Automotive News articles from April 2008

Automotive News archives from April 2008

Callum: How Jag made its XF back-seat-friendly.(News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Mark Rechtin Jaguar chief designer Ian Callum describes the new XF sedan as "something you can enjoy without me having to explain it.'' Then he proceeds to explain, in some detail, why the XF will transform the way people think...

To get the keys, Japan offers senior discounts.(Final assembly)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Police are tackling one of the biggest dangers on Japan's congested roads: elderly motorists. Older drivers will soon be bribed to hand in their licenses. The campaign comes amid soaring accident rates among the elderly, who jam...

Dealers: Lame-duck Isuzu helps clear lots.(News)(Financial report)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Kathy Jackson It won't set the world on fire, but Isuzu logged an 11.4 percent year-over-year sales increase in the first quarter - climbing to 2,007 units for the three-month period. Pretty meager, for sure, but it marked the...

Chrysler eases store upgrade standards.(News)(Chrysler L.L.C.)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Bradford Wernle As part of its downsizing effort, Chrysler LLC is lowering the amount it requires dealers to spend to upgrade stores. For an average store's land and building requirements, "we brought down the size of the...

Restraints group chief: Global need is great.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Harry Stoffer Airbag and seat belt suppliers have huge opportunities to save lives - and expand their businesses - in developing countries where vehicle production and ownership are rising rapidly. So says Doug Campbell, a vice...

Feb. Mexico sales are nearly flat.(Sales)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Stephen Downer Sales of new cars and light trucks in Mexico rose 1.1 percent in February from a year earlier to 86,976. Nissan Motor Co. remained the market leader by a nose. Nissan Mexicana's sales rose 2.9 percent to 18,551...

2000 and One Ford: Mulally's global odyssey.(Final assembly)(Ford Motor Co.)
April 7, 2008... Last week's reorganization of Ford Motor Co.'s global product development and purchasing operations is a logical step in CEO Alan Mulally's campaign to forge one global Ford. Ford's new structure designates global product development...

More Toyota in Fuji's future?(Final assembly)(Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.)(Toyota Motor Corp.)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Toyota Motor Corp. is considering raising its almost 9 percent stake in Subaru maker Fuji Heavy Industries, according to Japan's Nikkei Shimbun newspaper. That would strengthen ties that already have the Subaru of Indiana Automotive plant in...

Downsizing arrives - with a vengeance; Shift in buying patterns picks up steam in 2008 - leaving the Detroit 3 with a revenue shortfall.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Amy Wilson The big shift to small cars this year threatens the revenue and profitability prospects of the Detroit 3. The change in buying patterns accelerated in March, while overall sales tanked. The problem for the domestic...

Industry targets state CO2 rules; Lobbyist takes automakers' case to statehouses across the country.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Harry Stoffer Minnesota, Colorado and Montana were moving toward adopting California-style rules on greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. Now they appear to be pulling back. One reason: Top industry lobbyist Dave McCurdy is...

In the United States, BMW is a victim of its own success.(Opinion)(BMW AG)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Guido Reinking If there were an award for last year's most profitable premium brand, it would be an unequivocal victory for Mercedes-Benz. After cutting Chrysler loose, profits at Daimler AG, Mercedes' parent, have shot upward...

Time to go back to the basics.(Column)
April 7, 2008... Byline: KEITH CRAIN This isn't the first time the U.S. automobile industry has seen a sales downturn. Although it's tough for factories to cut back production in a downturn, it's fairly easy to stop ordering cars from overseas...

GM dealers ponder Reynolds: Stay or go?(News)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Ralph Kisiel For 400 General Motors dealers, a decision looms over whether to stick with Reynolds and Reynolds Co. The dealers use a GM Integrated Dealer Management System, or IDMS, supplied and maintained by Reynolds. As...

Imports pass Detroit 3 in single-brand stores.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. For the first time, import-brand automakers have more single-line dealerships in the United States than do the Detroit 3. According to this year's Automotive News dealership census, a record 6,530 U.S....

Suzuki tells U.S. dealers: Don't fret.(News)(American Suzuki Motor Corp.)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Kathy Jackson American Suzuki sought to calm dealers last week after Chairman Rick Suzuki's surprise announcement that he would step down because of faltering sales. Executives held a telephone conference with dealer council...

Industry's March was off a cliff.(Sales)
April 7, 2008... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. When the Detroit 3's U.S. sales decline for the month, the typical reaction is: So what else is new? But when the sales of the Japanese Big 3 - Toyota, Honda and Nissan - also drop, the situation merits closer...

Running on empty?(Final assembly)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... After spending more than $1 billion on fuel cell technology, General Motors is worried about running on empty. Speaking to the National Hydrogen Association in Sacramento, Calif., last week, Larry Burns, GM's vice president for r&d and...

Microsoft exec rejects OnStar-style subscriptions.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Leslie J. Allen After its success with Ford Motor Co.'s Sync voice-operated entertainment and phone service, Microsoft Corp. is hunting for another "killer application'' for vehicles. One executive says the key may lie in the...

Bodycote eyes annual sales of $50 million in Japan.(News)(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Hans Greimel Bodycote PLC has entered Japan, targeting $50 million in annual sales through treating engine and transmission parts for the country's expanding automakers. The British company, which treats metal to make it...

Classic names are part of Tata deal.(Final assembly)
April 7, 2008... Tata didn't get two brands last month with its $2.3 billion purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover. It got five. Tata will get the right to use three classic British auto brand names - Rover and the Jaguar-owned names of Daimler and Lanchester. ...

Dick Dauch's labor journey: Hero to demon.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: David Barkholz, Robert Sherefkin Those who know Richard E. Dauch aren't surprised that the CEO of American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. has dug in his heels against striking UAW workers. Dauch, 65, has put aside his...

Who will cool states' fuel economy fervor? Dingell's one of the few who get why we need a federal standard.(Opinion)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Edward Lapham Rep. John Dingell's decision to run for re-election this fall isn't much of a surprise. A staunch ally of the auto industry - especially the Detroit 3 - Dingell has been a congressman since Dec. 13, 1955, when the...

Calif. board can't force its will on auto market.(Opinion)(California. Air Resources Board)
April 7, 2008... California got it wrong again. When the California Air Resources Board ruled that automakers must sell at least 66,000 plug-in hybrids from 2012 through 2014, the board really mandated that Californians must buy 66,000 plug-ins. CARB also...

Auto News digest.(Briefs)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Esurance forms repair partnership with AutoWatch SAN FRANCISCO - The auto insurer Esurance has signed a six-year partnership with AutoWatch, a system that monitors vehicle repairs online. AutoWatch enables Esurance customers to see...

Personnel.(People)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE INC. - Lee Mitchell, 38, to vice president of financial services. He had been director of financial services. Group 1, of Houston, owns 104 dealerships and 26 collision service centers in the United States and the United...

Malibu spared another week from Axle strike.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: David Barkholz, Robert Sherefkin General Motors probably will have enough American Axle parts to keep building its hot-selling Chevrolet Malibu until April 18, said a UAW local official in Kansas City, Kan. That's a week longer...

Press review of the Prius: Did ex-Toyota boss spill the beans?(Final assembly)
April 7, 2008... Chrysler co-President Jim Press landed in a PR stew last week - and so did his former employer, Toyota. In an interview, Press told BusinessWeek magazine that the Japanese government "paid for 100 percent of the development of the battery and...

Anne Wright, Mary Raetz are promoted.(News)(Anne Wright has been promoted to the new post of corporate director of content for Crain Communications)(Mary Raetz has been appointed director of the Automotive News Data Center. )(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Automotive News and Crain Communications Inc. have announced two promotions. Anne Wright, 47, has been named to the new post of corporate director of content for Crain Communications. Wright had been assistant managing editor, data...

Pontiac counts on new G8 sedan to rev up the brand.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Jamie LaReau Pontiac hopes that a new rear-wheel-drive superfast sports sedan will do what the GTO could not - attract successful young male buyers. The G8 has similar styling and size to the BMW 5 series, but the G8 costs less and...

Correction.(Correction notice)
April 7, 2008... * A photo caption on Page 44 of the March 31 issue gave the wrong model year for the vehicle shown. It was a 1960 Buick.

Big challenge for Ford's quality guy; Bennie Fowler takes on 6 crucial vehicle launches.(News)(Ford Motor Co.)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Amy Wilson In November 2006, Ford Motor Co. quality chief Bennie Fowler and two fellow executives left a meeting three hours before they were to give the OK to ship several thousand Ford Edges to dealers. The 2007 Edge was a...

Lithia closes books on dealers' creative accounting.(Final assembly)
April 7, 2008... After an internal investigation, Lithia Motors Inc. execs offered this conclusion: Don't look at us. The public dealership group told the Securities and Exchange Commission last week that previously disclosed "irregularities'' in vehicle...

Pontiac goes digital for Vibe marketing.(News)(General Motors Corp. Pontiac Div.)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Jamie LaReau Pontiac plans an Internet-based marketing campaign for the 2009 Vibe hatchback. "We know people are moving away from TV on a constant basis,'' Jennifer Nardicchio, marketing manager for the Torrent crossover and...

Supply line.(Briefs)
April 7, 2008... Tenneco supplies Land Cruiser LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Tenneco Inc. is supplying Toyota Motor Corp. with kinetic suspension technology for its 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser 200. The system will be standard on five Land Cruiser models and...

Group 1 renews service, parts emphasis.(Service & Parts)(Group 1 Automotive Inc.)(Interview)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Donna Harris Group 1 Automotive Inc., the nation's fourth-largest dealership group, is placing greater emphasis on service and parts operations at its 104 dealerships this year to weather a downturn in new-vehicle sales. Randy...

After 13 years of sales success, Toyota's on a losing streak.(News)(Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Richard Truett Hard to believe, but sales at Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. have declined for four straight months. That's something we haven't seen for a while - 13 years, to be precise. Not since November has the Japanese...

Late News.(Ford Motor Co.)
April 7, 2008... Mulally paid $21.7 million DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. paid CEO Alan Mulally $21.7 million in 2007. Ford on Friday revealed 2007 compensation for Mulally and four other top executives in its proxy statement. Mulally was paid a base salary...

Pontiac studies fuel economy.(News)(General Motors brands, Pontiac)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Jamie LaReau Like most General Motors brands, Pontiac is considering technology such as ethanol, diesel, hybrids, direct-injection engines and six-speed transmissions to achieve better fuel economy. "Pontiac will benefit from...

Goal of AOL Autos redo: Pay for listings.(News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Arlena Sawyers A redesign of the AOL Autos Web site is aimed in part at getting more dealers to pay to list vehicles for sale. Doug Eddy, AOL Autos' director of business development, says the revamped site lists 2.5 million...

Suppliers: Restraints must play big role in small cars.(News)(Delphi Corp's tiny Smart car )
April 7, 2008... Byline: Harry Stoffer The tiny Smart car could be a sign of things to come - not because of its size or looks, but for the way it is engineered to protect occupants in crashes. That's the prediction of Madan Gopal, senior development...

GM may realign marketing leadership.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Jamie LaReau General Motors North American marketing chief Mark LaNeve may revamp GM's sales, service and marketing to handle key functions through retail channels rather than through a centralized setup. If that happens, it...

Lincoln crawls past Mercury.(News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Amy Wilson In 2006, Ford Americas President Mark Fields said Lincoln eventually will become the volume brand of the Lincoln-Mercury business. With Mercury sales in free-fall, it looks as if 2008 might be that year. Lincoln is...

XF takes Jaguar outside world of wood and leather.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Mark Rechtin With the launch of the XF sedan and the deletion of the S-Type and X-Type from its U.S. lineup, Jaguar now offers cars in America powered only by V-8 engines. The XF's hard points come from the S-Type, which it...

ADP, Ford plan online services for dealers.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Ford Motor Co. has chosen ADP Dealer Services as its partner to provide digital advertising services to its dealerships across the United States. Ford is expected to formally unveil the national plan during dealer...

CarMax plans more stores.(News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Arlena Sawyers Despite industry turbulence, used-vehicle retailer CarMax Inc. plans to add stores this year. CarMax CEO Tom Folliard said last week that his company intends to open 14 stores during the fiscal year that began...

Maybach: A soft-top limo for U.S.(News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Rick Kranz Do you want motorists to think you're a rock star? Or your neighbors to believe you bought the popemobile? Either way, the convertiblelike, four-door 2009 Maybach Landaulet will fill the bill. The Landaulet,...

Dealers.(People)(Automotive dealer John Blackwell III received a 25-year award for Ford from Ford Motor Co.)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Milestones * John Blackwell III of Blackwell Ford in Plymouth, Mich., received a 25-year award for Ford from Ford Motor Co. CAPTION(S): 50 with Chevrolet: Doug Rockenbach of Rockenbach Chevrolet in Grayslake, Ill., receives a...

Dollar-euro rate may favor Continental's U.S. plants.(News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: April Wortham German auto parts supplier Continental AG says its acquisition of Siemens VDO Automotive last fall left the company with too many production sites in high-cost countries. That might appear to put Continental's...

6 more finalists in contest for PACE honors.(News)(PACE Awards. )
April 7, 2008... Here are profiles of six of 23 finalists in the 2008 Automotive News PACE Awards. What: Automotive News PACE Awards, honoring innovative automotive suppliers Co-sponsored by: Microsoft, SAP and Transportation Research Center Inc. ...

Obituaries.(Obituary)(Obituary)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Thomas Daniels ATLANTA - Thomas Daniels, a former vice president of Ford Motor Co., died here March 6 at age 83. He began his career as Edsel merchandising manager in 1957, moving through various sales and marketing posts for Lincoln...

Picture this.(News)
April 7, 2008... You and your industry colleagues have just hung out at a party, raised a truckload of cash for charity or fired your best rounds of golf. Share your snapshots with us. When the celebration is over, e-mail your high-resolution photos, IDs and a...

GM's Middlebrook to retire; Browning to get global sales post.(News)(John Middlebrook will retire from General Motors and Jonathan Browning will replace by his post)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Ryan Beene General Motors is shuffling sales and marketing executives after the retirement of its global sales and marketing chief. John Middlebrook, GM vice president of global sales, service and marketing, will retire July 1....

TV channel helps dealers bond with service customers.(Service & Parts)(Automotive Broadcast Network)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Alysha Webb When Jerry Daniels saw service customers at his dealerships watching competitors' commercials on waiting-room TVs, he got angry. He also got an idea. So in late 2006, Daniels quit Asbury Automotive Group, where he...

Auto News digest.(Briefs)(Ford Motor Co. plans to reopen an engine plant in Windsor)(Toyota Motor Corp. said last week that it is opening a research institute at its technical center )
April 7, 2008... Ford will reopen Canadian engine plant DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. plans to reopen an engine plant in Windsor, Ontario, that has been closed since November. The reopening of the Essex engine plant will allow 300 employees to return to work,...

On the Web.
April 7, 2008... This week at www.autonews.com: * Monday: Automotive News Data Center posts detailed North American production data at www.autonews.com/2008marketdata. * Monday: Nissan Motor Co. makes a "significant business announcement'' in Detroit....

Volvo's design evolves with XC60.(News)(Interview)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Mark Rechtin When designer Peter Horbury guided boxy Volvo toward a more muscular look in the 1990s, it was a sea change from two decades of "brick'' design. The upcoming XC60 crossover, on sale in early 2010, may look like an...

Honda plans to ban online contract sales - maybe; Automaker will await outcome of dealer's legal challenge.(News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Kathy Jackson Urged on by its national dealer council, American Honda had decided to prohibit dealers from selling Honda-backed extended service contracts online - starting Tuesday, April 1. But the company hadn't counted on a...

Chrysler debuts safety, fuel-saving features on '09s.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Bradford Wernle Chrysler LLC wants to reclaim its engineering prowess after nine years as a division of DaimlerChrysler AG. As part of the effort, the company will launch a series of features in several 2009 vehicles and is...

Detroit 3 diet: Lose dealerships.(Automotive industries subtract U.S. dealerships and franchises )
April 7, 2008... Byline: Arlena Sawyers The Detroit 3 continued to subtract U.S. dealerships and franchises last year, largely a result of the automakers' retail consolidation plans. On Jan. 1, 2008, General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC had...

JCI could buy parts of Plastech.(News)(Johnson Controls Inc.)(Plastech Engineered Products Inc.)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Ryan Beene Johnson Controls Inc. is vying to buy the interiors and underhood business units of Plastech Engineered Products Inc., now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Johnson Controls and some of Plastech's lenders have...

Cadillac crossover.(News)
April 7, 2008... Heavy camouflage hides the crisp lines on Cadillac's new compact crossover, shown in this spy photo. The Cadillac Provoq concept is the styling inspiration for the model. Production is expected to begin in the spring of 2009. General Motors...

Cadillac's ad agency savors the sweet life.(Marketing)(General Motors Corp. Cadillac Motor Car Div.)(Modernista!)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Laura Clark Geist It took a while, but the head of Cadillac's advertising agency says its work for the brand has hit "the sweet spot.'' Lance Jensen, co-founder of Modernista, says the well-received campaign that his agency...

Honda will export Alabama-built Pilots to Russia.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Rick Kranz Russia is the new market for Honda's redesigned, Alabama-assembled 2009 Pilot. American Honda Motor Co. forecasts 3,245 exports to Russia for the 2009 model year, increasing to 4,650 for 2011. Shipments begin late...

Post-Celine, Chrysler ad guru seeks right note.(Marketing)(appointment of Peter Arnell)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Matthew Creamer, Michael Bush Don't call Peter Arnell's return to Chrysler - the scene of his advertising agency's biggest blowup - a quest for redemption. Arnell rejects suggestions that his new design role offers a second...

On the Web.
April 14, 2008... This week at www.autonews.com: * Monday: Winners of the 2008 Automotive News PACE Awards will be announced in Detroit. * Thursday: Chrysler LLC CEO Bob Nardelli keynotes the SAE World Congress annual banquet. * All week: Live...

Late News.(briefs)
April 14, 2008... Locals closer to GM strike DETROIT - Three UAW locals in Michigan on Friday moved a step closer to striking General Motors plants over local grievances. Locals in Warren, Flint and Delta Township, near Lansing, have told GM they could...

GM is the wild card in axle war.(General Motors Corp.)(American Axle and Manufacturing Inc.)(United Automobile Workers)
April 14, 2008... Byline: David Barkholz American Axle is sticking with its demand to cut the wages of its striking UAW workers in half - and why shouldn't it? Standing reluctantly in the wings is General Motors. The former owner of American Axle's...

Pontiac Vibe: A sporty hauler with Toyota touches.(News)(General Motors Corp. Pontiac Div.)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Jamie LaReau Pontiac hopes its redesigned 2009 Vibe will attract buyers who want the spaciousness of a small SUV or mid-sized sedan with the fuel economy of a compact car. The Vibe shares a platform with the Toyota Matrix but...

Hyundai tailors TV, Web ads for Hispanics.(Marketing)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Laurel Wentz Hyundai Motor America says it is going after Hispanic consumers who don't understand the Hyundai brand. Hyundai has just a 2.7 percent share of the Hispanic new-vehicle market in the United States. The brand has a...

Tata Nano changes low-cost development.(Insight)(Tata Motors Ltd.)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Jesse Snyder The Tata Nano isn't even on sale yet, but the $2,500 Indian car already has changed the rules on how to develop low-cost vehicles. The car was unveiled here in January. Interest remained frenetic during a...

Honda must revisit online dealer sales of service pacts.(Opinion)
April 14, 2008... American Honda Motor Co. must rethink its objections to letting its dealers aggressively sell factory service contracts online. Restricting how dealers can sell Honda Care and Acura Care extended warranties may be justifiable under the...

After S. Calif. success, Honda may fund ad groups; Dealers gain share after launching offbeat campaign.(News)(Secret Weapon Marketing)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Kathy Jackson After a successful dealer ad campaign in Southern California, Honda may resume funding its dealer advertising groups across the nation. With the blessing of sales chief Dick Colliver, Honda dealers here revived...

General Motors China Investment Co.(2008 Guide to China's Auto Market)(Company overview)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Alysha Webb Jingmao Tower 10/F, No. 88 Shiji Road, Pudong District Shanghai 200121, P.R. China (86) 21-2898-7000, www.gmchina.com Top executive: Kevin Wale, chairman & CEO In 2007, General Motors expanded China's role...

March output drops 23.6%.(Production)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Debi Domby In March, North America vehicle production dropped by 339,663 units to 1,102,406, down 23.6 percent from March 2007. It was the biggest month-over-month percentage drop since July 1998 (vs. July 1997). Last month,...

Better get to know the Nano - it's set to change the world.(Insight)(Tata Group)
April 14, 2008... Ratan Tata was inspired to conceive a low-priced car for India's masses by scenes of families of four perched precariously on a single motorcycle. His dream began to crystallize when the former DaimlerChrysler AG invited him to look at the...

Ford wants word-of-mouth campaign.(News)(Ford Motor Co.)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Amy Wilson Ford Motor Co. is trying to create a 750,000-strong army of advocates to get consumers to reconsider its vehicles. That's the number of employees, retirees, dealers and dealership employees that Ford is charging with...

100,000 Flex sales a year? Farley: 'Absolutely'.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Amy Wilson Ford Motor Co. is looking to sell 100,000 units annually of the new Ford Flex crossover. The 100,000 threshold "absolutely'' is possible for the 2009 Flex, said Jim Farley, Ford group vice president of marketing and...

Can the Greens slow down the autobahn?(Final assembly)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Edward Lapham Don't look now, but Bremen town is back in the news. And this time it isn't about four runaway farm animals and the adventures they have on the road to getting a gig as musicians in the German city-state of...

At seminar, marketing execs to discuss new ways to reach customers.(Marketing)
April 14, 2008... Top marketing executives at General Motors, Toyota, Chrysler, Honda and Hyundai will discuss their companies' changing media choices at this year's Automotive News Marketing Seminar, May 28 in Los Angeles. Seminar speakers include: *...

New Ford ads tout quality improvements.(Final assembly)(Ford Motor Co.)(Survey)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... Ford will trumpet quality improvements in an ad campaign designed to get people to reconsider its vehicles. Ford says a company-commissioned survey found that initial quality of its vehicles is now on par with Honda and Toyota. Quality is...

New chief of SAE has D.C. skills.(News)(SAE International appointed David Schutt)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Harry Stoffer In a change of course, automotive engineers have named an outsider with extensive Washington experience to be the COO of their professional society. David Schutt, the next executive vice president of SAE...

Some stores may not sell Chrysler hybrids; Spending for training, tools might be optional.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Bradford Wernle Chrysler LLC may sell its hybrid SUVs only through select dealerships. Although a company spokesman said no decision has been made, one high-level executive said the choice of whether to sell hybrids would be...

Racy scandal for race exec.(Final assembly)(Max Mosley)(Federation Internationale de)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... Max Mosley, racing bigwig and unwitting star of an S&M sex video filmed with a camera hidden in the brassiere of one of the participants, is under fire to resign. But he says he's not whipped yet. Mosley, president of Federation...

Chrysler's quest for quality lured Nissan exec Betts.(News)(Nissan Motor Company Ltd.)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Bradford Wernle When Chrysler LLC first contacted Doug Betts last summer, the Nissan quality chief's main worry was that Chrysler was trying to poach members of his Nashville-based staff. Little did Betts realize that the...