Operations: Page 216
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
Autobytel to Get $20 Million from Dealix
Settlement with Dealix is an early Christmas gift for Autobytel.
By Cliff Banks • Dec. 20, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
At 90, UAW’s Doug Fraser Sizes Up Industry Crisis
The former UAW president continues to teach and admits the union and Big Three auto makers “got careless” in allowing vehicle quality to slip in the 1970s.
By David C. Smith • Dec. 19, 2006 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Courtesy of Toyota
TrendlineAutomotive Manufacturing
Production strategies are changing rapidly as tariffs and shifts in consumer buying patterns affect the industry.
By WardsAuto staff -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Delphi’s Miller Steps Aside as Investment Firm Puts Up $3.4 Billion
The deal is contingent on Delphi reaching a labor agreement with its unions and GM and includes the replacement of CEO Robert S. “Steve” Miller.
By Ward's Staff • Dec. 18, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
India’s Mahindra to Enter U.S. Market
Georgia-based Global Vehicles U.S.A. Inc. has been given exclusive rights to market Mahindra vehicles.
By Alan Harman • Dec. 18, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealers Remember Hard-Driving Sales Exec
Robert B. McCurry Jr., a hard-driving auto executive who introduced rebates as a sales incentive, died at his Delaware home last month at age 83 of prostate cancer. McCurry spent the first 28 years of his automotive career with Chrysler Corp., advancing from an apprentice district sales manager in Wisconsin, to group vice president of automotive sales and marketing. A year after retiring from Chrysler
Dec. 1, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Getting Inside Customers’ Minds at the SEMA Show
I didn't see any psychologists and their couches anywhere on the exhibition floors for the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Assn. show of auto accessories and aftermarket products here. But so much of the auto extravaganza is tied to psychographics, which for marketers represents a deeper level than demographics that sorts consumers by factors such as age, sex, income and marital status.
By DAVID SKROBOT • Dec. 1, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Hire and Keep the Best
An old boss, responding to a comment I made, said, That is a blinding flash of the obvious. Here's another: Turnover in sales and service is just too high in America's dealerships. OK, what are we doing about it? Fortunately for dealers. new employee-retention programs now are available to help slow down the revolving door at dealerships. These tools are designed to help attract and retain higher-caliber
By Jim Leman • Dec. 1, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Colorado Copycat
Representatives from the big global car companies were delighted when tens of thousands of visitors crushed into their display areas at the recent Beijing auto show to ooh and ah over their vehicles on opening day Nov. 18.
By Vince Courtenay • Dec. 1, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Land Rover LR2 Rolls Out in L.A.
Land Rover is launching the all-new Freelander in the U.K., with the cross/utility vehicle's rollout to continue throughout Europe in first-quarter 2007 and the rest of the world, including the U.S., in the second quarter.
By Alisa Priddle • Dec. 1, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Mitsubishi Keeps Raider
The midsize Raider pickup convinced just 410 buyers in October, but Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. says it has no plans to discontinue the truck. With long lags between production runs, Mitsubishi dealers now are beginning to receive '07 Raiders, says Daniel Kuhnert, MMSA senior vice president-sales. And despite an annual selling rate of less than 5,000 units, Kuhnert says Mitsubishi will not
By Bill Visnic • Dec. 1, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
911 Targa Series Features AWD, Glass Roof
Top speeds for the Targa 4 and Targa 4S are 174 mph and 179 mph, respectively.
By Ward's Staff • Nov. 30, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Protesters Highlight Lax LA Show Security
If Los Angeles truly wants to become one of the world’s premier auto shows, it is going to have to improve security.
By Drew Winter • Nov. 30, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
New Ferrari Ultra Fast Except in Delivery
North America will get about 30% of the 750-800 599 GTBs Ferrari expects to produce annually.
By Herb Shuldiner • Nov. 28, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Visionary May Show Concept at NY Auto Show
The show car will be a new concept or the Pininfarina SpA-designed Chery M14 hardtop convertible.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Nov. 13, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Long-Time UAW Negotiator Gooden Dies
Gooden is remembered as a tough but fair-minded negotiator.
By Ward's Staff • Nov. 8, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Wind Tunnel Another World First for Italy’s Pininfarina
This layout is said to offer a major improvement compared with the single narrow belt setup of other wind tunnels.
By Giancarlo Perini • Nov. 6, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealers Reaching Customers Via TV Stations’ Websites
There's a trend in which car dealerships use local television stations' web sites as an Internet alternative to drive sales. Accessed through station web sites, portals to dealership information can assist consumers looking to buy, sell, service, finance and research new and used vehicles. One provider, CarSoup.com, says its number of markets has now reached 44, indicating the strength of combining
Nov. 1, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
All Dressed Up
Admittedly late to the midsize-SUV party, Dodge makes a grand entrance with the '07 Nitro.And it is a most welcome addition, because if this gathering were Thanksgiving dinner, the tryptophan would be kicking in right about now.
By Eric Mayne • Nov. 1, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Beware What They Say
There are a lot of misperceptions about the auto industry. They say the auto industry is a mature, low-growth industry.
By John McElroy • Nov. 1, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
New Ground Broken
The triangular turn/headlamps on the all-new '07 XL7 cross/utility vehicle signal the efforts by Suzuki Motor Corp. to create something distinctive.
By Alisa Priddle • Nov. 1, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Arvin Sango Turns 20
Arvin Sango Inc. has expanded its joint-venture exhaust and stamping plant in Madison, IN, six times since it opened in 1987, and it appears another growth spurt may be just around the corner.
Nov. 1, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Major Auto Makers Push Expansion Plans for India
The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers announced an ambitious Automotive Mission Plan, with a goal to raise car sales to $145 billion by 2016.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Oct. 30, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Proton Struggles as Malaysian Industry Loses Ground
The one-time market leader loses its No.1 ranking to rival Perodua as it searches for a partner in the newly competitive Malaysian market.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Oct. 30, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Reynolds and Reynolds and UCS Complete Deal
Fin O'Neill will be vice-chairman, not CEO, of the merged Reynolds and Reynolds and UCS company as originally planned.
By Cliff Banks • Oct. 27, 2006 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
XL7 Breaks New Ground for Suzuki
It is the largest and most-powerful vehicle the Japanese small-car specialist has made to date and is Suzuki's first foray into the hot midsize CUV market.
By Alisa Priddle • Oct. 26, 2006
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