Automakers: Page 446

Inside GM’s global purchasing; it’s a tough process, but they’re working toward warmer supplier relations

First things first: If you want to reach the top at General Motors Corp.'s purchasing organization, just pick up the phone and punch in 810-986-2290.That will get you into Harold R. Kutner's office at GM's North American Operations (NAO) headquarters in Warren, MI, and he promises to take all calls. He's the top honcho: vice president-worldwide purchasing. After that, you're on your own.Mr. Kutner's

By David C. Smith • April 1, 1995

New Chrysler minivan has all the extras; strong styling and long listof new features will rachet up the standard for competitors

Big Sur, CA - Look out suburbia, there's a new guy in town. Just park that old Chrysler minivan next to the 96 Caravan and Voyager, and if you're style- and comfort-conscious, there'll be a new vehicle in the driveway come next model year.With total sales of around 4 million over 12 years, Chrysler Corp. has owned the minivan market since the first one came down the line in late 1983; that makes improving

By Sorge, Marjorie • April 1, 1995

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 buys ‘96 Olympics

General Motors Corp. is signing on to be the sole domestic car and truck sponsor for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team and the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta for between $5 million and $10 million, the Detroit Free Press reports. Philip Guarascio, GM's VP of marketing and advertising, now has to make sure the investment pays off. "We will have tons of vehicles all over the place," he predicts. "Our plans

April 1, 1995

Which automakers are coming back to the U.S.?

GENEVA -- Several European manufacturers are rumored to be fashioning plans for U.S. entries.Top officials of two of those companies -- Peugeot SA, Fiat Spa and Renault SA -- were interviewed by WAW at the Geneva auto show, but only Peugeot lends credence to the scuttlebutt.A decision whether to return to the U.S. market will come in the next several months, says Peugeot Chairman Jacques Calvet. Sales

April 1, 1995

It’s ESP! Mercedes/Bosch system tames those slippery roads

ARJEPLOG, Sweden With claims of a system that may be five times more effective than antilock brakes (ABS) in preventing accidents, engineers at Mercedes-Benz AG and Robert Bosch GmbH introduce their innovative high-tech Electronic Stability Program (ESP) on frozen Lake Hornavan outside this small town near the Arctic Circle.What the Mercedes/Bosch folks term as revolutionary may be too strong a description,

By Mike Arnholt • April 1, 1995

Kia is not shy about its product goals

Borrego Springs, CA -- Tiny Kia Motors America Inc. is not shy Bas it carves its way into the crowded U.S. vehicle market. The South Korean automaker has plans for two upscale models and is eyeing U.S. assembly, just a year after it entered the market.Kia recently launched its second vehicle in the U.S. - the Sportage compact sport/ utility. It joins the Sephia compact sedan at Kia's 96 dealers in

April 1, 1995

GM to sell Magnaquench

During Roger Smith's tenure as GM's chairman, high-technology was the order of the day, and the Magnaquench magnet operation in Anderson, IN, was supposed to revolutionize the corporation's small-motor business. Now, GM appears ready to sell the business to Beijing's San Huan Group Inc. for $70 million, reports The Detroit News, as part of its components-group consolidation. Magnaquench would be the

April 1, 1995

GM/UAW: the battle goes on

The battle simmered throughout 1936 and hit a crescendo during the Christmas holidays. The United Auto Workers union tried desperately to organize workers at General Motors Corp. GM wanted no part of the union, and created its own spy ring to infiltrate UAW meetings and keep tabs on union strategy.The UAW routinely found the spies and kicked them out, often too late. Between Jan. 1, 1934, and July

By Sorge, Marjorie, Washington, Frank • March 1, 1995

Silence is golden

Listen up. I SAID LISTEN UP!The auto industry thought the increasingly fickle U.S. car and truck buyer wanted quiet. Conventional wisdom luxury nameplates such as Lexus and Infiniti proved no noise was good noise.Wrong, Wrong, WRONG.For openers, the pursuit of classic NVH (noise/harshness/vibration) attributes can create major league problems. Consumer Reports magazine says a BMW 325i failed a normally

By Lowell, Jon • March 1, 1995

Chrysler’s minivan metamorphosis

Nov. 2, 1983, was not just another autumn day at Chrysler Corp. Across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario, a boxy-shaped new vehicle rolled down the assembly line for the first time.Under development since 1977 and given the green light in 1980, it symbolized Chrysler's $700-million commitment to create a totally new segment: Small, passenger-friendly, utilitarian "minivans" with decent fuel economy

By Bill Visnic, David Smith • March 1, 1995

Doing the global rock; that shakin’ you’re feelin’ is just the beginning

Don't get too comfortable. The shifting of the world's supplier community is just beginning. Once the globalization of the American and European auto industry shakes out, there will be only one supply base serving automakers in both those regions.Between now and 1997 the number of Tier I suppliers in North America and Europe will collectively be cut by nearly 50%, and those remaining will have to

By Parolini, Donna • March 1, 1995

GM launches new spark plug

PHOENIX, AZ - General Motors Corp. will soon launch a new aftermarket spark plug it claims dramatically outperforms high-profile competitors, including the Bosch platinum tip and Splitfire.The plug, the AC Rapidfire, pays for itself in lower fuel consumption, GM says. The plan is to have plugs available for 90% of the cars sold in the U.S. by the end of the year. It's also charted for OE applications.The

By Phelan, Mark • March 1, 1995

Participating in PNGV.

The Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) is widely known as an historic, joint research project between the U.S federal government and USCAR, the consortium of the Big Three U.S. automakers. Not as well known is the fact that this historic undertaking also encourages and welcomes the participation of suppliers, universities, small businesses and individual entrepreneurs.PNGV wants to

By Good, Mary L. • March 1, 1995

Healthy executive bonuses enrage UAW officials

1994 was a golden for the U.S. Big Three automakers and it's reflected in their salary, bonuses and other remuneration their top brass rake in. United Auto Workers union leaders predictably voice their disdain as Ford Motor Co. Chairman Alex Trotman pockets $8.1 million, Chrysler Corp. Chairman Robert Eaton $6.2 million and General Motors Corp. President John F Smith Jr., $6.1 million. "This kind

March 1, 1995

What’s Chrysler’s secret? Smart packaging; it focuses on the ‘scienceof maximizing space usage

Chrysler Corp.'s re-engineered 1996 minivans face some formidable opposition that, until quite recently, has been lacking. But catching the overwhelmingly successful market leader won't be easy.The idea of a using front-drive technology to build a very passenger-friendly, garageable small van had been kicking around for years. But Chrysler, its future uncertain in the early 1980s, nevertheless moved

By David C. Smith • March 1, 1995

Time to take the lead: WAW, McCall’s honor top women automakers

Ward's Auto World and McCall's are proud to announce the winners of the "Outstanding Women in the Automotive Industry" awards. The four women high-lighted here demonstrate extraordinary leadership in management, marketing, manufacturing, and design and engineering in the manufacturers category. The year we also present one woman with a Lifetime Achievement award.In today's business world it's not

By Sorge, Marjorie • March 1, 1995

Ford 2000 program claims victim - TRW. (TRW Inc. losing seat-belt, airbag business)(Brief Article)

TRW Inc. is losing the 80% stronghold it has on Ford Motor Co.'s seat-belt and air-bag business. The automaker recently told the supplier that the commitment for that level of sourcing will expire at the end of the 1998 model year. TRW Chairman & CEO Joseph T. Gorman says Ford's globalization efforts under Ford 2000 have "significantly influenced this decision." Mr. Gorman adds that both companies

March 1, 1995

Big Three bask in big bucks; who’s afraid of the big bad Fed?

Sure the Fed raised interest rates for the seventh time in 12 months to cool what Chairman Allen Greenspan thinks is an over-heated economy heading toward inflation.Still, nothing can put a damper on the heady feeling the U.S. Big Three automakers experience as they report extraordinary results for 1994.Rising interest rates aren't good for the auto industry, of course, because they make already expensive

March 1, 1995

Bending time: three-crew schedules put an all-new face on the clock

Dennis Sampey loves the new work schedule he started in February. The 46-year-old veteran of Ford Motor Co.'s Michigan Truck day shift has an extra day off and doesn't have to wait in line when he does errands in the morning. Joyce Ingraham, a 33-year-old with two young children likes it, too. She and her husband are able to work full time without resorting to babysitters or day care.George Mink,

By Drew Winter • March 1, 1995

Ford’s performance idea.

It takes a bit of confidence to attend to "enthusiast" buyers - they're hard-core, educated perfectionists who know what they want from a vehicle and aren't likely to put up with any foolishness from dealership personnel who aren't of a similar mind.That's why few manufacturers go much further than simply advertising their "performance" entries. Targeting vehicles specifically at the enthusiast customer

March 1, 1995

Isuzu’s motto: share and share alike

NEW YORK - American Isuzu Motors Inc. ( AIMI) has no plans to begin a monogarnous relationship. Once again the Japanese automaker agrees to shaie products with several partners.Next year 6,000 new Odyssey minivans manufactured by Honda Motor Co. Ltd. will be sold as the front-drive Isuzu Oasis, Isuzu executives tell reporters prior to a road rally here. It has the same 2.2L 16-valve 4-cyl. as the

March 1, 1995

Trotman, Eaton also reap big rewards

While it took Jack Smith a few years to catch up to his counterparts at Ford and Chrysler, Messrs. Trotman and Eaton add to their bonus stockpiles. Mr. Trotman receives $6.6 million in bonuses and other cash on top of his $1.5 million salary to reach the $8.1 million mark. Mr. Eaton takes a 33% cut in 1994 with a total of $6.2 million, but still out-earns his former GM boss. Others getting big 1994

March 1, 1995

Cars sparkle in Chicago

Even after spectacular previews at the North American International and Los Angeles auto shows, the automakers still had plenty of new cars to show off in Chicago.Chrysler Corp. pulls the cover back on a rendering of its upcoming Sebring JX convertible at the Chicago Auto Show. Bowing later this year as a '96 model, the new car is based on the Cirrus platform, not the Diamond-Star Motors Corp.- built

March 1, 1995

Big Three find common bond: QS-9000 marries automaker quality standards.

It's finally happened. The Big Three automakers are standing on common ground. Overcoming years of distrust and competitive juices, General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Corp. have agreed to a single quality program - QS-9000. It superceds the current standard, ISO 9000 and is the most sweeping standardization system to hit the automotive industry since Henry Ford introduced mass production.

By Sorge, Marjorie • March 1, 1995

Waste is a tissue issue at Chrysler

Chrysler Corp. President Robert A. Lutz vowed several years ago to attack waste wherever he could find it. He even threatened to cut out danish at early morning press conferences. Now, he tells reporters at a Chicago Auto Show press conference, Chrysler's eliminating waste by slashing the use of "hygenic paper" (toilet tissue) by 50% company-wide. He skips the details, but boasts: "That's really how

March 1, 1995