Final Assembly
FINAL ASSEMBLY
Fiat's Google gotcha: A 500 shows up at VW's front door
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 21, 2012
Score one for Fiat in the sometimes whimsical, sometimes not, rivalry between the Italian automaker and Volkswagen. The two companies seem to taunt and tease each other like kids on a playground, especially in Europe. Check out Volkswagen's Swedish headquarters in suburban Stockholm on Google Earth and you'll see a Fiat 500 parked at the front door of the building.... Read More » Comments [0] | Recommendations [0]
FINAL ASSEMBLY
DeBoer thinks Dodge Dart will hit the bull's-eye
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 21, 2012
Customers who visit Dodge stores usually are looking for trucks rather than small cars, so some analysts question how well the new Dart compact will fare. But Sid DeBoer, founder and executive chairman of Lithia Motors, which owns a large number of Chrysler group stores, has a ready answer.... Read More »FINAL ASSEMBLY
German press expects Audi to shuffle exec deck
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 21, 2012
A senior management shake-up is in the works at Audi. According to German media reports, Volkswagen marketing chief Luca de Meo will replace Audi sales boss Peter Schwarzenbauer, who once headed Porsche's North American sales arm.... Read More »FINAL ASSEMBLY
China's top dealership group beats AutoNation in units -- but not revenue
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 21, 2012
China's new top-dog dealership group is China Grand Automotive, which passed Pang Da Automobile last year to become the largest auto retailer in terms of revenue. So how does China's No. 1 compare with America's biggest dealership group, AutoNation?... Read More »FINAL ASSEMBLY
Some days, Akerson would rather bowl
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 21, 2012
When General Motors founder Billy Durant was found, late in life, to be running a bowling alley in Flint, Mich., he supplied future generations of GM bosses with a laugh line they could always turn to.... Read More »FINAL ASSEMBLY
A Texas whodunit: The case of the fried Fisker
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 14, 2012
More bad news for battery-powered vehicles, or just a false alarm? Well, the fire alarm was real enough. A house blaze in suburban Houston destroyed a new Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid car last week. But did the Fisker start the fire?... Read More »FINAL ASSEMBLY
Chrysler calls minivan's obit premature
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 14, 2012
With apologies to Mark Twain, reports of the death of the Dodge Grand Caravan minivan may be greatly exaggerated.... Read More »FINAL ASSEMBLY
Tire marks on Ming wall blacken Ferrari's reputation in China
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 14, 2012
A publicity stunt in Nanjing, China, turned into a public relations nightmare for Italian sports car maker Ferrari last week.... Read More »Manufacturing
DealersMore »
NET WORTH: Can Facebook sell cars?
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 21 2012
General Motors' decision last week to end paid Facebook advertising was more than an awkward moment for a media behemoth on the verge of a high-profile stock offering. It was a sign that auto marketers industrywide have some tough choices ahead when it comes to hawking their wares online to social media-addicted shoppers.... Read More »
Finance & InsuranceMore »
F&I WEEK: Attorneys will help dealers with regulatory questions
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 21 2012
Auto dealers who have been watching regulatory developments will get some answers next month during Automotive News F&I Week -- a free online conference.... Read More »
MarketingMore »
With sales rising, Smart plans TV ad assault
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 21 2012
Hoping to build on its newfound momentum, Smart USA plans to launch a rare TV advertising campaign next month. It will be just the second TV campaign for the Mercedes-owned minicar brand since Smart debuted here in 2008. Smart also has extended its low lease rates for the 2013 ForTwo models that were launched last week.... Read More »
Used CarsMore »
Used-vehicle prices ease in April, index shows
2:41 pm U.S. ET | May 7 2012
For the first time in six months, used-vehicle prices in April stopped their upward trajectory and showed signs of easing, according to a closely followed gauge released today. The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index in April stood at 126.1, down slightly from 126.2 in March and down from 126.6 in April 2011.... Read More »
Fixed OperationsMore »
Surviving the service trough
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 21 2012
The auto sales collapse that started in 2008 is hitting home in the service department in 2012. Late-model vehicles traditionally represent the sweet spot for repair and maintenance work for dealership service departments. Fewer of them, combined with the continued decline in warranty work, mean a severe pinch in revenue opportunities for the service department.... Read More »
NADAMore »
EDITORIAL
New NADA study should avoid rearview mirror
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 14 2012
The National Automobile Dealers Association is commissioning another study, this one to generate hard data about dealers' return on investment from manufacturer-mandated dealership renovation programs.... Read More »
ManufacturingMore »
Opel CEO Stracke will unveil restructuring plan on June 28
6:18 am U.S. ET | May 21 2012
The future of Opel's factory in Bochum, Germany, remains uncertain after CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke gave no guarantees that the plant will escape closure under restructuring plans to be unveiled June 28 for GM's European division.... Read More »
DesignMore »
CARS & CONCEPTS
Porsche drops 2-seater plan
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 21 2012
Porsche has dropped plans to build a two-seat sports car that would have been smaller and cheaper than the Boxster, CEO Matthias Mueller told a German newspaper.... Read More »
Future ProductMore »
CARS & CONCEPTS
Chevy SS takes on Chrysler rwd sedans
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 21 2012
Chrysler Group is about to get some competition from a Detroit rival in the market for big, rear-wheel-drive performance sedans. Last week, General Motors said it would add a four-door, rwd performance car called SS to its lineup by late 2013 as a 2014 model.... Read More »
- Report: Fisker delays 2nd vehicle
- Chevrolet SS to be the name of brand's performance sedan, NASCAR entry
- Ford to replace U.S. models fastest through 2016, report says
- New Altima guns for bigger slice of mid-sized sedan segment
- Ferrari's first hybrid likely to surpass Enzo as most expensive, powerful model
Green CarsMore »
Ford is shipping Focus Electric to dealers
8:23 am U.S. ET | May 19 2012
Ford will start shipping its first electric passenger car to dealers this weekend, people familiar with the matter said. About 350 Focus Electric cars will be sent to 67 dealers in California, New Jersey and New York over the next couple weeks. Manufacturing executives signed off on the decision on Friday.... Read More »
TechnologyMore »
PRODUCTION LINE
Touch pads help industry fight driver distraction
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 21 2012
A new method to reduce driver distraction, the touch pad, has gained a foothold in the industry. TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. has introduced an infotainment touch pad that can be molded onto the surface of a vehicle's armrest, steering wheel or dashboard.... Read More »
Talk from the TopMore »
ROBERT YOUNG -- VICE PRESIDENT OF PURCHASING, TOYOTA NORTH AMERICA
Beyond crises, Toyota purchasing chief sees growth
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 21 2012
Since becoming vice president of purchasing for Toyota Motor Corp.'s North American operations early last year, Robert Young has been tested repeatedly by world events. That year brought the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan and, months later, the floods in Thailand.... Read More »
Car CutawaysMore »
CAR CUTAWAY
Federal-Mogul, Bosch win big with the new Hyundai ix35.
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 8 2012
Federal-Mogul and Robert Bosch have a number of key parts in the new Hyundai ix35. Along with the pistons, rings and bearings, Federal-Mogul provides bushings for the SUV's new six-speed automatic transmission. Bosch supplies the control unit and injectors for ix35's gasoline engines.... Read More »
- General Manager
Unknown, HI, United States - Various Positions
Baker Motor Company -- Charleston, SC, United States
