Automakers: Page 442

NAIAS ‘96: everybody’s got an SUV

If you can say SUV, you can sum up this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It's easier these days to name which automakers aren't promoting some sort of new sport/utility vehicle. Almost everyone and their brother is jostling for elbow space in a segment already clogged with a SUV aimed at every demographic imaginable.Topping the list of "new" SUVs at the record-breaking Detroit

By Bill Visnic • Feb. 1, 1996

Big three want warmer reception in Chile

It's not likely to happen this year, but U.S. automakers are eager to see Chile gain entry into the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Adding Chile to NAFTA (with the U.S., Canada and Mexico) could be a big boost for Detroit's automakers, which now supply only 3% of the Chilean passenger vehicle market from their U.S. plants. With Chile in NAFTA, that could jump to 10% within two years,

Feb. 1, 1996

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 finishes ‘95 with strong profit surge

It's not quite the average $8,000 windfall they got last year, but Chrysler Corp.'s 72,700 U.S. hourly workers will receive an average profit-sharing check of $3,200 Feb. 16, based on the company's $2 billion profit for 1995. And Chrysler's 27,000 salaried troops stand to get even more, although a company spokesman declined to disclose the average white-collar payment. Meanwhile, the folks from Auburn

Feb. 1, 1996

Chrysler extends Lutz’s contract

How do you tell a guy who has championed cars like the Dodge Viper and Plymouth Prowler that he's too old for the business? If you're Chrysler's board of directors, you don't. Robert A. Lutz, Chrysler Corp. president, is having so much fun, the board is extending his contract two years beyond the company's mandatory retirement age of 65, which he will reach in February 1997. Of course we all remember

Feb. 1, 1996

And now, a word from our sponsors

Long before the Olympic torch begins its cross-country trek to Atlanta, automakers are hustling to turn the quadrennial global sportsfest into a marketing bonanza.Remember the days when there was one official camera, film, soap or soft drink of the Olympic games? Forget that.Those inclusive folks at the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games have done their best to spread the wealth, especially when

By Gardner, Greg • Feb. 1, 1996

Daewoo advances on Europe

South Korea's Daewoo Group continues its push into Europe with a letter of intent to take a 65% stake in four of eight vehicle and component operations belonging to Austria's Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG, the same company that builds Chrysler's minivan in Europe. Under the agreement, Daewoo will invest $260 million in the operations, including the $1 1 0 million purchase price for the equity. Daewoo expects

Feb. 1, 1996

Toyota targets 1.2 million North American sales by 2000

Toyota's new message is clear: no more Mr. Nice Guy. No more holding back while the harsh winds of trade politics blow over. Toyota wants to boost its North American sales to 1.2 million cars and trucks by 2000, up from slightly more than 1 million last year. That's a lofty goal given industry projections showing sales remaining flat through the rest of the decade. The target only slightly exceeds

Feb. 1, 1996

Aluminum comes out swinging

The steel industry knocked the collective wind out of them late last summer, but aluminum producers straightened up and came out swinging last month at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.Two very significant aluminum-intensive vehicles -- General Motors Corp.'s EV1 electric car and Chrysler Corp.'s Plymouth Prowler -- were introduced there, and the aluminum folks worked hard to

By Drew Winter • Feb. 1, 1996

Refining the ride

After more than 100 years of engineering, you'd think there would be little new under the sun in the world of automotive suspensions. Yet just like powertrains, new developments and refinements continue to surprise, delight, and sometimes amaze consumers and engineers alike.Two new systems in particular are getting noticed: the four-link front suspension on the '96 Audi AG A4 and the SLA setup on

By Drew Winter • Feb. 1, 1996

GM moves to shake midsize malaise

It's far too early to declare that General Motors Corp.'s new family of 1997 midsize cars will rebuild the near devastation left by the infamous $7 billion GM-10 program of the 1980's.But GM's much-maligned Midsize Car Div. seems to have leaRNed some crucial lessons. Here are some hopefUl signs detected from initial inquiries about the new Pontiac Grand Prix, Buick Century, Oldsmobile intrigue and

By Gardner, Greg • Feb. 1, 1996

Haggling about the losers is half the fun

Selecting among Ward's 30 candidates for the Ten Best Engines of 1996 proved to be a tough call. Simply put, all of the powerplants we tested generally had attributes that made them winners. Some I especially liked that didn't make the cut were Ford's 3L Duratec V-6 in the all-new Taurus/Sable; GM's 2.4L Twin Cam I-4 in Cavalier and Sunfire -- spunky little performers in their segment; and Chrysler's

By Drew Winter, Bill Visnic, Mike Arnholt, David C. Smith, McCann, Karey, Daivd E. Zoia • Jan. 1, 1996

Target shooting: ACD focuses on supporting Ford worldwide

While his counterpart at General Motors Corp. is establishing a global supply empire that would make Caesar proud, Frank Macher, general manager of Ford Motor Co.'s Automotive Components Div. (ACD), is content with his orders to focus chiefly on supporting Ford's worldwide efforts.Unlike GM's Delphi Automotive Systems, which is trying to get half of its sales outside the corporation's North American

By Tim Keenan, David Zoia • Jan. 1, 1996

Ford unveils Synergy 2010 concept

Ford Motor Co.'s Synergy 2010 concept car explores futuristic alternatives that could offer triple the fuel efficiency of a typical family sedan.Ford Chairman and CEO Alex Trotman shows off the vehicle at the company's year-end news conference. It will be on display at the Detroit auto show in January. "This is very much a stretch exercise, especially when it comes to making this advanced technology

Jan. 1, 1996

Don’t look for quick end to Chrysler saga

It looks like the battle between Kirk Kerkorian and Robert J. Eaton, for control of Chrysler Corp. will climax at the company's annual shareholders meeting this May.In a revised proxy statement field with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Kerkorian's Tracinda Corp. restates his demands for representation -- as many as three seats on an expanded board of directors -- and calls again for the

Jan. 1, 1996

The kid from Framingham; young Jack Smith was not anxious to join GM in New York

Retired General Motors Corp. Chairman Roger B. Smith often tells the story of how he persuaded another Smith, John F. (Jack) Jr., who assumed GM's top spot on Jan. 1, to join its financial staff.It was during the early 1960s shortly after Jack had joined GM as a payroll auditor at a GM plant in Framingham, MA, near his hometown of Worchester."I'd heard great things about him," says Roger Smith, who

By David C. Smith • Jan. 1, 1996

New tire recycling process

Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Co. form a joint venture? BASF Corp. and GE Plastics do joint research? Ha! Why, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler Corp. would form a joint venture first!Well, that's exactly what happened. New Venture Gear, a transmission and transfer case manufacturing joint venture between GM (36%) and Chrysler (64%) will be wrapping up its sixth year of operation next month. Formed

Jan. 1, 1996

Chrysler takes Lido to court over Kerkorian

Now that Lee A. lacocca seemingly has his divorce behind him, he looks forward to another legal battle - this one with the company he rescued from oblivion. Chrysler files a lawsuit in Oakland County Circuit Court in Michigan against its former chairman for "breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and an accounting for profits." The 34-page suit seeks a declaration that Mr. lacocca is not entitled

Jan. 1, 1996

A remake going global

After six years in the market with the current model, Ford Motor Co. is ready with new replacements for the Escort/Tracer. But hang with us here, because it's a complicated deal.The new models will roll out of Ford's assembly plants in Wayne, MI, and Hermasillo, Mexico, just as do the outgoing Escort/Tracer. Production begins in March for the new cars, which continue to be based on the current cars'

By Bill Visnic • Jan. 1, 1996

Delphi: $30 billion in ‘96? GM’s big components group continues to globalize, expand horizons

Most football teams, when forced to punt, try to pin the opposition deep in its own territory, thereby improving their own field position. That's a strategy General Motors Corp.'s Delphi Automotive Systems Div. knows something about.Faced with significant losses in 1991, Delphi (then GM's Automotive Components Group) decided to kick away its businesses that were not "core" and those that not No. 1

By Tim Keenan • Jan. 1, 1996

Ford, GM war over pickup door

Rejecting for a moment the notion that imitation is the highest form of flattery, a high-level Ford Motor Co. engineer says General Motors Corp. engineers infringed on at least one Ford patent when they designed the new third door on Chevrolet and GMC extended-cab pickups.A Chevy spokesman claims it's not true, and says Ford is just mad that Chevy has beat them to the punch in the marketplace. Chevy's

Jan. 1, 1996

Buick’s all-new Century debuts

Ronald Reagan's first term in the White House was barely a year old when Buick introduced the midsize A-body front-drive Century in 1982.Somewhat updated and refined over the years, the old war horse still will be around until the end of the '96 model year.Waiting in the wings is an all-new Century built on General Motors Corp.'s new W-body platform that this year also will spawn new-generation Pontiac

By David C. Smith • Jan. 1, 1996

Ford joins recall party with several models

Ford is recalling 51,700 '95 Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis vehicles (of which 21,100 are in Canada) to inspect and reposition improperly installed circuit breakers that could lead to a short or overload, causing the headlamps to shut off unexpectedly. Ford also is pulling over 62,800 '93-'94 Crown Victoria police vehicles to inspect and tighten the control arm attachments and repair any cracked

Jan. 1, 1996

What’s next for GM’s board?

Now that John F. (Jack) Smith Jr. has been elevated to chairman of General Motors Corp. (see Editorial p.7), what's next for GM's board of directors? Mr. Smith had been management's sole representative on the 15-person board for more than a year following Executive Vice President William G. Hoglund's 1994 retirement from both the corporation and the board. That management seat now is taken by Harry

Jan. 1, 1996

The mother of all changeovers: switch to new-generation Ford F-150 dwarfs others.

NORFOLK, VA -- It may be just another new truck to some, but to Ford Motor Co. the launch of the 1997 F-150 full-size pickups is a massive undertaking, one of the most comprehensive in its history. Straight-time production capacity also is scheduled to jump from 700,000 to a whopping 900,000 units.It is the first major new-model changeover for the F-150 -- the highest-volume vehicle in the U.S. --

By Drew Winter • Jan. 1, 1996

Prowler may not make it in the NBA. (Chrysler Corp’s 2-seat Plymouth Prowler sports car)(Auto Talk)(Brief Article)

Who'll buy Plymouth's Prowler, the high-tech open-wheel hot rod that goes into production a year from now (see Auto Show feature, p.48)? Probably not too many full-size athletes. During a special preview, Prowler Team Executive Engineer Craig Love takes reporters on a detailed "walk-around" of a prototype at the Chrysler Technical Center in Aurburn Hills, Ml. Underscoring its technical features, he

Jan. 1, 1996