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1997 Ten Best Engines: Long-Term Update

Ford's F-150 is a silky bruteWAW's offices are not inhabited by an overwhelming number of pickup afficionados. So when Ford Motor Co.'s gregarious 5.4L SOHC "Triton" V-8 won a spot on 1997's Ten Best Engines list, it was with some grousing about having to have a truck to get at the Triton.Halfway into its year-long torture test with us, and with just more than 18,000 miles accrued, all we can say

Nov. 1, 1997

Jewelry or Plague? Chrome comes back with a vengeance

Like smallpox, gaudy automotive chrome was pretty much eradicated by the early 1980s. But unlike the deadly virus, chrome is coming back with a vengeance: on wheels, exterior trim - even interiors.Gregory J. Janicki, an analyst who tracks the components industry for CSM Corp., says in recent months he's been flooded with requests by companies looking for information on chrome-plating technology and

By Drew Winter • Nov. 1, 1997

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

Chrysler gets serious about the oily parts; styling’s been king at Chrysler, but now powertrains get some attention.

Here are four words you haven't seen put together much lately: "New engines at Chrysler."One won't get much argument that Chrysler Corp.'s doing killer work in styling, but for the better part of a decade the company has lagged desperately behind new-engine-happy Ford Motor Co. and yes, even General Motors Corp. in the development of modern powerplants. "Enough" says Chrysler as it unveils an entirely

By Zoia, David E., Neff, Natalie • Dec. 1, 1996

Ed Gulda to head Peregrine Inc., buyer of 4 Delphi plants

Confirming speculation that surfaced last summer, the New York investment firm of Joseph Littlejohn & Levy is buying the four Delphi Interior and Lighting plants, creating a company called Peregrine Inc. to run it and names Edward J. Gulda, a former CEO of Varity Kelsey-Hayes, as Peregrine's CEO. The plants are located in Oshawa and Windsor, Ont., and Livonia and Flint, MI. They employ about 4,000

Dec. 1, 1996

Castaing’s holy grail: Convergence ‘96 seeks the seamless electromechanical vehicle

Induction restriction is reduced through the use of a larger throttle body, larger intake take valves and a larger throat area. These refinements allow for increased airflow into the intake ports and combustion chambers. Composite manifold runner surfaces also reduce air friction and allow more air to flow through the system.At the exhaust end, valve size, exhaust port shape, exhaust pipe size. manifold

Dec. 1, 1996

Chrysler says ‘au revoir’ to 2-stroke engine program

Say au revoir to the 2-stroke engine - at least as far as Chlysler Corp. is concerned.Engineers at the company's stroke engine "skunkworks" will suspend further development of the 2-stroke engine, work which began nearly a decade ago under the auspices of Chrysler's highly touted "Liberty" advanced small-car program.Floyd Allen, Chrysler executive engineer-core and minivan powertrain, announces that

By Bob Brooks, Visnic, Bill • Nov. 1, 1996

Becker dances to a different beat; interior systems supplier leverages its design firepower

As rumors keep stirring about the next round of supplier mergers, the emergence of the Becker Group from a modest Sterling Heights, MI, tool and die shop into a $1.4 billion global player in the interior integration game raises some important questions about the conventional wisdom driving the megadeals in supplier land.Do you have to take your company public?Do you have to manufacture every piece

By Gardner, Greg • Oct. 1, 1996

Copper’s comeback; electronics spur volume gains, and new technology helps.

New electrical and electronics applications are fueling copper's recovery from aluminum's 1980s takeover of the automotive radiator industry.Industry sources say copper use continued to grow in 1996, up from 42 lbs. (19.1 kg) per average vehicle in 1994 and 43.5 lbs. (19.7 kg) last year, to 45 lbs. (20.4kg).Johan Scheel, vice president of the International Copper Assn. (ICA), attributes the gains

By Kinsler, Christen • Sept. 1, 1996

‘97 Camry raises the bar.

AUSTIN, TX -- Heads will not turn when the all-new 1997 Camry drives by, and it's hard to imagine many 14-year olds will ever fall asleep dreaming of someday owning one."Sterile," "bland" or "an appliance" are some of the dismissive adjectives hurled at this midsize benchmark by some hardbitten gearheads.But ask any engineer on a competing midsize car program, and it's a different story. Seeing a

By Drew Winter, Gardner, Greg • Sept. 1, 1996

Automakers get valuable engineering know-how from racing.

Winning racing programs improve image and help sell cars. This has been true from the earliest days of the auto industry, and it's still true today. It was even the case when auto companies had policies against supporting racers and automakers helped teams under the table.Today, everything is above board and advertisements touting racing victories cover full pages in newspapers and magazines the day

Sept. 1, 1996

Amcast Automotive leads in critical component conversion to aluminum

With a long history in refining several casting processes and proven advances in alloy development, Amcast Automotive has become one of the pre-eminent suppliers specializing in the conversion of high-integrity performance-critical automotive components to cast aluminum.By converting high-volume applications formerly made of heavier metals to aluminum, Amcast Automotive can produce aluminum components

Sept. 1, 1996

Kinder, gentler interiors: new safety rules force engineering into cosmetic plastic parts.

I'd rather look good than feel good," comedian Billy Crystal used to joke. That pretty much sums up what has been the specification for most plastic interior trim components: they had to look good and be as a low cost as possible; how they felt to unbelted passengers' heads during crashes wasn't a concern.That's all changed now, thanks to new U.S. Dept. of Transportation head-impact standards scheduled

By Drew Winter • Sept. 1, 1996

High-quality casting processes for aluminum

To meet the increasing demands of automotive designers, Amcast Automotive has invested heavily in developing new technology to produce aluminum castings. This investment has led to continued refinement of its casting processes through advanced engineering and process development, resulting in unequaled expertise in the production of high-integrity products for the automotive industry. Automakers are

Sept. 1, 1996

Aluminum vehicle content to double during next decade

Advanced aluminum casting technologies increase critical component application possibilities for vehicle weight reduction.Over the past two decades, spurred by government regulated corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) and clean air regulations, automotive designers have directed significant attention to reducing overall vehicle weight. Since fuel consumption of vehicles is directly linked to their

Sept. 1, 1996

Siemens, Sommer Allibert form cockpit venture

Siemens Automotive Systems Group and Sommer Allibert Industrie AG have formed a joint venture to offer single sourcing of automotive cockpit modules. The concept debuted at the Frankfurt auto show last year.

Sept. 1, 1996

Uh, oh: colors and fabrics of the ‘70s are making a comeback.

Uh, oh. They're back! Platform shoes. Polyester. John Travolta. The Brady Bunch. Plus every semi-talented rock band that ever had an album on 8-track. For some awful, inexplicable reason, the fashions, colors, art, television shows, movies, actors and music of the '70s are back in style -- with a vengeance.And, to the horror of some, car and truck colors and interior fabrics are following the same

By Drew Winter • Sept. 1, 1996

A ray of hope from Tonawanda: new ‘global’ GM engine could help keep labor peace

Barely a footnote in an announcement that had been expected for months, General Motors Corp.'s decision to build a new global 4-cyl. engine in Tonawanda, NY, holds an important clue in the vexing search for competitive labor peace with the United Auto Workers union.The UAW's contract expires on Sept.14. The union hadn't named a strike target at press time, but no matter who's selected, the bargaining

By Gardner, Greg • Sept. 1, 1996

Amcast Automotive

More and more customers are finding that by partnering with Amcast Automotive, they can reach their goals faster and more effectively. Working as part of your team, Amcast's extensive in-house engineering expertise is available to handle or support any design effort from start to finish.Our advanced technologies are incorporated into your program to ensure that you'll get the best product to process

Sept. 1, 1996

JCI buys itself a Prince

The ante is raised in the battle to create the holistic interior supplier for the 21st Century.Johnson Controls Inc.'s $1.35 billion purchase of Holland, MI-based Prince Automotive temporarily puts JCI's annual revenues close to or slightly above that of arch rival Lear Corp. (Projected 1996 automotive revenues of $6 billion. Lear's 1995 sales were $4.7 billion and it has since added Masland Corp.)But

By Gardner, Greg • Aug. 1, 1996

3M leads charge for EV battery

ST. PAUL, MN -- 3M Corp. gets a charge out of lithium polymer batteries (LPB) and the company says it expects drivers of future electric vehicles will as well.With a $27.4 million grant from the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) 3M will, along with its partners Hydro-Quebec (a major Canadian utility) and Argonne National Laboratories, will continue to develop LPBs. The announcement

By Tim Keenan • Aug. 1, 1996

Value add-athon: testing is the latest value-added perk for OEMs

Having a good, competitively priced material with great engineering characteristics simply isn't enough anymore for automotive material suppliers. If you want to increase your OEM business, you've got to offer more: more engineering, more expertise, more "value" than any of your competitors.Steel suppliers are engineering entire steel bodies-in-white to show that lightweight vehicle bodies can be

By Drew Winter • June 1, 1996

Mitsubishi seeks probe of harassment charges; Jackson launches boycott

Is it a public relations charade or a sincere attempt to root out some bad actors? Mitsubishi Motors Corp. hires former Labor Secretary Lynn Martin to investigate charges of sexual harassment at its Normal, IL, assembly plant. "I will have complete independence," Ms. Martin says. Responds Patricia Benassi, attorney for the 29 Mitsubishi employees who brought the complaint before the Equal Employment

June 1, 1996

Lear buys Masland

In the latest step in its quest to become a supplier of modular interiors, Lear Corp. will buy Masland Corp. for about $385 million. Masland, which produces automotive carpeting and luggage compartment trim, will give a new dimension to Lear's product line, which expanded from seating systems to interior doors and trim last summer when it acquired Automotive Industries Inc. Masland, which employs

June 1, 1996

Electronics: an Olympic effort; information showcase integrates many ITS elements

ATLANTA--Short of getting vehicles to move automatically along a wired or smart expressway, one of the biggest steps toward an intelligent transportation system (ITS) is making the people who use the highways smarter. To do that, people need information.The most comprehensive demonstration of traveler information technology will take place here through Sept. 30. Not coincidentally, during that time

By Tim Keenan • June 1, 1996

Loophole big enough to drive a truck through

Is the IRS fueling the trend toward ever larger sport/utilities (SUVs)?Consider the following provision found in Section 280F(d)(5)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code: "The term 'passenger automobile' means any four-wheeled vehicle (i) which is manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads and highways and (ii) which weighs 6,000 pounds (unloaded gross vehicle weight) or less. In the case of

June 1, 1996