Automakers: Page
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
FIRESTONE AND INDY 500 TEAM UP WITH A NEW TIRE
Bridgestone/Firestone, which lost a business relationship with Ford Motor Co., now has a fresh one with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A new product from that partnership is the Firehawk Indy 500 tire. It's the first time in Indy 500's 90-year history that a tire for street and highway use will sport the Indy name and logo. Bridgestone/Firestone is trying to recover from the controversy of allegedly
June 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Strength in Numbers
Two heads are better than one. It's not a law of nature on par with any of Newton's discoveries. It's more in line with the incontrovertible laws of human nature, such as: What goes around, comes around. Now, multiply the aforementioned pair of brains by three and you have Ford Motor Co.'s formula for product development success full of promise and, critics say, unhindered by a guiding light like
By Eric Mayne • June 1, 2002 -
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
The Roof is on Fire!
When DaimlerChrysler AG hired Webasto Roof Systems Inc. to design and build the modular glass top for the new Mercedes C-Class sports coupe, the auto maker estimated that 30% of buyers would opt for this more expensive lid. The sports coupe was on U.S. roads for less than eight months when it became obvious that Stuttgart greatly underestimated demand for the innovative sliding sunroof. Even in the
By Tom Murphy • June 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Passat W8: Identity Crisis for VW?
HALF MOON BAY, CA Is it a full-blown European luxury sedan or just another 4-door sedan with a V-8? That's a question even the folks at Volkswagen of America Inc. have trouble answering as they struggle to pinpoint just where the new '02 Passat W8 fits in the market. Although VW tries hard to maintain its cutesy, awe-shucks brand image, this new high-powered Passat gives off an upscale feel that's
By Kevin Kelly • June 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Porsche Buyers Go Semi-Automatic
Either Porsche drivers are getting lazy or automatic transmissions have achieved parity with manual transmissions in the eyes of persnickety performance-car drivers. Porsche Cars North America says the installation rate of its Tiptronic S 5-speed automatic transmission for 911 models sold in North America is running at nearly 25%, which is a marked increase from the 18% rate when Tiptronic was introduced
June 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
F-Series to Follow SUV Hydroforming Lead
Add Ford Motor Co.'s next-generation F-Series pickup to the growing list of vehicles that employ hydroforming in their designs, says Chris Theodore, vice president-North America product development. The pickup America's best-selling truck for 25 years will follow the lead set by '03 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, Theodore tells Ward's. Prototype pickups were recently inspected. When F-Series
June 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
SRX: Better Late Than Never
It may be late to the luxury cross/utility vehicle (CUV) market, but the Cadillac SRX remains an innovator, claims Cadillac Marketing General Manager Mark LaNeve. We are late to market, you're right, acknowledges LaNeve to media gathered in Rochester Hills, MI, at General Motors Corp.'s Vision Center for the unveiling of an SRX foam model. But no one has a product like this, with this kind of performance
June 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Earnardt builds 1st dealership at new Arizona auto mall
Earnhardt Auto Centers, Nissan and DMB Associates are building a new Earnhardt Nissan store in Mesa, AZ, the first dealership to officially begin construction at DMB's Auto Center at Superstition Springs. The impending complex is a 30-acre, five-dealership ensemble in the heart of Phoenix's booming East Valley. Earnhardt's first Nissan franchise will be a 38,350-sq.-ft. sales and service facility
June 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Toyota Warns of Chinese Threat
It's China's auto industry, not more established competitors, that is setting the bar for Toyota Motor Corp.'s next round of cost-cutting and efficiency improvements, says Kosuke Shiramizu, executive vice president-Manufacturing and Quality Management. In a wide-ranging interview at Toyota City, the 62-year-old executive charged with carrying on the legacy of Toyota Production System founder Taiichi
June 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Need a part for a ‘38 Ford? Call Sanderson
David Kimmerle, owner of Sanderson Ford of Glendale, AZ got a phone call at home from a man looking for a part for a 1938 Ford vehicle. Kimmerle called his parts manager to check. To the man's surprise, they stocked the part. Stories like this illustrate how Sanderson Ford has built one of the nation's top parts operations. With revenue of over $40.9 million in 2001, the dealership is the top-ranked
By Cliff Banks • June 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
The best of the best tell how they do it
Longo, Ricart and GalpinLongo, Ricart and Galpin Hmmmm Okay folks, this is getting familiar. Going back to 1991 except for a couple of years when Longo Toyota chose not to participate these same three dealerships have reigned atop the annual Ward's 500 ranking. And it doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon. You can also add to the top mix Fletcher Jones Motor Cars, fourth or fifth the
By Cliff Banks • June 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Screw This
Politics, religion and Ford vs. Chevy are universally recognized as taboo topics for folks who value lasting relationships. Now add a fourth forbidden forum of discussion Roots-type vs. the screw supercharger. The debate over which blower is best is itself supercharged. One enthusiast's Website begs this indulgence: You're free to disagree with me, so please don't send me any nasty letters And within
By Eric Mayne • May 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Certified used cars can be a boon to dealers
The certified used-car business gives dealers an additional franchise to complement sales of new cars, says Bill Bates, BMW's certified pre-owned vehicle program manager. It also brings in customers who may not be able to afford a new car, especially a premium brand such as BMW. Auto manufacturers benefit because the certified programs strengthen dealers financially, increase parts purchases and build
By Herb Shuldiner • May 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
G-Whiz
SAN DIEGO Credibility, thy name is G35. Barely a decade into its crusade to stand toe-to-toe with German-made sport/luxury sedans, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.'s Infiniti upscale division launches its most convincing thrust yet, the athletic and accelerative G35. Oh, Infiniti and its arch-rival, Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus division haven't exactly shamed themselves with their prior efforts at chipping at
By Bill Visnic • May 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
VW’s Big Gamble
Like high rollers at a Las Vegas casino, Volkswagen AG's outgoing Chairman Ferdinand Piech and incoming CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder are gambling the auto maker's future on a strategy that has some onlookers worried. As the new leadership team begins to take the wheel at the world's No.5 auto maker, the plan is to continue on with Piech's controversial strategy to transform the VW and Audi brands into
By Kevin Kelly • May 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Hyundai’s Sweet Home in Alabama
Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman must love to gloat. At the groundbreaking of Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.'s first U.S. plant in Montgomery, AL, in mid-April the governor couldn't contain his excitement. When we break ground today, that crunching sound will be heard from Atlanta to Detroit, says Siegelman. Hyundai's choice of Alabama for its $1 billion plant is another coup for the state which, though relatively
May 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Fewer brand managers at GM; and a greater focus on divisions
Brand managers, once the darlings of General Motors Corp., are fewer in ranks there. Meanwhile, the automaker is realigning its dealership field team and refocusing its branding efforts back to individual car divisions. GM has reduced the number of brand managers overseeing product lines from 39 to 31. The remaining brand managers will line up more with vehicle line executives the managers who oversee
By Steve Finlay • May 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
MORE DEALERSHIPS KEEPING SATURDAY SERVICE HOURS
More and more dealership service departments keep Saturday hours as many manufacturers dealers to be open then. But few dealers, who are currently closed Saturdays, plan to extend their hours, and Chrysler dealerships are most likely to be dark that day for service and Ford dealer-ships are most likely to be open. That's according to a survey overseen by Carl Woodward of Woodward & Associates, a Bloomington,
May 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Greg Jackson heads GM Minority Dealer Association
Gregory Jackson is the new president of the General Motors Minority Dealers Association. He says that during his two-year term he'll focus on finding new opportunities for dealers and exploring ways to assist GM in giving minority dealers a solid chance for success and increased sales and profits. Jackson is president of Prestige Automotive Group based in Flint, MI.
May 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Don’t Mess with ABS, GM
It was -35F (-31C) with a biting wind that tore through down-filled jackets and insulated pants, boots and gloves as if they were made of tissue paper. Nippy. Even by the standards of an American northerner accustomed to freezing, sometimes sub-zero, temperatures during long winter months. But this wasn't the U.S. It was northern Sweden near the Arctic Circle, where the mercury seldom climbs above
By David C. Smith • May 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
McLaren’s Hot Rod Lincoln
McLaren Performance Technologies, carrying through on a strategy it announced a year ago, wants to kick start the stodgy reputation of Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln luxury brand by selling a high-powered aftermarket version of the LS sport sedan. The special-edition Lincoln LSE will carry the Powered by McLaren Engines moniker when it goes on sale this summer through select dealers. McLaren President and
May 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford dealerships use web-based digital photos to get fast responses back on warranty claims
It can take days and weeks for manufacturers to resolve some customer warranty concerns at dealerships. Now it takes minutes. That's with web-based camera equipment that records digital photos of potential warranty work, then sends the images to the automaker for a review and a quick decision on eligibility. About 260 Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealerships are the first to use the new system. Early
By Steve Finlay • May 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford monitoring GM’s ABS strategy
Unlike General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. is not considering a move to make antilock brakes optional on a greater percentage of its vehicles. But Ford is studying the strategy proposed by Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman-product development (see column, p. 52). WAW broke the story last month about GM's ABS strategy (April '02, p. 7). Nick Scheele, Ford's president and chief operating officer, says the
By Compiled by the staff of: WARD'S AUTOMOTIVE REPORTS • May 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
NEW FORD MINORITY DEALER PROGRAM STRESSES EDUCATION
PHOENIX Participants in Ford Motor Co.'s new minority dealer initiative will undertake five years of post-graduate college studies in dealership management. The goal is for as many of them as possible to end up running their own dealer-ships. Ford leads the industry in the number of minority dealers (360, about 7% of Ford's dealer base), but is looking to add more. The new program, in conjunction
By Cliff Banks • May 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Two for One
SAVANNAH, GA Toyota Motor Corp. lately has endured a fair degree of flogging for missing the mark on markets outside its mainstay middle-class, Baby Boomer set. Its lack of appeal to the kids is prompting the launch of a third brand, dubbed Scion (see p.28), and the No.1 Japanese auto maker has been accused more than once of not paying enough attention to the U.S.'s minority and urban markets. Even
By KATHERINE ZACHARY • May 1, 2002
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