Automotive News - March 31, 2008 - (Page 44)

44 • MARCH 31, 2008 final assembly comment MARCH AUTO SALES >> Get full reports on March U.S. vehicle sales on Tuesday, April 1, at www.autonews.com. Tracing the Camaro’s bloodline M aybe it has something to do with the warm promise of yet another spring and another opening day of Major League Baseball. Or maybe CHEVY CAMARO it’s just the byproduct of auto show hoopla. Whatever the reason, there seems to be a rising tide of interest in the new Dodge Challenger, which goes on sale this fall, and the new Chevy Camaro, which EDWARD LAPHAM hits dealer IS EXECUTIVE showrooms early EDITOR OF next year. AUTOMOTIVE Part of the buzz NEWS. is nostalgia among those of us old enough to have owned one of the originals. It links us to the past. Hey, I plead guilty; my first new car was a Challenger. But there are other, bigger generational links between the new cars and the old. Just ask Lloyd Reuss. Early in his career at the old Chevrolet Division, the executive who later became president of DODGE CHALLENGER General Motors served as the first chief engineer for the original Camaro, which was a 1967 model. This time around, Lloyd Reuss’ 44-year-old son, Mark Reuss, is vice president of GM Asia and the managing director of GM Holden Ltd., GM’s Australian subsidiary. The new Camaro has been developed in Australia because it is based on the Zeta architecture used for the Holden Commodore, even though the new Camaro will be built in Oshawa, Ontario. Want another haunting link to the past? In a 2002 interview with an enthusiast Web site, Mark Reuss was quoted as saying his first car was a used 1967 Camaro — with a 327-cubic-inch V-8 and rusty quarter panels — that he bought for $1,300 when he was in high school and drove back to Michigan from Missouri. These coincidences and links to the past could never be the theme of a “Twilight Zone” episode. But you have to admit, it’s nice that a father and son can share that kind of history. Edward Lapham writes five commentaries each week for autonews.com. Read them at autonews.com/edwardlapham. Lori Queen or Ellery Queen?etroit could use a superhero these days. How about a woman who designs SUVs by day and fights injustice nights and weekends? Lori Queen, the vehicle line executive for small and mid-sized trucks at General Motors, has written a book that she says has all the juicy stuff Queen: needed for the big High drama screen: intrigue, skulduggery, a damsel in distress, fancy cars and a daring rescue. It’s nonfiction, she says, and she’s one of the main characters. “It’s about four women — a true story,” Queen says. “We rescued an heiress who had been duped into a scam marriage. I really believe the guy (was) trying to kill her. I can’t tell you any more. You’ll have to read the book.” Queen says the drama began when she was attending the 2001 Pebble Beach (Calif.) Concours d’Elegance and met the beleaguered heiress. “I have an author and an agent,” says Queen. “We’re hoping it’ll be made into a movie one day. …It’s got all the glam and intrigue and true crime, with a happy ending.” After short list, a short stay for Laymon STEVE REED /ISTOCKPHOTO No 2nd chance for Nasser, other Ford alums A trio of old-school Ford execs won’t be revisiting their old stamping grounds. Tata Motors’ winning $2.3 billion bid for Jaguar-Land Rover canceled out the Nasser: chances of three Created PAG private equity groups advised by the onetime Ford leaders — including Jacques Nasser, the former Ford CEO who set up the company’s once-vaunted Premier Automotive Group. Nasser’s One Equity Partners was among the finalists to buy JaguarLand Rover. A successful bid would have returned control of a large portion of PAG back to Nasser, giving him a second chance at making those brands fly. Two Jaguar veterans also played a role. Onetime Jag CEO Nick Scheele advised Ripplewood Holdings, and Scheele: Once ran Jaguar Dover: Ex-Land Rover, Jag CEO The 1959 Invicta didn’t last long — but the name rides again. Buick grabs a name from the past will unveil a concept at Bthe Beijing— Invicta —insends auto show April, and the name uick historians scurrying to the record books. Remember the Buick Invicta? Perhaps not; it wasn’t around long. The Invicta was introduced as a 1959 model, and it lingers in the mind because it was part of the most sweeping name change any U.S. brand has ever had. The 1959 Buicks were new from road to roof, and so were their series names. Out the window went the revered Special, Super, Century, Roadmaster and the limolike Limited. In came the LeSabre, the Invicta and the Electra. The LeSabre stayed in the lineup until 2006, and the Electra lived until 1991, when it gave way to the Park Avenue. The Invicta, which was offered in both two- and four-door versions, was around for only a year or two, when it was replaced by the Wildcat, a performance model. Ed Welburn, General Motors design vice president, said the latest Invicta is a step toward bringing a sporty, Riviera-like car back to the Buick lineup. Which raises the question: Why not just call it a Riviera? former Jaguar-Land Rover CEO Bob Dover advised Texas Pacific Group. In the end, Tata’s willingness to preserve the work of Nasser, Scheele and Dover probably gave it the edge. Tata provided the assurances that Ford wanted, said Garel Rhys, a U.K. auto analyst. Those assurances included “no asset strippers” and keeping the British brands in their existing forms, Rhys said. In the end, those commitments persuaded unions in England to favor Tata over their former bosses. ord personnel chief Joe Laymon created a firestorm when he disclosed to Automotive News the automaker’s short list of internal candidates to eventually replace CEO Alan Mulally. But Laymon didn’t hang around to deal with the aftermath. Laymon’s resignation from Ford was announced one day after Automotive News published the CEO candidate list in its March 24 issue. Laymon, 55, will head human resources at Chevron Corp., an offer he says he was considering before the interview. Public disclosure of CEO candidates is virtually unheard of in the personality-driven auto industry. But Laymon told Automotive News after his resignation that he was “at peace” with giving the interview and wanted to show that Ford had a deep bench. Mulally told Automotive News last week that he was “a little surprised” that Laymon disclosed the list. But both Mulally and Laymon said the disclosure had nothing to do with Laymon’s departure. So what might have swayed Laymon to leave for Chevron? Well, Chevron earned more than $35 billion during the past two years, compared with a loss of more than $15 billion by Ford during the same period. Oil-boom profits probably make for a brighter workplace. Daimler’s mum on BMW Southern supplier strategy S El Camino diehards say Pontiac G8 should have been a Chevy the classic Fans ofplanare angryChevrolet El El Camino about to sell an Australian General Motors’ Camino-like import as a Pontiac. The 2010 Pontiac G8 Sport Truck should have been the new Chevy El Camino, they say. “People are loyal to the El Camino name,” said Dan Peters, brand manager at the El Camino Store in Goleta, Calif., which sells El Camino restoration parts. The El Camino was sold from 1959 to 1987; GMC also had a lower-volume version. “For years people have been asking if they can import one,” Peters said of the Holden truck that will be the basis for Pontiac’s version. He predicted many El Camino fans would buy the G8 Sport Truck, pry off the badges and put on classic El Camino badges from the ’70s and ’80s. So how did the vehicle end up as a Pontiac? Because it’s basically a Pontiac G8, says Buick-PontiacGMC General Manager Jim Bunnell. “We went back and forth on this,” Bunnell said. “But as we looked at the vehicle, we said: I suppose we could put a GMC badge A 1987 Chevrolet El Camino . . . . . . and the Australian-designed 2010 Pontiac G8 Sport Truck on it, but it is going to have a G8 interior. It’s a G8 from the B-pillar forward. … “And then as we looked at it, we said how much weight is it really going to get in terms of advertising and promotional support and dealer stocking among the GMC lineup? They’ve got a lot to deal with right now with Envoys, Acadias, Sierras, Yukons and everything else. “For all those reasons, we said it probably makes the most sense to plug it in as part of a G8 family.” peaking with analysts this month in Munich, BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer made no secret of his desire to cooperate with German rival Daimler in working with U.S. parts suppliers. European premium automakers should work together to combat the effects of the weak dollar, Reithofer said. Since BMW and Mercedes-Benz have plants in the Southeast, he said, it only makes sense that they team up. “We talked to Daimler and asked them, ‘Why don’t we do some things together?’ ” Reithofer was quoted in The Wall Street Journal. So how does Daimler feel about it? Well, maybe it’s just too early for the two of them to be seen in public together. “We are not commenting on Mr. Reithofer’s statements,” Florian Martens, spokesman for Mercedes-Benz Cars in Stuttgart, said last week in a e-mail to Automotive News. Norbert Reithofer: “Why don’t we do some things together?” Invicta gullwing concept, shrouded in mystery, will surface in Beijing. http://www.autonews.com http://autonews.com http://autonews.com/edwardlapham

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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