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>“Report card” on how GM divisions are doing

"Report card" on how GM divisions are doing General Motors CEO Richard Wagoner gives this "report card" of GM divisions: Oldsmobile:"It's moving in a good direction to be resolved, something everyone can live with, but not a lot of people are cheering," he says of the division that's on death row. "It's going as well as something that that's difficult and, frankly, emotional." s sales were strong

By Steve Finlay • Dec. 1, 2001

BMW can’t wait to dump DC-made Mini motor

Although the new BMW AG-made Mini has launched to highly favorable reviews in Europe (it's coming to the U.S. next spring), nobody's exactly shouting from the rooftops about the car's 1.6L 4-cyl. engine least of all BMW. BMW made a 1997 deal with Chrysler Corp. pre-Daimler-Benz AG takeover to design and build the Mini's engine in a joint-venture operation in Brazil; Chrysler also would use the engine

By Compiled by the staff of: WARD'S ENGINE AND VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY UPDATE • Dec. 1, 2001

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 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

Primus opens F&I training center for non-Ford dealers

Ford Credit's Primus Financial Services division opened an F&I development training curriculum at its Franklin, TN, headquarters. Serving non-Ford and Lincoln Mercury brand dealers, Primus's one-day, two-day and five-day courses cover the usual F&I curriculum plus a new subject hiring strategies.

Dec. 1, 2001

Global Growth

BOLOGNA, ITALY Ferrari SpA is in the final stages of completing its E391 million (US$350 million) investment in the Maserati marque, which it acquired in 1997. The company has invested E111 million ($100 million) in the past three years revamping Maserati's production facility in Viale Ciro Menotti, Modena, Italy, and plans to invest another E280 million ($250 million) in the next four years in a

By Kevin Kelly • Dec. 1, 2001

JM&A covers more and more brands

Growth outside its core Toyota brand is gaining momentum at the JM&A Group and World Omni divisions of JM Family Enterprises, according to William F. Curran, chief operating officer for JM&A. Mr. Curran says that the company's 1,300-dealer network now is more truly national and covers more and more brands outside the core Toyota product. The new performance development center on JM's Deerfield Beach,

Dec. 1, 2001

News flash: Honda ahead of schedule

Honda Motor Co. Ltd. begins mass production at its Lincoln, AL, plant Nov. 14, six months ahead of schedule. Honda Manufacturing of Alabama is building the Odyssey minivan and the V-6 engine that powers it. The Alabama plant currently is operating one shift, initially building 55 units per day. A second shift will be added next spring, with total production hitting 500 units per day by the end of

By Compiled by the staff of: WARD'S AUTOMOTIVE REPORTS • Dec. 1, 2001

GM APPEARS SET TO BUILD A SMALLER VERSION OF CHEVROLET AVALANCHE

General Motors Corp. will build a midsize version of the Chevrolet Avalanche sport/utility pickup for its GMC division at its Oklahoma City assembly plant, sources tell Ward's. Codenamed GMT305, the crossover unlike Avalanche will feature an open-air retractable notchback over the cargo area, sources indicate. We'll introduce Avalanche functionality in the midsize truck segment, but with a new twist

Dec. 1, 2001

“Sir Fix-It” goes to work at Ford world headquarters

"Sir Fix-It" goes to work at Ford world headquarters Affable and recently knighted Nick Scheele becomes COO in post-Nasser era Jaguar was in a bloody mess when Ford Motor Co. bought it for $2 billion in 1989. Back then, Jaguar had a reputation for poor quality. Any car with quality problems is bad enough. An expensive luxury car with quality problems? Not right, that. Ford put its Nicholas Scheele

By Steve Finlay • Dec. 1, 2001

CTS bids happy birthday to Bernie

Meeting a target date set four years ago, GM's new Grand River Plant in Lansing, MI, began assembly of the Cadillac CTS for shipment to customers Nov. 12. Jim Taylor, VLE for prestige vehicles, says the date was fixed four years ago to coincide with the birthday (Nov. 11) of Bernie Lacroix, chief engineer of the CTS. The '03 CTS, the first GM car on the Sigma platform, goes on sale in January. The

By Compiled by the staff of: WARD'S AUTOMOTIVE REPORTS • Dec. 1, 2001

A ReVue of Saturn’s new SUV

GREENVILLE, SC This is BMW country. Or at least you'd think it should be. The German automaker has been churning out sports cars and sport/utility vehicles at its nearby Spartanburg plant for the last several years. Since BMW's arrival in the mid 1990s, there's been an influx of manufacturing and good-paying jobs into the region, which historically has been agrarian and poor. But we're driving General

By Brian Corbett • Dec. 1, 2001

Sir Nick

DEARBORN Ford Motor Co.'s knight in shining armor doesn't ride a white charger. He drives a '37 Jaguar SS 100. In fact, he doesn't wear armor, either. Nick Scheele wears his heart on his sleeve a style that seemed to suit him well the last time he was forced to slay a dragon. This time, however, the scaly beast has four heads. And they're all cranky some more than others. Of late, the menacing monster's

By Eric Mayne • Dec. 1, 2001

TOYOTA CAMRY IS ABOUT TO LOSE ITS BEST-SELLING CAR TITLE

The Toyota Camry America's best-selling car for three years in a row looks like it will lose that title to the Honda Accord this year. Toyota executives say that has more to do with their limiting Camry production supplies than with consumers liking the Accord more. Toyota fell behind in the big race after the automaker limited production of 2001 model year Camrys. That's because a completely revamped

Dec. 1, 2001

VW Brazil fires 3,000 workers

Some 16,000 workers strike Nov. 12 after Volkswagen do Brasil fires 3,000 workers at its Sao Bernardo do Campo, Sao Paulo state, plant, representing 11% of its 26,800 total workforce in Brazil. We offered ways out, and all the options were rejected, says Herbert Demel, president of VW in Brazil. No one could expect that we would receive these rejections without doing anything. The workers were cut

By Compiled by the staff of: WARD'S AUTOMOTIVE INTERNATIONAL • Dec. 1, 2001

Concepts Aplenty at SEMA

As the sponsor of the recent Specialty Equipment Market Assn. show in Las Vegas, General Motors Corp. takes center stage by displaying more than 175 variously modified GM vehicles, including five Chevy Cavaliers, a twin-turbo Cadillac Escalade, a turbocharged Chevy Malibu and a supercharged Buick Rendezvous. But other automakers have plenty to show as well. DaimlerChrysler Corp. unveils a Woodie version

Dec. 1, 2001

Ford Financial CEO now Ford Group VP

Donald A. Winkler, chairman and CEO of Ford Financial, is now also Group Vice President at Ford Motor Co., a move seen as boding well for the automaker's f&i arm. He says his appointment indicates that Ford Financial is an integral part of Ford Motor Co.'s efforts to maintain long-term consumer relationships. Because we have an on-going relations with consumers, we are in a unique position to solidify

Dec. 1, 2001

The road from Allen Park to Salt Lake City

With the Winter Olympics a matter of months away in Salt Lake City, UT, Ford Motor Co. was glad to do its part on behalf of a U.S. bid for a gold medal. So its engineers scheduled time in the company's new Jacobs Sverdrup Driveability Test Facility in Allen Park, MI, to help an aspiring athlete, Lincoln DeWitt, who is the U.S. National Champion skeleton slider. The sport makes its Olympic debut in

By Compiled by Senior Editor Tom Murphy [email protected] • Dec. 1, 2001

Hooray for Back to Basics

To me, first and foremost, we're in the car and truck business. We're designing, developing, building and selling cars and trucks. If you're going to do that, you've got to have the process that delivers things on time, at quality, and on cost. Those are the basics of the business. Ford COO Nick Scheele The outlook is a little bleak at Ford Motor Co. right now, but the new back to basics man tra Ford

By Drew Winter • Dec. 1, 2001

Resurrected Ford Thunderbird grabs Motor Trend’s Car of the Year honors

The Ford Thunderbird -- a resurrected version of the famous roadster from the 1950s -- is Motor Trend's 2002 Car of the Year. Motor Trend's editorial staff selected this year's winner after conducting 10 rigorous tests on the largest group of contenders ever to compete - 27 cars. Judging included design, engineering, quality, interior, special features, fun, everyday livability, safety, performance

Nov. 21, 2001

Volvo under pressure to boost Ford group

The pressure's on Volvo Car. As the volume leader among the luxury marques that make up Ford's Premier Automotive Group (PAG), much of the onus is on Volvo to carry the ball if the automaker's ultimate annual worldwide sales target of 1 million Lincolns, Volvos, Jaguars, Aston Martins and Land Rovers is to be met. "Since we are the biggest brand within PAG, the success of PAG is very much dependent

By Dave Zoia • Nov. 19, 2001

Toyota Camry about to lose best-selling car title to Honda Accord

The Toyota Camry – America’s best-selling car for three years in a row – looks like it will lose that title to the Honda Accord this year. Toyota executives say that has more to do with their limiting Camry production supplies than with anything else -- such as more car-buyers liking the Accord better than the Camry. Toyota fell behind in the big race after the automaker limited production of 2001

By Steve Finlay • Nov. 16, 2001

UPDATE 2-Ford extends interest-free financing

Ford Motor Co. , following the lead of rival General Motors Corp. , said on Wednesday that it was extending interest-free loans on the purchase of some new vehicles until Jan. 14. It was the second extension of the financing program that Ford introduced in September, soon after GM launched zero interest loans to help give the economy and U.S. auto sales a lift after the Sept. 11 plane attacks in New

By Reuters • Nov. 15, 2001

Ron Zarrella leaves GM; Bob Lutz moves up the corporate ladder

Ron Zarrella, executive vice president and president, GM North America, has resigned to become chairman and CEO of Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, N.Y. Mr. Zarrella joined GM seven years ago from Bausch & Lomb where he was president. His relationship with GM dealers has been controversial for much of his tenure, but showed signs of improving. Some of the initiatives under his watch – such as a plan for

By Cliff Banks • Nov. 13, 2001

Ford’s Premier Automotive Group opens new headquarters; announces management changes

The move to Irvine, CA is now official for Ford Motor Company’s five luxury brands as Dr. Wolfgang Reitzle, group vice president, Ford Motor Company and president, Premier Automotive Group led the dedication ceremonies for the new headquarters on Friday, November 9. The facility houses the North American headquarters for Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo, as well as the global headquarters

By Cliff Banks • Nov. 12, 2001

Nissan establishing new South Carolina parts center distribution center

Nissan North America today announced it will establish a new Parts Distribution Center (PDC) in Greenville, S.C., as part of the automaker's expansion in the United States aimed at creating lasting, profitable growth worldwide. Nissan will invest about $4 million in the center housed in a leased 186,290 square-foot building situated on 14.69 acres in upstate South Carolina. Nissan's decision to select

By Wire Reports • Nov. 5, 2001

GM Korea chief joins policy office

David Jerome, managing director of General Motors Korea, is being reassigned to the automaker's U.S. operations at a director's level, sources tell WAW. He begins his new duties with GM's public policy office this month. The attorney will have a voice in GM's policy in international trade issues, including the automotive trade imbalance with Korea. He was involved in meetings on the issue with U.S.

By Compiled by the staff of: WARD'S AUTOMOTIVE REPORTS • Nov. 1, 2001