Regulations: Page

Global Politics Shift Auto Industry Focus

ASIA: The World's No. 1 Growth Market Global markets increasingly are seeing strategic shifts in the auto industry dictated by local politics, unstable economies, high import taxes and other protectionist policies. But such volatile fluctuations don't always spell bad news. Many markets are benefiting from a new willingness on the part of local governments to engage in regional and international trade

Nov. 1, 2002

REAR VIEW MIRROR

137 YEARS AGO On July 5, 1865, the British government enacted the infamous Locomotives and Highways Act. Also known popularly as the red flag act, it required three operators for any operating on public roads, one of them to proceed on foot at least 60 yd. (55 m) ahead of the vehicle carrying a red flag (red lantern by night) to warn drivers of horse-drawn vehicles of the approach. The act also restricted

By Compiled by Al Binder and the Ward's staff. • July 1, 2002

Lawyer: Explorer not off the hook

Washington's decision to forego an investigation of Ford Motor Co.'s top-selling SUV will have little effect on personal injury litigation against the world's No.2 auto maker, early reaction suggests. NHTSA's determination is essentially meaningless, Florida lawyer Bruce Kaster says of a National Highway Traffic Safety Admin. report that dismisses design defect claims leveled against Ford's pre-'02

By Compiled by the staff of: WARD'S AUTOMOTIVE REPORTS • March 1, 2002

Idiot Proof?

At least a dozen years before the Feds went on a safety binge in 1966, the auto industry took a major step to keep drivers'' eyes on the road. Critics and purists called this bold advance in 1953 “idiot lights.” They were and are red alerts on the instrument panel to warn that there''s trouble brewing under the hood. “The lights simply were a better way to attract attention, as drivers didn''t pay

By AL Rothenberg • Feb. 1, 2002

$16,000 over new T-bird’s sticker sparks debate, lawsuit

The pros and cons of charging over sticker for a hot new vehicle There have been some famous temptations throughout history — Jesus and the Devil, Adam and Eve, Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinski. But what about a dealer holding a hot new vehicle with a high demand and low supply? Even a deity would have to think twice about resisting what to do in that situation. In recent times, many dealers have

By Tim Keenan • Oct. 11, 2001

CARBON FIBER/COMPOSITE MATERIALS

'02 ASTON MARTIN VANQUISH Producing lighter-weight, lower-cost, less-polluting vehicles is a never-ending task, but the pressure on automotive engineers now is growing more intense thanks to mounting pressure to improve fuel economy and curb emissions. And it is a task in which materials play an increasingly important role. Carbon fiber composites often are mentioned as a means of dramatically improving

Sept. 1, 2001

Aston Martin makes imaginative use of carbon fiber

Aston Martin's V12 Vanquish is a futurist's dream, inside and out. One glimpse of the new $228,000 460-hp with its sculpted bonnet blending seamlessly into a radically sleek tail section, strongly suggests a vehicle ahead of its time. Aston Martin claims it is, calling V12 Vanquish the technology flagship of Ford Motor Co. But eight coats of paint conceal the proof. V12 Vanquish is the first-ever

By Eric Mayne • Sept. 1, 2001

NAS researcher says CAFE battle not finished

Expect the U.S. Senate to reverse anti-regulatory momentum generated by House passage early in August of a Bush administration energy bill that rejects imposing tougher federal automobile fuel-economy standards despite growing populist support for such legislation. So says Alan T. Crane, project officer for the National Academies of Sciences' (NAS) contentious study of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy

By Compiled by the staff of: WARD'S ENGINE AND VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY UPDATE • Sept. 1, 2001

Driver Distraction Could Doom Telematics

While not many can agree on what business model, services, fees or connectivity are the right way to grow telematics, there is virtual agreement on one thing: Without a proactive collaborative effort to minimize driver distraction and maximize occupant safety, the entire whiz-bang effort could be thrown out the window by well-meaning legislators and regulators. Sun Microsystems James DeStefano suggests,

By Mike Arnholt • Aug. 7, 2001

Pol-Mot to take 75% of Daewoo Motor Polska

Pol-Mot Holding SA will take control of 75% of Daewoo Motor Polska Sp zoo, according to a tentative deal signed June 1. The takeover agreement hinges on the restructuring of debts with Polish banks and a Polish government guarantee on $100 million in investment credits. Pol-Mot won't say what it will pay for the stake, but it does indicate it plans to increase the share capital of Daewoo Motor Polska

By Compiled by the staff of: WARD'S AUTOMOTIVE INTERNATIONAL • July 1, 2001

NHTSA rollover rating may include static

A new rollover rating system based on a dynamic driving test may not totally replace the controversial static stability factor (SSF) after all, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Admin. (NHTSA) says. The new system, which will be linked to test scores achieved during a series of maneuvers being developed by NHTSA, might integrate a vehicle's SSF, NHTSA says. Calculated by halving a vehicle's

By Compiled by the staff of: WARD'S AUTOMOTIVE REPORTS • June 1, 2001

NAME TAGS MAKE LIFE A LOT EASIER

An East Coast new-car dealer has a policy whereby all employees (including the dealer and managers) are fined a nominal sum or must perform extra duty for neglecting to wear their nametags on duty. IF I COULD, I'D REQUIRE EVERY PERSON TO WEAR a name tag. This simple labeling process would relieve tension and frustration from our interaction with our business associates, customers and casual friends.

By Nat Shulman • June 1, 2001

Stayin’ Alive

NEW DELHI — A new pecking order is emerging in India's overcrowded automotive industry and a shakeout is under way. Three years ago, Maruti Udyog Ltd. — a 50/50 joint venture between Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp. and the Indian government — owned 83% of the passenger car market. Then last year, Maruti's market share plummeted to 56.8% as several competitors gnawed away at the underpinnings of the industry

By Mack Chrysler • May 1, 2001

What do today’s net-savvy consumers want from their cars?

The "dream car" for today's Net savvy consumer would be theft-proof, have sensors to detect hazardous road conditions and a remote zapper to start and warm it up, according to a Greenfield Online survey of 1,000 Internet users. While 62% think that governments should ban cell phone use while driving, only a handful envision that their next car would have built-in voice command telephone service. While

By Ward's reports • April 17, 2001

Big Pitch for ‘Anti-Pinch’

A battle ensues over so-called window and door closure technology. Anti-pinch now is covered by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 118 and was developed to rebuff dangers from the new generation of one-touch-up power windows and automatic minivan door closures. Until now, anti-pinch has been handled by reversing technology built into the window or door closure motors, such as Siemens AG's Closing

By Bill Visnic • April 1, 2001

DC Lawsuit Marks a New Industry Low

Back in the late 1950s, U.S. car designers were obsessed with tailfins. General Motors Corp. Chief Designer Harley Earl reportedly got the idea of putting fins on cars one day when he saw fighter planes parked at an airport. The car-buying public loved them, and competitors soon followed GM's lead. Soon, lots of cars were trying to imitate airplanes with fins. Starting out subtly in the late 40s,

By Drew Winter • March 1, 2001

LAWSUIT MAY TURN VILLAIN INTO HERO

IN PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING, HEROES BECOME villains in a flash. Usually the transformation comes as a result of a surprise and generally traitorous blow to the head with a folding chair. In the auto industry, the evolution of a villain or hero is a much slower process.Take the case of billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, DaimlerChrysler's third-largest stockholder. He has filed suit against DC, which if successful

By Tim Keenan • Jan. 1, 2001

65 Years Ago

On Nov. 21, 1935, Toyoda Automatic Loom Works unveiled the G1, its first production truck. Toyoda had earlier that year built its first passenger car, but shifted to truck development when founder Kiichiro Toyoda realized that the Japanese government was about to pass the Bill Concerning the Manufacture of Motor Vehicles, placing strong emphasis on making trucks instead of cars. Toyoda hoped to build

By WARD'S AUTO WORLD STAFF • Nov. 1, 2000

Dealers play big role in child safety seat use

A week after Barbara Halvey took her 1998 Ford Contour to a Chrysler dealer in Burlington, WI for an inspection of a child seat, her car was slammed from behind and shoved into a car in front.Despite this serious "sandwich" accident, Ms. Halvey's daughter, Monica, three, emerged unscathed.Ms. Halvey credits DaimlerChrysler's Fit For A Kid program for the safety of her daughter.At Miller Motors, inspectors

By Herb Shuldiner • July 1, 2000

Invasion of Privacy

As a former newspaper reporter, I heard a lot about privatization. Most of the school districts or local governments I covered had at some point debated the merits of handing off custodial or other work to private companies under the assumption that it would save tax dollars.The private sector is supposed to be more efficient than the public sector because of competition - a governmental body becomes

By Tom Murphy • June 1, 2000

CAFE, emissions strings may tighten soon

The current "freeze" on corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards may be nearing its end with the Clinton administration and the U.S. Dept. of Transportation battling for higher fuel economy standards across the board. The booming light truck, minivan and sport/utility vehicle (SUV) segment has been held stationary at the 20.7 mpg (11.4L/100 km) standard since 1995. But the U.S. House seems

By WARD'S AUTO WORLD STAFF • June 1, 2000

Slugging It Out Over Safety

When General Motors Corp. rolled out its new 4-door minivans for the 1997 model year, the mood inside Ford Motor Co. turned from bad to worse. And with good reason.Without a driver's-side sliding rear door like its competitors, the restyled Windstar was considered dead in the water even before it hit dealer showrooms.In a feeble attempt to counter the competition, Ford chose to play up the "virtues"

By SAID DEEP • April 1, 2000

When Acquisitions Go Bad--Deals turn sour for Federal-Mogul, Breed, Siemens

Federal-Mogul Corp. dumps three top executives following a disappointing third-quarter. Breed Technologies Inc.implores a bankruptcy judge for help with a survival plan. Siemens Automotive dissolves its joint venture with Breed and considers finding a new safety restraints partner. Siemens acquired a 13% share of Breed in 1997 by purchasing $115 million of Breed stock, and as of mid-October the stock

By Tom Murphy • Nov. 1, 1999

Akron’s Different View--Goodyear CEO sees Japan opening up

We could have danced around the issue a bit more delicately, but chief executives aren't always given to great exhibitions of political correctness.When controversy arises, the best policy for some is to say as little as possible and stay away from journalists.But Samir (Sam) Gibara, president, chairman and CEO of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., wasn't going to let a few discouraging words from the chairman

By Tom Murphy • Oct. 1, 1999

F&I Profits Under Attack

When profit margins on new-vehicle sales began to slip, dealers always had the back shop and the finance and insurance department on which to fall back.Now the F&I profit center is under attack - not necessarily by the factory, but by the market.The industry's obsession with customer satisfaction is leading F&I staffers to act more like consultants than salespeople.Government regulations, born of

By Tim Keenan • Aug. 1, 1999