Automotive News articles from March 2006

Automotive News archives from March 2006

Acura tries on new genes.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Honda Motor Co. is on the right track in deciding to create product-development and styling teams just for Acura. Acura has long been an underachiever in the United States, falling shy of Lexus and Infiniti in brand image. The...

... but Zap's still on the case.(Final assembly)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Wannabe small-car importer Zap is making waves again. Last spring the company placed an out-of-the blue order with DaimlerChrysler for $1 billion worth of Smart cars. But it was stiff-armed by the automaker, which said it had doubts about...

ADESA plans new sites and several relocations.(News)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Arlena Sawyers ADESA Inc.'s expansion plans include adding auction sites and relocating some existing sites. David Gartzke, CEO of the Carmel, Ind., auction company, says these moves will help ADESA realize its growth...

Hyundai has big World Cup goals.(Marketing)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Jason Stein Hyundai is ready to exploit to the full its sponsorship of the World Cup soccer tournament this summer. During the monthlong tournament in Germany, the Korean automaker will: * Sell special-edition World Cup...

Production.
March 6, 2006... 3 tables: Scheduled plant overtime * Plant closings * North America car and truck production: see print copy CAPTION(S): The Chrysler group will build its 1 millionth PT Cruiser today, March 6. The car is produced in Toluca, Mexico.

Japanese sweep top 10 list.(Final assembly)
March 6, 2006... Consumer Reports has been naming its top 10 vehicles of the year since 1997. And for the first time, Japanese automakers have pitched a shutout, winning all 10 spots. The magazine's top 2006 picks (and their categories): The Honda Civic...

Smart car to U.S.? Still a maybe ...(Final assembly)(DaimlerChrysler on introducing car in USA)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... DaimlerChrysler still hasn't decided whether Smart will come to the United States despite promises that an announcement would be made at the Geneva auto show. But it seems to be leaning toward yes. Said Ulrich Walker, head of Smart: "We are...

Saturn's ring of Opels could include Astra.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: David Sedgwick Conventional wisdom holds that General Motors' survival depends on the success of its newly redesigned full-sized sport-utes. I'm beginning to think that conventional wisdom is wrong. It might make more sense to...

GM OKs Saab crossover.(News)(General Motors Corp.)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Dave Guilford General Motors has approved plans for a Saab crossover vehicle that the company says will give the chronically unprofitable Swedish automaker a shot at profitability. Carl-Peter Forster, president of General...

Hurricanes just might blow in title reform.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Harry Stoffer Something good could yet arise from the rubble of Hurricane Katrina: a remedy to the vexing problem of title washing. That's the practice of getting a clean title for a wrecked, flood-damaged or stolen vehicle and...

GM's ad buyer will invite offers from both broadcast and cable.(Marketing)(GM Planworks)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Jon Lafayette General Motors' media-buying agency is changing the way it does business with local TV stations. GM Planworks says it is eliminating "share deals.'' Such agreements place the bulk of GM's money for local TV...

Nissan is considering a full-sized van for U.S.(News)(Nissan Motor Co.)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Rick Kranz Nissan Motor Co. is studying the possibility of assembling a full-sized van in North America off its full-sized truck platform. That platform is shared by the Titan pickup and two SUVs, the Nissan Armada and Infiniti...

Hyundai ads go interactive.(Marketing)(Hyundai Motor America)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Daisy Whitney Hyundai Motor America is introducing a series of interactive TV commercials in local cable markets. The commercials allow viewers to use a TV remote control to get vehicle data and schedule a test drive at a...

Chrysler group is looking for a partner on Hornet.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Rick Kranz The Chrysler group will decide this year whether to produce the Dodge Hornet subcompact concept it unveiled here last week, and it is considering Asian and European automakers as joint-venture partners. Chrysler...

Awards ceremony evokes memories and gratitude.(Final assembly)
March 6, 2006... It didn't hit me right away. But when Nils Bohlin's son told how his father's invention had affected his life, I realized how much I, too, owe the late Volvo engineer. Bohlin, the inventor of the three-point safety belt, was one of five...

Volvo expects latest S80 to bring in new buyers.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Bradford Wernle At first glance, the redesigned Volvo S80 sedan looks like an evolutionary step forward for the Swedish premium brand. The big sedan's basic lines are similar, including the distinctive curving broad shoulders that...

Ford debuts Coupe-Cabriolet, S-Max for Europe.(News)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Bradford Wernle Ford unveiled two cars here aimed squarely at Europe's near-premium sector. But neither is likely to see U.S. shores, executives said. The Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet and the S-Max sporty five-seat crossover are...

GM's ad spending cuts raise eyebrows; Industry watchers say competitors are unlikely to follow.(Marketing)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Jean Halliday In slashing its national advertising budget this year by $200 million, General Motors is taking the road less traveled. Perhaps it's the wrong road. Competitors are closely monitoring GM's plan to cut an...

For $2 million, you get to pick the sheets; Ferrari brings Driving Experience to owners with 2-day hotel stay.(Marketing)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Jean Halliday You can tell a lot about a guy who drives a Ferrari. He's 45 to 50 years old. He's more likely than not to own a private jet. There's a one-in-five chance he also has a motorboat. He's probably on his second...

Reminder calls can boost service business.(Service & Parts)(Central Maine Motors Inc.)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Donna Harris To promote the service departments he runs at three dealerships, Chris Gaunce borrows a practice from doctors and dentists. He dedicates a staff to schedule and confirm customers' service appointments. Gaunce is...

Hornet: America's Euro rally car? A Californian brings a fresh look to a heartland brand.(News)(Mark Moushegian designs new Dodge Hornet)
March 6, 2006... What do you get if you breed a Scion xB with a BMW Mini? You get the Dodge Hornet, an offbeat concept that could bring the European rally car aesthetic to the American heartland. If the Chrysler group approves it, run-of-the-mill SUVs...

Saturn slips into Opel's orbit; Lutz: `Saturn will be like Vauxhall'.(Robert Lutz of General Motors Corp.)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Dave Guilford Saturn's future looks a lot like the present-day status of General Motors' British subsidiary, Vauxhall. Vauxhall slaps its badge on cars created by GM's German subsidiary, Adam Opel AG. That's what Saturn will...

Toyota diversity chief: No numbers game.(News)(Jerome Miller of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Arlena Sawyers Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. is not widely known for its record on diversity. Toyota has hired Jerome Miller to help change that. Miller, 52, became Toyota's vice president of diversity and inclusion in...

Lear trims 60 jobs in interiors division.(News)(Lear Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Byline: David Barkholz Lear Corp. has cut 60 jobs in its money-losing vehicle interiors business. The seat and interiors supplier trimmed 30 salaried employees and 30 contract workers in its interiors system division in Dearborn,...

Rolls rolls out a coupe concept.(News)(Rolls-Royce Motor Cars 101EX)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Bradford Wernle The Flying Lady is spreading her wings: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars showed a Phantom-based coupe concept here which, if it goes into production, would be the fourth car in the Rolls lineup. The 101EX coupe concept is...

Concepts.(News)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Lotus APX Type of vehicle: Crossover What's cool: Lotus Engineering's Versatile Vehicle Architecture, because of the range of models that can be built off it. The APX is the concept for an all-wheel-drive high-performance crossover,...

Power cools; Mercedes-Benz debuts 3 AMG barnburners.(News)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Mercedes-Benz put the spotlight on horsepower in Geneva, unveiling a slate of barnburners from its AMG tuner division and what it says is the world's most powerful eight-cylinder naturally aspirated production...

Cube: Quirky, not quick; Nissan would like to lighten the car for U.S. and Europe.(News)(Nissan Motor Co.)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Rick Kranz Can a cube be streamlined? That's the issue facing Nissan Motor Co. as it prepares to launch its quirky five-door Cube hatchback in U.S. and European markets. The car, which has not been sold outside Japan, is...

Saab may get Cadillac treatment.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Dave Guilford Former Cadillac marketer Jay Spenchian wants to use the Cadillac template to give Saab a clear identity. As crowds gathered around Saab's Aero-X concept sport coupe at the Geneva auto show, Spenchian, general...

Asian, Mexican parts boost U.S. trade deficit.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Imports of Asian and Mexican auto parts are pushing the U.S. automotive trade imbalance deeper into the red. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that the United States bought $92.15 billion worth of...

Letters to the editor.(Letter to the Editor)
March 6, 2006... One-price selling doesn't work To the Editor: I enjoyed Samuel Harrison Chorches' Feb. 6 column, "Fixed-price selling: Its time has come.'' I have tried many times to make one-price selling work at my dealership. The problem is...

Miss. raises the ante for Kia; Hurricane relief pushes incentive package near $1 billion.(Kia Motors Corp.)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Lindsay Chappell In the contest for a new Kia assembly plant, Mississippi is offering $240 million in federal tax breaks aimed at rebuilding areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina - even though the area around the plant site suffered...

Is there - gasp! - a minivan in Volvo's future?(News)(Volvo Car Corp.)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Bradford Wernle Volvo Car Corp. is conducting cold-weather testing of a prototype minivan around the town of Arvidsjaur above the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden, according to a source familiar with the test program. The...

JWT's Detroit chief rides Fusion on Ford's new marketing path.(Marketing)(George Rogers)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Jean Halliday George Rogers said he didn't want to be typecast as a "car guy.'' But it seems he can't escape his past. In 1997, the advertising executive left Arnold Worldwide, where he had headed the Volkswagen of America...

Chevy finds a prime spot in Times Square; GM buys 3rd sign in high-visibility, high-rent area.(Marketing)(General Motors' Chevrolet)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Abbey Klaassen, Jean Halliday Next month, a Chevrolet sign will go up in New York's Times Square. It will join two other billboards that General Motors leases there, making GM the largest advertiser at the famous "bow tie''...

Best tag lines define brand for consumers, company alike.(Marketing)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Lillie Guyer Break through. Like a rock. Let's motor. Drivers wanted. The ultimate driving machine. Zoom-zoom. Consumers know the vehicle brands these tag lines promote without being told. (For the record, they're Cadillac,...

Automakers search for Web attention.(Marketing)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Grant W. Repsher Nearly every automaker's marketing strategy includes ways to nudge computer users from Internet search engines to its Web site. Search marketing was once the domain of third-party automotive sites such as...

Dana vows shipments will continue.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Philip Nussel, David Barkholz Dana Corp.'s Chapter 11 filing for its U.S. operations accelerated the financial crisis facing suppliers. But the company said it had lined up financing to keep shipments flowing during reorganization....

GM orders review of minority dealer program.(News)(General Motors Corp.)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Arlena Sawyers A diversity specialist who found weaknesses in General Motors' minority dealership program in the late 1990s is studying the program again. GM hired attorney Weldon Latham to review its program, which has...

Mazda3 joins small-car market in China.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Alysha Webb Ford Motor Co. has begun assembling the Mazda3 sedan at its plant in Chongqing in southwest China. The mid-sized sedan will face stiff competition from models such as the Toyota Corolla, Buick Excelle, Hyundai...

China is becoming key player in global auto electronics.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Alysha Webb Recent moves by some major players signaled the beginning of a new era for China's electronics industry. China no longer is merely a place to churn out low-tech, high-labor components. It is fast becoming an...

Hemi spots open doors for comedian.(Marketing)(Jon Reep in Dodge's commercial)(Interview)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Jean Halliday Jon Reep was a struggling stand-up comic when he landed a starring role in a Dodge commercial. The actor from Hickory, N.C., has appeared in six TV spots for Dodge. His signature line - "That thing got a Hemi?'' -...

In Europe it's diesels, not hybrids.(Column)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Byline: KEITH CRAIN It may be the culture or it may be engineering, but you don't see a lot of hybrids in Europe. European manufacturers and consumers are convinced that their best solution to the high price of oil is to use a diesel...

Cadillac's Taylor: Global sales can make or break a program.(News)(Jim Taylor)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Dave Guilford Jim Taylor, Cadillac marketing general manager, says the division needs to make progress on one laggard element in its largely successful revival plan: building international volume. American dealers should pay...

Auto News Digest.(Briefs)
March 6, 2006... Anybody have a tape measure? How wide is the Dodge Hornet concept? Not as wide as the number the Chrysler group posted on its media Web site before the car's unveiling at the show. Those dimensions had the Hornet at 76.1 inches - 2 inches...

Hungary-built Suzuki arrives in U.S. this fall.(News)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Dave Guilford Suzuki Motor Corp. unveiled its SX4 small crossover here. It will launch the Hungary-built vehicle in North America in September, wooing buyers with a flexible three-mode drive system. The system allows drivers to...

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
March 6, 2006... A table on Page 96 in the Feb. 6 issue listed the wrong powertrain warranty for Honda. For 2006 models, it is 5 years/60,000 miles. A story on Page 38 of the Feb. 20 issue misstated the number of Jaguar XK coupes and convertibles presold to...

Auto News Briefly.(Briefs)
March 6, 2006... Hey, thanks a lot, OnStar If a Florida man had read the owner's manual in his Cadillac Escalade, he would have known how the OnStar system works. If, after the OnStar button is pressed, the OnStar operator doesn't get a response, the...

New Volvo COO's job: Better ties with Ford.(News)(Volvo Car Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Bradford Wernle Volvo Car Corp. has moved to streamline relations with parent Ford Motor Co. by naming one key purchasing executive as its first COO and promoting another. The two men have long experience with both companies....

GM picks Hummer marketing chief.(News)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Jamie LaReau General Motors has named Megan Stooke as director of marketing for Hummer. Stooke, 38, replaces Liz Vanzura, who became global director of marketing for Cadillac on Feb. 1. Stooke was director of advertising...

U.S. brands fight hot local brands in China.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Alysha Webb China's light-vehicle market is charging ahead, barely slowed by a slump in early 2005. Sales rose 26.9 percent to 3.1 million units in 2005 compared with the previous year, according to Automotive Resources Asia, a...

Suzuki pulls a snow job for its Grand Vitara.(Marketing)(Suzuki Motor Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Kathy Jackson Suzuki's Grand Vitara SUV is hitting the slopes. American Suzuki Motor Corp. is sponsoring amateur ski and snowboarding competitions at five U.S. resorts through April 15. The outdoors crowd is a prime target for...

Land Rover events range from upscale to earthy.(Marketing)(Land Rover Australia)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Jenny King Land Rover is expanding its series of driving schools at four-star North American resorts to attract high-end customers. At an earthier level, the luxury brand's certified used-vehicle program is sponsoring "Muddy...

Late News.
March 6, 2006... VW lays off U.S. execs AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Two Volkswagen of America Inc. executives have been laid off, a company source confirmed late last week. A longtime spokesman for the company is expected to leave soon. Gone are Charlie...

Toyota will pay $4.5 million in back wages to Ky. workers.(News)(Toyota Motor Corp.)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Toyota Motor Corp. says it will pay $4.5 million in back wages to workers in Georgetown, Ky., as a result of a U.S. Supreme Court decision in a case that originated with workers in a chicken processing plant. ...

Bernd, who's got your back?(Final assembly)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... The ground underneath Volkswagen CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder's feet got wobblier last week. VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech told The Wall Street Journal the automaker's supervisory board was split over whether to extend the CEO's five-year...

Th!nk tanks.(Final assembly)(Ford Motor Co.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Th!nk, once a key part of Ford Motor's plan for electric vehicles, has shorted out. The Norway-based maker of small electric vehicles was declared bankrupt last week after it could not make wage and bill payments. The company will be...

Scoping out the Escape.(News)(Ford Motor Co.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... The re-engineered and restyled 2008 Ford Escape crossover, captured here in a spy photo, is scheduled to go into production early next year. It gets a freshened front and rear end, a chunky front bumper and a new interior. CAPTION(S): ...

GM, Ford cut production, incentives.(General Motors Corp.)(Ford Motor Co.)
March 6, 2006... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. In yet another month when Japanese sales were up, and General Motors and Ford Motor Co. were down, the two Americans had an uncharacteristic reaction - they cut production and put a lid on incentives. Both...

Wireless PCs aid service techs.(Service & Parts)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Gail Kachadourian Wireless computers are helping service technicians work more efficiently - and profitably. Technicians can connect wireless PCs to vehicles to download data from manufacturers and diagnose problems. They can...

GM could learn plenty from AMC: Gutsy little company was innovative, cost-conscious.(Opinion)(General Motors Corp.)(American Motors Corp.)(Column)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Patrick R. Foster Poet and philosopher George Santayana warned that those who fail to heed the lessons of the past will be condemned to relive them. General Motors should remember that as it looks for a way to gain control of its...

Personnel.(People)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... FORD MOTOR CREDIT CO. - K.R. Kent to vice chairman and CFO. He was assistant treasurer of Ford Motor Co. He replaces David Cosper, who took a job as executive vice president, CFO and treasurer at Sonic Automotive Inc., of Charlotte, N.C....

Dana needs a dose of transparency, accountability.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Dana Corp. was once a pillar of stability in the auto industry, but it has spent the last few months checking off items on the bankruptcy suspicion checklist: massive losses, accounting probes, restructuring plans and troubled customers. ...

22 finalists named for PACE honor.(News)(Automotive Parts Industry)
March 6, 2006... Here are profiles of six of the 22 finalists for the 2006 Automotive News PACE Awards. What: Automotive News PACE Awards honoring innovative automotive suppliers Co-sponsored by: Microsoft, SAP and Transportation Research Center Inc....

PACE.(Final assembly)
March 6, 2006... Go to autonews.com/pace to see a full list of finalists for the 2006 Automotive News PACE Awards and to view winners from past years.

Want smart safety features? Bring plenty of money.
March 13, 2006... Byline: James B. Treece Devices that extend a driver's sight and other senses are already creeping into the showroom. But the features are expensive, and available only on luxury vehicles. Don't expect that to change soon. The...

These cars watch out for trouble; But will drivers pay the hefty price tag - and let the car take over the controls?
March 13, 2006... Byline: James B. Treece Imagine you are zipping down a residential street when a warning bell and voice sound in your car: "There's a child nearby. Be careful.'' You don't see anyone, but you slow down anyway. Seconds later, a child...

Supply line.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2006... Solutia acquires JV in Mexico ST. LOUIS - Solutia Inc. has acquired Vitro Plan SA de CV's 51 percent stake in Mexican manufacturing facility Quimica M SA de CV for $20 million in cash. Solutia, which had owned 49 percent of Quimica M, is...

Dealers.
March 13, 2006... Milestones * Rob Bennett of JH Bennett Jaguar in Allentown, Pa., received a 35-year award for Jaguar. The dealership is part of Bennett Automotive Group (Chevrolet-Infiniti-Jaguar-Land Rover-Scion-Toyota). Other * Dorothy...

Lexus takes a media tactic from Germany.(Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. Lexus Div)(Brief Article)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Mark Rechtin Lexus executives have long envied BMW and Mercedes-Benz for the great press they get when they alternate sheet metal and powertrain changes on their vehicles every few years. Lexus traditionally has changed sheet...

Hybrids could prove costly to the U.S. 4 numbers show possible drawbacks of Prius and the like.(Opinion)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Ray Windecker There is considerable, well-publicized evidence that without corrective action, the world ecology could implode in 30 to 100 years. There also is considerable yet far less publicized evidence that without...

Auto News digest.
March 13, 2006... GM recalls 800,000 trucks WASHINGTON - General Motors is recalling more than 800,000 full-sized pickups to replace tailgate support cables that are prone to corrode and possibly break. The recall affects 1999-2000 Chevrolet Silverado...

Feb. sales off 5.2% in Canada.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Kathilee Grace Sales of light vehicles in Canada dropped 5.2 percent last month compared with February 2005. Volume leader General Motors was hit hard, suffering a 23.2 percent year-to-year drop. GM sales totaled 24,735 units,...

SUV sales in 2006: So far, so good; New Chevy Tahoe starts fast, but luxury SUVs are down 18%.
March 13, 2006... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. Only two months of 2006 U.S. sales have moved into the archives, but it isn't too early to take a look at one of the year's biggest and most important question marks: SUVs. How are they doing? Not bad at all,...

Firm creates aftermarket network.(Finance & insurance)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Donna Harris A new program from DealerTrack Holdings Inc. will enable car dealers to automate contracts for aftermarket finance and insurance products, including vehicle service contracts. The company calls the service...

Delphi will slash 2,850 suppliers.(Delphi Corp)(Brief Article)
March 13, 2006... Byline: David Barkholz Delphi Corp. is whacking 2,850 suppliers from its purchasing network as it funnels all new contracts to a smaller group of 750 core vendors. Companies that are not core suppliers will continue to produce parts...

Ford ends its St. Louis run.(Ford Motor Co)(Brief Article)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Debi Domby * Ford Motor Co. built its last vehicle at its St. Louis assembly plant on Wednesday, March 8. The plant, which opened in 1948, built the Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer. Ford's Louis-ville, Ky., assembly plant...

Design chief: Volvo's styling will become more expressive.
March 13, 2006... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink Automotive News Europe Volvo's future styling will be bolder, its chief designer says. "Volvo design is still a bit restrained,'' said design director Steve Mattin. "It still can be developed and become more...

Ford will build Volvos in China.(Ford Motor Co)(Brief Article)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Alysha Webb Ford Motor Co. will start assembling the Volvo S40 mid-sized sedan in China during the last week of April, supplier sources say. The car will be the first Volvo model assembled in China. The projected volume for...

China r&d unit will be key global center for Tenneco.
March 13, 2006... Byline: Alysha Webb Tenneco Inc. is building an emission-control r&d center in Shanghai that will be one of the supplier's three key r&d centers worldwide, says CEO Mark Frissora. The center initially will serve Tenneco's customers in...

Nissan sizes up Detroit job seekers.(Nissan North America Inc)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Detroit abounds with thousands of auto industry executives worried about downsizing. Nissan North America Inc. will have hundreds of open sales and marketing jobs. So the predictable is happening. As...

Lithia's DeBoer: 'Growth is a religion with us'.(Lithia Motors Inc)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Donna Harris Sid DeBoer took over his father's small Chrysler-Dodge store in 1968, building the business into a 94-dealership chain in 12 states. DeBoer's Lithia Motors Inc. plans nearly to quadruple its dealership network in the...

One brand is hot; one brand is not; Connecticut brothers will close slumping Ford store to expand their Lexus store.
March 13, 2006... Byline: Amy Wilson Greenwich, Conn., is too rich for Ford's blood. The Ford brand will lose another major point to a Japanese brand, due to a combination of declining sales and pricey real estate. The owners of Griffin Ford in...

VW's U.S. chief wants new Golf to cost less.
March 13, 2006... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Volkswagen of America wants to bring in the new-generation Golf compact at under $16,000 to restore its image of affordable German engineering and lure younger buyers. With a high-priced market flop like the...