Automakers: Page

What Merger?It’s full speed ahead at MBUSI

It didn't take long to see how the DaimlerChrysler merger would affect Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc. (MBUSI) in Tuscaloosa, AL. Just two days after the mega-deal was finalized last month, MBUSI announced it would invest another $40 million in its two-year-old plant.In other words, it's business as usual. Since it began producing the new M-Class sport/utility vehicle in early 1997, the company

Dec. 1, 1998

Lutz of GutsChrysler’s resident iconoclast takes pen in hand

GUTS: The Seven Laws of Business That Made Chrysler the World's Hottest Car CompanyBy Robert A. Lutz, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., $24.95.This is the book you would expect from Bob Lutz: short, lively, contrarian, full of common sense observations and a terrific read. It's notAlfred Sloan's My Life with General Motors. Neither is it as salacious as the Starr Report.For example, Mr. Lutz doesn't dump on

Dec. 1, 1998

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

BMW’s X FactorNew sport-activity vehicle to bow in 2000

SPARTANBURG, SC - Ever since BMW Manufacturing Corp. began producing vehicles in the U.S. four years ago, the company has planned toexpand its operations here. It just didn't know what vehicle would be added to the production mix when capacity was increased.That all changed earlier this year when the company announced plans to build an all-new sports-activity vehicle in Spartanburg. The new vehicle,

By STEPHEN PLUMB • Dec. 1, 1998

Eaton’s Take: $3.7 Million Cash, $48 Million in Stock

Just how much money did Chairman Bob Eaton and other Chrysler executives take out of the acquisition/merger?Boy, is that a sore subject.The Aug. 6 Form F-4 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, contains a detailed explanation of the compensation for Mr. Eaton, retired Vice Chairman Robert A. Lutz, President Thomas T. Stallkamp, Chief Financial Officer Gary C. Valade and Executive Vice

Dec. 1, 1998

Smart CruiseMercedes is first with adaptive cruise control system

cartoon with tongue planted firmly in cheek? Its irreverent take on modern values through the prism of an imaginary foot-powered Stone Age is a comic howl that things never change.Mercedes-Benz is figuratively bringing the world out of the Stone Age. If you have been running and stopping your car on absolute foot-power, the latest safety feature on the 2000 S-Class may seem more like a scene from

By KATHI JACKSON • Dec. 1, 1998

1999 ‘Stang Gets More StingThere’s New Edge in the Mustang. And new power,too

If the folks at General Motors Corp.'s Chevrolet Div. have tired of looking at Mustang taillights in the annual sales race for the most popular "pony" car, relief is on the way:The '99 Mustang has a new rear end.With that redone tail, more ponies under the hood, numerous refinements and a few new options, Ford Motor Co. feels pretty confident that its redone '99 Mustang will be able to put even more

By SAID DEEP • Dec. 1, 1998

Q&A with Jack Smith

Q - What's your outlook for the U.S. market in 1999?A - We don't see a recession, but the growth will slow next year and sales will be a bit lower, around 15 to 15.2 million light trucks and cars. What we see is the U.S. and Europe really remaining strong, but the rest of the world is in trouble.Q - Do you think the impact of the DaimlerChrysler merger/acquisition has been overstated by the media

Dec. 1, 1998

Delphi’s Partial Spinoff Valued at $1.5 Billion

General Motors Corp. expects to raise up to $1.5 billion by selling 15% to 19% of its Delphi Automotive Systems parts unit, in the first quarter of 1999, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The documents provide the first close look at Delphi's goals, financial condition and future relationship with GM.Sometime before the end of 1999 GM and Delphi plan to distribute

Dec. 1, 1998

GM Plans to Stick With NUMMI

The speculation may be endless, and the production numbers may be significant, but don't count on General Motors Corp. to withdraw any time soon from the New United Motor Mfg. Inc. joint venture with Toyota Motor Corp.Toyota linked up with GM in 1984 to convert GM's Fremont, CA, plant to the Toyota Production System, a move that rescued the plant from closing and stimulated GM to push for greater

Dec. 1, 1998

Can Ford Go it Alone? Nasser

Jacques Nasser turns 51 this month and, barring unforeseen events, he'll spend the next 14 years leading what's now the world's second-largest automaker, but could well become the largest before he is finished.A major merger could hasten that day, of course, and Mr. Nasser agrees that the $22.9 billion Ford has amassed provides "quite a lot of flexibility and leaves our options open."That cash, largest

By DAVID C. SMITH and GREG GARDNER • Dec. 1, 1998

Productive PartnersSubaru-Isuzu Indiana plant closing in on record year

With four hot models to produce, Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc., projects that it will assemble 227,000 vehicles this year, the most in its 10-year history. The Lafayette, IN, facility expects to assemble 126,000 Isuzus and 101,000 Subarus by the end of this month. That will eclipse the 194,871 vehicles the plant produced in 1996.However, Ann McConnell, a spokeswoman for SIA, says the plant's production

By Herb Shuldiner • Dec. 1, 1998

The State of General MotorsSo you think your job is hard

Consider Gary Cowger.General Motors Corp.'s new head of labor relations walks into the debris left from last summer's 54-day, $2 billion strike by the United Auto Workers union at two Flint plants. He points to his track record as a plant manager throughout the 1980's. Former UAW local leaders vouch for his honesty and people skills. He certainly understands how parts come together to make a complete

By GREG GARDNER and DAVID C. SMITH • Dec. 1, 1998

Is GM Softening on Pay-to-Play Policy?

In the face of sustained protest and threatened lawsuits, General Motors Corp. might be retreating from a controversial practice that has required certain suppliers on high-volume programs to pay up front the savings GM expects them to realize over the life of the contract.Dubbed "Current Savings," the program has allowed suppliers to write GM a check up front to eliminate the uncertainty that they

Dec. 1, 1998

Q&A with Bob Eaton

Here are key excerpts of Daimler Chrysler Co-Chairman Robert J. Eaton's interview with WAW Editor-in-Chief David C. Smith and Senior Editor Greg Gardner:Q. What is your outlook for 1999 in the U.S. and North America?A. It's going to be a good year. We're still looking at a projection in the U.S. of 15 million to 15.2 million. The domestic economy still continues to look good. I think that's probably

Dec. 1, 1998

DMAX - A natural step for Isuzu,GM

It seems like a natural progression. General Motors Corp. already builds trucks with Isuzu Motors Ltd. at its plants in Shreveport, LA, and Janesville, WI, so expanding the relationship to include diesel engines for trucks shouldn't surprise.The partners announced recently that they will launch a joint venture to build a new plant in Moraine, OH, for production of the next-generation 6.6L turbodiesel

Dec. 1, 1998

Honda of America ‘Global regions’ strategy pays off

Examine the multitudinous "global domination" philosophies in the automaking business - and there is no shortage of these strategies - and Honda Motor Co. Ltd.'s idea of producing a few platforms, then modifying them to suit various world regions, holds up particularly well.Especially in North America, where Honda continually and steadfastly is increasing production and local sourcing. In the U.S.,

By Bill Visnic • Dec. 1, 1998

Dare We Say, ‘Go Blue?’ Automakers definitely have the blues for 1999

Did you ever play the "car" game as a child? You know the one. On long road trips each player chooses a particular color. The winner is the one who has seen the most cars of "their" color by the end of the journey. A sure winner for 1999 and beyond would be anything blue.North America's fall line of cars and trucks will be showcasing a full blast of blue that include: Intense blue; Patriot blue; Island

By KATHI JACKSON • Nov. 1, 1998

Two, Four, Six, Eight - Everyone Deactivate! Cylinder deactivationexperiences a serious revival

Try to recall some of the industry's more notorious powertrain miscues.It didn't take long to invoke the name of General Motors Corp.'s 1981 V-8-6-4 engine, did it? The V-8-6-4 resides on the engine infamy list somewhere in the general vicinity of GM's and Volkswagen AG's '80s-vintage diesels.The V-8-6-4 employed an intricate valve-deactivation mechanism to disable combinations of cylinders, effectively

By BILL VISNIC and TOM MURPHY • Nov. 1, 1998

A Car for Every Purse--From Bugatti to city cars, Paris Show has it all

PARIS - For those who arrive here on a Lear jet, there's the Bugatti EB 118, with its over the-top 6.3L18-cyl. engine raring to kick out 555 hp and packaged with full-time all-wheel-drive.For those on the Concorde there's Mercedes-Benz's new S-Class, 500 lbs. (227kg) lighter, shorter and less pompous looking than its predecessor. This group also may notice the Volvo S80, which takes the Swedish automaker

By GREG GARDNER • Nov. 1, 1998

Jac Shuffles the Deck Ford’s Nasser quickly moves a leaner team into place

Judging from their respective management moves of recent weeks, one might think that General Motors Corp. was sitting pretty while Ford Motor Co. was on the brink of financial ruin.In announcing his new leadership team Ford CEO-elect Jacques A. Nasser replaced seven top executives, trimmed the number of corporate vice presidents from 45 to 40 and rolled out a new performance-based profit-sharing plan

By GREG GARDNER • Nov. 1, 1998

And GM Makes Three . . . Why the No.1 automaker is consolidating globally

And GM makes three.First: Ford Motor Co. launches Ford 2000, its all-encompassing globalization plan in 1994, claims some spectacular results under Chairman Alex Trotman, prompting him to retire earlier than planned at year's end and paving the way for William C. Ford Jr. to take over as nonexecutive chairman and Jacques Nasser to move up to president and chief operating officer.Second: Chrysler Corp.

By David C. Smith • Nov. 1, 1998

DSM Develops Material Solution for VW

DSM Engineering Plastics' Akulon nylon will be used in all 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle engine covers. The material utilized in the development of the engine cover is Akulon K223-HGM24, a 10% glass fiber, 20% mineral reinforced resin that is specifically formulated for under-hood applications. The material provides the stiffness, high-temperature resistance and excellent surface appearance that is demanded

Nov. 1, 1998

Room for Two Simulation not a threat for real-world testing - for now

Chrysler Corp. dazzles television viewers with flashy computer graphics in its advertising campaign for the Dodge Intrepid, declaring that the car was designed digitally and tested in the "virtual world" until it was "virtually perfect."Meanwhile, Chrysler and other automakers are struggling to let go of the traditional tools used for physical testing of new products. They are building new wind tunnels,

By Tom Murphy • Nov. 1, 1998

Asia Woes Worsen Economies still stumbling in search of recovery

t's difficult to imagine today that a mere two years ago global automakers were rushing headlong to set up shop in Asia-Pacific countries. Last year brought a major economic meltdown to the region, causing vehicle sales and production to plummet, resulting in the shuttering of many factories and forcing hundreds of partsmakers out of business.As 1998 nears an end, the markets still are a mess. Sinking

By Barbara McClellan • Nov. 1, 1998

Audi TT-errific! You say coupes aren’t distinctive? Look no further.

GUBBIO, Italy - The company that brought us the hot A4, A6,and A8 has another potential hit on its hands - one that could very easily upstage its Stuttgart and Munich rivals. Audi AG seemingly can do no wrong these days and the all-new Audi TT coupe is another head-turning example.Built in Gyor, Hungary (after the galvanized steel bodies are stamped, assembled and painted in Ingolstadt), the TT went

By SAID DEEP • Nov. 1, 1998