Automakers: Page

Buick gets out front in ‘97 race.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI -- General Motors Corp.'s Buick Motor Div. is embarking on a strategy to further distinguish LeSabre from the top-of-the-line Park Avenue/Ultra series as its rotund Roadmaster heads for oblivion when the '96 model year ends.The results will become evident when the new models debut in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The '97 LeSabre, which goes on

By David C. Smith • Dec. 1, 1995

Mazda: no longer a ‘niche player.’

Mazda Motor Corp.'s role in Ford Motor Co. Ford 2000 product globalization scheme has yet to be fully defined, but one thing is certain: Its tradition as a developer of specialized vehicles with unique engineering is ending."We became a niche player, but that doesn't bring home the bacon anymore," concedes Henry D.G. Wallace, Mazda executive vice president and Ford's lead executive at the troubled

Dec. 1, 1995

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

More than meets the eye with new Sebring ragtop

Chrysler answered a lot of questions last month in Palm Springs, CA, the site it chose for the press introduction of its Sebring Convertible. Some of the company's responses were candid, but others were between-the-line nuances that illuminate future product plans.The Sebring is a nicely styled vehicle that can comfortably accommodate four full-sized adults. It comes in two models, the JX and JXi.

Dec. 1, 1995

Show and tell: Chrysler, Ford invite supplier product exhibitions.

Like the Fuller brush man of days gone by, automotive suppliers are opening their suitcases full of product at Chrysler Corp. and Ford Motor Co. Unlike the door-to-door salesman, however, these vendors are welcomed with open arms by automakers to show OEM engineers and purchasing people the latest technology and capabilities they have to offer.Until now the only place a supplier could display its

By Tim Keenan • Nov. 1, 1995

Is America ready for the ‘96 Taurus?

Its styling is so daring, so swoopy and so unusual that Ford Motor Co. took the wraps off the '96 Taurus nine months ago to give it tons of exposure be ore "officially" launching the new model Sept. 28. Now the big test begins as Taurus and its stablemate, the Mercury Sable, try to keep and capture the hearts and pocketbooks of Americans. It's a roll of the dice, and the outlook is fuzzy.Sable obviously

By Washington, Frank, McCann, Hugh • Oct. 1, 1995

Ford’s all new ‘97 F-series

Ford's fullsize pickup truck is not as much a household word with the public as the Ford Explorer sport/utility vehicle (SUV), or as well publicized as the Ford Taurus sedan, but like other trucks, the F-150 is gaining momentum as a vehicle of choice over passenger cars for everyday use.Ford's entire F-series line has become a virtual lock as the best-selling vehicle annually in the U.S. With redesigned

By Stoddard, Haig; Arnholt, Mike • Oct. 1, 1995

Rating the ‘96 cars

No wonder automakers far and wide are pushing to squeeze months, if not years, out of product development cycles and moving swiftly -- if they already haven't -- toward "flexible" assembly plants that can build a variety of vehicles: Buyer tastes are changing quickly, and if you can't build the right iron at the right time in the right plant, you've got troubles.Just look at what happened in the 1995

By Smith, David C.; Visnic, Bill • Oct. 1, 1995

‘96 marks a coming of age for SUVs

Outstripping their humble origins as mere pickup-truck variants, sport/utility vehicles (SUVS) enter a new era in the 1996 model year by spawning two new subsegments -- luxury and entry-level -- and doing so with products not derived from pickups.At the market's lower end, new '96 products from Subaru, Toyota and Suzuki join the months-old Kia Sportage to create a sub-segment from what had been a

By Snyder, Jesse • Oct. 1, 1995

Mazda lowers price of top-selling 626

Mazda Motor of America inc. is lowering prices on its best-selling car, the 626, by a sales-weighted 1% ($195) for '96. The U.S. subsidiary of financially ailing Mazda Motor Corp. says the sticker on the base DX model will remain the same at $15,495. The 4-cyl. LX price will drop by $200 to $17,695 and the V-6 LX also drops $200 to $19,895. The top-of-the-line EX will come in some $600 lower for '96

Oct. 1, 1995

Managing growth: Cambridge CEO has industry green thumb

"What you need is a manager ... a manager," says the gravel-voiced Burgess Meredith to Sylvester Stallone in the first Rocky movie. This is good advice for up-and-coming boxers as well as automotive suppliers who are constantly facing demands for price cuts and a shrinking supply base.Richard S. Crawford, the 48-year-old president and CEO of Madison Heights, MI-based Cambridge Industries Inc., could

By Tim Keenan • Oct. 1, 1995

Ryder strike puts minor crimp in car deliveries.

As Saturday Night Live's Roseanne Rosanadana used to say: "It's always something." Just as auto sales heat up late in the year, automakers hit a snag in getting vehicles to dealerships. About 5,000 Teamsters strike Ryder System Inc., the nation's largest car-hauling company. Although some dealers report shortages, General Motors Corp., which relies heavily on Ryder, says its contingency plans are

Oct. 1, 1995

Catera on a hot tin roof: it’ll test GM in more ways than one

RUSSELSHEIM, Germany -- General Motor's Corp.'s efforts to globalize its automotive operations and switch to brand-specific management were conceived at its world headquarters in Detroit. But live tests for both efforts are being born at Adam Opel AG, part of GM of Europe's massive complex here not far from Frankfurt.The Opel Omega MV6 is being Americanized to be sold in the U.S. next fall as the

By Frank Washington • Oct. 1, 1995

Chrysler, Ford get OK to set up shop in Vietnam.

As Japanese fortunes wane for the time being in the U.S., American automakers are setting up Asian beachheads. Chrysler Corp. and Ford Motor Co. become the first U.S. automakers to receive vehicle assembly plant licenses in Vietnam. Toyota also lands a license to make cars in the southeast Asian nation. All three automakers will be minority partners with Vietnamese state-owned companies. Chrysler

Oct. 1, 1995

Tokyo’s a ‘can’t miss’ show

TOKYO -- Win, lose or draw, the 3 1 st Tokyo Motor Show, which opens Oct. 27 and runs through Nov. 8, is a "can't miss" for the world's major automakers.Industry analysts feel the biennial auto showcases here, although dull and boring compared to the glitz and glamor in Frankfurt, are becoming ever more important for foreign automakers as they edge deeper into the domestic Japanese market.So far this

By Mack Chrysler • Oct. 1, 1995

Drivetrains ‘96.

Some auto execs express concern about an imminent affordability crisis." But if customer rebellion is coming, the revolt won't be instigated on the perception that automakers are milking profits by foisting outmoded drivelines on the motoring public. The 1996 model year may be short on truly all-new products, but the advances in powertrain development are of near epic importance.No, there aren't many

By Bill Visnic • Oct. 1, 1995

Inland balks at price cuts

The Wall Street Journal reports that third-quarter earnings for Inland Steel Industries Inc. will fall below last year's $30.7 million, in part because automakers are punishing it for refusing to cut prices. Automakers, who buy about 40% of Inland's shipments, reduced orders after it balked at lower prices. Steel analysts say General Motors Corp. cut back purchases from Inland for reasons other than

Oct. 1, 1995

It’s official: ‘96 Civic is an American car

The next thing you know dogs and cats will be sleeping together. The Honda Civic will be classified as a U.S. domestic car for the first time with the debut of the all new '96 model, American Honda Motor Co. Inc. reveals. Sedan, coupe and hatchback versions of the car, built in East Liberty, OH, have an Environmental Protection Agency domestic content rating of 92%, Honda says. Actual domestic content,

Oct. 1, 1995

If at first you don’t succeed....

Jack Smith walks through the Design Dome at the General Motors Technical Center and is flagged down by a chief designer eager for feedback on a future project."Hey, Jack. What do you think of this new design?""Boy, that's really neat. We ought to put that in."Wrong answer, Jack.OK, that wasn't really GM President John F. (Jack) Smith Jr. in the dome on a sunny day last June, but rather someone pretending

By Alan L. Adler • Sept. 1, 1995

Latest plan pares North American output

Automakers reduced their North American production schedules in the third quarter by 26,900 units to 3,355,700 cars and trucks. That includes an estimated 36,900-unit shortfall in July, followed by a 14,200-unit increase in August and a modest reduction of 4,200 units in September. The revised schedule does not include changes from Ford, which is not expected to make major changes in its build schedule

Sept. 1, 1995

Chrysler tries to rid ‘96 models of NVH

The last five years have brought an astonishing reversal at Chrysler Corp. While redesigning its entire product line from the dowdy, boxiness of the K-car to the slick curves of its cab-forward concept, Chrysler has become the low-cost developer of new cars and trucks.That feat has transformed the company into one of the most profitable automakers in the industry. But there's plenty more to do.Chrysler's

Sept. 1, 1995

BMW stock drop means more U.S. jobs

BMW AG reports a six-month profit of $221 million.that's a 5% improvement from the same period last year. But the German carmaker's stock price dropped 2% because earned revenue was less than predicted. The gap was caused by the strengthening Deutschmark, and that fuels speculation that BMW will shift more production to its South Carolina assembly plant. Its annual capacity already has been increased

Sept. 1, 1995

Chrysler unveils Sebring ragtop

Chrysler officials say they used the Camaro convertible as a benchmark in designing the Sebring convertible and that it surpasses that car in a couple of key areas. For example, they say rear legroom, at 35.2 ins., is 8 ins. more than the Camaro's, and trunk room, at 11.3 cu.-ft., is 4 cu.-ft. greater than Camaro's.Among the car's key features: front seat belts are integrated into the seats, eliminating

Sept. 1, 1995

Auto Hall of Fame will move to new home

The Automotive Hall of Fame will move to Dearborn. MI, next year. That's appropriate. It's the only facility that honors automotive pioneers and leaders from around the world and it should be near the facility that is synonymous with the industry: The Henry Ford Museum.Next year marks the automotive industry's centennial, and the 56-year-old Hall of Fame is launching an $8 million capital fund drive

Sept. 1, 1995

Silence of the cams

Anyone who remembers the 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee commercial in which the vehicle's window rises to eliminate the sound of a background waterfall understands that quiet sells in today's automotive marketplace.Automakers discovered several years ago that safety sells, now they are becoming aware that silence is golden as well. Instead of using Band-Aid fixes at the assembly plant or relying on the

By Tim Keenan • Sept. 1, 1995

Delco Remy America; Sperlich shuns retirement, takes company global

Delco Remy America (DRA), the privately held company spun off nearly a year ago from the Delco Remy Div. of General Motors Corp., is alive, on track and operating among other places in Budapest, Hungary.DRA is headed by Chairman Harold K. Sperlich, one-time Ford Motor Co. senior executive and president of Chrysler Corp.'s automotive operations, who, for the first time, finds his own money on the line."(It's)

By Houston, Tom • Aug. 1, 1995