Automotive News articles from December 2006

Automotive News archives from December 2006

Caveat emptor.(Malcolm Bricklin breaking parnership with Chery Automobile Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Malcolm Bricklin and China's Chery Automobile Co. may have parted company, but the breakup doesn't change the dynamics of their situations. With or without Bricklin, Chery will come to America. And without Chery, Bricklin will search...

VW will make diesel-powered Tiguan for U.S.(News)(Volkswagen AG)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Richard Truett Volkswagen plans to sell the new Tiguan small SUV with a 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel engine in all 50 states, probably by late next year. That will give Volkswagen an exclusive. No other small SUVs are...

Ford shakes up Oakville.(Final assembly)(restructuring of employees at Ford Motor Co.)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Ford is switching leaders at its Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant in the midst of a troubled launch of the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers. Plant manager Frank Gourneau has been reassigned to Dearborn, Mich., working on...

BMW will sell diesels in U.S. in '08.(News)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Lindsay Chappell BMW AG plans to sell diesel-powered vehicles here in 2008 to boost its fleet's fuel efficiency. The company would not reveal which nameplates would get a diesel or which of its diesel engines would be used. ...

Automakers, dealers recruit veterans for tech positions.(Service & Parts)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Kim Scherer Automakers and auto dealerships are showing their appreciation for U.S. military veterans by helping them find service department jobs when they return to civilian life. Hyundai Motor America is working with the...

GM's new parts system has both fans and critics.(General Motors Corp.'s Retail Inventory Management system)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Laura Clark Geist General Motors says its new electronic system for filling parts orders ensures that dealerships have on hand the parts they need for 95 percent of repair jobs. Before GM launched the Retail Inventory...

Jaguar will replace S-Type with XF in '08.(News)(Jaguar Cars Inc.)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Dale Jewett Jaguar Cars said last week that it will replace the S-Type sedan with a new model, the XF. The XF will go on sale in the spring of 2008. The luxury automaker, owned by Ford Motor Co., said the XF will debut next...

Dump-Chrysler push gathers steam.(Final assembly)(divestments of Chrysler group)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... More DaimlerChrysler shareholders in Europe are calling for a spinoff of the money-losing Chrysler group, which they say is dragging down the company, raising borrowing costs and damaging management credibility. "I would welcome a...

SAIC plans to keep GM, VW ventures.(News)(Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp.)(General Motors)(Volkswagen)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Arjen Bongard China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. has ambitious plans to grow internationally but doesn't want to get into a fight with Western joint-venture partners Volkswagen and General Motors. "Our goal is to become...

Cutting dealer total is a brutal job.(Column)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: KEITH CRAIN We all know there are too many dealerships in the United States. Actually, it may not be a case of too many dealerships. They just happen to be selling the wrong vehicles. When a manufacturer tries to right-size its...

Letters to the editor.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
December 4, 2006... Invite Chrysler and avoid the hysterics To the Editor: In his Nov. 20 column, Keith Crain asks, "Why was Chrysler at the table?'' when the auto company CEOs met with President Bush. It's simple. The UAW, Michigan Gov. Jennifer...

3 execs to talk purchasing at congress.(Tony Brown, Tim Myers and George Dettloff will speak at 2007 Automotive News World Congress )(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Three more top executives will take part in a panel at the 2007 Automotive News World Congress in Dearborn, Mich. Tony Brown, senior vice president of global purchasing at Ford Motor Co.; Tim Myers, senior manager of Honda of America...

Volkswagen, Opel plan crossovers by 2009; PSA also is considering a vehicle that blends minivan, sedan traits.(News)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Jason Stein Volkswagen and Opel are developing crossover vehicles to attract customers who want something between a minivan and a sedan. VW will launch its crossover in 2008 or 2009 and position it against the Mercedes-Benz R...

Industry must help reduce China's traffic jams; Congestion injures health, impedes economic growth.(News)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Arjen Bongard At the Automotive News China Conference here last month, a World Bank expert talked about the downside of China's surging car market. The country's road and transport infrastructure is overburdened, pollution in the...

Dongguan Jeco will supply Toyota Corolla.(News)(contracts of Dongguan Jeco Co. and Toyota Motor Corp.)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: James B. Treece, Fumiko Soda Dongguan Jeco Co. will supply instrument-panel parts for the redesigned Toyota Corolla to be built at Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Co., says a Jeco manager who asked not to be identified. Dongguan Jeco...

Mitsubishi could export engine parts from China.(News)
December 4, 2006... Byline: James B. Treece Mitsubishi Motors Corp. may export engine parts from China to its plants in Japan, Thailand or the United States. Although Mitsubishi has no plans to export entire engines, engine component shipments could begin...

Volvo: New models will end sales skid.(News)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Mark Rechtin Volvo's two-year sales skid should end in 2007 when four new or redesigned products arrive. But because three of the vehicles arrive late in the year, the Swedish automaker does not expect much of a volume increase....

Chery still plans to export cars to the United States.(News)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Alysha Webb Malcolm Bricklin's proposed partnership with China's Chery Automobile Co. is dead. But Chery's plan to export cars to the United States lives on, suppliers here said. "Chery is continuing to look at U.S....

Dealership Buy/Sell.(News)
December 4, 2006... Wis. dealer buys 3rd store BUYER: Andrew Schlesinger SELLER: John Rank LOCATION: Glendale, Wis. FORMER NAME: Rank and Son Buick-Pontiac-GMC NEW NAME: Andrew Buick-Pontiac-GMC MORE: This is Schlesinger's third...

Dealer security stirs insecurity; Vendors wary of Reynolds plan for computer systems.(Reynolds and Reynolds Co.)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Ralph Kisiel The Reynolds and Reynolds Co. wants to make it tougher for outsiders to tap into data from dealership computer systems without the proper connections. The effort is creating controversy and debate among dealers and...

Quality = High resale value? Not always.(Volkswagen AG)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... How's this for an oddity: Volkswagen is languishing near the bottom of the list on the J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study, but the German marque just moved into second place for brands expected to hold their resale value,...

Ford supplier will shut down factory in Tennessee.(Suppliers)
December 4, 2006... Byline: April Wortham A Ford Motor Co. supplier with operations in Tennessee and Ohio plans to close its plant in Franklin, Tenn., on Jan. 12. Kip Mostowy, president of Worthington Precision Metals Inc., notified local elected...

Metaldyne, Asahi alter merger deal.(News)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Brent Snavely Metaldyne Corp. is planning to pay its bondholders $48 million in fees to get them to approve the company's agreement to be acquired by Japanese supplier Asahi Tec Corp. Metaldyne said another term of the deal was...

How 2 fuel injectors work, differ.(Vehicle Technology)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Traditional diesel injectors use electromagnetic, or solenoid, controls. The electronic engine management system sends an electrical signal to activate the mechanical valve that controls fuel flow through the injector. The technology is...

Federal-Mogul II: Lean and hungry; After Chapter 11, CEO Alapont plans major global growth.(Jose Maria Alapont )
December 4, 2006... Byline: Robert Sherefkin, David Barkholz Jose Maria Alapont is getting ready to take the new Federal-Mogul Corp. out of five years of expensive Chapter 11 reorganization. To do that, the CEO will resume a global march started by the...

Gone from GM: GMAC, Kerkorian.(Final assembly)(General Motors )(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Win some, lose some. General Motors will have an extra $14 billion in cash thanks to the sale of 51 percent of its financing unit last week. But its stock sagged when its largest individual investor, Kirk Kerkorian, bailed out - sending a...

Bridgestone changes aimed at boosting sales.(News)(dialogue with Kiyoshi Nomura)(Interview)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Roger Schreffler Bridgestone Corp. has big plans for its global tire business. And Kiyoshi Nomura, vice president in charge of international tire operations, is one of the top people charged with seeing that the company realizes...

Wagoner moves beyond survival mode.(Rick Wagoner managed General Motors Corp. well)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Peter Brown, Jamie LaReau, Dave Guilford General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner is a survivor. Wagoner hung on to his job after GM lost $10.6 billion last year. He has battled and beaten back one of the most powerful - some would say...

Injector wars: Piezo vs. solenoid; Automotive suppliers back different technologies to meet Europe's tighter emissions rules.(Vehicle Technology)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink Suppliers of diesel fuel injectors are fighting a technology battle to win new business as tougher European Union emissions rules take effect before the end of the decade. German suppliers Robert Bosch GmbH...

Auto industry's troubles trigger a talent drain.(News)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Brent Snavely As the North American automotive industry continues to go through a wrenching period of restructuring, there is concern that more high-level executives will change jobs - to other industries, in some cases. ...

Production.(producion data of General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... 3 tables: Scheduled plant overtime * Plant closings * North America car and truck production: see print copy CAPTION(S): General Motors built its 1 millionth SUV this year on Tuesday, Nov. 28, one day earlier than in 2005. GM began...

Justices may dodge central climate question.(News)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Harry Stoffer Would more controls on exhaust from new U.S. cars and trucks do much to save Massachusetts' coastline from flooding caused by global climate change? Some U.S. Supreme Court justices focused on that question last...

Mazda Nagare.(News)
December 4, 2006... Type: Coupe What's cool: Double-hinged doors swing upward like butterfly wings. Driver's seat is centrally located. Three rear seats create a "wraparound lounge.'' Production possibility: None. Mazda describes this car as "a glimpse...

GM's plug-in Vue: When ... ? Wagoner calls program `top priority'.(News)(Rick Wagoner - General Motors CEO )
December 4, 2006... Byline: Charles Child, Richard Truett In a move to leapfrog competitors such as Toyota and Honda, General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner last week said the automaker will develop a plug-in hybrid for retail sale. "GM has begun work on a...

Spying is spying, but stealing data can't be tolerated.(Opinion)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Spying has been called the world's second-oldest profession because as soon as there were competitors, there was a need for competitive information. But despite today's intense competition among automakers and suppliers, there should be zero...

Acura concept is harbinger of bigger engine.(News)(American Honda Motor Company Inc. Acura)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Kathy Jackson Could an engine larger than a V-6 finally be in Acura's future? The massive concept sedan that Acura is displaying at the auto show here gives that indication. The mock-up has no interior, but its exterior is...

No ads yet for Altima launch.(News)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Advertising to support the new Nissan Altima will not show up until almost mid-January, even though dealers have been selling the car since Nov. 1. The automaker is holding back on the largest-ever Altima ad...

It's time to reinvent the minivan; Little has changed since the original Caravan, Voyager.(Viewpoint essay)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Rick Kranz The formula Chrysler Corp. created for making minivans hasn't changed much in 22 years. It's quite simple: Create a rectangular shape, provide seats that can be removed or hidden when cargo space is needed, add...

Icahn buying Detroit icon.(News)(Carl Icahn buys Federal-Mogul Corp.)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: David Barkholz, Robert Sherefkin New York investor Carl Icahn is on the verge of making his biggest acquisition in the auto industry. Icahn has the rights to buy about 43 percent of the equity in a reorganized Federal-Mogul...

Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster.(News)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Type: Convertible Seats: 2 Base engine: 380-hp, 4.3-liter V-8 On sale: May 2007 Base price: $126,000 What's cool: It's an aluminum spaceframe convertible. The top can be opened or closed at speeds as fast as 30 mph. Seat...

And now, results of the nickname game at Ford.(Final assembly)(Editorial)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Edward Lapham OK, time's up. In the Sept. 25 edition, not long after the changes at the top of Ford Motor Co., I asked you to suggest nicknames for Chairman Bill Ford and CEO Alan Mulally. That's because a Ford lifer I know...

Between the lines: Ford could sell Jag, Land Rover.(News)(Ford Motor Co.)(Jaguar Cars Ltd.)(BL PLC. Land Rover )
December 4, 2006... Byline: Amy Wilson Jaguar and Land Rover could be the next Ford units on the block. The biggest revelation in Ford Motor Co.'s financing package filing last week was the estimate that the automaker would use up $17 billion of cash in...

The Mulally tally: 2 down, lots to go; Financing package, buyouts lay solid groundwork at Ford.(Alan Mulally-CEO Ford Motor Co.)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Amy Wilson Alan Mulally ticked a couple of big items off his to-do list last week, but his struggle to fix Ford Motor Co. has only just begun. The plain-talking ex-Boeing executive has moved fast since starting full time as CEO...

Toyota, DCX outpace Ford in Nov.(Sales)(Toyota Motor )(DaimlerChrysler )(Ford Motor Co.)
December 4, 2006... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. The sales picture gets no brighter for bedraggled Ford Motor Co. Last month, Ford was outsold in the United States by DaimlerChrysler as well as Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. The comparisons reflect all brands...

Big dealers get a finance edge; Bonuses grow with lender competition.(News)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Donna Harris As auto dealerships rely more on profits from finance operations, some traditional ways to boost those profits are receding. Now the biggest auto retailers are demanding special incentives from vehicle lenders that...

Mercury pumps $23M into Milan marketing.(News)(marketing campaign )(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Amy Wilson Mercury is spending $23 million on a fourth-quarter marketing campaign to jump-start U.S. sales of the Milan sedan. Mercury executives have told dealers the advertising push is part of a plan to sell at least 50,000...

Hermance was the ambassador for green cars.(News)(Obituary)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Richard Truett If any person could have been the point man for an entire technology - gasoline-electric hybrids - it might have been Dave Hermance. Hermance, 59, worked for Toyota Motor Corp. But his efforts explaining the...

BorgWarner chief exec expects European growth.(News)(dialogue with Timothy Manganello )(Interview)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Jens Meiners Automotive News Europe BorgWarner Inc. has become a de facto European company as employees have increased in Europe while declining in North America, says CEO Timothy Manganello. The powertrain systems supplier's...

Penske blows a tire on Autocam; Troubled Tier 2 vendor endangers winning streak.(Suppliers)(Roger Penske)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Robert Sherefkin, David Barkholz Racing legend and entrepreneur Roger Penske may be late to the checkered flag on one of his little-known investments, Autocam Corp. The supplier of precision parts for airbags, fuel systems and...

Autobytel, Van Tuyl group sign online deal.(News)(Van Tuyl Inc)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Autobytel Inc. has struck a deal with Van Tuyl Inc., the nation's fifth-largest dealership group, to funnel online shoppers from Autobytel's consumer Web sites to the dealership group's 60 stores. Van Tuyl, based...

Tundra may overcome Big 3 'loyalty'.(News)(trucks marketing)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Mark Rechtin Conventional wisdom says owners of full-sized pickups built by the Detroit 3 are fiercely loyal. A man buys a Chevy or Ford or Dodge because his dad and grandpa did. Supposedly, nothing can break the cycle. ...

Busy restructuring firms attract investors; Auto suppliers' woes are windfall for repair crews.(News)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Brent Snavely Driven by more than three dozen U.S. bankruptcies since 1999, the troubled auto parts segment is generating big business for firms that help companies restructure. And it's making those firms attractive to investors....

Personnel.(People)(Eaton Corp.- Cheryl Fudge)(Fluid Systems Corp.-Randolph Gore )(JumpStart Inc.- Dillon McDonald)
December 4, 2006... COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE INC. - CEO Jim McElya to chairman of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association board. McElya previously was vice chairman of the association. Scott Finch to vice president of the investor-relations and...

China in the spotlight.(News)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Charles Child Bright lights, hordes of executives and press, and lots of new cars - Auto China 2006 in Beijing had all the trappings of a major international auto show. The Chinese auto industry displayed tremendous momentum at...

Ridgeline, others could get V-6 diesel.(News)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: James B. Treece Honda's Ridgeline, Pilot and Odyssey and Acura's MDX are candidates to get a clean V-6 diesel engine that Honda Motor Co. is developing, says CEO Takeo Fukui. Fukui declined to specify which Honda or Acura...

Toyota frets over Texas plant.(News)
December 4, 2006... Byline: James B. Treece Toyota Motor Corp. rolled the dice on the full-sized Tundra pickup built at its new Texas plant. It is still nervous about the bet. "When I was in Texas, I found that they are struggling to organize the...

Manheim opens China auction, sees used-vehicle boom on the horizon.(Final assembly)(Manheim-Guopai Motor Vehicle Auction Co)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Manheim opened for business in China last week, auctioning 110 cars in Shanghai. "Our main goal is to bring some consistency and trust to the secondhand car market in China,'' said Cliff Anderson, general manager of Shanghai Manheim-Guopai...

Late News.(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Big payday for Metaldyne execs DETROIT - Metaldyne Corp. CEO Timothy Leuliette stands to receive a $4 million bonus in cash and stock, plus a new job, if he can complete the sale of Metaldyne to Asahi Tec Corp. of Japan. Half the bonus...

Ford toughens up '08 Escape.(News)(Ford Motor Co.'s Ford Escape )(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Dale Jewett The goal for styling changes to the Ford Escape for 2008 was to make the small SUV look tougher. So Ford designers raised the beltline - the line formed by the bottom edge of the side glass - and blacked out the B...

Buick Enclave.(News)
December 4, 2006... Type: Crossover Seats: 7 or 8, depending on configuration Base engine: 3.6-liter V-6, 275 hp On sale: Late spring 2007 Base price: Upper $30,000s What's cool: Second-row seat console folds flat; GM bolsters high-end...

Sebring gets convertible roof options.(News)(Chrysler Corp.)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Rick Kranz Chrysler plans to protect its convertible sales by taking its redesigned 2008 Sebring into new territory. For the first time, the car is equipped with a standard three-piece retractable hard top. The car was unveiled...

2008 Audi TT Roadster.(News)
December 4, 2006... Type: Convertible Seats: 2 Base engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4, 200 hp On sale: May 2007, soon after 2008 TT Coupe Base price: $35,000 (est.) What's cool: The redesigned roadster will retain the distinctive baseball...

Supply Line.(Briefs)(TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.'s new production plant in china)(Cooper-Standard Automotive Group's new department for maintaining investor relations and communications)(D&M Holdings's acquisition of Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.'s Philips Sound Solutions unit)
December 4, 2006... TRW unit opens China plant LANGFANG, China - TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.'s Engineered Fasteners and Components unit has opened a plant here. TRW Automotive Components (Langfang) Co. Ltd. will make interior components such as air...

Union vote is off in Ala.; UAW alleges misconduct.(News)(International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers)(Ai3's labor practices and its contract with Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc.)
December 4, 2006... Byline: April Wortham A Friday, Dec. 1, union organizing vote at a supplier to Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc. in Vance, Ala., was canceled after the UAW accused the company of unfair labor practices. About 380 employees at Ai3...

Dealers.(Rancho Grande Motors appointed Dean Haupt)(Virginia Automobile Dealers Association appointed Edward Lewis, William Hudgins and Christopher Lindsay )
December 4, 2006... Milestones * Dean Haupt of Rancho Grande Motors (Buick-Pontiac-GMC-Subaru-Hyundai) in San Luis Obispo, Calif., received a 25-year award for Buick, Pontiac and GMC from General Motors. CAPTION(S): Va. dealers elect officers: The...

Mahle boosts exports from China to Japan.(News)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Alysha Webb Mahle GmbH will increase engine-component exports from China to its plants in Japan to take advantage of lower manufacturing costs, says Michael Brenner. He is senior executive officer for commercial vehicle sales at...

EU to carmakers: Share data with repair shops - or else.(News)(european union)(technical data)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Sylviane de Saint-Seine The European Commission is planning radical measures to ensure that carmakers make technical data available to independent repair shops. If the repairers don't get what they need, the commission says,...

Rivals eye Hydro's auto unit.(Norsk Hydro ASA)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Jens Meiners Rival suppliers could be interested in buying Norwegian supplier Norsk Hydro ASA's automotive division, an industry source says. Potential buyers include competitors Teksid Aluminum and Nemak, which lacks capacity...

'07 Wrangler bumper wins top plastics award.(2007 Jeep Wrangler)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Rhoda Miel When the 2007 Jeep Wrangler was launched this year, it came with its first plastic bumper system. It replaced a roll-formed steel bar with a blow-molded part that combined the fascia, energy absorber and other integrated...

Chery helps find China suppliers.(Chery Automobile Company Ltd.'s Shanghai Kowin Automotive Components Co. introduced website)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Alysha Webb Shanghai Kowin Automotive Components Co., the parts-purchasing arm of Chery Automobile Co., has launched a Web site to help foreign companies find Chinese suppliers. The site, globalautosourcing.com, will list...

Dealerships turn the page on local newspapers; Dollars flow to Web, alternate ad media.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Mary Connelly Last spring, Tommy Brasher ran an advertisement for his Weimar, Texas, dealership in the hometown newspaper. A typographical error knocked $10,000 off the $35,000 price of a Chevrolet Silverado. Brasher didn't get...

Web marketing challenges dealers.(News)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Mary Connelly Dealers know they need to market online. But some have made more progress on the Web than others. "The Internet is taking over,'' says Bill Jacobs, who owns eight dealerships in suburban Chicago. "If I could...

Chrysler's comeback kid?(Volkswagen AG's Wolfgang Bernhard resigning)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Speculation about Volkswagen brand Chairman Wolfgang Bernhard has reached a fever pitch since VW CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder was ousted last month. "It's clear that Bernhard will leave us,'' says a VW insider. Where will he go? General...

A new Lexus 'F' - as in 'faaast'.(Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. Lexus Div.)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Mark Rechtin Lexus will launch a performance brand in late 2007 to compete with Mercedes' AMG and BMW's M divisions. Lexus will start with an IS sedan equipped with a 425-hp, 5.0-liter V-8. The engine is a retuned version of...

Los Angeles lookers.
December 4, 2006... Nissan's Altima coupe, above, did a star turn at the Los Angeles auto show last week. Available next fall, the coupe's wheelbase and overall length are shorter than the sedan's. Hyundai's HCD10 Hellion, left below, is a small crossover concept...

Calendar.(automobile shows)(Calendar)
December 4, 2006... AUTO SHOWS - 2006 Dec. 1-10 - Essen Motor Show, Essen Trade Fairground, Essen, Germany, 49-201-72440, www.essen-motorshow.de Dec. 1-10 - Los Angeles Auto Show, Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, 310-444-1850,...

On a roll in Vegas; Hyundai's top U.S. seller got a red-hot start in 2001 - and keeps getting bigger.(Hyundai Motor America's John Staluppi Jr. management techniques)
December 11, 2006... Byline: Leslie J. Allen From his stylish 1,200-square-foot office in the Las Vegas desert, John Staluppi Jr. reigns as the Hyundai king - not only of Vegas, but of America. The flagship store of the transplanted New Yorker sells more...

Suzuki plans a new small sedan.(American Suzuki Motor Corp. developing SX4 Hatchback)(Brief article)
December 11, 2006... Byline: Kathy Jackson Suzuki will add a small sedan next fall. The car is expected to debut at the New York auto show in April. It will go on sale in the fall, said Gene Brown, vice president of marketing at American Suzuki Motor Corp....

Chevrolet boss gives dealers a 'beat Ford' pitch.(General Motors Corp. Chevrolet Motor Div. and Ford Motor Co. sales)(Brief article)
December 11, 2006... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. Make no mistake: Chevrolet is dead set on repeating as the best-selling brand in the United States. The latest evidence is an impassioned video message from General Manager Ed Peper to Chevy dealers far and...

Auto News digest.(Briefs)
December 11, 2006... Ford names director of Hispanic ads MIAMI - Ford Motor Co.'s Hispanic ad agency, Zubi Advertising Services Inc., has named Maylinn de la Maza account director of its Detroit office. She will manage the agency's Ford and Lincoln Mercury...

Faith group chides Toyota over its labor practices.(Toyota Motor Corp. being investigated for violating human rights of auto workers)
December 11, 2006... Byline: Lindsay Chappell A New York interfaith shareholder group criticized Toyota Motor Corp. last week for failing to participate in a U.S. industry initiative to ensure human rights among auto workers. At the root of the issue is an...

What's with this German-luxury savior complex?(Final assembly)(Editorial)
December 11, 2006... Byline: Edward Lapham What is it about running a German luxury car company that makes industrialists want to acquire mass-market automakers as fixer-uppers? A smart aleck might wonder if it's a sense of noblesse oblige. Or maybe it's...

Dealership software monitors used-vehicle prices, demand.(Patrick Ryan Jr.'s First Look software)
December 11, 2006... Byline: Julie Johnsson Like his father 40 years ago, Patrick Ryan Jr. is selling new management tools to auto dealers. Patrick Ryan Sr. was a key figure in creating the dealership finance and insurance department in the 1960s. He ended...

Mazda's design goal: 'Another big step,' not just another Alfa.(News)
December 11, 2006... Byline: Mark Rechtin Mazda designers are not resting on their laurels. The brand is seen as a Japanese version of Alfa Romeo - not a bad place to be, considering where it was. But Hiroshima's style honchos now want to create a design...