Automotive News articles from June 2003

Automotive News archives from June 2003

Letters to the Editor.(Letter to the Editor)
June 2, 2003... Two strikes when you come to bat To the Editor: Keith Crain's May 12 column titled "Just how important is quality?'' would be downright silly if it weren't so irresponsible. This at a time when U.S. firms continue to lose market share...

Mitsubishi's China partners.(News)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Hunan Changfeng Motor Co. Ownership: MMC, 20%; Changfeng Group, 47.5%; others, 32.5% Mitsubishi-based products: Liebao and Liebao Feitong (previous- generation Pajero SUV) Capacity: 30,000 2002 sales: 15,177 Beijing Jeep...

Volkswagen considers new factory in China.(News)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Luca Ciferri Volkswagen Group is close to a decision to build another assembly plant in China, two company sources say. The German automaker, which has two plants in China, needs extra production capacity in China to maintain...

3 strikes you pay.
June 2, 2003... Here are the 3 steps Honda takes if a dealer is found advertising vehicles for below-invoice price. 1st offense: Terse letter or phone call from region 2nd offense: Visit from zone or region manager 3rd offense: Forfeiture of co-op...

March/Hodge tops dealership rankings.(News)(largest U.S. black-owned dealership group)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Arlena Sawyers March/Hodge Automotive, which operates 22 dealerships in seven states, is the largest black-owned dealership group in the United States, according to Black Enterprise magazine's annual "B.E. Auto Dealer 100'' list....

Pininfarina works on SUV project.(News)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Chaz Osburn DETROIT - Pininfarina S.p.A. is working on a new SUV. The Italian design firm and coach builder, best known for its work with Ferrari, has ignored the SUV phenomena too long, points out Chairman Sergio Pininfarina....

If profits fade, auto CEOs must share the pain.(Opinion)
June 2, 2003... When it comes to executive compensation, how much is too much? The auto industry appears determined to find out. Last year, median compensation for the auto industry's top 32 CEOs was $2.6 million, up nearly 19 percent. At the same time,...

GM launches ad campaign stressing quality.(News)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Dave Guilford DETROIT - General Motors is aiming a long-term advertising campaign at the roughly 40 percent of U.S. auto shoppers who don't consider its vehicles. Gary Cowger, president of GM North America, last week unveiled...

RV sales fall.(News)(conversion vehicles )(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Dale Jewett Shipments of conversion vehicles in April fell 17.7 percent, compared to April 2002, as all three categories within the segment posted declines. SUV conversions took the biggest hit for the month, down 33.3...

Chrysler boosts ads to avoid rebates.(News)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Mary Connelly DETROIT - The Chrysler group will pour an additional $100 million into advertising through Labor Day to bring buyers into showrooms. The spending is designed to boost sales without profit-eroding rebates and other...

NHTSA checks overheating steering wheels.(News)(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defect investigations)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Harry Stoffer WASHINGTON - Federal safety officials are investigating the heated steering wheels on 1998-99 Audis to determine if they contain a safety defect. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has...

Personnel.(News)(appointments, various companies)
June 2, 2003... Byline: K.C. Crain ARVINMERITOR INC. - Craig Pryor, 54, to vice president of operations for axles and drivelines in the commercial vehicles group. He was vice president and general manager of access control systems for the light-vehicles...

Obituaries.(Robert Dewey, William McKenzie, Jack Mullane, Robert Thompson)(Obituary)
June 2, 2003... Robert Dewey DETROIT - Former General Motors financial executive Robert Dewey died May 20. He was 72. Dewey held a number of positions at GM, including director of planning for Chevrolet passenger cars and director of Chevrolet...

Toyota bans dumping at U.S. engine plants.(News)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Lindsay Chappell HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Toyota's new Alabama engine plant will be a template for its push to build more environmentally benign factories. Huntsville is the first greenfield site to meet Toyota's self-imposed...

Dealers.(People)(new dealerships, expansions)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Beginnings *Don McGill opened Don McGill Toyota of Katy in Katy, Texas. He also owns Don McGill Toyota in Houston. Milestones *Jeff Kaye and Marty Kaye of Dade Jeep-Chrysler in Miami received a 25-year award for Jeep from...

Quality lapses cause stir at Land Rover.(News)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Bradford Wernle Land Rover is putting pressure on its workers to help solve the company's growing quality problems. Management has told employees that if they don't accept changes at the company's Solihull, England, plant,...

VW will launch diesel push in fall.(News)(Volkswagen North American diesel strategy)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Richard Truett DETROIT - With a revamped fuel injection system for its turbocharged diesel engines coming this fall, Volkswagen will put its long-term diesel strategy in place for North America. The 2004 New Beetle, Golf, Jetta...

Personnel.(People)(appointments, various companies)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... GENERAL MOTORS - Herb Fishel, 61, executive director of GM Racing, will retire Sept. 1. Doug Duchardt, 39, will assume Fishel's responsibilities. Duchardt was group manager for GM Racing's oval track group. Pat Suhy Jr., 39, will...

Mitsubishi N.A. forecast: Guarded; U.S. credit-arm losses tarnish a record year.(News)(North America)
June 2, 2003... Byline: James B. Treece TOKYO - Mitsubishi Motors Corp. is offering a cautious forecast for its North American sales after being forced to tighten its credit policies following losses at its U.S. financing arm. The automaker also is...

Mitsubishi, DCX platform sharing set to flourish.(News)(DaimlerChrysler AG)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Byline: James B. Treece TOKYO - Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s cooperation with its parent, DaimlerChrysler AG, will pay off in North America between 2005 and 2007. Of the eight models Mitsubishi plans to introduce in North America in that...

Hyundai venture faces labor woes.(News)(Hyundai Motor Co. joint venture with DaimlerChrysler)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Peter Chang SEOUL, Korea - A labor dispute is hampering Hyundai Motor Co.'s plan to set up a joint venture with DaimlerChrysler to build trucks and buses in South Korea. Hyundai's union is demanding guaranteed job security for...

Dealership caters to vehicle customizers.(News)(Flexivity Automotive Super Center)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Ralph Kisiel DETROIT - If you can't beat them, open your own store. That was the thinking behind the creation of Flexivity Automotive Super Center in Southgate, Mich. Rather than let potential postsale business slip away,...

Maybe the Germans are right.(making vehicles less dangerous)(Column)
June 2, 2003... Byline: KEITH CRAIN A new study confirms what we all knew: Many things we do in our cars are distracting and potentially dangerous. Whether we should be driving with our cup of hot coffee in our cupholder is a moot point. We know...

Lessees must pay dealership's legal bills in fraud suit.(Legal File)(Crown Toyota)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Eric Freedman Lessees who filed an unsuccessful fraud lawsuit against an Ontario, Calif., dealership must cover its $18,961 in attorney fees and legal costs, a state Court of Appeal panel has ruled. There was no evidence to...

Delphi's Alapont: X-by-wire still years away.(News)(Jose Maria Alapont)(Interview)
June 2, 2003... Jose Maria Alapont has moved to Detroit, but he still oversees Delphi Corp.'s European operations. In January, Alapont was named president of international operations and vice president for sales and marketing at the world's largest...

Japan exports increase, production drops.(News)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi TOKYO - Japan's new-vehicle exports in April rose 2.1 percent from a year earlier, supported by brisk European demand and stable U.S. shipments. The gain, to 398,700, reflected a 14.4 percent rise in exports to...

Bosch works to develop new emissions filter.(News)(Robert Bosch GmbH)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Edmund Chew Robert Bosch GmbH is working on a new-generation particulate filter that it plans to offer automakers by 2005 or 2006. The world's leading diesel engine management systems supplier does not make exhaust filters. But...

Cayenne helps boost Porsche's 9-month revenue.(News)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... FRANKFURT - Porsche AG said its revenues rose 18 percent to 3.89 billion euros ($4.6 billion at current exchange rates) in the nine months to the end of April and forecast a rise in profit for the full year. Publishing nine-month figures...

GM may keep overnight program.(News)(overnight test drives)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Dave Guilford DETROIT - General Motors appears likely to renew its overnight test drive program, now slated to end July 31. GM North America President Gary Cowger hinted as much, saying the program's life span will depend on...

Ford upgrades its Web site.(News)(industry briefs)
June 2, 2003... DETROIT - Beginning Wednesday, June 4, visitors to Ford Motor Co.'s fordvehicles.com Web site will be able to download customized vehicle brochures. The site will contain product and pricing information from Ford's database that will...

Storm clouds are gathering for suppliers.(News)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky DETROIT - Growing auto inventories, an uncertain labor picture and higher material costs could mean a rough second half for auto suppliers. Vehicle stockpiles on dealer lots, at record highs since March,...

Blue oval returns.(News)
June 2, 2003... Ford Motor Co.'s familiar blue oval logo is back on top of the automaker's world headquarters building in Dearborn, Mich., waiting to be unveiled on June 17 as part of the company's centennial celebration. Construction workers reinstalled the...

Canton comes to life.
June 2, 2003... Nissan Motor Co. CEO Carlos Ghosn, center, was surrounded by several hundred of the 2,000 employees at the automaker's $1.4 billion assembly plant in Canton, Miss., on Tuesday, May 27, as part of the ceremonies marking the start of production....

Late News.(industry briefs)
June 2, 2003... Toyota to build engines in Calif. Toyota Motor Corp.'s TABC Inc. parts subsidiary in Long Beach, Calif., will build engines for Tacoma pickups made in California and Mexico. This will be the first instance of a subsidiary building engines...

Hyundai Elantra gets face-lift for Korea.(News)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Peter Chang SEOUL - Hyundai Motor Co. has face-lifted its mid-sized Elantra, badged locally as the Avante XD, as part of its efforts to regain its dominance in that segment of the Korean market after losing share to other makers'...

Hyundai battles new-product dry spell; Rival products threaten automaker's breakneck growth.(News)
June 2, 2003... Byline: James R. Crate and John Stoll CARLSBAD, Calif. - Hyundai's breakneck sales growth in the United States seems likely to hit a lull as the Korean automaker suffers a temporary shortage of new products. In the past five years,...

German supplier struggles with margins.(News)(ZF Friedrichshafen AG hopes to lift margins and sales in 2004-05)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Colin Whitbread STUTTGART, Germany - ZF Friedrichshafen AG, the German driveline and chassis giant, is feeling financial strain. Operating margins, which fell to 2 percent last year from the previous year's 2.8 percent, are far...

Canton is primed for Nissan 180 plan; New plant will launch 5 models in an uncertain market.(News)(Nissan's Canton, Mississippi, plant begins producing Quest minivans)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Lindsay Chappell CANTON, Miss. - The first Quest minivans making their way down the line last week at Nissan's new assembly plant here marked a milestone in CEO Carlos Ghosn's "Nissan 180'' financial plan. Nissan 180 is the...

For those wary of SARS, there's always video.(Briefs)
June 2, 2003... SARS continues to disrupt business across Asia, but Steven Torok, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. executive vice president for international car operations, is taking it in stride. "We're all getting a lot better at videoconferencing,'' he says. "Plane...

Chevrolet dumps Cavalier name.(name to be dropped when car is redesigned for the 2005 model year)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Rick Kranz Chevrolet will abandon the Cavalier name when it redesigns the car for the 2005 model year. The front-wheel-drive car is expected to be called the Cobalt, say dealers who saw the car last month at a Chevrolet event....

Peugeot unsure about U.S. return.(News)(PSA/Peugeot-Citroen SA is cautions about re-entering U.S. market)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Sylviane de Saint-Seine PARIS - PSA/Peugeot-Citroen SA has studied a return to the U.S. market but is more cautious than ever about such a move, CEO Jean-Martin Folz said. Speaking at the annual shareholders meeting on...

Crossfire purely an 'image car'; Dealers will make minimal profit on sporty 2-seater.(News)(Chrysler Crossfire)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Mary Connelly DETROIT - Availability - and profits - will be slim this year for the 2004 Chrysler Crossfire. It will be year end before every dealer selling the Crossfire receives at least one. Dealer profits will be squeezed...

Lutz: General Motors will learn from Saturn mistakes.(News)(Vice Chairman Robert Lutz says GM will continue to invest in Saturn)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Dave Guilford DETROIT - General Motors will invest in its Saturn division, not neglect it, Vice Chairman Robert Lutz said. "You don't get in and out of brands,'' Lutz said at a press event last week. "You make a commitment to...

Proposed fund could curb asbestos litigation.(News)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Harry Stoffer WASHINGTON - A key senator is proposing a $108 billion trust fund to pay claims to people made sick by exposure to asbestos, a compound formerly used in automobile brakes, clutches and other parts. A goal of the...

Domestics, Koreans make gains in quality survey.(News)(latest automobile quality survey from Strategic Vision Inc.)
June 2, 2003... Byline: K.C. Crain Cadillac's parade of new designs, including the CTS sedan and Escalade SUVs, has helped the General Motors division win a greater emotional response from buyers, according to the latest quality survey from Strategic...

Tower moves Ranger frame to Ohio plant.(Suppliers)(Tower Automotive Inc. to move production of frame assemblies for Ford Ranger pickup; other news items)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Byline: K.C. Crain GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Tower Automotive Inc. will move production of frame assemblies for the Ford Ranger pickup from its Milwaukee plant to Bellevue, Ohio. The relocation of the production line will be completed by...

Diesel focus shifts from technical challenge to cost.
June 2, 2003... Byline: Richard Truett Diesel engines from four automakers have passed the Environmental Protection Agency's stringent 2007 emissions regulations for cars. Toyota Motor Corp. and Volkswagen AG are two of the automakers who have met the...

New CAFE rule gets court test.(News)(Corporate Average Fuel Economy)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Harry Stoffer WASHINGTON - Two conservative organizations have filed suit to stop higher fuel economy standards adopted by the Bush administration for light trucks. The Washington-based groups, Competitive Enterprise Institute...

Mitsubishi tries new approach in China.(News)(Mitsubishi Motors Corp.)
June 2, 2003... Byline: James B. Treece TOKYO - Mitsubishi Motors Corp. plans a two-pronged strategy in China, selling its newest models under its own brand and allowing its local partners to continue selling vehicles derived from previous-generation...

Survey: More buyers believe dealers, not ads.(News)(a Canadian survey finds that car buyers pay more attention to information gained at the showroom than online)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Bob English TORONTO - The much-touted 1990s notion that auto dealerships would be eliminated by the Internet has been debunked by a Canadian survey showing advice obtained on the showroom floor affects more purchase decisions than...

Okla. City plans to reopen.(Production)(industry briefs)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Debi Domby *Officials at General Motors' Oklahoma City assembly plant hope to resume production of the Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT, GMC Envoy XL and Isuzu Ascender on June 30. Five hundred units that were in final assembly when a...

SUV passions overflow in tax debate.(Column)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Harry Stoffer The roofing contractor who is coming to work on your house this summer plans to buy two new trucks. One will be a heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado pickup for hauling lumber and ladders. The other will be a Chevrolet...

Fire-sale ads draw factory ire; Nissan, Toyota move toward Honda's strict dealer ad policy.
June 2, 2003... Byline: Mark Rechtin As manufacturers use larger incentives to move metal, the temptation is strong for dealerships to advertise the deal in fire-sale terms. But American Honda Motor Co. Inc. has forbidden Honda and Acura dealerships...

Ghosn: Nissan cash goes into core automobile business.(News)(CEO Carlos Ghosn)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Mark Rechtin CANTON, Miss. - Now that it has shed $19 billion in automotive debt, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. has capital to invest in bringing more products to market sooner. Nissan has begun hiring 1,000 engineers worldwide to help...

Scion debuts with wordless TV commercials.(News)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Mark Rechtin LOS ANGELES - Toyota's youth-oriented Scion vehicles will hit the streets of California this week with a low-key but sharply targeted advertising campaign. Four TV spots and a print campaign will be the crux of the...

Marketing chief must make a difference fast; Chrysler executive has to pump up sales and nurture brands.(News)(Joe Eberhardt)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Mary Connelly New marketing chief Joe Eberhardt must move quickly to shore up sales at the Chrysler group while protecting the company's U.S. brands. Eberhardt, 39, took over as the Chrysler group's executive vice president of...

Strong May sales cannot mask Big 3 problems.(Opinion)
June 9, 2003... Two weeks ago, Nissan Motor Co. CEO Carlos Ghosn went to Mississippi to open Nissan's $1.4 billion assembly plant in Canton. Last week, General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and the Chrysler group announced production cuts for the coming weeks. ...

Problems pile up on Chrysler.(Column)
June 9, 2003... Byline: KEITH CRAIN Not long after Daimler-Benz took over Chrysler Corp., Daimler sent two of its best and brightest to lead its new U.S. subsidiary. CEO Dieter Zetsche and COO Wolfgang Bernhard are trying their best to fulfill the...

Day steps down as Venture CEO.(News)(Joseph Day, Venture Holdings)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Robert Sherefkin A two-man team has replaced Joseph Day, who stepped down last week after less than three months as CEO of troubled Venture Holdings. Executives for the injection molder say that the company's fortunes had...

GM raises the ante.(news)(rebates)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. Since January, most of General Motors' rebates to buyers of new cars and trucks have ranged from $2,000 to $3,000. Last week, GM moved up to the next level with a flock of $4,000 givebacks. It will put more...

Jeep gets 'Tomb Raider' movie tie-in.(News)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Mary Connelly In July, Jeep will begin selling 1,000 units of the 2003 Wrangler Rubicon Tomb Raider. The limited-edition vehicle will coincide with release of the film Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. The film...

Woes mount for frazzled industry; Carmakers pump fleet sales as retail traffic cools.
June 9, 2003... Byline: David Sedgwick, Arlena Sawyers The auto industry is relying more heavily on fleet sales to rental car companies and other commercial fleets to prop up the U.S. market. In the first three months of 2003, new vehicles registered...

Porsche brings high-tech experience to Carrera GT.(News)
June 9, 2003... Byline: K.C. Crain Porsche AG has forged its high-performance reputation with the vehicles it has produced for street use and on the world's racetracks. The sum of that experience is embodied in the new Carrera GT sports car, Porsche...

Analysts: Sirius is still in satellite radio race; XM is clear leader, but market is large enough for 2 players.(Marketing)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Elizabeth Boston, Jean Halliday With the financial and advertising backing of an automotive partner, a 500,000-strong subscriber base and a measured-media budget more than five times its rival, XM appears to have the lead in the...

Timken says acquisition will bring savings.(News)(Timken Co. acquisition of Torrington Co.)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Julie Armstrong Bearing supplier Timken Co. is only four months into its latest acquisition but already expects the move to provide pre-tax savings of $20 million by year end and $80 million by the end of 2005. The...

Chrysler boosts Pacifica marketing.(News)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Mary Connelly The heat is on the Chrysler Pacifica. After last week's startling announcement that the Chrysler group expects an operating loss of about $1.2 billion in the second quarter, the company needs a hit from its most...

Uncertain venture.(News)
June 9, 2003... Spanish importer Comarth America Product: The Xtamy - a 4-cylinder, 2-seat convertible Manufacturer: Automur Comarth, an independent auto factory in Murcia, Spain Distributor: Undetermined Engine source: Ford of Europe ...

2004 Nissan Quest.(News)
June 9, 2003... Wheelbase: 124.0 in. Length: 204.1 in. Width: 77.6 in. Height: 70.0 in. Curb weight: 4,102 lbs. Engine: 3.5-liter V-6 Power: 240 hp @ 5,800 rpm Torque: 242 lbs.-ft. @ 4,400 rpm Price: Not disclosed

Auto News Digest.(Briefs)
June 9, 2003... RouteOne to use DealerSphere DETROIT - RouteOne, the joint venture of the captive finance companies of the Big 3 and Toyota, will use EDS' DealerSphere to integrate its credit application management system with the dealership management...

Porsche Carrera GT.(News)
June 9, 2003... Porsche plans to export 700 Carrera GTs to the united States with a sticker price of $440,000. Engine: 5.7-liter V-10, 612 hp @ 8,000 rpm Top speed: 205 mph Wheels: Forged magnesium; 19-in. diameter front, 20-in. rear Clutch:...

China plans to grab imported technology; Move may impede foreign automakers from doing business.
June 9, 2003... Byline: Alysha Webb China has issued the draft of a new auto-industry policy that appears to curtail sharply the ability of foreign automakers and suppliers operating here to safeguard their proprietary technology and intellectual...

Obituaries.(Joe Pecheles, C. John Roberts, John Rowland, Gerald Shaw)(Obituary)
June 9, 2003... Joe Pecheles GREENVILLE, N.C. - Retired auto dealer Joe Pecheles died on May 27. He was 81. He owned Joe Pecheles Volkswagen here from 1965 until 1983. C. John Roberts HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. - Retired Ford Motor Co....

What's in a name? A lot for Chrysler group.(News)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Mary Connelly The Chrysler group's next generation of full-sized sedans likely will wear fresh names to attract new buyers. Next spring, Chrysler will replace the Dodge Intrepid and the Chrysler Concorde. The rear-drive...

Mercedes-Benz benefits from Sorenstam; Top female golfer brings automaker plenty of exposure.(Marketing)(Annika Sorenstam)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Marty Bernstein Two years ago, when Mercedes-Benz USA LLC hired Annika Sorenstam, arguably the world's best female golfer, to wear its famous tri-star logo on her golf shirt, little could the automaker have imagined the resulting...

Dealers.(People)
June 9, 2003... * 25 with Chrysler A.J. Hiers, right, of Boniface Hiers Chrysler-Dodge in Merritt Island, Fla., receives a 25-year award from Frank Lasater, DaimlerChrysler dealer operations manager. * 25 with Honda John Holtz, right, of John...

Chrysler's anguish may not be unique; Incentives, lease losses are thorns to entire industry.(News)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko The Chrysler group's disclosure last week that it will post a $1.18 billion loss this quarter because of high incentive spending and residual losses on off-lease cars points to a mounting problem for the entire...

NTSB seeks mandatory stability control.(News)(National Transportation Safety Board)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Harry Stoffer A federal investigation of a particularly gruesome crash could give a boost to the makers of stability control for cars and trucks. The federal agency best known for finding causes of aviation disasters last year...

Auto News Briefly.(Briefs)
June 9, 2003... Strike site joins endangered list For the second straight year, the Motorcities-Automobile National Heritage Area, a nonprofit group trying to preserve automobile heritage areas, has released its endangered list. That is a compilation of...

Nissan seeks hip market with new Quest.(News)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Mark Rechtin Forget soccer moms as the target audience. Nissan wants the buyer of its new Quest minivan to be a "modern sexy mom.'' With the 2004 Quest a standout design departure from the rest of the minivan pack, Nissan makes...

On the road.(News)
June 9, 2003... Automakers' fuel cell tests DaimlerChrysler Vehicles for UPS Ford Motor Co. 5 cars in Vancouver General Motors 6 cars in Washington Honda Cars with the city of Los Angeles Toyota SUVs on 2 University of California campuses...

Sales rise 4.3% in May; Incentives help GM but fail Ford, Chrysler.(News)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Underscoring again the link between the Big 3's sales performance and their incentives spending, General Motors' sales jumped 8.1 percent in May, while Ford Motor Co. was off 0.8 percent and the Chrysler group...

Juicing the Pacifica.(News)
June 9, 2003... The company plans to * Deliver less-expensive front-drive models to dealers * Tout product features in TV commercials * Invite service customers at dealerships to drive and evaluate the vehicle * Continue an 11-city tour, in...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
June 9, 2003... * A Late News item on Page 1 of the May 26 issue incorrectly reported when Hyundai Motor Finance Co.'s 3 percent cap on dealer finance reserves takes effect. The correct date is June 20. * A story on Page 1 of the June 2 issue inaccurately...

Dealers are wary of sporty Spanish import; Many call details about convertible too murky for $50,000 gamble.(News)(XTamy from Automur Comarth)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Richard Cooper is holding a check for $50,000 that would reserve his spot for a new-car franchise. But the South Carolina Ford dealer is wary about putting that check in the mail. An obscure Spanish factory...