Automotive News articles from December 2004

Automotive News archives from December 2004

GM's bold promos hit and miss in 2004.(News)(General Motors Corp. GM North America)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: K.C. Crain At the start of the year, General Motors executives faced a dilemma. Their market share had dipped in 2003. They expected an onslaught of new products from the competition. And their key weapon - incentives - didn't...

Chrysler may build 300, 300C in China.(News)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Alysha Webb The first Chrysler 300 and 300C sedans have arrived in China, and sources say DaimlerChrysler will begin assembling the vehicles here in 2005. "In all the meetings we go to, they mention that the 300C will be built...

Supply line.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... PPG venture targets N.A. transplants PITTSBURGH - PPG Industries Inc. and Kansai Paint Co. Ltd. have formed a joint venture, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes, to sell automotive coatings. The initial focus will be to supply coatings for...

Smaller inventories are 1st step toward sanity.(Opinion)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Mike Jackson If it's heresy for an automotive retailer to call for lower manufacturers' incentives, smaller inventories and lower volume, then I will be burned at the stake. It's a risk worth taking to restore sanity to the world...

BMW moves more autos through S.C.(News)(South Carolina)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Lindsay Chappell BMW AG has begun importing more vehicles through its Charleston, S.C., port to keep pace with rising U.S. sales. Until last month, imports for BMW's 11-state Midwestern region entered the United States through...

Nissan shutdown slows FX output.(News)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi, Peter Chang A steel shortage at Nissan Motor Co.'s Japanese plants will delay production of a small number of vehicles for the United States and Europe. The shortage caused Nissan to halt operations at three...

Gas pains; $50 fill-ups are beginning to alter the SUV market. More shoppers consider hybrids, smaller models.(News)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Richard Truett The SUV survived a summer that saw gasoline prices approach $3 a gallon in some parts of the country. But there is some evidence that consumers are reacting: * Hybrid-powered vehicles are breaking out of their...

Dealership faces big bill for customer's forged initials.(Legal File)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Eric Freedman A Louisiana dealership is solely liable for a $32,250 judgment stemming from the forgery of a customer's initials on the credit life insurance provision of a finance agreement, the state Court of Appeal has ruled. ...

Dealers to testify in DCX bias suit.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Mary Connelly Three Chicago-area dealers say they are being deposed in a lawsuit filed against DaimlerChrysler's finance arm alleging discriminatory lending. Gerald Gorman, former owner of two Chicago-area dealerships, sued...

Ford settles with dealer over blocked sale.(News)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Donna Harris Ford Motor Co. has quietly settled a lawsuit brought by megadealer Bob Baker after the automaker blocked the sale of his Ford dealership in San Diego to Asbury Automotive Group. The out-of-court settlement, reached...

Late News.
December 6, 2004... Toyota will combine North American units Toyota will combine its North American manufacturing, vehicle development and planning offices into one business unit to streamline vehicle development and parts procurement here. The new...

Weak dollar may slow parts imports.(News)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Lindsay Chappell The U.S. auto industry is still importing vehicle parts at record volumes, but there is hope on the horizon for U.S. plants. Parts industry officials believe the decline in the U.S. dollar against the euro and...

Japan exports to U.S. fall 5.8% in Oct.(News)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Japan's exports to the United States in October fell 5.8 percent to 132,460 compared with October 2003, the first decline in six months. The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association attributes the drop partly...

Auto News digest.(Briefs)
December 6, 2004... Mitsubishi, Merrill Lynch form venture TOKYO - Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Merrill Lynch will form a joint venture to service auto loans in North America. By tapping Merrill Lynch's better credit rating, Mitsubishi Motors Credit of...

Elliott gave Honda a big lift; Low-key leader plans to retire next year.(News)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Richard Johnson John Mendel's big challenge as he prepares to replace Tom Elliott at American Honda Motor Co. Inc. may be to boost awareness of the company's light-truck lineup. But all in all, Elliott has set a nice table for...

Domestic brands show improved residuals; Import brands still fill Automotive Lease Guide's top spots.(News)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Arlena Sawyers Resale values are stabilizing industrywide, and some domestic brands are expected to make solid gains. Automotive Lease Guide projects that 2005 model-year luxury models, on average, will retain 49.9 percent of...

Truck-based SUV sales are sluggish.(Sales)(Sport utility vehicles)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. Automakers are often the last to spot an industry sales trend, so a helping hand is sometimes necessary. Today's helping hand concerns SUVs, which have been the industry darlings - especially of the domestic...

Lincoln looks for foothold in the pickup market again; 2006 Mark LT truck will debut during the Super Bowl.(News)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Jamie LaReau Lincoln has a price list for its new Mark LT luxury pickup. It has a marketing campaign for the truck, which it will launch at the Super Bowl. Now all the Mark LT needs, some critics suggest, is an audience. ...

Obituaries.(Obituary)(Obituary)
December 6, 2004... John Baldoni OLD SAYBROOK, Conn. - Retired auto dealer John Baldoni died Nov. 16. He was 93. He owned Saybrook Ford Inc. here until 1982. James Riley NORWALK, Conn. - Auto dealer James Riley died Oct. 6. Riley, 77, was CEO of...

Dealers.(People)(Awards)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Milestones * Dennis Crain of Dennis Crain Chrysler in Winnsboro, La., received a 25-year award for Chrysler from DaimlerChrysler. * Edward Morse of Ed Morse Bayview Cadillac in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., received a 25-year award for...

Runge is eager to retain safety post.(News)(Dr. Jeffrey Runge)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Harry Stoffer Dr. Jeffrey Runge knows the joy of bringing emergency room patients back from the brink of death. But the job he has now is even more gratifying, he says. "For me, this is the pinnacle of a career,'' says the...

Get your car fixed at Circuit City?(Column)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: KEITH CRAIN If you listen to radio shows that help people with car problems, you often hear folks talk about cars with well over 100,000 miles or even 150,000 miles. Today's cars and trucks don't wear out. Engines are put...

Chrysler looks into 300 limo.(News)(Limousines)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Rick Kranz The Chrysler 300 sedan has caught the eye of the limousine crowd. The Chrysler group is debating whether to create an option package for coachbuilders wanting to build a stretched version of the vehicle. But the...

Toyota sets production record.(Production)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Debi Domby * Last week, Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America surpassed its production record of 650,062 cars built in one year; the 2004 number hit 652,732 on Friday, Dec. 3. The former record was for all of 2003. * General...

No. 1 brand? Ford, for sure.(Sales)(Ford Motor Co.)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. Chevrolet will not catch Ford Division in U.S. sales this year. After nine months, Chevy had drawn to within 8,303 sales of Ford. But Ford dealers applied a full-court press in October and November and pretty...

No longer a rule for every problem; NHTSA focuses on fewer, broader areas.(News)(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Harry Stoffer As many as 5,000 Americans are scalded each year when they remove vehicle radiator caps while engines are hot. But after 12 years of study, federal regulators have dropped their plan for a new rule that would...

Rolls-Royce names new CEO.(News)(Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd)(chief executive officer)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd. gets a new CEO on Feb. 1. Ian Robertson, 46, will take over the job from Stefan Krause, the BMW AG board member who temporarily took the post in October. Robertson will be the...

GM, Ford production cuts to hit trucks hard.(General Motors Corp.)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Amy Wilson, Jason Stein First-quarter production cuts planned by General Motors and Ford Motor Co. will hit where it hurts the most - high-profit trucks. Ford will trim production to 930,000 vehicles, down 7.7 percent compared...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
December 6, 2004... * A Supply Line item on Page 32J in some editions of the Nov. 29 issue gave the wrong location and products for Durr Industries. Durr is in Plymouth, Mich., and supplies paint systems.

50 hybrid models predicted by 2010.(News)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Richard Truett Two analysts who study advanced powertrains say automakers are preparing to unleash a bumper crop of gasoline-electric hybrid light vehicles. By 2010 more than 50 hybrid nameplates will be available in North...

A star, perhaps, but Ford's next top model? 2005 Mustang gets lots of exposure on network TV.(News)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Monica Link In addition to starting TV commercials for the 2005 Ford Mustang, Ford Division is inserting the car in network TV shows. Ford says it is using product placement in an effort to build interest in the redesigned pony...

Cadillac plans price war in Europe.(News)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Arjen Bongard Automotive News Europe Determined to make gains in Europe's luxury market, General Motors will price Cadillacs 10 percent to 15 percent below rival models. "We plan to be very competitive,'' said Bert Kreber,...

As sales fall, Mitsubishi rethinks ad strategy.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Gail Kachadourian, Kathy Jackson With its sales in free fall, Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. executives last week met with the company's national dealer council to devise a new marketing and advertising strategy. ...

Cadillac's goal: Chic for sheiks.(News)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Jason Stein It was the toughest sale Maureen Kempston Darkes never made. Last year, when General Motors showed its Cadillac Sixteen concept luxury sedan at the Dubai show in the United Arab Emirates, Kempston Darkes, GM's vice...

Wireless technology trims waiting time.(News)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Dealerships are using the latest portable personal computers to cut waiting time for service customers. At John Eagle dealerships in Dallas, mechanics are using wireless Tablet PCs sold by Reynolds and Reynolds Co....

Bleak news for GM brands; U.S. sales and share sink in November.(Sales)(General Motors Corp.)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. General Motors' U.S. sales ran at full speed in November - but in reverse gear. The automaker's domestic brands wound up the month 16.5 percent below the year-ago sales pace. Just as significant, the U.S....

Bowens, Wernle join Automotive News.(News)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Automotive News will expand its coverage of suppliers and the European auto industry with the addition of two reporters, Greg Bowens and Bradford Wernle. Wernle, 54, has accepted the newly created position of Europe editor. He will focus...

Hyundai cuts Tiburon price.(News)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Hyundai has cut prices slightly on the 2005 Tiburon sport coupe. The 2005 Tiburon will be in showrooms by mid-December and will be offered in three trim levels ranging in price from $16,594 to $20,594. The lowest-priced model is the...

Mustang ads blend nostalgia, newness.(Marketing)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Jamie LaReau Two new commercials for Ford Division's 2005 Mustang aim to achieve seemingly contradictory goals. They seek to corner the market on nostalgia by invoking 1960s icons Steve McQueen and Jimi Hendrix. At the same...

ZF banks on Japanese automakers to push CVT.(Suppliers)(ZF Friedrichshafen AG)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Julie Armstrong ZF Friedrichshafen AG is counting on Japanese automakers to push one of its least-known products in North America. ZF cannot find a North American customer for its continuously variable transmissions, or CVTs....

Volvo drops used-vehicle deductible.(News)(Volvo Cars of North America Inc.)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Arlena Sawyers Volvo Cars of North America Inc. is dropping the $50 deductible customers must pay when they seek warranty repairs of the brand's certified used vehicles. John Teah, Volvo's pre-owned car manager, says the...

Letters to the Editor.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 6, 2004... Heaven save us from technology To The Editor: I read "Big Brother is riding shotgun'' (Nov. 15), and, to tell you the truth, I had not contemplated the extension of the technology to its logical conclusions. I knew that...

BMW approaches VW as top European seller here.(Volkswagen of America Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Ralph Kisiel BMW is on the verge of dethroning mass-market Volkswagen as the best-selling European brand in the United States. BMW, helped by the debut of the X3 SUV this year, has been creeping up on VW, whose sales have...

2 industry watchers speak.(News)(speakers at 2005 Automotive News World Congress)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Stephen Girsky, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, and Tobin Alexander, vice president of IBM Global Automotive Asia Pacific Operations, are the newest additions to the list of speakers at the 2005 Automotive News World Congress next month. ...

Va. dealer's Supreme Court win helps lenders.(News)(Virginia)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Harry Stoffer A Virginia dealer's persistence paid off in a U.S. Supreme Court victory that will benefit thousands of lenders, including other dealers. The high court ruled 8-1 last week that a disgruntled used-car buyer is...

Zetsche seeks product leadership; Combining the best of Chrysler, Mercedes will bring `something unique'.(News)(Dieter Zetsche)(Interview)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Dave Guilford, Mary Connelly Chrysler group CEO Dieter Zetsche says he is getting ready to go on the offensive. After overseeing the company's three-year turnaround plan, Zetsche in 2004 began pushing toward a new set of...

Snapshot.(Briefs)
December 6, 2004... Lincoln Mercury thinks big Among automakers, the elixir for most ailments is new product. Lincoln Mercury is about to take the cure. In the next eight years, it plans to pack showrooms with 11 new or redesigned products. Ford Motor...

Spike TV courts auto ad dollars.(News)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Jamie LaReau Spike TV, a cable network aimed at young men, seeks to grab the attention - and advertising dollars - of automakers with its new auto awards show. So far, though, car companies are holding on to their wallets. ...

Supplier's plan: Kill the contracts; Unable to raise prices, troubled Intermet asks to cut some customers.
December 6, 2004... Byline: Robert Sherefkin In a high-stakes gamble, North America's largest automotive casting company wants to scrap what it says are unprofitable contracts with the Big 3, Honda and several giant Tier 1 suppliers. Intermet Corp. of Troy,...

Jeep gets a Commander.(2006 Jeep Commander)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Even with the camouflage, the 2006 Jeep Commander clearly shows a strikingly different silhouette from its sibling, the Grand Cherokee (inset). One difference is the formal, boxy shape of the Commander's greenhouse. By contrast, the angle of...

Auto News briefly.(Briefs)
December 6, 2004... Stallkamp puts it in writing Tom Stallkamp was the architect of the former Chrysler Corp.'s Supplier Cost Reduction Effort (SCORE) program, and he was perhaps the last Big 3 purchasing chief actually liked by suppliers. Then Stallkamp...

Ripplewood adds to casting group; Equity firm buys German company, seeks other deals.(Suppliers)(acquisition of Honsel International Technologies Holding)(Ripplewood Holdings L.L.C.)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Dale Jewett Ripplewood Holdings LLC, a New York private equity firm, bolstered its automotive castings group last week by buying Honsel International Technologies Holding of Meschede, Germany, from the Carlyle Group. Honsel,...

Runge should stay as NHTSA chief; he has earned it.(Opinion)(Dr. Jeffrey Runge)(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Dr. Jeffrey Runge, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since 2001, wants to keep his job awhile longer. President Bush would do well to grant his wish. That is not to suggest that Runge has been a perfect...

Mercury to drop Sable next spring.(News)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Amy Wilson Mercury will discontinue its long-suffering Sable sedan after the 2005 model year. Production of the Sable at Ford Motor Co.'s Atlanta assembly plant is expected to end in April, according to an internal company...

Lexus GS gets roomier.(News)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Caught during testing at Germany's Nurburgring race track is a nearly camouflage-free prototype of the 2006 Lexus GS. The redesigned car will have more passenger space, the result of a 2-inch increase in the wheelbase. Two engines will be...

Calendar.(Calendar)
December 6, 2004... AUTO SHOWS - 2004 Nov. 28-Dec. 17 - Jeddah International Motor Show, Jeddah International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 44-207-223-3431, www.acexpos.com Dec. 4-10 - Cairo International Motor Show, Cairo...

Lost in the shuffle.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Toyota's problems with the Echo's lackluster sales demonstrate that you can't let even the entry-level segment become a marketing afterthought. The Echo has suffered diminishing sales since 2000. The car has been lost in the shuffle...

Consumers evaluate favorite technologies.(fuel economy technologies)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Gail Kachadourian What consumers want most on their next vehicle is better fuel-saving technology, according to a Harris Interactive survey. Harris, of Rochester, N.Y., conducted the Internet survey last month with more than...

Calif. case in conservative court.(greenhouse gas emission control-regulations)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Harry Stoffer The next round in the auto industry's most important environmental and regulatory battle will be fought in the region of California where President Bush got more than 55 percent of the vote last month. That is...

Ford to dump Aviator, Excursion; Automaker will cease production after 2005 model year.(Ford Motor Co.)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Amy Wilson Ford Motor Co. will kill two of its priciest SUVs after the 2005 model year. Production of the Ford Excursion, the automaker's biggest SUV, is expected to end in September, according to an internal Ford document. ...

Mitsubishi chief: U.S. dealer body 'oversized'.(Mitsubishi Motors Corp. chief Yoichiro Okazaki)
December 13, 2004... Byline: James B. Treece ***** Correction: In a headline and an interview on Page 36 of this issue the name of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. CEO Yoichiro Okazaki is spelled incorrectly. ***** IIt has been a bumpy road for Yochiro...

Ford design chief moves to London.(Ford Motor Co.'s vice president-J Mays)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Amy Wilson, Bradford Wernle J Mays, Ford Motor Co.'s group vice president of design, will move to London and add a title: chief creative officer. The move will allow Mays to focus on design at Ford's Premier Automotive Group...

Execs will discuss technology role.(automobile executives)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Two executives who transform small concepts into big projects are among the speakers at the 2005 Automotive News World Congress. Lori Queen, vehicle line executive for small cars at General Motors, and Bernard Charles, CEO of Dassault...

Mazda aims to build stronger brand in U.S.
December 13, 2004... Byline: James B. Treece Mazda Motor Corp. is firing on almost all cylinders under CEO Hisakazu Imaki. It is solidly profitable, although debt levels remain high. Its sales are up in difficult markets in Japan and Europe. In the United...

Delphi finds accounting errors after SEC inquiry prompts audit.(Securities Exchange Commission)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Julie Armstrong An internal investigation by Delphi Corp. has identified problems with the way the supplier accounted for $67.3 million before taxes with EDS and other vendors of information technology. The investigation is a...

Redesigned Sentra will echo Altima's look.(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi The redesigned Nissan Sentra scheduled to arrive in 2006 will adopt the design of the Altima and Maxima and use a 2.0- liter four-cylinder engine developed jointly by Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. The car will...

Talk from the Top.(customer satisfaction-automakers)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Life can be a struggle for minor Japanese automakers in the United States. Mazda Motor Corp. CEO Hisakazu Imaki is trying to improve customer satisfaction and residual values. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. CEO Yoichiro Okazaki must stop hemorrhaging...

CarMax has 3rd-quarter turnaround.(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Arlena Sawyers After a bad spring and summer, CarMax Inc. says sales rebounded in its fiscal third quarter that ended Nov. 30. The Glen Allen, Va., retailer also says it plans to open nine used-car stores in the fiscal year...

NHTSA adopts head-restraint rules.(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Harry Stoffer Federal regulators intend to unify standards for seat backs and head restraints because researchers have concluded that the devices should work together to protect the spine. But first automakers will have to...

Chrysler group woos rival dealers.
December 13, 2004... Byline: Mary Connelly In a striking display of the Chrysler group's newfound confidence, CEO Dieter Zetsche is pitching the company to competing dealers. The Chrysler group's top executives wooed 164 dealers representing 30 franchises...

Airy SUV.(sport utility vehicle)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... ASC Inc. will unveil the ASC Freedom concept featuring the company's open SUV convertible system on Jan. 9 at the Detroit auto show. ASC bills the feature, which has folding fabric panels, as the first "bi-directional, infinitely adjustable...

Web sites offer Google search engine.(News)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Victor Galvan Finding stories, data and other information on the Automotive News and Automotive News Europe Web sites now is as easy as finding information on Google, the Internet's most popular search engine. Both Web sites...

Wagon, ho!(Dodge Neon-replacement)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... A sport wagon will be part of the product line replacing the Dodge Neon for the 2006 model year. The vehicle's platform was co-engineered by the Chrysler group and Mitsubishi. All-wheel drive will be available on other Chrysler group vehicles...

Padilla may be most powerful No. 2 man.(News)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Amy Wilson Last week's leadership changes at Ford Motor Co. make Jim Padilla perhaps the most powerful No. 2 in the auto industry. The incoming Ford president will have sweeping oversight over the automaker's global operations....

Mazda will sell vehicles in Mexico in 2005.(News)(Mazda Motor Corp)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Mark Rechtin Mazda Motor Corp. will begin selling cars in Mexico in the fourth quarter of 2005. The entry is contingent on next spring's expected signing of a free-trade pact between Mexico and Japan. Mazda Motor de Mexico...

Auto News briefly.(meshed briefs)
December 13, 2004... Chrysler plans track attack in Chicago If you're going to the Chicago auto show in February, make sure to check out the Chrysler group area at McCormick Place. Chrysler plans to build a half-mile test track to let show goers drive Dodge,...

Porsche N.A.'s Richard Ford retires.(Porsche Cars North America Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Richard Ford, Porsche Cars North America Inc.'s No. 2 executive and the man credited with creating Porsche's first U.S. dealership network, will retire Dec. 31. Ford, 58, was a 20-year Porsche veteran. ...

Big thinker; Amerityre's Steinke confident he'll make polyurethane tire.
December 13, 2004... Byline: Bruce Meyer Rubber & Plastics News Nobody will accuse Richard Steinke of thinking small. The CEO of Amerityre Corp. claims that the technology employed to make the company's urethane automobile tire could be used to replace...

Nissan makes biggest gains in Japan sales in November.(Nissan Motor Co.)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Nissan Motor Co. posted the greatest sales growth among Japan's Big 3 in November. But Japan's steel shortage could slow Nissan's momentum slightly in the coming months. The shortage caused Nissan to halt...

Letters to the Editor.(Letter to the Editor)
December 13, 2004... To the Editor: I am reading more and more about J.D. Power and Associates and how everyone shakes in his boots when Power releases its newest survey. If you think the surveys are impartial, you should read a Cadillac survey. When...

Selling cars doesn't take a holiday.(Column)
December 13, 2004... Byline: KEITH CRAIN I have said it before: Even though auto manufacturers take a 10-day vacation and auto workers get more than a week off, it will be business as usual at auto dealerships during the holiday season in America. The...

Troubled Oxford returns to bankruptcy court.( Oxford Automotive Inc.)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Robert Sherefkin For the second time since January 2002, Oxford Automotive Inc. has sought protection from creditors in U.S. bankruptcy court. In a Chapter 11 restructuring plan filed here last week, the company said it closed...

Ford rolls out premium maintenance plan.(Ford Motor Co. and JM&A Group)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Donna Harris Two large providers of extended service plans are offering contracts designed for consumers who trade in their vehicles before the factory warranty expires. Ford Motor Co. and JM&A Group, an independent...

Zap claims $2.9 million in Smart ForTwo orders.(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Monica Link Electric vehicle maker Zap says it has received $2.9 million in orders from dealers who want to sell the Smart ForTwo microcar. The Santa Rosa, Calif., company has said it plans to sign up 150 dealers by summer...