyundai spokesman says the JV will focus on developing a unique Chinese car especially for the local market. While neither Hyundai nor Beijing Auto would comment, the move has a direct link

By Compiled by Senior International Editor Barb McClellan [email protected] • March 1, 2002

Hyundai: Move Over Fahrvergnugen

There's one big psychological barrier standing between Hyundai Motor America and its goal of becoming a U.S. import heavy hitter: Volks-wagen of America Inc. Though the Korean auto maker has not explicitly set its sites on passing import-darling VW during this calendar year, executives are fairly confident it can be done. They readily admit outpacing VWA which sold 355,648 cars in the U.S. for 2001

March 1, 2002

Rotary Redux

HIROSHIMA, Japan When Mazda Motor Corp. launches the RX-8 sports car in spring 2003, consumers can thank a cross-functional team of powertrain and production engineers for making the car and its hallmark rotary engine an affordable reality. Mazda's previous-generation rotary powered RX-7 was last sold in the U.S. in 1996. It was an acclaimed enthusiasts' sports car, but its price ballooned such that

By Roger Schreffler • March 1, 2002

Bonneville G/XP: Bob likes this one

General Motors Corp.'s Pontiac Div. will produce the Bonneville G/XP show car unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show. The G/XP was developed by Pontiac's design team within the last four months, and plans call for sales of between 5,000 and 15,000 units annually when it goes on sale in early '03. It will be marketed as a limited-production high-performance version of Pontiac's fullsize Bonneville sedan,

By Compiled by the staff of: WARD'S AUTOMOTIVE REPORTS • March 1, 2002

Tennis anyone?

Tennis star Lindsay Davenport (second from left) takes delivery of a new CLK AMG Cabriolet from Mercedes-Benz of Laguna Niguel (CA). With her (from left) are Sales Rep Keith LaRue, General Manager Pat Bolter and General Sales Manager Steve McCarthy.

March 1, 2002

John Z

John Z. DeLorean never will be ranked with such General Motors Corp. luminaries as founder William C. Durant, financial genius Alfred P. Sloan Jr. or engineering wizard Charles F. Kettering but he's had his moments. It has been nearly 30 years since DeLorean and GM parted company, yet his name still evokes instant recognition as one of the most famous and flamboyant auto executives ever. In an era

By AL Rothenberg • March 1, 2002

Ford, Jag, Volvo develop 6-speed

Ford Motor Co.'s Ford, Jaguar and Volvo engineers are developing a new 6-speed manual transmission to meet the need for a front-wheel-drive transaxle to handle higher horsepower for increased performance in FWD cars, WAW is told. Mazda Motor Corp. also is expected to join the 3-way venture. The transmission, which has received corporate approval, likely will be built in Europe at a Ford or supplier

By Compiled by the staff of: WARD'S AUTOMOTIVE REPORTS • March 1, 2002

Paramount opens $10 million dealership

Paramount Automotive Group opened a new state-of-the-art facility in Hickory, NC. At a cost of over $10 million, the new facility is over 70,000 square feet and features separate showrooms and service for Porsche, Volkswagen, Volvo, Cadillac and Oldsmobile. Each showroom depicts the individual personality of the carline in its styling and decor and features a separate service and customer waiting

March 1, 2002

SUPER STAR MEL FARR AND FORD PART WAYS

Mel Farr is trying to keep a positive attitude about the closing of his two Ford dealerships in Waterford and Oak Park, MI, suburbs of Detroit. Farr, once a top megadealer, now plans to pursue a dream of opening a used-car superstore and new-car stores in Detroit, says his spokeswoman Charlene Mitchell. Mitchell confirms that Farr will be making a complete break from Ford, and will soon sell his minority

By Christie Schweinsberg • March 1, 2002

DON MASSEY SELLS DEALERSHIPS EN MASSE

For a couple years now, rumor was that Cadillac king Don Massey was planning to sell his 16-store empire. The 73-year-old dealer would coyly dodge questions about such a deal. But rumor turned to fact as Massey, in his biggest sale ever, sold his high-end chain to Sonic Automotive Inc., a dealership consolidator. It runs 165 dealerships and ranks No. 2 on the Ward's Dealer Business Megadealer 100.

March 1, 2002

How 2 Hands Can Turn 4 Wheels

So far, General Motors Corp. is using its Quadrasteer 4-wheel steering (4WS) system exclusively on fullsize trucks, but supplier Delphi Automotive Systems predicts the chassis technology will be applied to more than just long wheelbase vehicles by 2007. A Delphi official sees Quad-rasteer expanding into minivans within five years, and possibly commercial trucks and cars. GM is so confident that 4WS

March 1, 2002

CAN’T GET NO (COMPLETE) SATISFACTION

PAT LIND SUGGESTS REVAMPING CUSTOMER satisfaction surveys. Critics claim they're misleading. Lind cites the woes of a GM dealer who said here in January that most of his customers give his dealership a very satisfied score, but GM nevertheless wants more than that. The automaker wants completely satisfied scoring. The GM dealer says the automaker unfairly claims he has a customer satisfaction problem.

By Steve Finlay • March 1, 2002

Chicago Auto Show

CHICAGO Ford Motor Co. had plenty of news to make here at the Chicago Auto Show in February, what with the arrival of the new SVT Mustang Cobra and the announcement that the auto maker's plant here in the Windy City will assemble the CrossTrainer in 2004 (see story, p.23). But the No. 2 auto maker gave equal billing to a year-old story: the propping up of Mercury. It was a year ago at Chicago that

By TOM MURPHY and KEVIN KELLY with Eric Mayne and Brian Corbett • March 1, 2002

Covisint keeps HQ in Southfield

Covisint had an attractive offer to occupy six floors in downtown Detroit's Renaissance Center, but the automotive Internet exchange spends a little more money to keep its world headquarters in suburban Southfield, MI. The company decided against the Ren Cen because it did not want to be too closely allied with General Motors Corp., which is moving its world headquarters there. GM helped form Covisint

By Compiled by Senior Editor Tom Murphy [email protected] • March 1, 2002

Next-generation Mustang to stay true to its roots

Mustang will not suffer through a mid-life crisis, as did Thunderbird, says Ford Motor Co. designer Mark Conforzi. The model's next generation will remain true to the vehicle's roots, assures the lead member of Mustang's design team. We do want all our vehicles, in all cases, to be contemporary, he says. We don't want old-fashioned cars. That was key when we developed the ('02) Thunder-bird. It is

March 1, 2002

Lutz’s 6-Month Report Card

Bob Lutz turned 70 in February, the average age more or less of traditional Cadillac DeVille and Buick Park Avenue buyers. But Lutz is no geezer. He drives hot cars and motorcycles, flies his own jet and maintains a swirling pace at General Motors Corp. more fitting for one half his age. By now, everyone knows that the former Chrysler Corp. executive was recruited last summer by GM President and CEO

By David C. Smith • March 1, 2002

FORD TO BUILD GT40; BILL FORD JR. APPEARS IN NEW ADS

Ford Motor Co. will build the GT40 a modern version of an historic two-seat supercar and CEO William Clay Ford Jr., despite some initial reluctance, is appearing in a series of new ads. Ford Div. President James O'Con-nor and a GT40 that shared the stage with him got a standing ovation from Ford employees and several dealers in the crowd as he announced that the car will be built to celebrate the

By Steve Finlay • March 1, 2002

GM tries to get dealers to sign off on Oldsmobile

Most of the dealers who sell General Motors Corp.'s dying Oldsmobile brand came to the national auto dealers' convention hoping GM would offer some new financial help for them, or even reverse course and decide to keep Oldsmobile going. But GM executives, in meetings with dealers, reiterated plans to kill the century-old brand by 2004, and said they saw no changes in the buyout offers. GM has mostly

March 1, 2002