Automotive News - March 31, 2008 - (Page 22)

22 • MARCH 31, 2008 Picture this 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 brief description of the event to autonews@crain.com. SANTA FABIO ■ Car people are carb people Nancy Philippart, left, executive director of GM accessories, chairman of the Girl Scouts of Metro Detroit — and a former Scout leader — and John Smith, General Motors group vice president of global product planning, help the CEO of the Metro Detroit Scouts, Arlene Robinson, show off desserts inspired by Girl Scout cookies. Chefs from eight restaurants designed the desserts using one of eight cookie varieties, then served them to judges and guests March 12 at the Girl Scouts Cookie Gala at the Roostertail nightclub in Detroit. GM has been the presenting sponsor since the onset of the Cookie Gala some 1.75 billion calories ago. ■ Another shirt tale The March 17 issue of Automotive News included a photograph of Bill Cosby after the actor and comedian auctioned off the shirt on his back during the Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance. Which raises the question: Who bought it? That would be Dick Loehr, shown here with Cosby, who is wearing the shirt Loehr bought. Loehr, a former auto dealer in the Kalamazoo, Mich., area, is chairman of National Cos. and is involved in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, Fla., the beneficiary of the February automobile and motorcycle exhibition. ■ Goose, could you sign my … car? Remember when an autographed ball was a big deal? Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Goose Gossage signed the hood of a customized 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe for AutoTrader.com CEO Chip Perry this month during the New York auto show. The former pitcher was helping AutoTrader.com launch “Drive to a New Start.” The road tour will support Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities, which provides kids opportunities to play baseball. At each stop, AutoTrader.com will collect baseball celebrity signatures on the Tahoe and donate $1,000 per signature, up to a maximum of $75,000. At the end of the trip, the car will be auctioned off for the cause. WHAT'S HOT RIGHT NOW? QUAD CITIES, IA: MULTI-FRANCHISE DEALER 1 OWNER USED CAR CLEARANCE WEEK: 75 Units 38% INCREASE IN GROSS! AVERAGE WEEK: 41 Units Lexus pays dealers for innovations Mark Rechtin mrechtin@crain.com Winning ideas Lexus awarded $50,000 to 3 dealers for their Pursuit of Innovation ideas. McGrath Lexus, Chicago Radio-frequency-ID technology displays customized owner greeting, plus sports and stock market information, on monitors in service bays. Lexus of South Atlanta, Union City, Ga. Monitors in waiting area display the status of car’s service work. Thompson Lexus, Doylestown, Pa. Towing company delivers a loaner vehicle to the location of a customer’s breakdown. Some dealers won awards by taking an industry standard to the next level. Most luxury automakers offer roadside assistance and loaner cars. But usually the customer needs to ride in the tow truck to the dealership to get the loaner car. One dealership has worked out the logistics so that the towing company also brings the loaner to the breakdown location. Said Templin: “It’s not that complicated, but why didn’t anyone think of that before?”c LAKELAND, FL: CHEVROLET DEALER AVERAGE WEEKEND: 25 Units FARMINGTON, NM: INDEPENDENT DEALER AVERAGE WEEKEND: 10 Units OR TRIPLE YOUR AVERAGE WEEKEND. BOOK APRIL & MAY NOW! Gear up for spring with an ACTION EVENT that is proven to DOUBLE 1 OWNER USED CAR CLEARANCE WEEKEND: 44 Units • $114,569 Gross $, 1 OWNER USED CAR CLEARANCE WEEKEND: 25 Units • $59,977 Gross TUCSON, AZ: INDEPENDENT DEALER AVERAGE WEEKEND: 29 Units $ 4990 WITH 75,000 INSERTS EVENTS FROM REPO JOE WEEKEND: 84 Units • $212,840 Gross BRYAN, TX: TOYOTA DEALER REPO JOE WEEKEND: 55 Units • $139,987 Gross AVERAGE WEEKEND: 30 Units RIVERHEAD BAY, NY: , MULTI-FRANCHISE DEALER AVERAGE WEEKEND: 15 Units REPO JOE WEEKEND: 38 Units • $121,672 Gross AIM-0066 4x5BW VDG www.ActionIM.com Get More Information Online At ACTION INTEGRATED MARKETING PROVIDES FULL-SERVICE & EVENT MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR DEALERSHIPS NATIONWIDE 800.478.8818 EXT. #152 NEW YORK — Lexus Division has awarded cash prizes to dealers who came up with ideas for improving customer satisfaction. The Pursuit of Innovation competition gave three regional winners $50,000 apiece for their ideas. Five runners-up won $25,000 apiece. Ten honorable mentions received $10,000. The money goes to the dealer, who decides how to divvy the cash. The contest generated 178 ideas from Lexus’ 223 dealers. The idea had to be put into practice. The judges took into account how well it worked. Lexus will send dealers a booklet that summarizes all contest entries. The winning ideas might not work at all stores, but an idea that didn’t win an award could make sense at many dealerships. Several dealers suggested ideas for teaching customers to use complicated Lexus products. “All this technology — the navigation system, Bluetooth, HomeLink — it’s too much to learn in the delivery area,” said Mark Templin, Lexus Division general manager. “Some dealers have the equivalent of the Apple store’s Genius Bar, while others have specialists that go to the customer’s house and program everything.” http://AutoTrader.com http://AutoTrader.com http://AutoTrader.com http://www.ActionIM.com http://www.ActionIM.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Automotive News - March 31, 2008

Axle strike leads GM to alter production plan Industry expert Ferron joins Automotive News Group Hummer adds E85 models Lear expands in China Ford spills the beans on car seats Concern ... confidence ... curiosity — welcome to America, Tata Expect most Ford-bred executives to stay put Tip for Tata: Let British brands be British brands Dana CEO sees need for growth in Asia Chrysler: Any deal for partner would be done by Cerberus Farley retools Flex marketing strategy Malibu attracts import-minded buyers European purchasing execs to suppliers: Costs must fall Reynolds removes dealership modems New Saturn ads will promote Aura, Vue, Outlook This Spring Hill launch is a fraction of the first one GM works on small global car Hal Riney, Saturn campaign creator, dies Dealer sours on China importer Secret computer lets Nissan planner peek into future XM-Sirius merger: Lower prices, more choices? Key Chrysler product developer resigns Ford's new boss in HR plans no major changes Wagener to replace Pfeiffer as Mercedes design chief It's time to break the glass ceiling Autos don't cause all global warming Toyota plumbed the depths of Scion Customer loyalty is serious business Future bright for Tata brands Dauch sends wrong signals as Axle strike drags Yanase opened Japan to Western cars Fewer dealers, sure, but more brands What if Ahn falls short? Want to inspire Lori Queen? Just say no Hanwha to build GM Powertrain assembly line Toyota enters untapped Korea, home of Hyundai James O'Rourke Jr. Picture This -- March 31st, 2008 Lexus pays dealers for innovations Suppliers to the 2009 Dodge Journey Ricardo center has battery focus Howa USA opens interior parts plant in Kentucky N.Y. show suggests a future of smart powertrains, muscle BMW sees new models as sales saviors Ford contract has unique take on core jobs 6 more PACE-setters in auto innovation Buy-here, pay-here may grow Dealers Mercedes SL: A fresh face — with 1 flaw Ex-Chrysler design chief John Herlitz dead at 65 Future could be bright for Jag, Land Rover Land Rover in good shape, but challenges remain Fuel economy fines loom for Tata As segment shrinks, Chrysler minivan output takes a big dip Mercedes names 27 AMG dealers Continental to cut jobs Cobalt SS price: $22,995 Kia opens Ga. training center Nissan idles Mexico plant Plastech legal bill: $1 million for a month Magna will add 3 plants in Mexico El Camino diehards say Pontiac G8 should have been a Chevy No 2nd chance for Nasser, other Ford alums Buick grabs a name from the past After short list, a short stay for Laymon Lori Queen or Ellery Queen? Daimler's mum on BMW Southern supplier strategy Tracing the Camaro's bloodline Alfa searches for a U.S. factory

Automotive News - March 31, 2008

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