Automotive News articles from July 2009

Automotive News archives from July 2009

Chrysler names execs for 6 segments.(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... Byline: Bradford Wernle In an effort to produce more distinctive vehicles for its three brands, Chrysler Group has chosen vehicle line executives to develop entries in six segments. The six executives were named in an internal memo...

Hans Dieter Poetsch.(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... FINANCE Management board member responsible for finance and controlling, Volkswagen AG Steady hand in the storm Last year was a year of records for Volkswagen AG. The group sold a record 6.3 million vehicles and posted a record...

Chinese firm delays Mexico plant.(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... Byline: Yang Jian China FAW Group Corp., a major state-owned automaker, has postponed a joint venture assembly plant in Mexico with its Mexican partner, Salinas Group, an FAW executive says. "Given the serious economic recession in...

Some Chrysler dealers face rejection by GMAC for inventory financing.(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... Byline: Donna Harris Some Chrysler dealers who survived the automaker's initial dealership purge in bankruptcy face a new threat: getting cut off by their new finance company. GMAC Financial Services has suspended inventory financing...

GM dealers fret as inventories shrink; Shutdowns create shortages of trucks and crossovers.(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... Byline: Jamie LaReau Some General Motors dealers fear they could run out of certain crossovers and full-sized pickups by mid-July. "We have about 14 Enclaves left, but we're selling that many a month, says John Pitre, general manager...

Toyota won't rock the boat in stormy seas; Savings will enable automaker to keep full-timers onboard.(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... Byline: Hans Greimel Despite promises of deep cuts and drastic reform at Toyota Motor Corp., don't look for major shake-ups and especially not layoffs from newly appointed President Akio Toyoda. The scion of the company's founding...

Hyundai plans sporty plug-in for U.S. by "12.(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... Byline: Kathy Jackson Hyundai plans to have a plug-in hybrid on sale in this country by late 2012. Yang Woong-chul, r&d president of Hyundai-Kia Motors, says the new hybrid-only vehicle will be based on the Blue-Will concept shown at...

Louisiana grills GM on restructuring proposal; At issue: Are dealers' rights protected?(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... Byline: Donna Harris General Motors began discussions with the Louisiana Motor Vehicle Commission last week to convince the executive director that the automaker's plan to cut its dealership network doesn't violate state law. GM must...

Mexican auto sales drop 37.1% in May.(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... Byline: James B. Treece Mexico's new-vehicle sales tumbled 37.1 percent in May from May 2008, to 53,683 vehicles. New-vehicle sales in Mexico have fallen every month, on a year-to-year basis, since August 2008. For the first five...

Midas seeks franchisees from rejected dealers.(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... Byline: Donna Harris Auto repair chain Midas Inc. is accelerating its campaign to woo the nearly 800 dealers Chrysler rejected during the automaker's bankruptcy. Midas has started sending letters to rejected Chrysler dealers and...

Advertising campaign pushes Prius at the gasoline pump.(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... Byline: Kathy Jackson Don't be surprised to see a commercial featuring the redesigned 2010 Toyota Prius the next time you fill up at the gas station. Toyota has teamed up with Detroit-based Gas Station TV to put commercials of the...

As rivals idle, Ford cranks up; Planned production boost is first in 2 years; most competitors slice output.(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... Byline: David Barkholz Ford Motor Co. is revving up North American production as competitors cut output to match weak sales. Ford said last week that it plans to boost third-quarter production 16 percent from the year-ago quarter...

Chuck Ernst.(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... MANUFACTURING Senior vice president, Honda Manufacturing of Alabama LLC Flex time Ten years ago, Chuck Ernst led the team that built Honda's factory in Lincoln, Ala. This past year, he pulled off a major feat of flexibility. His...

Toyota shuffles Ky. execs.(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Toyota Motor Corp. has bolstered its strained U.S. manufacturing team with new assignments to fill a number of executive positions. Toyota has been coping with high management turnover as it juggled expansion...

Owner survey: Few bugs in VWs, Audis.(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... Volkswagen AG led automakers with the most category-leading vehicles in a study assessing quality and owners' enthusiasm for their purchases. VW or Audi models ranked first in five of the 17 segments measured by Strategic Vision Inc. in...

Midas fees.(NEWS)
July 6, 2009... * One-time 20-year license fee: $30,000 * Monthly royalty: 10% of revenues * Point-of-sale software: Free, but maintenance fee is $100 per month