Automotive News articles from February 2006

Automotive News archives from February 2006

AIADA's Hicks: Chairman's job is to build consensus Part 2 of 2.(American International Automobile Dealers Association)(Column)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Harry Stoffer Are there companies in Thailand that you would expect would begin shipping pickups to the United States if the (25 percent) tariff were eliminated? I think there might be limited importation. If you take a look at...

Jobs Bank: An '07 war.(health care compensation contract)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... On its face, the so-called Jobs Bank in the current UAW contract seems like economic suicide for U.S. automakers. It requires General Motors, Ford and the Chrysler group to pay laid-off employees nearly full wages and benefits not to work. So...

AutoNation cleans up on service business.(AutoNation Inc strategy management)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Gail Kachadourian How important is service and parts revenue to AutoNation Inc.? The nation's largest public dealership group says gross profits from its service and parts business cover 93 percent of its fixed operating costs....

Supply Line.(United Paint Mader Group and Ohashi Chemical forms alliance)(Tecstar Automotive Group and Unique Performance Inc forms joint venture Unique Performance Concepts)(E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co marketing agreement with Russkie Kraski Corp)
February 6, 2006... United Paint forms tech alliance DETROIT - United Paint formed an alliance with the Mader Group and Ohashi Chemical to market technologies. Mader Group, of Lille, France, supplies industrial paints. Ohashi Chemical, of Osaka, Japan,...

GM extends Hummer, Buick warranty.(Service)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Donna Harris General Motors has upgraded warranty coverage on 2006 Buick and Hummer models. The improvements bring the brands' factory warranties in line with those offered by premium and luxury makes. Buick and Hummer...

NADA chair Bradshaw: Make consumers aware.(Insight)
February 6, 2006... Byline: David Sedgwick William Bradshaw, the incoming chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association, has made it his mission to educate consumers about F&I issues. Last year, Bradshaw helped organize a program called AWARE, a Web...

Consultant: Toyota will spurn Michigan; UAW dissidents' Delphi protest killed chances for a plant, Cole says.(News)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Toyota Motor Corp. says it still is considering locations in union-heavy Michigan to build a transmission and engine plant. But one of Michigan's biggest boosters, industry consultant David Cole, says he...

Experts: GM price cuts will raise residuals.(General Motors Corp reduced sticker price to boost residual values)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Arlena Sawyers General Motors' reduced sticker prices will boost the residual values of its vehicles, company and industry officials predict. GM's new pricing strategy shaves an average $1,300 from the list prices of 80 percent...

VW, partners study biofuel.(Volkswagen AG partners with Iogen Corp and Shell Group to develope biofuel)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Volkswagen AG is working with two companies to determine whether ethanol can be produced economically from plant fibers for use as a gasoline additive. VW's partners are Iogen Corp., a Canadian biotechnology...

Chrysler realigns, refocuses top marketing jobs.(DaimlerChrysler AG. Chrysler Group appointments)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Greg Bowens An executive shakeup at the Chrysler group aims to boost retail sales and strengthen the identities of the company's three brands by separating brand marketing from product planning. "We need to get a sense of...

Domestics pump up their fleet sales.(automotive sales report)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Mary Connelly General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and the Chrysler group boosted sales by jacking up fleet volume last month - and crossed up analysts in the process. Analysts project sales by tracking results at dealerships, but...

Collins & Aikman sees future minus Ross, Lear.(Collins and Aikman Corp. Auto Div )
February 6, 2006... Byline: David Barkholz, Robert Sherefkin New York investor Wilbur Ross may have hit some snags on the way to rolling up the auto interiors sector. Collins & Aikman Corp., a linchpin of Ross' acquisition strategy, is looking...

Like stickers, GM rebates dip.(General Motors Corp pricing strategy)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. Cutting sticker prices seems to be doing the job that General Motors assigned to it: enabling the automaker to scale back its huge rebates on cars and light trucks. We don't mean the first attempt at lower...

Letters to the editor.(Letters)
February 6, 2006... Auto bosses must exhibit leadership To the Editor: Thanks to Peter Brown for the great commentary on the recent Ford plan ("The wait's over - so what's the plan?''). It's tough in Southeast Michigan to find the right language to...

Kowaleski pays the price for GM's fall.(General Motors Corp management by Tom Kowaleski )(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Edward Lapham Finally, we know who's to blame at General Motors. Obviously, it's Tom Kowaleski's fault that GM lost $8.55 billion last year. His fault that GM bled more than 2 full percentage points of market share in the last...

Solstice surges past Miata in roadster race.(Final assembly)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... For 16 years, Mazda's MX-5 Miata has been the world's top-selling entry-level two-seat roadster. With more than 700,000 built, the Miata has knocked off British Leyland's venerable MGB, produced from 1962 to 1980, as the most popular roadster...

Selling a Ferrari? Forget the red tag; Low-key approach satisfies customers.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Forget about the high-pressure sell. Don't think you'll get them with a good price on the trade-in. Remember, your customer is not coming in to buy transportation. Superluxury cars are the stuff dreams are made...

Bush pep talk on fuel needed hard targets.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... In his State of the Union address last week, President Bush said we must "change how we power our automobiles.'' And he delivered a clear message to the industry: Kick the oil habit. Breaking this country's addiction to oil, the president...

EDS loses chunk of GM business.(News)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Ralph Kisiel General Motors began reshaping its information-technology supplier lineup last week, and EDS Corp. was clearly the big loser - to the tune of about $600 million in annual revenue. EDS, GM's top info-tech provider,...

Rivals eye Delphi's airbag business.(Special Report)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Bradford Wernle Players in the airbag business are carefully watching developments at Delphi Corp. If Delphi is forced to sell its airbag business during its Chapter 11 reorganization, the competitor that ends up with it could...

U.S. safety suppliers have eyes on China.(Special Report)
February 6, 2006... China's booming auto industry has come with a price in that country: an alarming traffic fatality rate. But that's an opportunity for U.S. airbag and safety suppliers such as TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. and Key Safety Systems to export...

ADP snipes at GM-Reynolds deal for Saturn.(Adp Dealer Services Inc)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Stung by the anticipated loss of 438 Saturn dealership customers, ADP Dealer Services executives are complaining that General Motors used Saturn dealers as a bargaining chip to negotiate price concessions from Reynolds...

Looking for love.(Final assembly)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... As Valentine's Day approaches, General Motors Acceptance Corp. is stepping up its search for a suitor. At its meeting today, Feb. 6, General Motors' board is expected to review bids from potential buyers of a majority stake in GM's captive...

Side-curtain airbag business in N.A. is ready for takeoff.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Bradford Wernle With airbags, there is safety in numbers. And as the numbers multiply, they look awfully good for airbag makers. Automakers such as Honda, Hyundai and Kia already are stuffing six airbags into each of their...

Union vote clears the way for crippling strike at Tower.(Tower Automotive Inc.)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Robert Sherefkin Tower Automotive Inc. is negotiating to avoid a strike authorized last week by workers represented by the UAW and two other unions. The stakes are high because Tower's frames and suspension modules are not...

Dodge SUV is for young families.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Mary Connelly Dodge will take the wraps off its mid-sized Nitro SUV at the Chicago Auto Show. The Nitro, which is based on the Jeep Liberty platform, will go on sale in the third quarter of 2006. Dodge is aiming the vehicle at...

Reality check at Delphi.(Final assembly)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... With less business coming in and a growing number of plants for sale, North American auto suppliers are writing down the value of their assets - and the numbers are big. Delphi Corp., which is in Chapter 11 reorganization, last week tidied...

Auto News Digest.(American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. reports fourth quarter income)(Toyota Motor Corp. builds Camry sedans)(National Automobile Dealers Association appoints Andrew Koblenz )
February 6, 2006... American Axle sales, profits take hit DETROIT - American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. reported fourth quarter 2005 net income of $4.5 million on revenue of $852.6 million vs. net income of $31.3 million on revenue of $875.6 million...

Co-ops cut purchasing costs.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Greg Migliore Five years ago, body shop expenses were adding up for New York state car dealer Carl Keegan - to the tune of $125,000 a year in paint and related materials. To cut costs, he turned to a dealer co-op, which he says...

Honda reports higher profits, record revenue for 3rd fiscal quarter; Yen rate, strong U.S. exports are major factors.(News)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Byline: James B. Treece Honda Motor Co. posted record revenues in the quarter ended Dec. 31 on strong exports to the United States and a favorable yen rate. But it got burned on its currency hedging and booked a paper loss on its...

Success story: As airbags get smarter, death toll nears zero.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Bradford Wernle Death by airbag is nearly a thing of the past. No adults and two children died from airbag-induced injuries in the United States in 2005, according to the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash...

Auto News Briefly.
February 6, 2006... Is GM board ready to embrace Jerry York? For most companies, a board meeting to set the dividend is about as exciting as watching grass grow. But today's session of General Motors' board could prove to be a head-banger. This is the...

Late News.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Audi will add SUV - maybe 2 PHOENIX - Audi will add a small premium SUV called the Q5 by 2008 and is considering an entry-level SUV called the Q3. Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi's head of concept development, confirmed at a press event here...

Key to used-car profits? Control inventory.(Insight)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Jenny King The used-car lot can yield a rich harvest, but it is scattered with land mines, too. When it comes to managing used-car inventories, "most dealerships are flying by the seats of their pants,'' says used-car...

GM's new full-sized SUVs: So far, so good.(News)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Jamie LaReau Initial indicators show that General Motors' high-stakes gamble to pull forward the launch of its new full-sized SUVs amid unstable gasoline prices might pay off. January sales of the first SUVs on the GMT900...

Fixed-price selling: Its time has come; Car buyers dislike negotiating, so get rid of it.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Samuel Harrison Chorches Why do consumers become so agitated about buying a new car? The answer is the negotiation process. A fascinating 1999 study of automobile purchasers concluded that consumers so abhor the negotiation...

Listen and learn; Understanding customers' needs is key to getting them to return.(Insight)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Jenny King Managing customers at an auto dealership doesn't have to be like herding cats. Consultants, dealers and software providers say keeping in touch in the right ways with existing and potential customers can keep them...

66 dealers nominated for Time magazine award.(News)
February 6, 2006... Time magazine and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. have received 66 nominations from automotive trade associations for the 37th annual Time Magazine Quality Dealer Awards. The awards are given in cooperation with the National Automobile Dealers...

Central intelligence; Dealers discover that combining operations cuts costs, boosts buying power and improves service.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Donna Harris When Mike Beyer created a central accounting office for his two dealerships nine years ago, his competitors scoffed. The office took over payroll operations and accounts payable and receivable for both stores in...

Dealers push to hire talented workers.(Insight)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Greg Migliore Auto dealers are taking an aggressive approach to attract talented young workers. Dealership employment increased 8 percent from 2000 to 2004, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association. And...

Can Dundee Engine take on Toyota?
February 6, 2006... Byline: David Sedgwick Bruce Coventry hates muda. At the Dundee Engine plant south of Ann Arbor, Mich., he finds muda everywhere he looks. Coventry, 53, is president of the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance. This joint venture...

Armchair bidders; Dealers can cover a lot of territory and save money by visiting online auctions.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Arlena Sawyers Tim Walters, owner of Walters Elkland Chevrolet in rural Elkland, Pa., says he browses at least four auctions regularly in his quest for high-quality used cars and trucks. On Mondays, he checks ADESA Buffalo in...

Automakers' production shares.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Debi Domby Year-to-date production shares for North American car and truck manufacturers: General Motors, 27.2 percent; Ford Motor Co., 18.3 percent; DaimlerChrysler, 15.8 percent; Honda, 8.6 percent; Toyota, 7.8 percent; Nissan,...

When football met auto.
February 6, 2006... As the NFL met Motown last week, Automotive News tries its hand at a society page. And they even played a football game. Auto execs and dealers mingled with sports stars as the Motor City prepared to host the Super Bowl. The week that...

Jag bandwagon is no joy ride; New dealerships will have a hard time covering costs.(Jaguar Cars Ltd)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Mark Rechtin When Jaguar told U.S. dealers in 2000 that its sales volume would double in several years, dealer Dennis Squitieri jumped at the chance to improve his fortunes. Surrounded by affluent customers at his store in...

Honda cuts truck production again.(Honda Motor Company Ltd)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Byline: James B. Treece Honda Motor Co. will cut light-truck output sharply at its Lincoln, Ala., plant to cope with high inventories. Honda did not specify which models will be cut back. The cuts will reflect market demand, says...

Readers to Volvo: Fast & $25,000.(AB Volvo)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Mark Rechtin Don't cheap out. But do avoid sticker shock. That's the advice from an Automotive News online survey asking how Volvo should equip its upcoming C30 small hatchback. In short, potential C30 customers want power...

Volvo exec: Look outside for parts.(Volvo Car Corp)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Mark Rechtin Volvo Car Corp. has to set aside its pride. Known for its Swedish outlook and strong corporate culture, Volvo must change in order to get vehicles to market faster, a top executive says. The vehicles need not...

NADA CONVENTION SCHEDULE.(Insight)(Calendar)
February 6, 2006... All events are at the Orange County Convention Center unless otherwise noted. Friday, Feb. 10 * 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Early convention registration, Registration Concourse, Level 1 Saturday, Feb. 11 * 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. ...

SOCIAL EVENTS; Here are some of the social events during the NADA convention in Orlando.(Calendar)
February 6, 2006... Friday, Feb. 10 Automotive Youth Educational Systems Inc. Reception Peabody Orlando Hotel Plaza International Ballroom D 5:30-7:30 p.m. By invitation only General Motors and GMAC Financial Services ...

Software navigates regulatory minefields.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Dave Blewett doesn't want his dealership group to become the subject of the next TV expose. So he began looking for a way to ensure that all 650 employees in his 16 dealerships in Oregon and Idaho comply with the...

600 dealers will get first crack at used Chrysler-group vehicles.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Arlena Sawyers Chrysler group dealers who use the company's inventory management system will get first crack at buying factory-owned used vehicles. The Chrysler group plans to launch DC First in early spring. The online...

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
February 6, 2006... * A story on Page 1 of the Jan. 30 issue misspelled the name of Jon Rogers, senior auto analyst at Citigroup. * A Supply Line item on Page 18 of the Jan. 30 issue incorrectly reported the status of Cooper-Standard Automotive's acquisition...

Dealers band together to flex legal muscle.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Donna Harris Scott Brown, a Chevrolet dealer on Long Island, wouldn't think of taking on Newsday one-on-one in court. The daily newspaper is owned by Tribune Co., a media conglomerate that could easily outspend him. Instead,...

Critics: Bush oil strategy is a quart low.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... President Bush's goal of replacing 75 percent of U.S. oil imports from the Middle East by 2025 with better energy options sounds loftier than it is, critics say. Americans may be addicted to oil, as Bush said in his State of the Union...

GM gives E85 a Super push.(General Motors Corp)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Harry Stoffer If more than a handful of filling stations sold ethanol-based fuel, business likely would boom this week. General Motors jumped the gun on its new campaign to promote ethanol. GM scheduled two commercials for...

Rear drive for Impala? Better think it over; It's a critical decision for GM's top-volume sedan.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Rick Kranz General Motors executives are trying to determine the drive system of the next Chevrolet Impala. Specifically: Should the next-generation Impala continue as a front- drive sedan? Or should it switch to rear drive to...

Chicago, Oakville get new Lincolns; Production targets are closer to reality than past programs.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Amy Wilson Ford Motor Co. plants in Chicago and Oakville, Ontario, will get the new Lincoln sedans and minivan replacements once slated for the doomed Atlanta plant. And the automaker says it now will give suppliers lower, more...

Collins will be a no-show in Nashville.(Jack Collins is goin gto retire from Nissan North America Inc)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Jack Collins, vice president of product planning at Nissan North America Inc., will retire this year rather than relocate with the company to Nashville, Tenn. Collins, 59, is one of 12 senior Nissan U.S. executives who won't join the...

Nissan drops health care for retirees.(Nissan North America Inc)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Kathy Jackson Nissan North America Inc. will drop comprehensive health care coverage for retired manufacturing employees age 65 and over. Instead, Nissan will pay retirees an annual stipend starting at $2,500. The stipend will...

Mercedes' goal: 30,000 S-class sales.(Daimler-Benz AG)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Mercedes-Benz is betting that a 70 percent loyalty rate, a sleeker look and new features designed to thrill a technophile will push annual U.S. sales of the 2007 S class to 30,000. That would match annual peak...

Mercedes seeks glitch-free launch for S class.(Daimler-Benz AG)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Shaken by previous quality problems that have tarnished its image, Mercedes-Benz took extensive measures to make sure the 2007 S class is bulletproof. So says Hans Multhaupt, vice president for program...

Store tailors inventory to customers.(Insight)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Jenny King There's no crystal ball at Bill Stasek Chevrolet. Instead, the staff at this Wheeling, Ill., dealership calculate which new vehicles to order using past sales numbers, manufacturer input, communications and management...

An exercise in control; Approaches vary, but dealers agree keeping close track of inventory turns vehicles, reduces costs.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Jenny King Ordering new vehicles for a dealership is a science and an art. The science: calculating which vehicles to order based on customer demand, past sales numbers, factory input, model availability, and financial...

Auctions lure dealers with perks.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Laura Clark Geist Brent Seibel, the used-vehicle manager at Dahl Ford Davenport in Davenport, Iowa, likes the way the auto auctions in Nashville, Tenn., and Milwaukee treat him. They pay for his round-trip airline tickets. They...

Risky business? Trims are possible but hazardous in F&I department.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Harry Stoffer Sales of finance and insurance products contribute a sizable share of the typical auto dealership's profit. So cutting costs in F&I departments is a way for dealers to boost income, right? Some dealers and...

RV deliveries take off, soaring 21% in November.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Greg Migliore Deliveries of recreational vehicles surged 21.0 percent in November, bolstered by a strong showing by towable units. In November, 32,800 total recreational vehicles were delivered, up from November 2004's tally of...

Find out the type of service each customer wants.
February 6, 2006... Maryland consultant Paul Ward offers these pointers on building and managing customer relationships. How much customer contact is too much? If the contact provides genuine value as defined by the customer, and if the customer is asked...

NADA's Kain: Dealers' image is better.(National Automobile Dealers Association)(Jack Kain)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Edward Lapham You don't always know what's down the road. When Jack Kain took over as 2005 chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association, he thought dealer-factory relations and the public image of dealers would occupy...

GM boosts its hybrid SUV lineup; DCX and BMW also will use new transmission.(General Motors Corp)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Richard Truett General Motors is gaining ground on Toyota Motor Corp. in the hybrid hit parade. Not only does GM's upcoming two-mode hybrid transmission increase fuel economy of full-sized SUVs - GM claims by 25 percent - but...

GM cuts $200 million from ad budget; Automaker will concentrate on product launches.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Jamie LaReau In the wake of its financial disaster in 2005, General Motors is cutting its 2006 national marketing budget by more than $200 million, sources close to GM say. The cuts come in a year of crucial product launches...

Jaguar's woes have many roots.(Jaguar Cars Ltd strategy)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Mark Rechtin A series of strategic errors, internal struggles and inefficient processes have cost Jaguar billions of dollars and waylaid the automaker's attempts at returning to prosperity. Jaguar's core problem has been an...

Slimming operations; With a quarter of the nation's new-car dealers losing money last year, efficient work processes have become essential. Some dealers have cut inventory costs. Lexus dealers are reducing service times.(Lexus GB Ltd growth)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Mark Rechtin A 30-minute oil change is easy, but performing a 30,000-mile major service in the same amount of time is another matter. Except for Lexus. Using the theories of kaizen, or continuous improvement, Lexus is...

Vehicle haulers are hurting; Fewer deliveries, higher costs send transporters into bankruptcy court.(labor cost)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Greg Migliore High debt loads and brutal industry conditions landed two of North America's largest vehicle haulers in bankruptcy court. Allied Holdings Inc. and Performance Transportation Services were whipsawed by lower...

Used-car brands keep dealers in control.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Arlena Sawyers Bill Marsh Jr. says the problem with manufacturer-backed certified used-vehicle programs is that they build brand equity for the factory, not for the dealers selling the vehicles. That's why the family-owned Bill...

GM's Steve Harris: Failure is not an option.(Tom Kowaleski resigned from General Motors Corp )(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Steve Harris has a tough job in front of him as he tries to brighten General Motors' image. But if his spirits flag, he can always look at his stock options. Harris resumed his old post as head of GM public relations last week. He replaces...

Attention: Dealers.(News)
February 6, 2006... Automotive News is compiling data for its annual ranking of the top 100 U.S. dealership groups. To obtain a survey, go to autonews.com/dealersurvey. The deadline for dealership submissions is Friday, Feb. 10.

Tough new Tundra is the big news in Windy City.(Chicago Auto Show)
February 6, 2006... The spotlight at the Chicago Auto Show this week will be squarely on Toyota's redesigned 2007 Tundra - a bigger, bolder pickup aimed at the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado. Toyota is so confident of the Tundra's success that two U.S....

Right-sizing the dealer body.(Column)
February 6, 2006... Byline: KEITH CRAIN The dealer distribution system is the strongest part of the automobile business. Independent businesspeople, sometimes third or fourth generation, have invested billions of dollars in dealerships all over the...

Dealers.(Vince Compagno resigned Napa Nissan)(Jim Balbo left Jaguar PLC)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Milestones Tom Nemet of Nemet Motors in New York received a 35-year award for Nissan from Nissan North America Inc. CAPTION(S): 40 with Nissan: Vince Compagno, left, of Napa Nissan in Napa, Calif., receives a 40-year award for...

Court rules DCX didn't coerce Jeep dealership.(Legal File)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Eric Freedman A Coraopolis, Pa., dealer who alleges that DaimlerChrysler Corp. did him wrong by authorizing a competing "Alpha'' dealership to open about 5 miles away, has lost a second round in his legal battle for damages. An...

AIADA's Hicks: Chairman's job is to build consensus Part 1 of 2.(Insight)(Interview)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Harry Stoffer Over the decades, scores of car dealers have taken themselves away from running their own businesses to contribute time as chairmen of their national associations. Don Hicks is giving more than most. Hicks stepped...

GM, Ford sales perk up, share slips.(fleet sales)
February 6, 2006... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. Instead of opening 2006 with a giant leap forward, new-car and light-truck sales barely trudged along in January True, U.S. sales were up 7.5 percent over last year's anemic total, but the 2006 count of...

In search of the lean retailer; Industry watcher James Womack is shaking up things again - this time arguing that U.S. auto dealers are inefficient and wasteful.(Insight)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Lindsay Chappell James Womack thinks you should Toyota-fy your auto dealership. And, he promises, you'll make more money doing it. More important, if you don't do it, the guy across the street will, he warns. And then - well,...