Automotive News articles from October 2007

Automotive News archives from October 2007

Calendar.(auto shows)(Calendar)
October 1, 2007... AUTO SHOWS Sept. 28-Oct. 21 - State Fair of Texas Auto Show, Fair Park, Dallas, 214-421-8728, www.bigtex.com Oct. 4-7 - Orange County Auto Show, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, Calif., 717-671-4300, www.orangecountyautoshow.com ...

Our guy has a suggestion for BMW: Bring back Triumph.(Final assembly)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... BMW AG says it will consider adding a fourth car brand to go with BMW, Rolls-Royce and Mini. BMW's not saying what it'll be, but Automotive News Product Editor Rick Kranz has a suggestion for CEO Norbert Reithofer: Resurrect the Triumph name...

Pininfarina legend Ramaciotti is back in a big, new job at Fiat.(Design)(appointment of Lorenzo Ramaciotti at Fiat S.p.A.)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Luca Ciferri After 23 months in retirement, Lorenzo Ramaciotti, former chief designer for Pininfarina, returned to the work force this past summer in a powerful new position. Fiat Group CEO Sergio Marchionne decided that the...

Now maybe it will get some traction.(car dealership)(Column)
October 1, 2007... Byline: KEITH CRAIN The no-haggle philosophy is good for the car business. The single biggest problem with the retail car business is the problem of negotiation. I don't know many people, if any, who enjoy negotiating the price of a...

Dealership stores tires to build service sales; Customers may make tracks to site of their treads.(Service & Parts)(Greentree Toyota-Scion)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Jim Henry Mickey Blank concedes that he stores snow tires for his dealership customers in the off-season for reasons that go beyond generating good will and favorable word-of-mouth. "If I store your tires, you're going to bring...

Welburn wants bold, clean lines - looks that last.(Design)(General Motors Corp.'s Ed Welburn )(Interview)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Jamie LaReau Ed Welburn is interested in timeless design, vehicles that will endure in the marketplace. The keys to achieving that goal, says General Motors' vice president of global design, are simple designs with bold lines -...

Production.
October 1, 2007... 3 tables: Scheduled plant overtime * Plant closings * North America car and truck production: see print copy. CAPTION(S): BMW Manufacturing Corp. in Spartanburg, S.C., will perform a rolling changeover this week to 2008 models. The...

Marketing maelstrom: Why an exodus? Execs cite stress, funding, heavy scapegoating.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Mary Connelly, Laura Clark Geist As budgets tighten and pressure builds, the departure of top marketing executives from automakers is accelerating. The latest to go is Jan Thompson, who left last week after three years as...

GM to build new Chevy in Tenn.(News)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Jamie LaReau, David Barkholz General Motors will build a new mid-sized Chevrolet crossover at its Spring Hill, Tenn., plant beginning early next year. The vehicle, to be called the Traverse, will arrive in showrooms as a 2009...

Accessories: What Hummers are wearing for fall.(News)(General Motors Corp. Hummer Div.'s conference)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... In case you have any doubts about the enthusiasm of Hummer owners, consider this: The typical H3 buyer also springs for $1,500 worth of accessories to personalize the new ride. General Motors designed it that way. Available accessories...

Correction.(Correction notice)
October 1, 2007... * A table on Page 36 of the Sept. 24 issue had the wrong numbers for eight months of certified sales of used vehicles in 2006 and 2007. You can find a corrected table on our Web site. Go to www.autonews.com/datacenter.

Ford looks at exports from China.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Alysha Webb Ford Motor Co. may export cars from a plant in this east China city, CEO Alan Mulally says. "Export is a possibility,'' he said at a media event here. "It's all about competitiveness.'' Mulally spoke with...

Some cool news about batteries.(Final assembly)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Hot products are good. Hot batteries aren't. That's why Ener1 is crowing about the prototype lithium ion battery it has designed for hybrid vehicles. "The fact that our batteries, under stress, stay cool is a key differentiating factor...

States bolster warranty reimbursement laws.(Service & Parts)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Donna Harris Auto dealers in five states have gained another weapon in their battle with automakers for higher payments for repairs covered by factory warranties. Four states have copied a 4-year-old Maine law that prohibits...

Report downplays impact of more Korean auto imports.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Harry Stoffer The Detroit 3 won't be the only companies affected if a proposed free-trade agreement between the United States and South Korea boosts imports of Korean-made vehicles and parts, a new study says. About 55 percent...

D.C. dealer, spouse wed business and diplomacy.(News)(Mandell Ourisman chairman Ourisman Automotive Group)(Company overview)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Harry Stoffer A traditional duty of an ambassador's spouse is handling floral arrangements for ceremonial events and diplomatic parties. Mandell Ourisman does not do flowers. Ourisman is the husband of Mary Ourisman, the U.S....

Dealer group stresses minority opportunity.(Company overview)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Arlena Sawyers Capital. Clout. Connections. A new private dealership group that aspires to become one of the country's largest minority-owned auto retailers appears to have all three advantages in abundance. The principals...

Obituaries.(Obituary)(Monte Davis )(Jimmy Fowler )(Bernard Maizlish )(Obituary)
October 1, 2007... Monte Davis LOS ANGELES - Monte Davis died here Sept. 6 at age 83. In 1954, he purchased a 20 percent interest in the Glenn E. Thomas Dodge Co. in Signal Hill, Calif., and in 1968 became the sole owner. Davis was on Chrysler's Presidents...

After a long stretch of ugly, GM again has some style.(Design)
October 1, 2007... Byline: William Jeanes Those who live north of Florida know that there comes a morning during winter's closing act when a perceptible hint of warmth reveals that spring intends to return and that summer awaits. The identical epiphany...

U.S. agency helps coolant company fight fakes in China.(News)(Shanghai Evans Auto Coolant Sales Co.)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Alysha Webb In early 2005, Danielle Zhang, executive director of Shanghai Evans Auto Coolant Sales Co., found shops in China selling coolant very similar to Evans' product. Zhang wrote to the local governments but got no reply....

Some hybrids not American enough for candidates?(Final assembly)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Toyota has done a lot to blend into the American landscape - building U.S. factories, racing in NASCAR, plastering signs in sports stadiums across the country. Still, you don't see candidates for president of the United States wheeling...

Dana sells unit to Chinese supplier.(Suppliers)(Wanxiang Group acquired Dana Corp.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Byline: James B. Treece A Chinese company has purchased Dana Corp.'s coupled-products business in North America, which posted sales of $200 million last year. The buyer was Coupled Products LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Wanxiang...

A loonie development: U.S. becomes Porsche bargain bin.(Final assembly)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... With the Canadian dollar now at par with its U.S. counterpart, Porsches have become way more expensive to buy in Canada than in the United States. So Porsche intenders are coming on down, where the price is right. Porsche Cars North...

Volvo upgrades XC70 wagon.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Mark Rechtin Volvo may have cornered the market on upscale station wagons, but the Swedish safety barons are not resting on their laurels. The redesigned 2008 XC70 Cross Country is an improvement in drivability, luxury and, of...

Volvo's new ads pitch togetherness.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Mark Rechtin Shifting from its core attribute of safety, Volvo is launching its XC70 Cross Country with an advertising campaign that focuses on bonding with friends and family. "Life Is Better Lived Together'' is the new Volvo...

Dealers.(People)(Aldine Martin of Keystone Ford)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Milestones * Aldine Martin of Keystone Ford in Chambersburg, Pa., received a 25-year award for Ford from Ford Motor Co. CAPTION(S): 25 with Chevrolet: Bud Robke, right, of Robke Chevrolet Co. in Fort Wright, Ky., receives a...

Magna adds Mexico plant to its convertible business.(Suppliers)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Robert Sherefkin Auto parts supplier Magna International Inc. has beefed up its formidable convertible-top business by acquiring an operation in Mexico from a former rival. Magna's Car Top Systems acquired the manufacturing...

The new minivan: Did Chrysler play it safe?(Design)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Bradford Wernle Other guys imitate us But the original is still the greatest "The In Crowd'' Chrysler wrote the book on minivans. For nearly a quarter century the smallest of the Detroit 3 has led the market in a...

GM hybrid SUVs' fuel rating rivals Camry's.(News)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Leslie Allen, Richard Truett Hybrid versions of the full-sized 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon SUVs will carry fuel economy ratings that not only top their segment but rival those of many mid-sized and large cars. The U.S....

Labor talks should meet deadline; Negotiators must set a timetable and stick to it.(Viewpoint essay)
October 1, 2007... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. Why are they taking so darned long? Why weren't they done on time? I'm talking about the UAW-Detroit 3 contract negotiations that are dragging on and on. There is no earthly reason that the parties...

Billionaire Johnson casts wide investment net.(News)(Robert Johnson )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Arlena Sawyers Robert Johnson created the first U.S. TV network aimed at black viewers and built it into a $3 billion colossus. Johnson, 61, sold Black Entertainment Television to the media conglomerate Viacom in 2000, although he...

Mitsubishi's Nakanishi likes his designs simple and bold.(Design)(chief designer Akinori Nakanishi )(Interview)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Hans Greimel When he's not jamming onstage with his Japanese blues band, Mitsubishi Motors' chief designer Akinori Nakanishi is thinking about another kind of performance. That is, high performance under the hood - and how it...

Timelessness: Aurora had it. Why not others?(Design)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Larry Edsall Chuck Jordan, the former design director at General Motors, tells the story of the car nobody wanted. "In 1989, I was vice president (of design), and I decided that all of the sedans on the road were dull, drab and...

Ford opens center to source more parts in China.(News)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Alysha Webb Ford Motor Co. is opening a research and engineering center in this east China city to boost the number of parts it buys in this country. The center is scheduled to open in late October. Initially, it will house...

Evolution of a classic: 4 generations.(Design)
October 1, 2007... Since its launch in 1984, the Chrysler minivan has evolved from its boxy, K-car-based origins into the muscular 2008 version. Minivans from Chrysler's first four generations are pictured outside the automaker's Auburn Hills, Mich.,...

Auto News digest.(Briefs)(Chrysler will spend for new vehicles)(Suppliers prosper in Mexico)(Ford ads tout digital radio)
October 1, 2007... Press: Chrysler will spend for new vehicles DETROIT - Under the ownership of Cerberus Capital Management LP, Chrysler LLC will up the ante on new-vehicle spending and growth in international markets, according to Jim Press, Chrysler's new...

GM plans Astra hybrid.(News)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Jens Dralle Opel has laid the groundwork for a hybrid-drive Astra and possibly a hybrid Saab compact. "We are working on a hybrid version of the next Astra,'' a General Motors development engineer told Automobilwoche. GM...

Farley, Kozyra on Congress speaker roster.(News)(Jim Farley general manager Lexus )(William Kozyra CEO Continental AG)
October 1, 2007... Jim Farley, general manager of Lexus Division, and William Kozyra, CEO of Continental AG's North American operations, have joined the faculty of the 2008 Automotive News World Congress. Both executives will speak Tuesday morning, Jan. 22. ...

Mercedes cuts back on its Maybach stores.(News)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Byline: David Sedgwick As sales of the Maybach uber-luxury sedan continue to lag, Mercedes-Benz USA has chopped the number of Maybach franchises by nearly half. Twenty-nine of Maybach's original 70 U.S. dealers have given up their...

UAW deal puts GM on Toyota's heels; Agreement pares labor gap to $800 per vehicle.(United Automobile Workers)
October 1, 2007... Byline: David Barkholz, Jamie LaReau Now that it has negotiated a new labor contract with the UAW, General Motors has shrunk its labor cost gap with Toyota down to $800 per vehicle. Just two years ago, that gap ran as high as $4,000...

Continental: No plans to sell parts of Siemens VDO.(Suppliers)
October 1, 2007... Byline: April Wortham Continental AG's automotive chief says the supplier has no immediate plans to sell any parts of Siemens VDO. Continental may drop product lines such as Siemens VDO's proposed electronic braking system. But it...

A little studio magic can burnish the brand.(Design)
October 1, 2007... It is the fastest, surest, least complicated and most satisfying way to undo damage to an automotive brand. In the car business, it is how you hit a home run - with eye-catching styling. Several automakers are swinging for the fences these...

Work wanted - praise, too; China's independent design houses seek more business, more credit for styling.(Design)(Industry overview)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Alysha Webb Chen Qunyi, the chief designer at IAT (China) Automobile Technology Co. Ltd., is frustrated. Chen says his company has been styling vehicles for local automakers such as Chery Automobile Co. But he says Chery and others...

Where have all the soccer moms gone?(News)(minivans market size)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... It's not exactly news that the minivan market is in retreat, having slipped below 1 million units in 2006 for the first time since 1992. And with Chrysler's vans in run-out mode this year, one might have expected the segment to sink...

Subaru cools premium pricing, sales goals.(News)(Tomohiko Ikeda CEO Subaru of America )(Interview)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko With new CEOs at the helm in Japan and the United States, Subaru still is setting prices above its Japanese competition but is less eager to jump into the same league as European premium brands. The strategy of...

Chery president: Pursue quality first, then exports.(News)(Yin Tong-yao president Chery Automobile Co. )(Interview)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Luca Ciferri China's Chery Automobile Co. wants to boost production to 1 million units within 10 years, more than doubling this year's likely total, its president says. But little of that growth - from a projected volume of...

Letters to the Editor.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... NHTSA policy: Times stands by its report To the Editor: I was surprised to pick up your Sept. 17 issue and find a lopsided Final Assembly article about the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one that unfairly raised...

Horbury knows what makes brands tick; Englishman looks into a company's soul with an outsider's eye.(Design)(Peter Horbury of Ford Motor Co.)(Interview)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Larry Edsall When it comes to design, sometimes it takes an outsider's eye to look deeply into a company's soul. It can take someone like Peter Horbury, who has spent his entire career as an outsider - as an independent consultant,...

BMW plans new-niche blitz in U.S.
October 1, 2007... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko BMW AG will add six new vehicles in the United States in the next three years - all in niches where it does not now compete. The BMW brand gets three more models, including a small crossover and two sedans -...

GM-UAW pact appears to be a win-win deal.(United Automobile Workers)(Viewpoint essay)
October 1, 2007... As expected, the new labor agreement between General Motors and the UAW should help reduce GM's competitive disadvantage with Toyota and other nonunion automakers. Once it's ratified, the new pact also will give GM's workers some things...

Where the deer and the antelope play, auto talks don't.(Final assembly)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Edward Lapham Somewhere in the black mountain hills of Dakota lives a young guy named Rocky Raccoon - who didn't care a whit that the UAW struck General Motors last week. I know because I was in the Black Hills when the strike...

Volkswagen tour targets diesel's doubters.(Final assembly)(Volkswagen of America Inc.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... If the people won't come to diesel, Volkswagen is going to bring diesel to them. Volkswagen of America has launched a nationwide road show to spread the word about clean diesel technology. It hopes to persuade Americans to shed their...

Late News.(sales of General Motors Corp.; Ford Motor Co.; Chrysler Corp. slipped)(General Motors Corp. plans to invest in diesel engines)(Toyota Motor Corp. recalls floor mats)
October 1, 2007... Report: Detroit 3 sales fall in Sept. September was a tough month for the Detroit 3, the investment banking firm Goldman Sachs says. In an analyst's report released Friday, the firm estimated General Motors' retail sales for the month...

Supply line.(Briefs)(BorgWarner Inc. introduced gas recirculation valve)(Linamar Corp. acquired Automotive Components Holdings group)(Denton Inc. to supply China's Great Wall Motor Co. )
October 1, 2007... Valeo Raytheon to supply Jaguar blind-spot system PARIS - Valeo Raytheon Systems Inc. will supply the 2008 Jaguar XF with a blind-spot detection system. The system uses radar to detect a vehicle entering the XF's blind spot. The system...

UAW reveals GM plans to build small rwd cars.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Jamie LaReau In an unauthorized revelation Friday, UAW officials disclosed General Motors' plans to produce a small rear-wheel-drive vehicle architecture code-named Alpha. The revelation came as the UAW publicized GM's pledge...

Hyundai is in no rush to hire successor for Wilhite.(News)(Hyundai Motor America )(Steve Wilhite)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Richard Truett Hyundai Motor America CEO Ok Suk Koh will handle the company's sales and marketing until a replacement is named for Steve Wilhite, who resigned abruptly after 13 months on the job. Wilhite, 55, quit as COO and...

The elements of style.(Design)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Great design is in the details, and the details have been fascinating in 2007. Here are some styling highlights from vehicles launched this year. Athletic and elegant Enthusiasts love the line that runs through the Audi R8's front...

Margo Oge's faves: Maria Callas, Odysseus and lots of shoes.(News)(Environmental Protection Agency )(Interview)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Richard Truett Margo Oge spoke no English when she came to the United States from Athens, Greece, in 1968 at age 19. But she managed to put herself through college - earning degrees in plastics science and plastics engineering. In...

As Infiniti goes global, ads may have a familiar look.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Lindsay Chappell If you're in China on business and you think the background scenery in an Infiniti TV spot looks strangely familiar, you are probably correct. It may have been filmed in the United States. On the other hand,...

Civic duty; Berkeley Honda's support of schools and college athletes translates into sales.(Insight)(dialogue with Steve Haworth of Berkeley Honda)(Interview)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Lindsay Chappell If Berkeley Honda dealer principal Steve Haworth looks familiar to families around the San Francisco Bay Area, that's a good thing. Haworth has been spending almost as much time in front of school groups...

Betting on the Net; Commitment, trial and error lead to successful Internet strategy.(Insight)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Jim Henry Like a lot of good ideas, the extra-large and successful Internet sales department at Courtesy Chevrolet in Phoenix is the result of 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. "It didn't happen overnight,''...

Detroit 3 stickers rise $172; Chrysler dips.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. The Detroit 3 have increased sticker prices by a combined $172, or 0.6 percent, over the final 2007 prices, an Automotive News analysis discloses. At introduction of the 2007 models a year ago, the sticker...

Honda to Ala. workers: UAW not needed.(News)(Alabama)(United Automobile Workers)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Honda has told employees at its Lincoln, Ala., assembly plant that a union is not necessary and could not provide the kind of solid job security that employees now enjoy. "A union at (Honda Manufacturing of Alabama...

Imperiled Chrysler plant could jolt UAW contract talks.(News)(United Automobile Workers)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Robert Sherefkin, David Barkholz Contention over an axle plant could complicate the UAW's upcoming contract talks with Chrysler LLC. Chrysler's new owner initially backed a plan to build a $700 million axle plant in Marysville,...

Trading places: Lincoln closes gap on Mercury.(Final assembly)(Brief article)
October 8, 2007... Could 2008 be the year Lincoln sales surpass those of showroom mate Mercury? It's a distinct possibility. Through the first nine months of 2007, Lincoln has cut the sales gap by more than half - from a spread of about 57,000 a year ago to...

GM plans rear-drive baby Caddy.(General Motors Corp.)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Jamie LaReau Cadillac will get a small rear-wheel-drive car positioned below the CTS sedan, part of General Motors' aggressive plans to expand the brand's U.S. reach. Plans for a baby Cadillac were confirmed after the UAW...

Mercedes-Benz Financial introduces GAP.(Finance & insurance)(dialogue with Franz Reiner of Mercedes-Benz Finance Company Ltd.)(guaranteed automotive protection program)(Interview)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Donna Harris This month, Mercedes-Benz Financial launches a guaranteed automotive protection program at Mercedes dealerships in the United States. Such insurance - GAP for short - pays the difference between the balance on a...

A bad stretch for the industry: 4 straight months of decline.(Sales)(Industry overview)
October 8, 2007... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. For the fourth month in a row, sales of cars and light trucks trailed the year-ago month in September. That has happened only four other times in the past 10 years. The September dip means the industry will...

For 3M, r&d is key to growth in auto sector.(Suppliers)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Michael LeGault Surprise: 3M is an automotive supplier. No surprise: The technology-driven company expects technology to power its sales growth. And it has started marketing to get the word out. "A lot of people even now...

Kia seat belts are safe, jury finds.(Legal File)(Kia Motors America Inc.)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Eric Freedman Johnette Alexander didn't like the rear seat belts in her new Kia. The belts were unsafe and uncomfortable for adults, Alexander complained. They were so short, she said, that adult passengers who pulled them...

Arrow gets the point across.(Final assembly)(Grote Industries Inc. developed turn signals)(Brief article)
October 8, 2007... It's the latest thing in tractor-trailer safety: a bright arrow. Grote Industries has developed a turn signal for 18-wheelers that uses LEDs to light up an arrow-shaped alert. Grote says the brighter-than-usual arrow signal is more...

Slow sales close plants.(Production)(Hyundai Corp. to slow down on its car and truck production)(Brief article)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Debi Domby * This week, nine plants will be down because of slow sales. It is the largest number of plants down for that reason since the week ending March 3. Hyundai will be down for only one day this week; the other plants will...

Chevy car ads take Japanese to task.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Jamie LaReau General Motors marketing chief Mark LaNeve says future Chevrolet car advertising will look to "disrupt conventional thinking'' about the superiority of Japanese competitors. That effort will begin this month with...

Crossovers: In a lackluster '07, this is where the action is.(News)(Industry overview)(Brief article)
October 8, 2007... New-vehicle sales are down 2.8 percent this year, but one category is doing just fine: crossovers. Sales of car-based SUVs that aren't meant to go off-road increased 23.5 percent to 1,749,680 from January through September. That accounts...

Personnel.(People)(Joe Plomin appointed at ArvinMeritor Inc.)(Joseph Avila appointed at Energy Conversion Devices Inc.)(James Yost appointed at Hayes Lemmerz International Inc.)(Brief article)
October 8, 2007... ARVINMERITOR INC. - Joe Plomin to vice president of the commercial vehicle systems' new truck-business unit. He had been senior vice president of sales, marketing and product line management at Remy International Inc. ArvinMeritor, of...

For Harman, much ado about something.(Final assembly)(Harman International Industries Inc.)(Brief article)
October 8, 2007... Vehicle electronics mogul Sidney Harman is living through some highs and lows that are, well, Shakespearean in scale. The chairman of Harman International Industries Inc. was the toast of Washington last week when the Harman Center for the...

Alas, poor Carl Benz, we knew him well.(Final assembly)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Edward Lapham Hooray for the Daimler AG shareholders who lobbied to keep the Benz name part of the company's car division. You have to admire their tenacity, vision and historical perspective because in the exuberance of...

Hwang, Reinert will speak at congress.(News)(Roland Hwang)(Bill Reinert)(Brief article)
October 8, 2007... Roland Hwang, vehicles policy director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Bill Reinert, who is in charge of advanced technology vehicles at Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., will be among the speakers at the 2008 Automotive News World...

Contrarian Honda moves work in-house.(News)(Honda Manufacturing of Alabama L.L.C.)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and BMW all took a modular manufacturing approach when they built assembly plants in the South. They asked key suppliers to deliver completed modules, such as ready-to-install instrument...

Gerosa surfaces; he's on the prowl for dealerships.(News)(Pete Gerosa)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Lillie Guyer When Pete Gerosa retired last year, the longtime General Motors sales executive vowed that he was done with 7 a.m. meetings forever. But he never planned to stop working. And he hasn't. These days, Gerosa, 65, is...

Toyota supplier expands plans for Miss. plant.(Suppliers)(Brief article)
October 8, 2007... Byline: April Wortham Toyota Auto Body Co. Ltd. has expanded its plans for a parts plant that will serve Toyota Motor Corp.'s future assembly plant near Tupelo, Miss. Operating under the name Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi Inc.,...

Personnel.(People)(briefs)(Auto Star limited. )(Brief article)
October 8, 2007... AUTOSTAR - Erin Kerrigan, 34, to vice president covering the western region of the United States. She founded Skye Automotive LLC, a private equity firm focused on acquiring auto dealerships and their corresponding real estate, and was Skye's...

U.S. likely to see Subaru diesel before hybrid.(News)(Subaru Canada Inc.)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Hans Greimel Subaru engineers are busy working with Toyota to develop their own hybrid vehicle technology, but U.S. customers will likely see diesel engines from Subaru first. Getting access to Toyota's hybrid program was one...

Dealers: Innovation isn't optional.(Insight)
October 8, 2007... Byline: David Kushma What tops the to-do list at your dealership? Are you looking for creative new ways to win customers and keep them happy? To hire and retain good employees? To master online sales? To run an environmentally friendly...