Automotive News articles from May 2008

Automotive News archives from May 2008

Auto News digest.(Briefs)(Mascoma Corp.)(Financial report)
May 5, 2008... Penske earnings rise in 1st quarter DETROIT - Penske Automotive Group offset a downturn in new-vehicles sales with a boost in its used-car business, the dealership group said Tuesday, April 29. Penske reported net income of $33.9 million on...

Certified buyers opt for extended service contracts.(Finance & insurance)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Arlena Sawyers Dealers, automakers and vendors are finding a growing market for extended service contracts: buyers of certified used cars and trucks. "Wraparound'' service contracts augment factory-backed warranties of...

Used-vehicle leasing boosts showroom traffic; Dealers: Strategy can cut customers' monthly payments and inspire loyalty.(Finance & insurance)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Donna Harris As many as one of every five used cars and trucks that dealer John Klein has sold in recent years has been a lease deal. That's unusual on several counts. Leasing tends to flourish at luxury dealerships in...

Faurecia: We'll break even in N.A.(News)(Yann Delabriere)(Interview)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Douglas A. Bolduc, Bettina Mayer, Lawrence J. Speer After years of losses, CEO says, `We are in calmer waters now' When he took over as Faurecia CEO in February 2007, Yann Delabriere inherited a company that had just reported a...

Nader and the Corvair: GM edition tells whole story.(News)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... General Motors would be just as happy if it had never heard the name Ralph Nader. Unless you were on the scene 40 years ago, you wouldn't believe the trouble that that painfully smart young attorney caused the General. In 1965, Nader wrote...

Dealers must choose: Reynolds, GM - or start over.(News)(General Motors Corp.)(Reynolds and Reynolds Co.)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Reynolds and Reynolds Co. won't let 400 of its General Motors dealership customers go without a fight. But the incentives that the company is offering them to remain with Reynolds are not as liberal as the terms...

Suppliers join carmakers' charge into Russia; Companies gear up for anticipated production surge.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Bettina Mayer, Lawrence J. Speer Automotive suppliers are joining carmakers in a rush to set up factories in Russia. European suppliers are leading the charge, but North American suppliers are looking to Russia for growth, too....

AutoTrader.com makes big pitch to bump up new-vehicle sales.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Mary Connelly A new advertising campaign by AutoTrader.com emphasizes new-vehicle sales at the automotive Web site. AutoTrader is devoting a "significant portion'' of its $100 million annual marketing budget to the campaign,...

Wagoner's pension shift: More earlier, less overall.(Final assembly)(Rick Wagoner)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Senior executives at General Motors could retire with full benefits earlier, thanks to changes in the retirement plan. But they'll get less in the long run, with payments over a shorter period. Execs now will be fully vested at age 60...

Used-car price slump slams luxury makes.(BMW AG)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Arlena Sawyers Used-vehicle prices are slumping in the United States, just as cars and trucks coming off lease are crowding the upscale pre-owned market. That's bad news for several luxury import brands and their captive...

Prepaid plans spark service visits beyond oil changes.(Finance & insurance)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Jenny King When Josi Brodbeck of Lake Zurich, Ill., bought a used 2000 Ford Explorer last year from Bill Stasek Chevrolet, her parents gave her a one-year prepaid maintenance plan from the dealership for Christmas. Brodbeck...

Suzuki to offer standard navigation in $16,000 car.(News)(Suzuki Motor Corp.)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Kathy Jackson Suzuki says it will soon offer the least expensive vehicle on the market with a navigation system that comes as standard equipment. Navigation will be standard on the 2009 SX4 sedan and hatchback, which go on sale...

Long-term loans: Convenience or bad deal?(Finance & insurance)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Rosland B. Gammon As lenders and automakers offer longer loan terms to attract buyers with negative equity in their current vehicles, many in the industry say consumers should beware. "When you're looking at putting consumers...

Dealers hunt upside-down buyers with leases, incentives and long-term loans.(Finance & insurance)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Rosland B. Gammon With more than a quarter of their customers upside down on loans, auto dealers and manufacturers are turning to leasing, lucrative incentives and longer terms to sell vehicles. "Dealers and manufacturers are...

Ford can't picture kids at design studio.(Final assembly)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... In a bow to the era of cell phones and YouTube, a nice tradition bit the dust at Ford last month. Citing security concerns, the company prohibited design studio employees from participating in the national "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work''...

Chrysler hangs onto its profitable GEM.(News)(Global Electric Motorcars L.L.C.)(Company overview)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Bradford Wernle When Daimler and Chrysler divorced last summer, Chrysler kept a small but significant subsidiary. With gasoline prices soaring and no relief in sight, Chrysler's Global Electric Motorcars could come in handy as...

Hyundai: Powertrains will take us halfway to mpg target.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Rick Kranz Hyundai's plan to boost U.S. vehicle fuel economy significantly in the next decade is a 50-50 strategy. About 50 percent of the increase will come from changes to vehicle structure and equipment - efforts such as...

Save a board seat for the UAW.(Opinion)(United Auto Workers )
May 5, 2008... Byline: Edward Lapham Now that annual meeting season is just about here, shareholders, investors and corporate managers ought to consider a game-changing idea: It's time to give the UAW a board seat at publicly traded automakers and...

Doug Spedding.(Obituary)(Obituary)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Doug Spedding, an auto dealer who over his lifetime owned 27 dealerships and two professional sports teams, died here Nov. 11 at age 72. Spedding started his career working in the parts department at Jerry McCarthy Chevrolet in Dearborn,...

Vox(wagen) populi - plus a sales pitch.(Final assembly)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Everybody wants to weigh in on the crucial issues of our time, right? A new Volkswagen gimmick indulges that urge and makes a sales pitch at the same time. A VW Web site, vw.com/whatthepeoplewant, polls the public on such vital topics as:...

Kerkorian interest buoys Ford stock.(News)(Kirk Kerkorian)(Ford Motor Co.)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Amy Wilson, Jamie LaReau Kirk Kerkorian's investment kept Ford Motor Co. stock trading last week near its highest levels in almost six months. The stock reached $8.68 on Friday morning before closing at $8.27. That was one day...

Bugging the boss: Who's listening to Porsche CEO?(Final assembly)(Wendelin Wiedeking, chief executive officer)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... The bad news for Porsche: Someone may be spying on CEO Wendelin Wiedeking. But the good news is that they seem to be getting their technology from Babies R Us, not the CIA. German news reports said Porsche contacted prosecutors after the...

Top auto execs to talk marketing at seminar.(News)
May 5, 2008... Top marketing executives at General Motors, Toyota, Ford, Chrysler, Honda and Hyundai will discuss their companies' changing media choices at this year's Automotive News Marketing Seminar, May 28 in Los Angeles. Speakers include: *...

Mpg plan fuels states-rights battle.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Harry Stoffer Just when it seemed like the political war over state regulation of greenhouse gases from vehicles could not intensify, it did. The Bush administration's proposed fuel economy rules for the 2011-15 model years...

Chrysler small cars, Jeep crossovers are hot.(News)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Bradford Wernle Although Chrysler LLC's small cars are its hottest sellers, the company is not considering restoring a third shift at its Belvidere, Ill., factory, a spokesman says. The third shift stopped in early March. For...

CAW, Ford reach extensive early labor deal.(News)(Canadian Auto Workers)
May 5, 2008... Byline: David Barkholz Ford Motor Co. is five months ahead of schedule on a new master labor contract with the Canadian Auto Workers that would preserve Ford's St. Thomas, Ontario, assembly plant until at least 2011. Ford and the union...

A dreary April in Detroit; Import sales rise, but the Detroit 3 plunge 16.8%.(Sales)
May 5, 2008... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. Same old, same old. That was the story of car and light-truck sales in April, which means it was another terrible month for the auto industry. Sales totaled 1,248,549, down 6.8 percent from last year. It...

Dana seeks new business with Japanese companies.(News)(Dana Holding Corp.)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Hans Greimel Armed with a new CEO from Toyota, driveline supplier Dana Holding Corp. aims to expand its business with Japanese carmakers, particularly in emerging markets. Dana, which emerged from Chapter 11 reorganization in...

Dealers.(People)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Milestones * Tony Rizza of Rizza Chevrolet in Bridgeview, Ill., received a 25-year award for Chevrolet from General Motors. * Frank Speney Sr. of Speney Chevrolet in West Newton, Pa., celebrated 50 years with Chevrolet and GMAC...

Mexico sales fall 17% in March.(Sales)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Stephen Downer Sales of new cars and light trucks in Mexico fell to 80,120 in March, down 16.9 percent from March 2007. Through the first quarter, retail sales totaled 263,942, down 5.8 percent from the year-earlier period,...

Hyundai reworks Sonata sooner rather than later.(News)(Hyundai Motor America)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Kathy Jackson Hyundai aims to take a bigger share of the mid-sized car market with a freshened 2009 Sonata that delivers more power and better fuel economy from improved four- and six-cylinder engines. In addition, the interior...

New models from the post office.(Final assembly)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... The U.S. Postal Service is rolling out some new models this fall, and they're half a century old. Starting Oct. 3, the post office will issue five classic car stamps. The 42-centers feature the 1957 Chrysler 300C, Lincoln Premiere, Pontiac...

Ford Motor must stay focused on recovery.(Opinion)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Even though the turnaround at Ford Motor Co. has a long way to go, it's encouraging that investor Kirk Kerkorian and his Tracinda Corp. see value in the automaker. But as the financial drama unfolds, it is crucial that Ford Motor stay focused...

Industry in distress; Companies struggle in a changing industry - one with a huge revenue drop.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Richard Truett After an awful April, nearly every industry forecaster now agrees: U.S. sales will plummet by about 1 million units in 2008 - the first time sales have tumbled that much in one year since 1991. But it's not just...

Dodge dealers battle to bust Ram logjam.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Bradford Wernle Click on the Web sites of several auto dealers in central California and you'll find Dodge Ram pickups offered at $13,000 below sticker. With four months to go before a redesigned 2009 Ram arrives in showrooms,...

Infiniti asks: Do you smell something?(News)(Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A. Infiniti Div.)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Is there anything worse than spending $50,000 on a vehicle with that sweet, leathery new-car fragrance, only to have your 8-year-old lose a smelly bag of french fries under a seat for a month? Engineers at...

Nissan's Dominique gets to the big dance.(News)(dialogue with Larry Dominique of Nissan North America Inc.)(Interview)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Like many native Detroiters, Larry Dominique has the auto business in his blood. His father and grandfather worked in the industry. Dominique joined General Motors as an electrical engineer and later worked for...

Dealer rebounds from contract mess; Texas retailer Ramsay Gillman honors failed vendor's service agreements.(Finance & insurance)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Donna Harris When Automotive Professionals Inc. filed for bankruptcy in April 2007, the vendor stopped paying claims on the 250,000 vehicle service contracts it had sold. Customers of Texas dealer Ramsay Gillman owned more than...

Diesel dynamo; Former Ford powertrain expert leads Mahindra's charge toward clean-burning diesels and hybrid engines for U.S.(News)(Arun Jaura)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Lindsay Chappell A former Ford Motor Co. engineer is playing a key role in an Indian automaker's bid to sell pickups and SUVs in the United States next year. Arun Jaura, 42, a powertrain specialist, is in charge of getting...

Is it real, or is it just temporary?(Brief article)(Column)
May 5, 2008... Byline: KEITH CRAIN By Memorial Day, we will probably be paying about $4 for a gallon of regular gasoline. Don't even think about how much we'll be paying for premium. Sales of pickups and SUVs are already suffering. How much of that...

TOUGHING IT OUT.(Finance & insurance)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Upside-down customers. Rising loan defaults and repossessions. A dying subprime market. Today's receding economy has auto dealers hunkering down and finding ways to make money in the F&I office and elsewhere in their stores. In this special...

Ford domestic dealer count dips below 4,000.(News)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Amy Wilson Ford Motor Co.'s U.S. dealership count has dropped beneath 4,000 stores for the first time in decades. During the first four months of 2008, several dozen of Ford's domestic brand stores closed to put the automaker...

Sure, Nissan GT-R is impractical - but what a rush.(News)(Nissan Motor Company Ltd.)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Lindsay Chappell For almost a decade, Nissan has been playing catch-up to provide American consumers with practical vehicles: big pickups, big family sedans, small cars and compact crossovers. Now put those products on one side...

Seems like old times: More cash on the hood.(News)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Cash rebates rose in April, near the levels of 2005 - when automakers said they were getting serious about "value pricing'' and cutting incentives. Rebates had been declining for three years. But in 2008, customer cash incentives are up...

Honda to some dealers: Upgrade or else; Retailers must improve, expand stores by 2010.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Kathy Jackson Some Honda dealers are fuming over letters they have received from the automaker telling them to upgrade their stores or risk losing their franchises. The letters, sent in late March, tell dealers they have until...

Dealers take Tundra to the people; Frozen Tundras, a `Tater Freighter' - whatever it takes to move big pickup.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Mark Rechtin Drive through Raleigh, N.C., and you're likely to spot a Toyota Tundra on the streets with no doors. It's a true head-turner, the kind of offbeat promotion that lots of Toyota dealers must do to get traction in the...

Critics have kind words for Pontiac's G8.(Final assembly)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... W ith gasoline prices at record highs, this isn't the best time to launch a high-performance muscle car. But Pontiac's Australia-built G8 has won praise from auto writers for its performance, handling and interior. Here's a sampling of the...

Correction.(Correction notice)
May 5, 2008... * An interview on Page 10 of the April 28 issue gave the wrong age for Gerry Rubin, CEO of Rubin Postaer and Associates. He is 68.

Late news.(American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings Inc.)(Ford Motor Co.)
May 5, 2008... Ford plans more UAW buyouts at 2 plants DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. will offer more buyouts to hourly workers at assembly plants in Chicago and Louisville, Ky. Mark Fields, Ford president of the Americas, confirmed in an interview Friday with...

Cadillac's CTS wagon.(News)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Cadillac is planning a CTS wagon, pictured here during testing, as part of a range of CTS models to take on the BMW 3 series and Mercedes-Benz C class. Cadillac unveiled the stylish CTS coupe concept in January; production is expected next...

Bargaining barbs will sting for a long time.(Final assembly)(American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings Inc.)(United Automobile Workers)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Edward Lapham It's a shame. Long after the ink has dried on the new contract, there will be hard feelings about this year's bargaining between the UAW and American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings. Each side has suffered...

Repossessed vehicles offer dealers a profit opening.(Finance & insurance)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Ryan Beene Vehicle repossessions are rising, and the trend could present new profit opportunities for dealers. Mike Farley, owner of Keystone Chevrolet in Sand Springs, Okla., sells about 300 used cars a month. He says his...

Daimler cuts Chrysler value, again.(News)(Cerberus Capital Management L.P.)(Chrysler L.L.C.)(Daimler AG)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Bradford Wernle Daimler AG still owns 19.9 percent of Chrysler LLC, but the German carmaker has slashed the book value of its stake by nearly two-thirds to reflect ongoing losses at its former U.S. unit. Last August, when...

Toyota sister car poses a challenge for Subaru.(News)(Toyota Motor Corp.)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Hans Greimel A sporty car due in 2011 will challenge Subaru's carefully crafted image as an independent, somewhat contrarian developer of all-wheel-drive vehicles. The car is being co-developed by Subaru and Toyota in Japan....

On the Web.(Calendar)
May 5, 2008... This week at www.autonews.com: Monday: The Automotive News Data Center posts in-depth statistics on U.S. vehicle sales in April. Thursday: Ford holds its annual shareholders meeting. All week: Live updates on the UAW strikes at...

Supply line.(Briefs)
May 5, 2008... German engineering company plans Ala. factory HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - German precision engineering company Selzer Fertigungstechnik & Co. plans to build a $22 million plant in Auburn, Ala., to make components for German transmission supplier and...

Costs up in China, but bargains still abound.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Alysha Webb Costs are rising for parts producers in China. A new labor law boosts employee costs by up to 30 percent. Raw materials are becoming more expensive. The weakening U.S. dollar buys fewer goods. Companies also must...

Where have all the investors gone? Big bucks to back subprime loans are going begging.(Finance & insurance)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Jim Henry Dealers are working harder than ever to get subprime customers financed. Not only do economic hardships make it more difficult for consumers to qualify for financing, but subprime auto lenders find it harder to...

Key to managing floorplan costs: Be realistic.(Finance & insurance)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Jim Henry Managing inventory and floorplan expenses in a downturn is a core dealership skill, since now more than ever no one wants to get caught with unsold cars racking up interest charges. "Anybody in the new-car business is...

Henderson: GM will keep tight rein on inventory.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Jamie LaReau General Motors intends to run a tight ship in North America, its largest market. The automaker is "absolutely committed'' to aligning its production with demand and controlling costs, says COO Fritz Henderson. ...

No gas tax holiday.(Opinion)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Talk about a mixed message: Newly proposed rules by the Bush administration call for an aggressive effort to increase the fuel economy of cars and light trucks. But in the political silly season, presidential candidates John McCain and...

Picture this.(News)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... You and your industry colleagues have just hung out at a party, raised a truckload of cash for charity or fired your best rounds of golf. Share your snapshots with us. When the celebration is over, e-mail your high-resolution photos, IDs and a...

Calendar.(Calendar)
May 5, 2008... AUTO SHOWS May 15-18 - Budapest International Motor Show, Budapest Fair Center, Budapest, Hungary, 36 1 263 6884, www.automobil.hungexpo.hu May 23-June 1 - Madrid International Auto Show, Feria de Madrid, Madrid, (34) 91-722-30-00,...

Auto News digest.(Briefs)(automobile workers laws)(Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association conducts surveys)(Survey)
May 12, 2008... Aftermarket center opens at Mich. college MIDLAND, Mich. - A new education center on Northwood University's Michigan campus focuses on aftermarket management. The Sloan Family Building for Aftermarket Studies honors O. Temple Sloan Jr.,...

In Europe, small SUVs soar; GM's snore.(Final assembly)(General Motors Corp.)(Honda Motor Company Ltd.)(Toyota Motor Corp.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Europe's compact-SUV boom has been a washout for General Motors; the Opel Antara and Chevrolet Captiva are selling far slower than their rivals. Take Germany, for example. In 2007, the Antara's first full year on the market, registrations...

THE FINAL SAY.(Final assembly)(Quotation)
May 12, 2008... "The car I learned to drive on was my grandfather's Ford Granada.... It may be the worst car that Detroit ever built. This thing was a tin can. It was during the '70s when oil had just gone up, so they were trying to compete with the Japanese....

Clarke: Buyers don't know Saturn brand.(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Jamie LaReau Saturn's problem with potential buyers? It's worse than a lack of consideration. Buyers are barely aware of Saturn. That means that Saturn has to revamp its marketing to build awareness of the brand and its new...

Mann + Hummel sees growth.(News)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Rhoda Miel Mann + Hummel Automotive Inc. had a record $120 million in North American sales in 2003. But COO Claude Mathieu set his sights higher. He predicted the company would hit $200 million in sales in 2008. He was right....

Chrysler asks dealers to donate to museum.(News)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Bradford Wernle CEO Bob Nardelli has asked Chrysler LLC's dealers nationwide to donate $5,000 apiece to the Walter P. Chrysler Museum. Chrysler, which has operated the museum as part of its communications department, is setting...

Canada sales post 3.8% gain in April.(Sales)(Chrysler L.L.C.)(Ford Motor Co.)(Mazda Motor Corp.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Bernadine Williams April sales of cars and light trucks in Canada rose 3.8 percent from April 2007 to 175,382 units. For the first four months of 2008, volume is up 6.2 percent from the same period last year, to 539,663 units....

U.S. firms sink on supplier list; Foreigners hold 5 of top 10 spots in N.A.(Industry overview)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Robert Sherefkin After a stormy decade of spinoffs, megamergers, acquisitions, grand expansions and occasional red-faced retreats, the pecking order for North America's auto suppliers has a distinctly new look: Americans no longer...

Former GM PR chief joins BMW.(People)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Dave Guilford Tom Kowaleski, former head of General Motors communications, became vice president of corporate communications for BMW of North America LLC effective May 1. He replaces Robert Mitchell, who retired April 30. ...

VW is Europe's top seller.(Sales)(General Motors Corp.)(PSA Group)(Volkswagen AG)(Brief article)(Company rankings)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Dave Guilford Volkswagen was Europe's top-selling brand in the first quarter, with sales virtually flat compared with 2007 in a market that declined by 1.7 percent overall. The VW brand sold 403,617 units in the first quarter,...

UAW vote may be nearing at Honda's Alabama plant.(News)(United Automobile Workers)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Employees at Honda Motor Co.'s Lincoln, Ala., factory could be voting within several months on whether to join the UAW. UAW representatives have been helping a core group of Honda workers at the factory generate...

Court: Auction not liable for truck defect.(Legal File)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Eric Freedman An auction company cannot be held liable for selling a defective vehicle, the Texas Supreme Court has ruled unanimously. The decision prevents the estate of a driver who was killed in a rollover accident from...

Going green: It's no longer an option.(News)(Brief article)(Conference notes)
May 12, 2008... The government is mandating higher mileage. Your customers are demanding the same - plus better performance. The Green Car Revolution is well under way. What does it mean to you? To find out, come to the Automotive News Green Car...

Toyota exec: Maybe it's time to raise a Prius hybrid family.(News)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Mark Rechtin A family of hybrid vehicles carrying the Prius badge could be the best way for Toyota to leverage its alternative-fuel technology, Toyota's top U.S. executive said. Toyota has tried to promote its Hybrid Synergy...

Auto News digest.(Briefs)(Ford Motor Co.)(Hyundai Motor Company Ltd.)(Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.)
May 12, 2008... No pickup for Hyundai, Kia SEOUL - Rising oil prices have scuttled plans for mid-sized Hyundai and Kia pickups in the United States. Hyundai Motor Co. CEO Kim Dong-Jin said last week: "Because of high oil prices, the light-truck market is...

Greer takes top sales post at Automotive News.(News)(Rick Greer appointed as director of sales)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Rick Greer has been named Automotive News' Director of Sales and Marketing. Greer, 49, has been a top sales representative at Automotive News for 15 years, handling the Ford Motor Co. and supplier advertising accounts. In his new position,...

When soccer booms, VW will be ready.(Final assembly)(Volkswagen AG)(D.C. United)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... If Americans ever start to follow pro soccer in the way that's been forecast for, oh, 30 years, Volkswagen stands to benefit. The jerseys worn by players for D.C. United, the Major League Soccer team in the nation's capital, now sport the...

From cookie sales to auto dough?(Final assembly)(National Automobile Dealers Association wanting young girls in dealership )(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... If Girl Scouts can sell Thin Mints and Do-Si-Dos now, why not cars, parts and service contracts tomorrow? The National Automobile Dealers Association wants members to contact local Girl Scout troops in an effort to interest young girls in...

Maserati North America taps luxury-segment veteran Eulberg as CEO.(People)(Marti Eulberg)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko, Philip Nussel Marti Eulberg has been named president and CEO of Maserati North America. She will report to Raffaele Fusilli, commercial director of Maserati S.p.A. in Italy. Eulberg replaces James Selwa, who...

Nissan N.A. unit gets new head of communications.(People)(Nissan North America Inc. appointing Alan Buddendeck vice president of corporate communications)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Craig Trudell Nissan North America Inc. has named Alan Buddendeck vice president of corporate communications. Buddendeck replaces Frederique Le Greves, 40, who held the position for four years. Buddendeck, 42, joins Nissan...

GM payback for Axle bailout: Lower prices, innovation.(News)(General Motors proposed donation to American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc)
May 12, 2008... Byline: David Barkholz General Motors' $200 million proposed donation to American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. is a limited-time, no-strings-attached offer, according to a GM filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. ...