Can This Guy Work Magic?

With breathless excitement, the U.S. Big Three automakers joined hands in February 2000 and declared war on inefficiency. Having pursued separate paths in launching business-to-business e-commerce strategies, Detroit's brass realized how wasteful that would be. They were ecstatic over the prospect of melding each company's initiatives into one colossal Internet exchange that could manage the entire

By Tom Murphy • June 1, 2001

Connecticut dealership switches franchises from Jeep to Dodge

The former Stahl's Jeep of Derby (CT) is now Stahl's Derby Dodge. The new name reflects its new inventory of Dodge cars and trucks exclusively. The family-owned company dates to 1917. It started out repairing batteries. It started selling Hudson cars in the 1940s, then AMC products. It was a Jeep dealer for 30 years before switching to Dodge this year. Our new focus gives us a tremendous opportunity

June 1, 2001

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

GM improves its minority dealer efforts

General Motors Corp.'s minority dealer program hit all of its growth targets last year but its future may be even tougher than its imperfect past. The number of GM minority dealers grew from 320 in 1999 to 350 last year, 70% of them owned their businesses and 77% of GM's minority dealers were profitable. Those numbers are in stark contrast to 1998, when only 62.5% of GM's 280 minority dealers were

By Frank S. Washington • June 1, 2001

UnitedAuto buys two big dealerships in New York

UnitedAuto Group Inc., a leading publicly traded megadealer acquired two big dealerships in the New York metro market, Mercedes-Benz of Nanuet and KEA Honda,also in Nanuet. According to UAG, the stores’ annual revenues will be about $100 million, and will increase UAG’s revenue in the New York market by approximately 12%. The acquisitions brings UnitedAuto Group’s dealership total to 90 stores and

By Cliff Banks • May 31, 2001

The “Little Guys” – Who Aren’t So Little – See Big Guys Such As AutoNation As Just Another Dealer

Jumping nine spots from its position last year, Rick Case Enterprises, Inc. of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, is No. 87 with total revenue rising from $244.7 million in 1999 to $289.3 million for 2000. Chairman and CEO Rick Case attributes this to the continued demand for the foreign nameplates he sells at his ten dealerships like Honda, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Daewoo and Hyundai, and further demand for luxury vehicles

By Christie Schweinsberg • May 30, 2001

GM to Make Move on Daewoo Deal, Insiders Confirm

SEOUL-- General Motors Corp., with alliance partner Fiat SpA, intends to present a summary of its proposal for the purchase of some or all of the assets of insolvent Daewoo Motors Co. Ltd. to the state-owned Korean Development Bank within the next two weeks, Ward’s Automotive International has learned. KDB is Daewoo’s main creditor. The meeting could take place as early as May 18. GM’s board of directors

By Vince Courtenay • May 11, 2001

Hyundai dealers worldwide to get high-tech parts catalog system

International automotive industry I.T. developer, Infomedia Ltd, signed a five-year global data license agreement with Hyundai Mobis to supply its electronic parts catalog system (EPC), Microcat., to Hyundai dealers around the world. Last year, Hyundai was the fastest growing automaker in the world, notes Richard Graham, Chairman and CEO of Infomedia Ltd, based in Sydney Australia. An EPC is a sophisticated

By Wire Reports • May 11, 2001

Ford-Firestone relationship ‘tested’ but continues

Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone -- best friends and business associates -- would have found it painful to watch their successors before congressional committees blaming each other for the recall of 6.4 million Firestone tires on Ford Explorer SUVs linked to a rash of rollover accidents after the vehicles’ tires shredded. In the end, the tire supplier took the obligatory "hit" for the automaker and

By Tim Keenan • May 4, 2001

It’s AMG, not OMG!

LISBON, Portugal One solid burst in the Mercedes-Benz SLK32 AMG leads you to believe the initials for Mercedes' in-house tuner should be OMG Oh My God! rather than AMG (the initials of the company's founders). is the oath you're bound to shout as you unleash 349 hp and 332 lb.-ft. (450 Nm) of torque in the 3,200-lb. (1,451-kg) bodyshell of the SLK32 AMG. After all, you have to bawl SOMETHING when

By Bill Visnic • May 1, 2001

Back to the Well

For nearly a decade, General Motors Corp. has embraced tubular hydroforming as an alternative to the tried-and-true stamping and welding of structural components such as vehicle frames. With the launch of its new GMT 360 midsize sport/utility vehicles (SUVs), GM claims yet another hydroforming milestone: It's the first time that this liquid magic has been used to shape the full-length side rails for

By Tom Murphy • May 1, 2001

Dismantling the Keiretsu

Renault SA's purchase of a controlling interest in Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. two years ago managed to blow a considerable hole in much that is held sacred to Japan Inc. The fact that a secondary player from France could buy a Japanese automaker, once a stronghold of efficiency, technology and profit, up to then had been unthinkable. The ensuing acquisition flurry, as Western makers bailed out their weaker

By KATHERINE ZACHARY • May 1, 2001

Natural Wonder

In a village in the Brazilian rain forest, a mayor speaks in rapid Portuguese while German officials nod in agreement and a translator provides the English rendition. The big news: German automaker DaimlerChrysler AG's contribution to an Amazonian project to reduce poverty is paying off. Coconut husks are being transformed into parts for Mercedes-Benz vehicles in a multilingual and low-tech example

By Alisa Priddle • May 1, 2001

Buyatoyota.com expands to dealers in 4 more cities; may go national this summer

Internet initiative “gives customers reasonable expectations about vehicle availability and pricing.” Toyota dealer groups in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. are now part of a company Internet retailing pilot program, Buyatoyota.com. Buyatoyota.com enables customers to search an area's pooled inventory; check the availability of new and used vehicles; obtain pricing information,

By War • May 1, 2001

GM-Fiat Gains Partners

Since General Motors Corp. and Fiat SpA created their powertrain and purchasing alliance in Europe and South America early last year, the companies have reported that they expect at least $2 billion in savings by the fifth year. But one salient detail has gone largely overlooked: This partnership extends well beyond the No. 1 automakers of the U.S. and Italy to the shores of Asia/Pacific. In advancing

By Tom Murphy • May 1, 2001

First intended as a perk for certied dealers, Chrysler’s Five Star Market Center now open to all

It was originally intended as an exclusive online for Chrysler Group dealers who certified for the automaker's Five Star customer satisfaction program. But three years into Five Star, now all Chrysler Group dealers can use the service. It features online purchasing at volume discounts from designated suppliers. We decided to make it available at no charge to all our dealers, says Keith Helfrich, director

By Steve Finlay • May 1, 2001

Buick Expects Big Finish to Boost 2001

Mark Hines, brand manager for the Buick Regal and Century, says both cars have a similar sales story so far this year. First quarter retail deliveries are down 24% for both models, as Buick sales overall have plunged 16.4%. There are two reasons for the large drops, Mr. Hines says: Buick has only carryover models for the first half of the year, and 00 sales got a boost from an owner loyalty incentive

May 1, 2001

Ford Plays Matchmaker

Sometimes it's a foundering supplier that needs rescuing. Or two parts-makers have a good idea to combine their strengths for mutual benefit. Or a deep-pocketed financier makes an offer that a small independent supplier just can't refuse. Whatever the reason, mergers and acquisitions within the automotive supply chain make the financial pages just about every day. But in the background stands the

By Tom Murphy • May 1, 2001

SL roadster ready for EHB; Are consumers?

BOXBERG, Germany DaimlerChrysler AG's Mercedes-Benz division is making a significant commitment to the concept of electro-hydraulic braking (EHB), the first step toward a completely dry system. The totally redesigned 02 Mercedes SL roadster, which launches this summer in Germany, will be the first series-production car to feature 4-wheel EHB as standard equipment. yes, but volumes for the super-pricey

By Tom Murphy • May 1, 2001

Metro Detroit Chrysler Jeep dealers donate $48,500 to United Way

The Chrysler Jeep Super-stores of Southeastern Michigan gave a $48,500 gift to the United Way. The money was raised during the Chrysler Jeep Superstores' third annual end-of-the-year gift exchange event. The special holiday new vehicle sales event ran from Dec. 26-31. Dealers donated $50 to the United Way for each vehicle that was sold or leased during the event. We're pleased to be a supporter of

May 1, 2001

Switching Teams Used to be Rare

Job-hopping is not a new phenomenon in automotive circles, although the pace clearly is accelerating as the age of loyal worker bees comes to an end. Some of the more notorious job changes: Lee A. Iacoccca from the Ford Motor Co. to Chrysler Corp. in 1978, and the late Semon E. (Bunkie) Knudsen from General Motors Corp. to Ford a decade earlier. Robert A. (Bob) Lutz, who retired in 1998 as Chrysler's

By David C. Smith • May 1, 2001

DIETER ZETSCHE’S FACIAL SHRUBBERY: A 31-YEAR PROJECT STARTED AS A LAD

Dieter Zetsche arrived in the U.S. with the tough task of blotting up the red ink at Chrysler. The German auto executive has been subsequently vilified for overseeing thousands of Chrysler job cuts. That's prompted a lot of questions about the transplanted Chrysler president. Like Who is this guy? and What makes him tick? A different line of questioning: Where'd he get that wild and bushy mustache,

May 1, 2001

REMEMBER WHEN THEY WERE CALLED LUGGAGE RACKS?

Designer Roger Kim had been with Ford Motor Co. for about a year when a company executive spotted his roof rack sketch. The first thing he said was, We've got to patent this thing right now, recalls Mr. Kim, 28. The drawing featured an integrated ramp that could be extended beyond the host vehicle's roof, and then folded over the rear hatch to create a vertical bracket. The result: a roof rack that

By Eric Mayne • May 1, 2001

Ford goes public with its controversial Blue Oval dealer certification campaign

Ford Motor Co., in a new ad campaign, is going public with its Blue Oval certification program for dealerships – a controversial project that some dealers criticize. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis is the spokeswoman for the Blue Oval print advertisements. TV ads are documentary-like, urging viewers to visit certified dealerships to see how they have improved the dealership experience. The ads also include

By Steve Finlay • April 26, 2001

Consumers who buy green cars to receive

Consumers may soon receive tax credits for buying vehicles that are more environmentally friendly. In an attempt to promote cleaner vehicles and reduced fuel consumption, Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., along with the Union of Concerned Scientists and Natural Resources Defense Council environmental groups are supporting legislation offering credits to people who buy cleaner

By Wire Reports • April 25, 2001

O’Malley leaves Cadillac for Ford ad agency

Cadillac's general marketing manager, Michael O'Malley has left General Motors' luxury division to head the Ford account at the J. Walter Thompson Co. advertising agency. Mr. O'Malley leaves GM after a year as chief of Cadillac's marketing effort. His departure coincides with GM's $4 billion plan to resurrect Cadillac and formulate a new image for the division. The new look is designed to attract

By Wire Reports • April 24, 2001