Automotive News - May 19, 2008 - (Page N12)

N12 • MAY 19, 2008 NISSAN’S 50 Years in America CEO Carlos Ghosn ordered a product revival in 1999. Product planner Jack Collins was ready to make it happen. C arlos Ghosn gets the credit for Nissan Motor Co.’s product revival after he became CEO in 1999. But Jack Collins, the top product planner for Nissan North America from 1998 to 2006, was the man who lobbied Ghosn and Nissan Motor product czar Patrick Pelata to undertake the costly and risky renovation of the U.S. lineup. Collins’ stamp is on many hit vehicles: the redesigned Altima sedan, 350Z sports car, Murano and Rogue crossovers and the Infiniti G35 sedan. Even the original Xterra SUV, which arrived before Ghosn did, has Collins’ sweat equity in it. The triumphs were sweet for Collins, but his career path beforehand was anything but. A marketing executive by training, Collins left Ford Motor Co. in 1981 to join Toyota, where he worked for future President Jim Press in marketing. Given a shot at launching Hyundai’s U.S. effort in 1985, Collins couldn’t resist joining up. But when Hyundai quality fell apart a few years later, Collins departed for a marketing gig at Nissan’s new Infiniti Division in 1990. Collins’ candor and unerring dissections of the market were tempered by a folksy charm that gave him a tremendous following. Collins was hired at Nissan by future U.S. chief Bob Thomas. Collins immediately made his mark with the original 1993 Altima’s “affordable luxury” marketing gambit. But in a few years, Collins and Thomas had a falling out — odd because Thomas’ wife, Avis, had worked for Collins at Hyundai and the men had history. “We were in crisis,” Collins said. “The cars were heavily incentivized, lease residuals were suffering, and we had an empty product pipeline. I would say what I thought was needed. Others would say what Bob wanted to hear, but I’m not made that way.” Collins was effectively fired by Thomas in early 1997, but Nissan’s Japanese executives interceded and sent Collins to consult for Nissan Europe instead. After Thomas was ousted, Collins was called back to Los Angeles in 1998. He and design boss Jerry Hirshberg were charged with creating a new wave of product for America — a year before Ghosn’s arrival. By backing bold ideas from his team, Collins fostered tremendous loyalty from his subordinates. Many employees had followed him from Hyundai to Nissan. And when he decided to stay in Los Angeles rather than move with Nissan to Nashville in 2006, more than a few others followed his lead. — Mark Rechtin JACK COLLINS Earliest Nissan involvement: 1990 Role: Chief U.S. product planner, 1998-2006 Key influence: Reeled off a string of product hits that revived Nissan in the United States r,” says an Maxima oor sports ca 85-88 Niss5 Maxima “pioneered the four-d azine. The Maxima , 19 port mag st 98 ed 1 san S “It was fa The redesign o, editor-in-chief of Nis s Muramoto: amot ter V-6. Say David Mur werful 3.0-li around.” 300ZX’s po tting families shared the actical for ge and pr entertaining 3 In a race in California, the engineer’s team beat a Volkswagen. That convinced the group that Datsuns would sell in America. T he first Datsuns imported to his teeth when his head went the United States came at a through a windshield during a crash price: Shin Maki’s teeth. in California, according to The The young Nissan Reckoning, a 1986 book by SHIN MAKI engineer was part of a the late journalist David four-man group that Halberstam. Earliest Nissan involvement: tested a pickup and car in Maki did not want the 1958 in U.S. California in 1958 in an Nissan directors to know attempt to prove the about the accident, so he Role: Testing vehicles worthy of the U.S. tried to stick the missing engineer market. Key influence: His teeth back in with chewing Part of the Nissan team’s gum. But the teeth kept California tests research included racing coming loose during his led Nissan to the car up a hill against a presentation to the board. approve exports Volkswagen on a stretch of Nissan President Katsuji to America the San Diego Freeway. Kawamata finally asked The Datsun won the race, Maki, “What the hell are you doing?” convincing the engineers that Nissan Halberstam wrote. had a chance. The engineers fessed up and Maki reported back to the Nissan apologized for what they considered board that Datsuns could be sold here to be a shameful accident. The worry if some modifications were made. was unfounded. Kawamata and the But something was missing at that board quickly gave the OK to sell pivotal meeting with directors at the vehicles in the United States. — Amy Wilson Tokyo airport. Maki had lost two of http://www.ilocategps.com http://www.ilocategps.com

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Automotive News - May 19, 2008 Ford eyes smaller F-150 cousin Sonic: Mercedes tries to 'extort' store upgrades Chrysler seeks 25% slash in parts prices Dealership managers pushed Chrysler's latest incentive Crain names 4 new VPs Automotive News staffers win Wheel Awards GM will keep cutting sales to fleets GM studies the future of full-sized trucks American Axle plans to expand in Asia At Lexus, the sales laggards are cars VW positions Tiguan as 'GTI' of small SUVs Tata enters race for 100-mpg car Harley Earl was the daddy of auto design Focus will follow Fiesta as a global vehicle Lexus shows how it sweats details Industry slows tide of state CO2 rules Chevy tweaks Cobalt to add fuel economy Be careful; don't do anything dumb Looking ahead to different industry They thought they knew everything Cerberus doesn't belong in autos Dealers as scapegoats Smart, steady growth works best for suppliers Farley's smart to value Ford's heritage Absurd logic in the U.S., cowardice in Germany BMW, Daimler keep a wary eye on U.S. economy James Franey Dealers' approach can lessen pain of staff cuts GM plans to distinguish Opel with image makeover Make or buy? Software can estimate costs for company Honda, Toyota see robots in their futures Bosch aims to lead in hybrids technology King of hearts Clarke aims to get GM back on track in N.A. Fields navigates Ford through 'white water' LaSorda steers Chrysler's global ventures Toyota's Lentz: A crash course in hard times Truck sales fall 13% in April Modine sells Thermacore unit Alcoa to close Mexico plant Toyoda Gosei expands in Mexico Hayes Lemmerz plans to close Georgia factory Japan's sales slide 2% in 1st quarter; output climbs Dealers Hyundai let U.S. direct Sonata freshening After .com and .edu, is it time for .car? Panoramic sunroof of Lincoln MKS boosts Inalfa sales Chrysler hedged gas price bet Smart phones help dealerships retain customers CAW completes pacts with GM, Chrysler early GM, UAW resolve 2 disputes New media buyer for Chrysler Visteon names Stebbins CEO Convertible registrations drop Ferrari: From denial to debut Buildings Porsches in U.S.? Depends whom you ask Toyota will go slow in Tupelo Ghosn is glum on prices, U.S. sales prospects Pischetsrieder has earned a celebratory cigar NHTSA spins VINs, averts meltdown F_RD GU_S WI_ BUI-_KS 50 PEOPLE FOR 50 YEARS Yutaka Katayama Clarence Talley Jim Morton Pete Brock Marvin Runyon Yoshikazu Hanawa Bill Bruce Shin Maki Jack Collins Mitsuya "Scape" Goto Bob Link Soichi Kawazoe Jerry Hirshberg Takashi Ishihara Roy Rogers John Parker Bob Thomas Teruo Uchino Morrie Sage Bob Thomas Nobe Wakatsuki Earl Hesterberg Carlos Ghosn Lee Clow Jerry Benefield Yutaka Kume Doug Betts Tim McCarthy Jed Connelly Atsushi Nakatsuji Dave Hubbard Joe Opre Patrick Pelata Yoshiyuki Kimura Diane Allen Mad Mike Taylor Chuck King Larry Dominique Mark Igo Mitsuhiko Yamashita Shiro Nakamura Tom Mignanelli Dick Roberts William Cushing Emil Hassan Chester Luby Jane Nakagawa Louis Schweitzer MR. K Ray Lemke Richard McCutcheon

Automotive News - May 19, 2008

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