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Mitsubishi Shows Colt Convertible Concept

GENEVA – With the launch of its new 3- and 5-door Colt under way, financially beleaguered Mitsubishi Motors Corp. unveils at the auto show here the coupe-cabriolet concept model of its European subcompact car. Output of the production version, slated to launch early next year, will be outsourced to Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina SpA. The 3- and 5-door models are built at Mitsubishi’s NedCar BV plant

By Brian Corbett • March 2, 2005

Stola to Show Gandini-Designed Concept in Geneva

TURIN – Stola Group will present at the Geneva auto show a static model of a new coupe designed by famous designer Marcello Gandini and built in just five weeks. The show car is called the Stola S 86 Diamante (Italian for diamond). The S 86 nomenclature continues on a tradition established five years ago with the S 81 concept. Stola S86 Diamante Gandini did the design work for the 2-seater, conceived

By Giancarlo Perini • Feb. 28, 2005

Land Rover to Bring V-6 LR3 to U.S. This Year

CHICAGO – Land Rover will capitalize on the early success of its LR3 SUV by adding a V-6 mill to its option list later this year. Land Rover officials in the past told Ward’s it would consider bringing a V-6-powered version to the U.S. following the launch of the V-8 here, but no timetable was given. The LR3 (called Discovery 3 in other markets) sports a 300-hp 4.4L V-8 and a $45,000 base price in

By John D. Stoll • Feb. 10, 2005

Ward’s Megadealer 100 Entry Form

Did your dealer group generate total sales of $300 million or more in 2004? If so, we want to hear from you. To be listed on the industry's authoritative ranking of the top 100 franchise dealer groups, just click on the link below for the submission form. To download a 2004 Ward's Megadealer entry form, click here. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. For free download, click here. Complete it and return

Feb. 9, 2005

How to Treat Women Service Dept. Customers

Today, more women are working outside their homes, managing their own finances and buying their own cars. They're self-sufficient and generally discriminating consumers who often maintain their own vehicles and their families' vehicles as well. Women make up about 65% of a service center's customer base, according to the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. Women rate trust as the

Feb. 1, 2005

Show Has Silver Lining

People who track car-color trends say a desire for new and expressive hues is heating up with an increased popularity of light metallic brown and blue as well as a resurgence of red. People are looking to express their individuality, says Leatrice Eiseman, whose Color Answer Book includes a section on car colors. Regardless, silver still is king of vehicle colors, according to the 52nd annual DuPont

By Steve Finlay • Feb. 1, 2005

Suzuki Adding More Utes

The utility vehicle segment is getting crowded, but American Suzuki Motor Corp. still sees room for growth and soon will have two new entries. First up is a small cross/utility vehicle that will debut in concept form at the New York auto show in March. The vehicle will be produced in Japan and arrives in the fall as an '06 model, Suzuki insiders say. It will have an integrated ladder-frame unibody,

Feb. 1, 2005

New Name and Web Site for Household Auto Finance

Household Auto Finance, a leader in non-prime auto financing, changes its name to HSBC Auto Finance. It's the final step of its acquisition by HSBC. The merger with HSBC provides unprecedented strength and stability for the company, says HSBC Auto Finance Managing Director John Haines. It enables us to better support the needs of dealers, offer expanded products and provide opportunities for new alliances.

Feb. 1, 2005

Michelin Lands Applications for Tweel

Michelin Group has its first applications for its new tire and wheel concept, but the innovative device remains 10-15 years from automotive use, executives say. The non-pneumatic, hub and spoke Tweel, which resembles a bicycle wheel, consists of a polyurethane inner mated to a ring of rubber that contacts the road. Because it requires no inflation, the Tweel eliminates the need for a tire-pressure

By David E. Zoia • Feb. 1, 2005

Gilligan Says Mitsubishi Here to Stay

DETROIT – Although he has been in his new position just four days, Mitsubishi Motors North America President and CEO Richard Gilligan says he is here to stay – as is his beleaguered company. “If I really thought in my heart of hearts that this brand is not going to succeed and to grow, I wouldn’t be picking up and going to California and taking my wife on her 13th move,” Gilligan tells Ward’s in an

By Christie Schweinsberg • Jan. 10, 2005

Puerto Rico Could Account for 10% of Scion Sales

DETROIT – Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.’s Scion brand not only is selling well in the U.S., but also in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. In fact, Scion Vice President Jim Farley tells Ward’s Puerto Rico eventually could account for 10% of total brand sales. “In Puerto Rico, we sold just over 2,000 Scions (in calendar 2004),” says Farley. “And they’ve only been on sale since the end of August, so

By Christie Schweinsberg • Jan. 9, 2005

Pontiac G6 Family Adds Two Models

The second and third members of the Pontiac G6 family are unveiled at the 2005 Greater L.A. Auto Show. Following the debut of the midsize sedan, which went on sale in late 2004, the G6 will begin offering ’06 coupe and convertible models in 2005. “The G6 coupe and convertible are uniquely Pontiac vehicles that are great additions to the family started by the G6 sedan,” says Jim Bunnell, Pontiac-GMC

By Brian Corbett • Jan. 5, 2005

Detroit’s Perception Problem

Dear Detroit auto makers: You have a big problem you've ignored for a long time. You can't ignore it any longer. The majority of Americans now think your cars and trucks are to put it politely crap. They believe you are way behind the Japanese and Europeans in quality and technology. They think your executives and union workers make too much money. They think your vehicles are not as safe, get worse

By John McElroy • Jan. 1, 2005

Delphi: ‘05 Outlook Bleak

As 2004 drew to a close, Delphi Corp.'s J.T. Battenberg III said the auto industry continues to wrestle with high raw-material costs, global overcapacity and back-breaking health-care and pension obligations. His 2005 outlook is not optimistic. Next year will be tough, Delphi's chairman, president and CEO told the Detroit Economic Club, prior to the supplier's announcement it will cut 8,500 jobs in

Jan. 1, 2005

Make List, Check Thrice

Have you ever uttered these words, There is just not enough time in the day.? Actually, there is always enough time to do the things you need to do, especially if you make them priorities. William Ellery Channing, a 19th-century clergyman, once said, It has often been observed, that those who have the most time at their disposal profit by it the least. He added, A single hour in the day, steadily

By RON COXSOM • Jan. 1, 2005

Come On People Now

I just overheard one of my sales people blow off a new-car customer rather than respond to a simple product question with an embarrassing, I don't know. I know what you're thinking. Typical lazy salesman. That's not it. This salesman would rather eat glass than lose a car sale. So it isn't about laziness, it's about self-image, about comfort zones. Sales people see themselves in a particular way.

By Peter Brandow • Jan. 1, 2005

AAPEX: The Other Show

Mention the Specialty Equipment Market Assn. (SEMA) show to most auto industry folks and they'll say: Sure, I've heard of it. Big show. In Las Vegas right? Yet mention the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX), and many people will say: Yet AAPEX is held in conjunction with the SEMA show. Both are part of Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week in November. It's one of the biggest deals in Las

By DAVE SKROBOT • Jan. 1, 2005

Dealer on the Move Started as a Car Salesman

It has been a quick run to the top for Orlando-area car dealer Frank Rodriguez. After only nine years as a dealership owner, Rodriguez, 54, is the elected president of Ford Motor Co.'s National Dealer Council. He has built one of the country's largest Hispanic businesses that consistently is one of the top 20 selling stores for Ford. Now he and business partner Carl Atkinson are among the first U.S.

By Cliff Banks • Dec. 1, 2004

7 Myths of Negotiations

Wouldn't it be great if every customer agreed to all the terms of a sale, no questions asked and no negotiations required? Any car salesperson knows that negotiating a sale is never that easy. And while negotiation is one of the most commonly practiced functions of communication, it is often the least understood. Because most people don't understand the dynamics of negotiation, they may get nervous

By JOHN PATRICK DOLAN • Dec. 1, 2004

Top 10 Value Holders for 2010

Looking well ahead, Kelley Blue Book is predicting the top 10 05 vehicles that will best hold their value over the next five years. Kelley also forecasts which vehicles by category will hold value best, based on current data, market conditions for each vehicle and expectations of the future economy. Not considered: High-performance, low-volume or high-cost vehicles priced at more than $60,000. The

By Steve Finlay and Mac Gordon • Dec. 1, 2004

Brazil Production, Exports Soar as Domestic Market Lags

The good news this year for Brazil, South America’s largest auto industry, is that it expects to manufacture 2.1 million vehicles, a level not seen since 1997 when 2,069,703 cars and trucks were built. The bad news is domestic sales are estimated at 1.54 million units, which, although representing a 7.8% increase over prior year’s 1.43 million, still is a far cry from the record 1.97 million sales

By Barbara McClellan • Nov. 2, 2004

Needs for Internet Leads

We often meet frustrated dealers, who are willing to spend thousands of dollars per month on additional Internet leads, but have yet to perfect their sales staff's ability to leverage such opportunities. Make sure that your dealership has the resources, tools and personnel to handle the volume of prospects you're anticipating if you sign up with third-party pay-per-lead providers. If you are going

By Al Amersdorfer • Nov. 1, 2004

Leaving on a High Note

Floyd Robinson is leaving Bank of America's Dealer Financial Services on a high note. Robinson, president of the dealer financial division since 2001, has a new Bank of America assignment as president of the consumer real estate division. I could not be more proud of the Dealer Financial Services organization, the results we've achieved and the people who made it happen, says Robinson. DFS has made

Nov. 1, 2004

Novelis Tops Aluminum Sector

Novelis, an Alcan Inc. spin-off, begins life Jan. 1 as a $6.2 billion aluminum rolling company with $650 million a year in revenue from producing aluminum sheet for hoods, deck lids and other automotive stampings. Last year, Canada's Alcan purchased Pechiney of France and was ordered by European regulators to sell the rolled aluminum division of either Alcan or Pechiney. Alcan's rolled products unit

Nov. 1, 2004

Cultivating The Middle

It is mid-September and Pontiac's all-new G6 midsize sedan is nestled in a field surrounded by towering cornstalks for a media event in Grass Lake, MI. Like the importance of the fall harvest to farmers, the success of the G6 which will add a coupe and convertible next year is vital to Pontiac's survival. The truck-less brand withered for years as demand grew for pickups and SUVs, and it was left

By Brian Corbett • Nov. 1, 2004