Automakers: Page
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
Full exposure: big three’s flanks laid bare
They're nimble, small and cute, and they could represent the U.S. Big Three's most exposed flank since Japanese econoboxes of the 1970s redefined what Americans wanted in a car.They're a new niche in the burgeoning U.S. sport/utility vehicle (SUV) market, with Toyota Motor Corp.'s RAV4 in the pole position. And if Big Three product planners think RAV and other small SUVs coming soon are meant for
By Gardner, Greg • June 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Fords shows off Expedition SUV in Kansas City
The Expedition is a 4-door, 9-passenger SUV that Ford says fits easily into a standard garage. It will replace the 2-door Bronco and give the company a heavy-duty SUV to compete with General Motors Corp.'s Tahoe/Yukon and Suburban.The Expedition is part of a $5 billion, full-size truck development effort that started with the F150.In a mild surprise. Ford also introduces the F250 pickup truck in Kansas
June 1, 1996 -
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
Witness to automotive history: recollections of those who’ve lived it, close up and personal
In our continuing celebration of the U.S. automotive Centennial, WAW tracked down nearly 30 industry notables who were close-up witnesses to the industry's history. Part I of this special coverage ran in our May issue. Contributing editor Al Rothenberg conducted the following interviews.GM's Lloyd ReussLloyd Reuss, 59, served General Motors Corp. from 1957 until his retirement in 1993. He headed Buick,
By Rothenberg, Al • June 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Baring on the killer ‘E’s
At 155 mph (250 km/in) we slide right in the E50, this newest, mightiest version of the recently released, doe-eyed E-class Mercedes. We must move out of the passing lane because the driver behind us is flashing his headlights insistently. It's the ultimate German expression of Mine's Bigger Than Yours: at 155, mph, this guy is forcing us over like we're doing, say, a measly 130 mph (208 km/h). only
By Bill Visnic • June 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Right-hand-drive Neons head for eight countries
In a move to bolster its chances in the global market, Chrysler Corp. recently launched a right-hand-drive (RHD) version of the Neon small car. The RHD Neon is built at Belvidere, IL, and shares the assembly line with left-hand-drive (LHD) 2- and 4-door models.In the past, U.S. automakers haven't made much of an effort in RHD markets. Yet 22% of world volume--excluding North America--is right-hand
June 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Motomachi marvel: RAV4 utilizes new Toyota production system
NAGOYA, Japan--Just when its gasping competitors think they're catching up with Toyota Motor Corp., the world's leanest automaker gets its second wind, kicks out and sets a new pace.Kaizen, the Japanese term for continuous improvement, is the guiding principle in Toyota's tireless chase to make better vehicles--and better conditions for workers.Nowhere is that philosophy more evident than at Toyota's
By David C. Smith • June 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
What affordability crisis?
For the third consecutive quarter, Comerica Bank's Auto Affordability Index has fallen. In the first three months of 1996, it takes 28.8 weeks of median family income to purchase an average-priced vehicle, compared with 30 weeks' income during the fourth quarter of 1995. Lower interest rates, rebates and consumer optimism about future employment all contribute, says Comerica Senior Economist David
June 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Mustang’s birthing pains; Iacocca scores on his third pitch to Henry Ford II
In two occasions, Henry Ford II had sent Lee Iacocca flat to the canvas when he shouted "No! No!" upon hearing his aggressive Ford Div. general manager pitch for $75 million to fund his proposed "pony car" to compete with GM's sexy Corvair/Monza in the youth market.Corvair and our Falcon both arrived as 1960 compacts. While Chevy added the sporty Monza, Mr. Iacocca was looking at re-skinning the mundane
By Murphy, Walter T. • May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
How GM got to the top; after a shaky start, GM took off in the 20’s and never looked back
GM Chairman John F. Smith, climbed to the head of the company from the financial side, giving him just the kind of background GM prefers in its chief executive.In contrast, GM founder William Crapo Durant was no finance man. In fact, some say that was the problem.When he merged the successful Buick Motor Car Co. with Oldsmobile and several other small, financially shaky operations to form the General
By Ferris, Deebe • May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
The rise and fall of Billy Durant
Lt's true that the letters "D" carved into the cornices of the formidable old General Motors Building in Detroit are faded and barely visible from the street. And I suppose those who work inside the building are hardly aware of the bold deeds and master strokes of GM's founding father.But that's Detroit. Drive 60 miles (80 km) north to Flint, where it all began, and if you look hard enough you'll
By Gustin, Lawrence R. • May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
How Jeep came to be; the day Karl Probst came to Bantam’s rescue
The man who was the father of what became universally known as the "jeep" (now a capitalized Chrysler Corp. trade mark) -- and so, by extrapolation, the father of all utility vehicles that have become Jeep offshoots worldwide -- was an engineer with a capacity for intensive work and a reluctance to be tied to anyone's organization or schedules.I knew Karl Probst well. He was something of an engineering
By Brams, Stanley H. • May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
High-tech materials not so new: automakers have experimented with them for decades.
For those who think lightweight metals and plastics are new innovations in the auto industry, consider this: Louis Chevrolet won the Indianapolis 500 in 1921 using an engine with magnesium pistons.The world's first plastic automobile body? Ford Motor Co. developed it in 1941. It showed off a carbon-fiber car in 1977.Lots of materials have played a profound role in the way vehicles have evolved, but
By Winter, Derek • May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
A chat with Edsel Ford II: fourth generation Ford carries on family tradition
Ford's timing proved miserable: Just as Edsel in all its garish glory was reaching the market, designers were lopping off fins and other excesses of the '50s, returning to sanity. After barely two years, the Edsel Div. was dismantled early in the 1960 model year.But that's history. Edsel II was not yet a teenager when Edsel, the car, nosedived into oblivion. Besides, who -- except for the Ford family
May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Supplier sequel? Some see history repeating itself
Does history repeat itself? A close look at 100 years of supplier-automaker relations reveals that ghosts of the past are reappearing, although they're taking on a different form.In the beginning, suppliers such as Henry M. Timken, Arthur Oliver Smith, Albert C. Champion and the Dodge and Fisher brothers sold parts to the early automakers that they designed and manufactured themselves. Later, the
By Tim Keenan • May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Lee Iacocca as I knew him; he was certainly the right man at the right time...
There's a saying inside Chrysler Corp. that Chrysler couldn't have done without Lee Iacocca in the '70s and '80s, but could have done without him in the '90s.It's not uncommon throughout history, whether it be in business, government, politics or war for people to become famous only for what they accomplished in a particular period. It's because they happen to be the right people with the right talent
By Sharf, Stephan • May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
In largest recall ever, Ford will fix ‘ignitions.’
Ford will replace ignition switches on up to 8.7 million 1988-'93 model vehicles in the U.S. after a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation into 816 reports of fires caused by a short circuit. It is NHTSA's largest recall applying to one automaker, surpassing General Motors Corp.'s 1971 reall to repair faulty engine mounts on 6.7 million vehicles. At a repair cost of between
May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford raises Mazda stake
For $500 million, Ford Motor Co. is in the driver's seat at Mazda Motor Corp., boosting its stake from 24.5% to 33.4% and promoting Ford's Henry D.G. Wallace to become the first American president of a Japanese company.But reversing Mazda's losses of more than $780 million between April 1993 and March 1995 (fiscal 1996 results will be announced in May), will be a steep challenge. Like other Japanese
May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Chrysler: the cat with nine lives
Living on the edge is nothing new for Chrysler Corp.The $1.5 billion federal loan guarantee of the early '80s and the subsequent turnaround led by Lee Iacocca are good examples.Then there was the waiting-for-LH cab-forward-cars era of the early '90s. The awkward succession of Mr. Iacocca and the stunning courtship of Robert J. Eaton, who agreed to leave General Motors-Europe to take Chrysler into
By Gardner, Greg • May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Chrysler recall to inspect for faulty ABS
Chrysler Corp. will recall 350,000 vehicles from the 1990 through 1993 model years to inspect and replace malfunctioning antilock brake components, which in a few cases result in a loss of power-assist capability. Chrysler has gathered reports of 60 accidents and 16 injuries related to the problem. The recall list includes 275,000 minivans; 67,000 Chrysler New Yorkers, Imperials and Dodge Dynasties;
May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
New GM Truck Center aims to cut time to market
General Motors Corp. is betting a half-billion dollars that the auto industry will keep on trucking into the next century.Top executives, on hand for April's official opening of the company's new truck engineering center, located in a radically renovated 69-year-old assembly plant in Pontiac, MI, predict the truck sales boom will continue -- not only in North America, but worldwide.GM demolished and
May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Chrysler bucks the trend in first-quarter earnings
Look for a repeat of the first-quarter earnings pattern between now and the end of June. Chrysler Corp. will continue to do much better than last year, while Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. will show improvement from the winter while still falling short of last year's performance. Launch costs for the F-series pickup and the Fiesta (Europe and Brazil) keep Ford's first-quarter profit of $653
May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Witness to automotive history; up close and personal with those who’ve lived it
During my half-century of reporting and press relations in the automotive industry, I've managed to be involved in setting fire to the General Motors Milford (MI) Proving Ground, nearly drowning a six-figure Dodge prototype in the Pacific Ocean, losing a $1,000-a-week account for my newspaper, and giving up my beach shoes to the chairman and chief executive officer of the Chrysler Corp. I also toiled
By Rothenberg, Al • May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
The ‘Skinflint’ of Flint; C.S. Mott gave away millions ... but he watched his pennies
Al Rothenberg has covered the auto beat since the '50s and interviewed GM's legendary, somewhat eccentric pioneer many times. Here are his recollections, up close and personal.Founder William C. Durant, financial genius Alfred P. Sloan and numerous other prominent leaders dominate the history of General Motors Corp. But the most fascinating figure of them all might well have been Charles Stewart Mott.Head
By Rothenberg, Al • May 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Shrink-wrapping a mini-van
On paper the plan looks brilliant. Design a van to sell in both North America and Europe, leverage a global supply base that is beginning to feel comfortable with a once-chaotic purchasing system and build them all in one assembly plant with a local union that is just glad to see a second shift again.But mix Opel engineers with their counterparts from General Motors Corp.'s Midsize Car Div., add the
By GREG GARDNER, Michael Arnholt • April 1, 1996 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
She’s in it for the cars
No one had yet conceived of the Prowler in 1985 when Chrysler Corp. executives singled out Cynthia J. Frey from a Boston consumer clinic and asked her to come to work in Detroit.Now, a decade later and with a stimulating academic career teaching marketing at Boston College behind her, Ms. Frey is program manager for the innovative open-wheel roadster that rolls into showrooms a year from now (see
By Neff, Natalie • April 1, 1996
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