Automotive News articles from July 2004

Automotive News archives from July 2004

Calendar.(auto shows )(Calendar)
July 5, 2004... AUTO SHOWS - 2004 Aug. 25-29 - Moscow International Motor Show, Krasnaya Presnya Expocentr, Moscow, 44-207-596-5224, www.motorshows-ite.com Sept. 16-26 - Oklahoma State Fair Auto Show, Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, Oklahoma City,...

Don't fight; unite.(Opinion)(auto parts, how to fight duplicators)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Metaldyne Corp. faces one of the ironies of doing business in the growing Chinese economy. Most Western companies worry about having a partner that might some day steal their technology, but Metaldyne CEO Tim Leuliette wants Chinese officials...

A darn good start.(Opinion)(Ford for capping dealer loan rate markups at 2.5%)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Ford Motor Credit deserves kudos for following General Motors Acceptance Corp. and capping dealer loan rate markups at 2.5 percentage points. Ultimately, it may prove to be little more than a finger in the dike against a rising tide of...

2004 Car Cutaways; Who supplies what parts on 12 notable vehicles.(Supplement)
July 5, 2004... Contents BMW X3: 5 Chevrolet Colorado: 6 Chevrolet Malibu: 7 Chrysler 300: 8 Dodge Durango: 9 Ford F-150: 10-11 GMC Envoy XUV: 12 Honda Pilot: 14 Nissan Maxima: 15 Nissan Quest: 16 Pontiac...

Mazda may build Tribute hybrid.(News)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Mazda Motor Corp. probably will offer a hybrid version of its Tribute SUV in the United States, according to company sources. The vehicle would borrow technology from Ford Motor Co., which owns 33.4 percent of...

Ford boosts power of big pickups; Goal is to beat GM in gasoline-powered heavy-duty models.(News)(General Motors)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Amy Wilson Ford Motor Co. is aiming its re-engineered 2005 F-series Super Duty pickup at General Motors' dominance in gasoline-powered heavy pickups. Ford is boosting the horsepower of gasoline engines on F-250 and F-350...

Personnel.(People)(executive movements in auto industry)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... AUTOTRADER.COM - Hal Greene to senior vice president of sales. He was vice president of dealer sales. AutoTrader.com of Atlanta is an online auto classified sales service. DAIMLERCHRYSLER CANADA INC. - Stuart Schorr to senior manager of...

Police get a Magnum.(News)(from Dodge)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... To challenge Ford's dominance of the police car market, Dodge will offer a police version of the Magnum in fall 2005. The 340-hp Hemi V-8 will be optional. A Magnum SXT will be available this fall for less rigorous police duty, such as K9 units...

Summer's a bummer for 2-seaters; Roadsters reeling; Z4 is prime example.(BMW Z4 car)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Summer's here, and the time is right for buying little two-seat convertibles. Except for one problem: The bottom has dropped out of America's small roadster market. And the newest open-top twin-seater - BMW's...

Urban marketing strategies change; Analysts: Goal is to reach a mindset, not an ethnic group.(Marketing)(automotives)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Marcus Amick The urban automotive market is changing, and car companies' marketing strategies must change to reach it, industry analysts say. The definition of the urban market has increasingly less to do with race or...

Dealers.(People)(awards to auto dealers)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Milestones * Harry Patterson of Patterson Auto Center in Wichita Falls, Texas, received 25-year awards for Oldsmobile and GMC from General Motors. * Daryl Kuiper of Vennen Chrysler-Dodge Inc. in Lowell, Mich., received a 25-year award...

Facing bad news about share, GM adjusts.(News)(General Motors' market share)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Edward Lapham General Motors executives dropped enough hints last week: The world's largest automaker is not going to regain a 30 percent share of the U.S. market any time soon, if ever. Forty years ago, GM sold half the cars...

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
July 5, 2004... * A story on Page 1 of the June 28 issue gave the incorrect name of Nissan's full-sized pickup. The correct name is the Titan. * A story on Page 1 of the June 28 issue misstated General Motors Acceptance Corp.'s schedule for changes...

Those China franchises are risky.(Column)(caution, car dealers)
July 5, 2004... Byline: KEITH CRAIN Every now and then, there are entrepreneurs who try to recruit dealers to sell all sorts of new vehicles. You could say that it goes all the way back to the days of Preston Tucker. So much has been written about the...

Supply line.(Briefs)(exhaust manifolds to Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Wescast wins deal for world engine program BRANTFORD, Ontario - Wescast Industries Inc. will supply exhaust manifolds for the 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter world engine program for the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance. The alliance, in...

Mitsubishi shipments to N.A. nose dive.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s exports to North America plunged 77.7 percent in May compared to the year-ago month. But the troubled Japanese carmaker partly offset the decline with a 90.1 percent boost in exports to...

Steel maker looks to eastern Europe.(Suppliers)(Voestalpine AG)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Bradford Wernle Automotive News Europe Voestalpine AG will follow such customers as PSA/Peugeot-Citroen and Toyota into developing eastern European markets. Voestalpine Chairman Wolfgang Eder said the steel maker will look for...

Saab concept keeps drunks from driving.(News)(Alcokey, a built-in alcohol-detection sensor in the car)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Carmakers have tried unsuccessfully to keep drunks from driving, but Saab Automobile AB has a new concept. Its Alcokey is an electronic key fob with a built-in alcohol-detection sensor. It renders the key...

Suzuki's finance arm off to fast start.(News)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Kathy Jackson Suzuki dealers are taking advantage of the Japanese carmaker's first captive finance company in the United States. Since American Suzuki Financial Services Corp.'s April debut, all 500 of the automaker's dealers...

Athletes help drive sales for AutoNation.(Marketing)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Donna Harris The use of star athletes as regional spokesmen has helped AutoNation Inc. score points with customers. The nation's largest dealership group has reached endorsement deals with several noted sports figures since...

Max Graff.(Obituary)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
July 5, 2004... FLINT, Mich. - Auto dealer Max Graff died May 13. He was 87. He was chairman of Hank Graff Chevrolet here.

Aisin Seiki to build 2 plants in N. America.(Suppliers)(North America)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Yama Yamaguchi Toyota affiliate Aisin Seiki Co. Ltd. will build plants in the United States and Mexico to make parts for Toyota Motor Corp., General Motors and Nissan Motor Co. The Japanese supplier will invest $14 million to...

Repairs are a click away for mechanics; GM starts virtual training program for dealers.(News)(General Motors)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Automotive service technicians are using simulation training developed to help U.S. Air Force technicians fix jet fighters and bombers. An auto technician can take the simulations wherever the technician has...

Even Hummer can't ignore high gasoline prices; Sales are stalling; brand will improve fuel efficiency.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Rick Kranz Hummer's message for the remainder of the year will be an unlikely one for the maker of big, thirsty SUVs: fuel economy improvements. Hummer sales dropped 26.4 percent in the first five months of this year as...

Virginia dealers ponder licensing F&I managers.(News)(Finance and Insurance )
July 5, 2004... Byline: Donna Harris Virginia dealers are developing a proposal that could make their state the first in the nation to license dealership finance managers. The Virginia Automobile Dealers Association has created a task force of...

GM stumbles; industry sales sink; Big 3 lose share in industry's worst June since 1997.(Sales)
July 5, 2004... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. June was a disappointing sales month for new cars and light trucks, and blame must be laid squarely on the doorstep of General Motors. But Ford Motor Co. was way down too. The industry total was down 29,305;...

Auto News digest.(Briefs)
July 5, 2004... BMW plant gets new chief SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Clemens Schmitz-Justen is the new top executive at BMW's Spartanburg, S.C., plant. Schmitz-Justen, 46, is a 13-year BMW veteran who was in charge of the painted body division at BMW's...

Auto News briefly.(Briefs)
July 5, 2004... For romance's sake, he pulled out all the stops Larry Denton has made a public confession. He cut the seat belts out of his car in 1960. "There was no place in the center for your girlfriend to sit,'' the CEO of Dura Automotive Systems Inc....

Rising interest rates will shrink dealership profits.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: K.C. Crain Interest rates were so low last year that the average dealership made money by carrying inventory. But the party is over. Economists say last week's one-quarter-point interest rate hike is the start of a trend...

DaimlerChrysler remains committed to size.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Jens Meiners Automotive News Europe DaimlerChrysler AG remains committed to CEO Juergen Schrempp's strategy of building a global presence. "For survival in the automotive industry, size is crucial,'' said Ruediger Grube, the...

Nissan revved up too fast in Canton; a lesson for others.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Carlos Ghosn doesn't fool around when it comes to getting quality right. Nissan's CEO took swift action after the company's poor showing in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study rankings. Ghosn sent 200 Japanese engineers to the company's...

Court denies DCX effort to block lawsuit.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Harry Stoffer DaimlerChrysler AG will have to try to persuade an Oklahoma jury that there is nothing wrong with passenger airbags in about a million 1996-97 minivans built by the former Chrysler Corp. The U.S. Supreme Court...

GM softens target for sales goals.(News)(General Motors)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Dave Guilford General Motors executives are cooling expectations about the automaker's 2004 market share. Vice Chairman Robert Lutz last week said GM wants a 30 percent U.S. market share. But he said 27 percent to 28 percent is...

DCX, GM go slow on hybrids; Few pickups ahead until at least 2006.(General Motors )
July 5, 2004... Byline: Richard Truett Consumers looking for hybrid pickups at dealerships selling Chrysler group or General Motors brands will have a hard time finding them. Dodge will build just 100 diesel-electric 2005 Ram pickups. The division...

Peugeot can make it in U.S.; Rover can't.(Opinion)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Richard Truett Call this a tale of two brands, Peugeot and Rover. In the summer of 1991, both were suffering from a dreadful quality image and were forced to retreat from North America. The defeat was especially...

J.D. Power: Toyota is tops in dependability.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Gail Kachadourian Toyota Motor Corp. has the most dependable 3-year-old vehicles, according to a study by J.D. Power and Associates. Toyota and Lexus vehicles ranked No. 1 in seven of the 17 car and truck segments. Last...

School to offer auto program at former dealership.(News)(Michigan college)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Monica Link A Michigan college has purchased a former car dealership in the Detroit area and plans to expand its automotive technology program when it opens a technology center at the site. Baker College bought the nine-acre...

Court: Dealerships need not repeat a lender's credit rejection notice.(Legal File)(auto dealerships)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Donna Harris A federal court dismissed a complaint against an Illinois dealership for failing to notify a customer that her credit application was rejected. If lenders properly notify buyers when they are turned down for...

Study: Supplier mergers certain; A.T. Kearney says chassis, electronics will be consolidated.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Julie Armstrong Consulting firm A.T. Kearney Inc.'s latest study adds evidence to predictions of supplier consolidation. Megasuppliers such as Delphi Corp., Visteon Corp., Magna International Inc., Denso Corp. and Valeo SA are...

Higher car-loan rates won't scare buyers.(News)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Gail Kachadourian Interest rates will keep rising, but a leading economist says they will only modestly erode consumers' ability to buy vehicles. "We're going to see much higher interest rates a year from now, and the ability...

Mitsubishi will slash jobs at U.S. plant; Analysts expect cut of at least 10% at Normal, Ill.(Mitsubishi Motors Corp.)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Struggling Mitsubishi Motors Corp. plans to slash jobs and production at its Normal, Ill., assembly plant. "We have a plan that includes reducing the work force, and we'll adjust North American (production...

Late News.
July 5, 2004... GM won't trim output DETROIT - Despite swollen inventories, General Motors says it has no plans to cut production. The company will rely on incentives to boost sales, an analyst says. Spokesman Dan Flores says GM will not extend plant...

Warning! I brake for dim bulbs.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Edward Lapham It is odd how some product defects rate a full-blown recall while others rate something less. In a safety recall every owner is notified to bring the vehicle to the dealership so the problem can be fixed. Federal...

Mitsubishi dealers turn to used cars; With new-car profits shrinking, used cars offer key to survival.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Kathy Jackson As Mitsubishi sales plunge further - down 45.7 percent in June - dealers are scrambling to sell used cars to stay alive. That's a big problem for Mitsubishi Motors North America, which more than ever needs its...

LeSabre ends its Orion run.(Production)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Debi Domby * General Motors ended production of the Buick LeSabre at its Orion Township, Mich., plant, on June 18. The plant began to produce the car in April 1999. About 300,000 LeSabres were produced there. The LeSabre is still...

Europe is the toughest auto market.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Bradford Wernle Automotive News Europe Europe will remain the world's most competitive auto market, according to panelists at the Automotive News Europe Congress. Incentive costs, overcapacity, model and segment proliferation,...

Valeo launches round-the-clock r&d.(News)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Sylviane de Saint-Seine Automotive News Europe Valeo SA has launched a round-the-clock research and development project using its facilities the United States, Europe and China. The French supplier has r&d centers in three time...

Land Rover to replace SUV.(News)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Bradford Wernle Automotive News Europe Land Rover plans to replace its legendary Defender SUV. The Defender, launched in 1948, is sold in more than 140 countries. It was originally designed for farm and light industrial use. ...

Australian will lead GM car design in N.A. Carmaker spreads talent to gain world perspective.(News)(General Motors)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Dave Guilford Michael Simcoe, an Australian who heads General Motors' Asian design, will lead design of GM's North American cars effective Aug. 1. It shows GM's increasing effort to move rising designers around the globe to...

Eberhardt cultivates dealers.(News)(Joe Eberhardt)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Jason Stein Joe Eberhardt isn't just a marketing guy. As Chrysler group's executive vice president of sales and marketing, Eberhardt has sought to improve relations with dealers. And dealers say he has made big strides. ...

New retained value measure favors imports.(News)(Power Information Network LLC )
July 5, 2004... Byline: Arlena Sawyers A new way to predict how cars and trucks will hold their value is based on transaction prices that include incentives. The system's creators at Power Information Network LLC say its calculation of "retained...

Letters to the Editor.(Letters)
July 5, 2004... Banks would prefer a flat-rate F&I To the Editor: As I read Mike Jackson's June 14 commentary on dealership financing, I was reminded of why most people dread the process of purchasing a new car. Jackson begins by describing this...

Va. passes law to thwart consumer lawsuits.(News)(VIRGINIA )
July 5, 2004... Byline: Donna Harris A new Virginia law is intended to make consumers think twice before they sue dealers and other retailers. The law enables retailers to resolve disputes by offering customers a reasonable amount of money to cover...

Ford vendors balk at tough contract; Terms are called invasive, illegal.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Bradford Wernle Automotive News Europe Ford Motor Co. is still struggling to get some global suppliers to sign a contract that it presented to them more than six months ago. Suppliers in North America and Europe continue to...

Female GM dealers form national advisory council.(News)(General Motors)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Arlena Sawyers Female dealers who run General Motors franchises have created a national council. The Women's Dealer Advisory Council is a product of GM's Women's Retail Initiatives. The automaker established the initiatives to...

Nissan sued over Maxima headlight thefts.(Legal File)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Eric Freedman Nissan North America Inc. is defending itself in New Jersey against two lawsuits alleging that it wrongfully withheld information on the vulnerability of its high-intensity discharge bilevel Xenon headlamp system to...

Ford bumps up spiffs for holiday weekend.(Incentives)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... After a miserable June in which sales dropped 8.2 percent, Ford Division beefed up its incentives, even though the new program lasted only a few days. Ford added $500 to the rebate on several models. Ford's spring incentives ended June 30....

There's more on the Web.(News)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
July 5, 2004... **Online this week Download J.D. Power and Associates' 2004 Vehicle Dependability Study documents in PDF format: * 2004 automaker Vehicle Dependability Study ranking * 2004 nameplate Vehicle Dependability Study ranking * Top...

DCX marketer creates buzz; With nine new products this year, Chrysler sales chief Joe Eberhardt has adopted a back-to-the-basics marketing strategy.
July 5, 2004... Byline: Jason Stein The stickiness of a humid afternoon in southern Michigan was starting to show on Joe Eberhardt's black cotton shirt when a familiar topic raised the mercury a little more. "So, Joe,'' a reporter gibed during a media...

BMW, M-B court younger European customers.(News)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Alex Ricciuti Automotive News Europe Mercedes-Benz AG and BMW AG will use pop music, the Internet and European advertising tours to attract younger buyers for their new small cars, the A class and the 1 series. The...

Automotive News All-Stars.(Special Report)
July 12, 2004... TOP CEO - ASIA Fujio Cho President and CEO, Toyota Motor Corp. Onward and upward - steadily Toyota is the first Japanese company to post an $11 billion profit in a fiscal year - more than the Big 3 combined. Cho expanded...

TI Automotive to open fuel tank plant.(News)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Monica Link Special Correspondent TI Automotive said it will build a $30 million plant in Lavonia, Ga., that will supply fuel tank systems for U.S.-built BMW vehicles by spring 2005. Construction on the 145,000-square-foot...

Supplier plans to build plants in Kentucky, Croatia; Company will supply running board for GM full-sized SUVs in '05.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Rhoda Miel Plastics News Canadian auto supplier ABC Group Inc. is continuing its growth with a $19 million factory set for London, Ky., and plans for a plant in eastern Europe. The 140,000-square-foot plant in London, with an...

Chevy gains, but Ford is king.(Sales)(General Motors Corp. Chevrolet Motor Div.)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Chevrolet's most cherished ambition is to beat Ford Division in sales. It isn't going to happen in 2004, but, as Scarlett O'Hara told us many years ago, "Tomorrow is another day." Chevrolet did well in cars in the first half. A year ago,...

Calendar.(Calendar)
July 12, 2004... AUTO SHOWS - 2004 Aug. 25-29 - Moscow International Motor Show, Krasnaya Presnya Expocentr, Moscow, 44-207-596-5224, www.motorshows-ite.com Sept. 16-26 - Oklahoma State Fair Auto Show, Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, Oklahoma City,...

GM, ESPN team up to sell used cars; Web sweepstakes, print ads aimed at young men.(News)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Arlena Sawyers General Motors' GM Certified brand hopes to score big from a new promotion with the ESPN sports network called Go Deep. The promotion includes a sweepstakes on the ESPN.com Web site and print ads in ESPN The...

Give it a rest, GM.(News)(General Motors )(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... It is time for General Motors to reconsider its high-rebate strategy. Yes, big rebates pump up sales. Customers like them, and GM can afford them for now. But GM had an uncomfortable 91-day supply of vehicles on July 1. Companies that...

Production.
July 12, 2004... 3 tables: North America car and truck production * Scheduled plant overtime * Plant closings: see print copy.

Late News.
July 12, 2004... Toyota trumpets No. 1 fuel economy rating With gasoline prices in the $2-per-gallon range, Toyota Division is launching a TV ad campaign today, July 12, that boasts the brand "has the best overall miles-per-gallon rating of any full-line...

Meet you in the lobby.
July 12, 2004... Import-brand automakers are ramping up their spending and staff to influence the decisions of Washington politicians and bureaucrats. Honda North America employs Ed Cohen, right, as its top Washington lobbyist. On some key issues, Big 3 and...

Auto News digest.(Briefs)
July 12, 2004... Rhode Island extends lease liability cap PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Rhode Island legislators extended by a year a state law that limits an auto lessor's liability when a leased vehicle is in an accident. The law will expire July 1, 2005. The...

New Slasher film reveals cutthroat used-car world.(News)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Arlena Sawyers John Landis is best known for directing such movie comedies as Animal House and The Blues Brothers and the video of Michael Jackson's hit song "Thriller.'' But his newest project is a documentary about a traveling...

Delphi builds model for efficiency; $58 million plant makes electrical connectors with all-electric presses.(Suppliers)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Joseph Pryweller Plastics News The new Delphi Packard Electric plant is tucked away neatly from the street, neighbor to a little-used private airport and vacant lots in an economically depressed corner of northeast Ohio. This...

Dealers.(People)
July 12, 2004... Transitions * Fred Fuller and Rick Fuller acquired Middletown Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Suzuki in New Hampton, N.Y., from Tony Bruce and renamed it Fuller Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Suzuki LLC. They closed Fuller Chrysler-Jeep in Union City, N.J. ...

New-vehicle loan maturities set a record.(Finance)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Donna Harris The average length of a new-car loan passed 60 months last year. That is a record, according to Federal Reserve Board statistics that date to 1971. Extended loan terms alarm industry analysts. They say longer loans...

Light-truck supply swells as sales slow.(Sales)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko The supply of light trucks grew in June as sales slowed during the month. The light-truck supply rose to 85 days on July 1 from 75 days a month earlier. The supply of cars rose to 59 days from 56 days on June...

Pininfarina seeks more engineering contracts.(News)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Luca Ciferri Pininfarina says manufacturing cars for automakers doesn't provide a stable revenue stream. As a result, the Italian coachbuilder will put more emphasis on winning engineering contracts to bolster business...

White-knuckle test drive ends with car in control.(Suppliers)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Julie Armstrong I've done many test drives in my four-plus years at Automotive News. Never before has a company told me to crash one of its vehicles. But that's what Continental Automotive Systems, a division of Germany-based...

Chrysler group exec touts Internet marketing; All 9 vehicle launches in '04 have interactive components.(News)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Lillie Guyer The Web influences consumer decisions. If you doubt that, just ask the Chrysler group's Bonita Stewart. Stewart became interactive communications director in January when the Chrysler group retooled its sales and...

Carmakers pair cars and stars in new ways.(News)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Tamara Warren Tiger Woods brings a co-star to his public appearances. The Buick logo on his golf bag promotes the brand during every televised tournament in which he competes. "Whenever Tiger plays in a tournament, it's kind of...

Trouble persists with lease liability.(Finance)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Donna Harris Leasing companies are legally liable when a leased vehicle gets in an accident in New York. Because of that state law, 19 large lessors have stopped doing business in New York, citing a fear of costly lawsuits. ...

Suppliers see sales swelling if airbag rules are adopted.(News)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Crain's Detroit Business Airbag makers, including TRW Automotive Inc., are preparing for higher volumes of their side-impact and side-curtain airbags as automakers expect new safety rules. TRW of Livonia, Mich.,...

Personnel.(People)
July 12, 2004... DENSO CORP. - Mitsuo Matsushita to CEO of Denso International America. Matsushita was president and COO. Denso is a manufacturer of thermal, powertrain control, electronic and electric systems. MINIATURE PRECISION COMPONENTS INC. - Laura...

Subaru dealers sob over plan to share XUV; Saab retailers will get a version of the high-end SUV.(News)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko A plan to share Subaru's new premium-priced, seven-passenger SUV with Saab has Subaru dealers seeing red. Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. said last week that it will build a Saab version of the high-end XUV at its...