Automotive News articles from February 2008

Automotive News archives from February 2008

Dealers must monitor disgruntled bloggers.(Insight)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Bradford Wernle Late last year, Danny Chronister, general manager of Apple Nissan in York, Pa., got a call from his marketing manager. Someone had posted an unfavorable comment about the dealership on the automotive Web site...

E-commerce alters how dealers do business.(Insight)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Donna Harris More clicks, fewer bricks. The auto industry continues to move elements of vehicle sales and service online. Some experts predict the electronic sale - from an initial customer inquiry to home delivery of a car or...

Dealers discover social networking sites; MySpace, YouTube, others help reach sales prospects.(Insight)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Ralph Kisiel The Web sites MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn weren't created with auto dealers in mind. But dealers are finding that the popular social networking sites offer an appealing new way to reach sales prospects. ...

Buy a car online? Not me.(Insight)
February 4, 2008... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. You can buy a car or truck on the Internet. You can choose its model and its color. You can order the optional equipment you desire. You can arrange financing and even sign the papers that make the transaction...

Dealers: Web is one of many marketing tools; Online ads don't replace those in traditional media.(Insight)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Jim Henry Auto dealers agree that they need to advertise online and that the need continues to grow. But they also say online advertising is proving to be another tool in their marketing kit, rather than a replacement for ads...

GM wants dealers to spruce up service bays.(Service & Parts)(General Motors Corp.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Laura Clark Geist General Motors wants dealership service departments to present the clean, modern look of popular retail stores. The idea is that a shop that reminds customers of Starbucks or Target rather than a dirty, dingy...

Web widens market, but can shave margins; Online price data make shoppers more savvy.(Insight)(Industry overview)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Leslie J. Allen When it's time to make the sale, the Internet can be both a boon and an obstacle to auto dealers. The Net gives dealers access to a broad range of customers without the limits of geography. But it also gives...

CarMax sticks to growth plan despite slowing sales; Company is slated to open 12 stores starting in March.(Insight)(Company overview)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Arlena Sawyers At CarMax Inc., sales are sluggish and its captive finance company's costs are up. Still, the giant used-vehicle dealership group is moving ahead with its aggressive expansion plans. The Richmond, Va., retailer...

Mercedes takes local money for national TV; Media strategy is opposite of rival BMW.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Mercedes-Benz USA LLC will stage an unprecedented $100 million TV blitz this year with at least six new commercials, primarily for the C-class sedan and M-class SUV. Steven Cannon, vice president of marketing,...

What's AMG? M-B plans awareness drive.(News)(Mercedes-Benz USA Inc.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Mercedes-Benz this year will shine the spotlight on its AMG brand with special performance centers, a road show and an ad campaign. The effort aims to create awareness of AMG and to differentiate the...

Web site joins dealer reviews, social network.(Insight)(CarFolks.com)(Website overview)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Laura Clark Geist One of the newest Web sites to offer consumer reviews of auto dealerships does things a little differently. Instead of waiting for posts, CarFolks.com also solicits reviews. The site uses customer e-mail...

Plastech: Hard choices for Detroit 3.(Suppliers)(Plastech Engineered Products Inc.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Robert Sherefkin, David Barkholz Automotive trim supplier Plastech Engineered Products Inc. is seeking a $200 million bailout from its major customers: General Motors, Ford Motor Co., Chrysler LLC and Johnson Controls Inc. ...

High-stepping into retirement.(News )(resignation of Tony Merpi from Crain Communications Inc.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... About 180 colleagues, clients, friends and family members gathered at Detroit's Roostertail nightclub last week to say goodbye to Tony Merpi, longtime sales and marketing director of the Automotive News Group. Merpi, 64, retired last week from...

Ford sees market for small van.(News)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Amy Wilson Ford Motor Co. is expected to reveal a small delivery van for the United States at the Chicago Auto Show. The Transit Connect is expected to go on sale in 2009. The Transit Connect is built in Turkey on a more...

NADA's chairwoman: Born to the business; At 19, she decided she wanted a stake in the family store.(Insight)(National Automobile Dealers Association)(Annette Sykora )
February 4, 2008... Byline: David Sedgwick Slaton, Texas, is a town dominated by its geography. On its outskirts are the green circles of irrigated cotton farms that define Slaton's economy. You can do business with the farmers and ranchers, or you can travel...

GM forms hybrid, electric vehicle unit; 400 engineers to be part of global team.(News)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Leslie J. Allen General Motors is putting all global engineering for hybrids and extended-range electric vehicles under one umbrella. GM is setting up an engineering organization dedicated to those vehicles and to advanced...

Modern turbos leave early versions in the dust.(News)(turbochargers)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Richard Truett Automakers are flirting with turbochargers again, just as they have every decade since the 1960s. Both General Motors and Ford Motor Co. recently have revealed plans to install turbochargers in mass-market cars....

GM dealers worry about losing their A-Team; Detroit 3 slump makes retaining top salespeople a challenge.(Insight)(General Motors Corp.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Jamie LaReau As General Motors dealers face the prospect of a brutal sales year, many say they fear losing their best salespeople - the so-called A-Team. Declining sales and profits at GM dealerships are limiting compensation...

Online scheduling, parts sales build service work.(Insight)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Ryan Beene Using the Internet to sell parts and schedule repair appointments boosts auto dealerships' service business and employee productivity, dealers and analysts say. "It's a nice way to supplement the business of...

Tough sledding ahead for Canadian labor talks.(News)(Canadian Auto Workers)
February 4, 2008... Byline: David Barkholz, Amy Wilson The Detroit 3 are preparing for Canadian labor talks this summer that could prove to be more difficult than the landmark UAW negotiations completed last November. Canadian Auto Workers President Buzz...

Economy and hiring top Hudson's concerns.(Insight)(American International Automobile Dealers Associations chairman Jim Hudson)(Interview)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... More from Jim Hudson, this year's chairman of the American International Automobile Dealers Association. As a businessman, what keeps you up at night? The economy as a whole. When you look at the cost of gasoline, when you look at the...

51 dealers are nominated for Time magazine award.(News)
February 4, 2008... Time magazine and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. have received 51 nominations from automotive trade associations for the 39th annual Time Magazine Dealer of the Year Award. The award is given in cooperation with the National Automobile Dealers...

Auto News digest.(Briefs )(DealerTrack Inc. managing credit applications and electronic contracts)(Ford Motor Co. notifies Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealers last week of a safety recall)(profits and growth of DENSO Corp.)(Financial report)
February 4, 2008... DealerTrack back on track LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. - DealerTrack Inc. says it diagnosed and fixed the problem that prevented dealers from sending customer credit applications and electronic contracts to financial institutions on Jan. 26 and Jan....

Ford dealerships close, but the bills just keep coming.(News)(Ford Motor Co.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Amy Wilson When Randy Fuller saw a $39 towing charge on his Ford dealership's parts statement in January, he knew it was time to pick up the phone again. The charge stemmed from a program Fuller had signed up for to have Ford...

Don't worry, Alan - it'll be our little secret.(Final assembly)
February 4, 2008... If Ford CEO Alan Mulally takes a Ford Expedition or a beefy E-series van home for the night, it's no big deal. But when reminiscing about his old job, he probably shouldn't talk about test driving the big stuff. Mulally, formerly head of...

Deux Chevaux could be reborn as Nano fighter.(Final assembly)(introduction of Citroen 2CV in small car segment)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Edward Lapham Now that the Tata Nano is grabbing headlines as a $2,500 car for the masses in less-developed countries, automakers are assessing their own product plans to see whether it's worth developing a direct competitor. ...

Isuzu's collapse; The once-nimble Japanese brand prospered in the 1980s and '90s with its hot-selling SUVs - then plummeted this decade. Who is to blame?(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Kathy Jackson For the past four years, Terry Maloney has had to drag himself to the podium at Isuzu's annual NADA make meeting, face a grim, even surly dealer body and relay the worst possible news: No new product is coming. ...

Ford wants more dealers (but not here).(Final assembly)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Ford may be cutting U.S. dealers as fast as it can, but in the United Kingdom it's beating the bushes for more. Ford is holding special events and advertising in trade publications to recruit entrepreneurs and encourage non-Ford dealers to...

Personnel.(People)(Carsten Regent appointed by BMW Manufacturing Corp.)(Ralph Fisher appointed by Mercedes-Benz USA Inc.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... BMW MANUFACTURING CORP. - Carsten Regent to vice president for total vehicle quality management and engineering in Spartanburg, S.C. He replaces Peter Gilliam, who has moved to the Dingolfing plant in Germany. Regent had managed special...

Suppliers race for fuel savings.(Suppliers)(diesel engines in high demand)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Robert Sherefkin It's a new world for automotive suppliers. Parts that boost fuel economy are in. Those that gulp gasoline - even if they improve performance - are out. So turbochargers are in, but superchargers are out. ...

Auto News digest.(Briefs)(Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Toyota honors Texas dealership LOS ANGELES - Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. has named Fred Haas Toyota World its top Toyota Certified Collision Center for 2007. The suburban Houston dealership has won the award three straight years. ...

Dealers.(People)(Jon Murdock of General Motors Corp. recieves award)(Buddy Jones of Ford Motor Co. recieves award)(Randall Kalin of Ford Motor Co. recieves award)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Milestones * Jon Murdock of Jon Murdock Chevrolet-Cadillac-Mitsubishi in Manhattan, Kan., received a 25-year award for Chevrolet and Cadillac from General Motors. * Buddy Jones of Buddy Jones Ford-Lincoln-Mercury in Greenwood, Miss.,...

Dodge Avenger comes to China.(News)(Chrysler L.L.C.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Lan Lan Chrysler LLC has started selling the imported Dodge Avenger sedan in China. Chrysler expects the sporty sedan to attract China's business elites who want an expressive car. Two versions of the Avenger are...

Hyundai: Genesis won't repeat iDrive controversy.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Gary Anglebrandt For years, auto writers and drivers have criticized BMW's complex iDrive, in which drivers use a knob on the console and other buttons to control the radio, fan, heater and many other functions. Despite the...

GM's Henderson: We're not largest.(News)(General Motors Corp.)(Toyota Motor Corp.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Leslie J. Allen Debate continues in some quarters over whether General Motors or Toyota Motor Corp. is the world's top-selling automaker. But GM's CFO acknowledges that, from a financial perspective, GM is not No. 1. "I don't...

What would Homer drive? Maybe a Taurus, Ford exec hints.(Final assembly)(Ford Motor Co.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... It's the corporate equivalent of looking at your daughter and declaring her an eyesore. So auto analysts in Detroit were surprised recently when Ford product chief Derrick Kuzak put up a slide of cartoon doofus Homer Simpson next to a picture...

1 more flight for the Firebird.(Final assembly)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... A piece of General Motors history will be rolling down the track Feb. 17 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Daytona 500: GM's 1954 Firebird One turbine-powered concept. The event also will call attention to GM's 100th anniversary, which...

PARTY TIME; Here are some social events during this year's NADA convention in San Francisco.(Insight)(Calendar)
February 4, 2008... Friday, Feb. 8 ATAE reception San Francisco Marriott, Golden Gate Ballroom 5-7 p.m. By invitation only Automotive Youth Educational Systems reception Fairmont, Gold Room 5:30-7:30 p.m. By invitation only ...

'We expected a volatile year'.(Insight)(John Hawkins chairman at International Automobile Dealers Association)(Interview)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... More from John Hawkins, outgoing chairman of the American International Automobile Dealers Association: Has the new Democrat-controlled Congress been as anti-trade as AIADA feared? We have seen challenges to pro-trade. They are still...

NADA CONVENTION SCHEDULE.(Insight)(National Automobile Dealers Association)(Calendar)
February 4, 2008... All events are at the Moscone Center unless otherwise noted. Friday, Feb. 8 * 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Lifestyle Center, Moscone South, Gateway Ballroom * 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Early convention registration, Moscone West, 1st and 2nd floor...

Visionary dealer launched online shopping.(Insight)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Donna Harris Back in 1994, Seattle auto dealer Marty Rood uploaded a photo of a 1993 Volvo 850 GLT to his dealership's fledgling Web site. Adding the image of the Volvo was an initial step toward the virtual showrooms that Web...

Online tools help dealers manage used-car fleets.(Insight)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Arlena Sawyers Paragon Honda in New York City sold 1,542 certified used Honda cars and trucks last year, more than any other U.S. dealership. Brian Benstock, the dealership's general manager, attributes much of that success to...

Consumer reviews of dealerships gain clout.(Insight)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Laura Clark Geist Consumer-written reviews of auto dealerships are becoming an Internet staple. And some dealers aren't thrilled. "People who are unhappy and looking for a venue to vent'' are the most likely authors of...

Ford plans lower spiffs in 2nd half.(News)(Ford Motor Co.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Amy Wilson Ford Motor Co. is planning lower incentive spending on U.S. nameplates in the second half of 2008. The average per-vehicle spending is likely to drop in part because of new-model launches this summer and fall, top...

NADA reaches out to dealers in many lands.(News)(National Automobile Dealers Association)(Industry overview)
February 4, 2008... Byline: David Sedgwick If you look closely, the annual auto dealers' convention that starts Saturday, Feb. 9, is going to look a bit like the United Nations. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, delegates from 32...

Tata's Nano: We've heard that song before.(Opinion)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Guido Reinking The Lloyd was the object of my father's first longing for a vehicle of his own. "How wonderful it must be to drive to work in such a car,'' he thought to himself as he stood freezing at the bus stop. At the...

Hummer will sell a pickup.(News)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Rick Kranz The Hummer line finally gets the model it has been lacking: a true pickup. The 2009 Hummer H3T crew cab seats five and has a 5-foot-long cargo box capable of carrying two dirt bikes or full sheets of plywood. Sales...

Dealers use Net to snag specialty car buyers.(Insight)(Chrysler L.L.C.)(Ford Motor Co.)(eBay Inc.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Richard Truett Minutes after Chrysler LLC opened its order books for the new-era Dodge Challenger in early December, at least a dozen of the red-hot cars rumbled onto the eBay Motors Web site. Bidders went nuts. They drove the...

Cadence for sale, 3 years after it began.(Suppliers)(Cadence Innovation LLC.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Robert Sherefkin Less than three years after a group of private equity firms formed Cadence Innovation LLC, they are shopping the auto parts maker. Falling Detroit 3 production has undercut Cadence's plans to gain the new...

This generation's man on the moon: Green technology.(Opinion)
February 4, 2008... In his final State of the Union address, President Bush called for more federal research into advanced batteries and renewable fuels to power vehicles of the future. But what's really needed is the equivalent of the Manhattan Project that...

Korea fines carmakers for illegal price cuts.(News)(South Korea Fair Trade Commission)(GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co., Hyundai Motor Company Ltd. and Kia Motors Corp.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Gary Anglebrandt, Shin Jee Young South Korea's Fair Trade Commission wants to do more to shield suppliers in the country from illegal price cuts by automakers. But many suppliers refuse to talk about their customers' actions,...

Wake-up call for drowsy drivers.(News)(Toyota Motor Corp.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Hans Greimel Drivers who doze behind the wheel of a Toyota could soon get a rude awakening. Toyota's latest safety innovation constantly monitors for signs of sleep in the driver's eyes and issues a prompt warning if the...

Dealership execs will hit the books; Babson College, NADA team up for intensive program.(Insight)(National Automobile Dealers Association)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Jenny King The National Automobile Dealers Association is raising the skills bar with the launch next month of its Dealer Executive Education program at Babson College, near Boston. The intensive six-week program has been...

On the Web.
February 4, 2008... This week at www.autonews.com: * Wednesday: Live coverage of the Chicago Auto Show. Go to www.autonews.com/Chicago. * Thursday: Dealership giant AutoNation and supplier BorgWarner issue financial reports for the fourth quarter and...

A leaner Dana leaves Chapter 11, saying it's ready to compete.(Suppliers)(Dana Holdings Ltd.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: James B. Treece Dana Holding Corp. exited Chapter 11 protection on Friday, Feb. 1, just as light-vehicle sales are deflating in North America. So be it, says John Devine, Dana's chairman and new acting CEO. "There's no...

Personnel.(People)(Jeremy Holt appointed at NxtGen Emission Controls Inc.)(Barbara Novak appointed at ArvinMeritor Inc.)(Charles Donlin appointed at Petoskey Plastics Inc.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... ARVINMERITOR INC. - Barbara Novak to vice president and corporate secretary. She had been senior counsel for securities at TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. Sherry Welsh to vice president of sales and marketing for the company's light-vehicle...

Online assembly line allows built-to-order Scions, delivered fast; Ports are used to create just what customers want.(Insight)(Toyota Motor Corp.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Mark Rechtin In a perfect world, vehicle shoppers get exactly the cars and trucks they desire. But most consumers, confronted with a parking lot full of dealership inventory and pressure to buy today, usually pick something that...

Texas-sized benefit.(News)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Nearly 1,000 people strutted their stuff at Texas Tux/Texas Chic, the Houston Auto Show gala preview Jan. 25 in Houston's Reliant Center. The annual bash benefits the Houston Automobile Dealers Association's scholarship program. Each year the...

Ford unit sells driveshaft business to Chinese firm.(News)(Ford Motor Co.)(Johnson Controls Inc.)(Neapco Inc.)(United Automobile Workers)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Brent Snavely More than two years after it was formed by Ford Motor Co., Automotive Components Holdings LLC has completed its first U.S. sale - to a Chinese-owned parts maker. Five other preliminary agreements to sell eight...

Ford's Behrendt helped mend supplier relations; Europe purchasing chief lauded for fairness, openness.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Arjen Bongard, Bettina Mayer With an annual budget of $20 billion, you would think Birgit Behrendt, Ford of Europe's vice president of purchasing, has enough money to keep suppliers happy. Think again. Behrendt, who heads...

Southeast Toyota adds space for training.(Insight)(Southeast Toyota Distributors Inc.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Lindsay Chappell A funny thing happened when the redesigned Toyota Tundra showed up last year in the technical classrooms at Southeast Toyota Distributors Inc.: The full-sized pickup didn't fit any more. "It fit,'' clarifies...

Autobytel sheds data, CRM software unit.(News)(customer relationship management)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Autobytel Inc. has sold certain assets and liabilities of its Applied Virtual Vision Inc. unit to Dominion Enterprises for $22.75 million. Dominion also will pay Autobytel working capital of about $1.1 million, subject to adjustment. ...

Factories encourage dealers to go green.(Insight)(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)(American Honda Motor Company Inc.)(Chrysler L.L.C.)(Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Mary Connelly Green auto dealerships aren't new. Until now, though, building or renovating dealerships that reflect environmental values has mostly been a product of dealers' initiative. That's changing. This year, automakers...

In an icy economy, early signs of frostbite; January sales soften; dealers and suppliers scramble to cope.
February 4, 2008... Byline: David Sedgwick The Fed's January interest-rate cuts kept a mediocre sales month from being even worse, but the shaky economy clearly is sending ripples of distress through a jittery auto industry. Toyota, Nissan and Honda -...

Faulty gearshift blocker prompts Dodge recall.(News)(Chrysler L.L.C.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Harry Stoffer Chrysler LLC is recalling about 386,000 light trucks built for the 2001-02 model years because of the danger they can roll away when parked. Dealers are to replace a component called a gearshift blocker in...

Bohr: Contract yuks are ... yuck.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Robert Sherefkin Here is part of a Detroit automaker's standard contract for buying auto parts, according to Bernd Bohr, chairman of the Robert Bosch GmbH automotive group: The buyer "can terminate this contract at any time for...

For Bosch, Red X marks spot for quality gains; Problem-solving system saves time, money for supplier.(News)(Robert Bosch Corp.)(Company overview)
February 4, 2008... Byline: April Wortham Scrap was piling up here at Robert Bosch Corp.'s automotive electronics factory. Components that depend on delicacy to function were coming out scratched, contaminated or cracked. With the plant's contracts and...

It will be painful for some dealers.(Column)
February 4, 2008... Byline: KEITH CRAIN Just about everyone agrees: The Detroit 3 have too many dealerships. For the companies and the dealers to prosper, there must be bold moves by some dealers and their factories. Because of everything that goes with...

Playing the Red X quality game.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: April Wortham Ask Craig Hysong how Shainin LLC's proprietary system for identifying and solving quality problems works, and he'll borrow a page from Webster's dictionary. Make that one word on one page, and it's your job to...

Lexus may add a small SUV for urban buyers.(News)(Toyota Motor Corp. to build sport utility vehicles)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Mark Rechtin Toyota may build a compact Lexus SUV - even though company executives repeatedly have denied interest in the niche. The little Lexus would compete with the BMW X3, Acura RDX and Infiniti EX35 crossovers - and the...

Bush makes his final pitch for vehicles of the future.(News)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Harry Stoffer President Bush last week called for more federal research into advanced batteries and renewable fuels to power "the cars and trucks of the future.'' The line, in Bush's seventh and final State of the Union...

Malibu, CTS boost conquests - barely.(News)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Jamie LaReau General Motors is making headway with the new Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac CTS mid-sized sedans in winning consumers over from the imports. But the movement is minimal, with most sales of both vehicles still coming...

Late News.(Robert Bosch GmbH releases its sales report)(Nissan Motor Company Ltd. releases its sales report)(American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings Inc. plans to open a plant)(Financial report)
February 4, 2008... Bosch: '07 sales rose 4.5% STUTTGART - Germany's Bosch Group said its automotive parts business performed better than expected last year, despite cost pressures and a weakening U.S. market. Preliminary 2007 results released Friday show...

Jan. sales were lousy - with a General exception.(Sales)(Chrysler L.L.C.)(Ford Motor Co.)(General Motors Corp.)(Financial report)
February 4, 2008... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. January was like old times for the auto industry in the United States: The General was back in command. General Motors was the only one of the six largest automakers to report a year-to-year sales increase...

New boss: AIADA will get full effort; Jim Hudson wants more dealers to get involved.(Insight)(American International Automobile Dealers Association)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Harry Stoffer South Carolina dealer Jim Hudson, a self-described workaholic, says that for years he resisted industry leadership posts because he was so tied up with his own dealerships. But now that he has agreed to be the...

AIADA chief: CAFE bill is a highlight of term; John Hawkins: New standards are a `win-win for everybody'.(Insight)(American International Automobile Dealers Association )
February 4, 2008... Byline: Harry Stoffer John Hawkins is declaring his year as chairman of the American International Automobile Dealers Association a success. One reason: The federal government approved a 40 percent increase in fuel economy standards by...

Metzeler, GDX combine into Henniges.(News)(Metzeler Automotive Profile Systems acquires GDX Automotive)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Brad Dawson Metzeler Automotive Profile Systems-North America has completed its acquisition of GDX Automotive from Cerberus Capital Management LP. The two entities are combining operations to form a global automotive sealing...

Nissan's Q&A for dealers: To Q or not to Q?(News)(Nissan Motor Company Ltd.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Infiniti dealer Peter Wilson optimistically believes that his brand will receive a new flagship to replace the Q45, which ended in 2006. "We know something will come,'' says Wilson, owner of Infiniti of...

Ford, Dodge foolishly pin hopes on pickups; Slowly but surely, the U.S. market is turning back to cars.(Opinion)(Chrysler L.L.C.)(Ford Motor Co.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC still don't get it. And that's a shame. I think both companies have made bad decisions that will have an impact on their future. At Chrysler, the most important new vehicle in...

Legal barriers fall, but online auto sales still tricky.(Insight)(Industry overview)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Harry Stoffer Stan Liebowitz, an expert on electronic commerce, says he would never buy a new car or truck entirely online. He first would want to see the vehicle, feel it and drive it. At the same time, the University of Texas...

Panasonic teams with Garmin.(News)(Panasonic Automotive Electronics Co.)(Garmin International Inc.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Robert Sherefkin Two electronics companies will collaborate in an effort to sell on-board navigation systems. They plan to offer a system below $1,000, about half today's price tag. Panasonic Automotive Systems Co. of America...

Minivan owners cross over to crossovers.(News)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Here's the latest bit of bad news for minivans, widely viewed as America's least-cool vehicles. The segment has been declining in sales and cachet for years, and 2007 brought more of the same: Minivan sales dropped 18.3 percent to 807,053. ...

2 Chrysler plants offer models for global alliances.(News)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: David Barkholz, Bradford Wernle Chrysler's Toledo Supplier Park and Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance are templates for the way Chrysler LLC may do business with global partners, says Frank Ewasyshyn, the company's manufacturing...

GM unibody pickup bows.(News)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Rick Kranz The four-passenger GMC Denali XT hybrid concept debuting in Chicago shows General Motors' potential styling direction for a small, rear-drive pickup developed on a unibody architecture. GM says the advantage of the...