Automotive News - May 19, 2008 - (Page N16F)

N16F • MAY 19, 2008 NISSAN’S 50 Years in America The 1990s were a struggle for Nissan’s U.S. sales and marketing boss. Then came Renault and loads of fresh products. J ed Connelly endured Nissan’s lean times of the late 1990s. So after Carlos Ghosn took command of Nissan Motor Co. in 1999, the automaker’s comeback was a rush. As the company’s top sales and marketing executive in the United States, Connelly guided a wave of sales generated by such vehicles as the 2002 Altima, 2003 350Z sports car and 2003 Infiniti G35. “Nothing was quite like the Altima,” Connelly fondly recalls. “It had styling, interior room and performance. It was the antithesis of a boring mid-sized sedan. At the (2001) New York show, we watched our competitors looking at it. I watched Dick Colliver (of Honda) and Jim Press (of Toyota) looking at it. “Then we came out with the Z, a rebirth of the original car. We followed that up with the Murano. That was another car that exceeded our expectations.” In 2000, Connelly was on his second stint at the company when he worked his way up to the top sales job, senior vice president for sales and marketing. He was a field representative from 1989 through 1994, left for a job outside the JED CONNELLY Earliest Nissan involvement: 1989 Role: Senior vice president for sales and marketing, Nissan North America Key influence: Headed sales and marketing after alliance with Renault in 1999, helping bring key new products to Nissan and Infiniti brands. Innovative Technology The Brose Group is one of the fastest growing international automotive suppliers. Worldwide, more than 14,000 employees at 50 locations in 21 countries are engaged in the development and production of components and systems for automobiles. Today you can find a Brose product in every third vehicle produced worldwide. Brose technology helps make day-to-day motoring of millions of car drivers safer and more pleasant. At the touch of a button, doors, windows or liftgates can be easily operated and seats, steering wheel and headrests ergonomically adjusted. Brose electric drives ensure safety and reduced fuel consumption. They control braking systems, electric steering or automated clutches. They regulate heating and ventilation blowers, ensuring efficient engine cooling. More than 40 car manufacturers and suppliers trust Brose's intelligent product solutions designed to meet the ever-increasing demands for environmental compatibility, safety, comfort and cost effectiveness. Every third automobile produced worldwide today is already equipped with one of our products. Brose, a proud supplier of window electronics to Nissan, offers its congratulations on 50 years of automotive excellence. Brose North America 3933 Automation Ave. Auburn Hills, MI 48326 Phone: (248) 339-4000 Fax: (248) 339-4099 Internet: www.brose.com The Brose Group Germany Belgium Brazil Canada China Czechia France Great Britain Hungary India Japan Mexico Portugal Slovakia South Africa South Korea Spain Sweden Turkey USA industry, then returned to Nissan in 1998 as director of distribution, contests and incentives. 1998 “was stressful,” he says. “It was hard to do anything without the product. We were battling. I won’t say it was a losing battle, but we were working very hard just to stand still.” Renault’s 1999 acquisition of Nissan changed everything. “On the Nissan side, we knew the Xterra and Crew Cab were coming, but the rest of it was ideas and plans,” Connelly says. “We did a road show that showed future product. But, frankly, while the product was doable, it still had not been funded. “That’s when the alliance helped. It gave us the money so we could bring that product to fruition.” Nissan’s and Infiniti’s string of hits faltered a bit with the Nissan Titan full-sized pickup, which had the difficult task of muscling into the Detroit 3’s prime truck turf. The redesigned 2004 Nissan Quest minivan also struggled. But overall, the product revival under Ghosn was outstanding. Combined Nissan and Infiniti sales in the United States rose from 677,212 in 1999 to 1,068,238 in 2007. Connelly retired in 2006 at age 60 after deciding not to move with U.S. headquarters from Los Angeles to Nashville. He looks back fondly on Nissan’s comeback. “At a dealer show in 2004 or 2005, we showed them the showroom of 1998. Then for the final curtain call, we showed them the current showroom of 14 cars,” Connelly said. “This was in Las Vegas. We were trying to explain to them how far we had come. “About 2,000 dealers were there. There were so many cars, they had to put a second level up there. “I get goose bumps today thinking about it. We got a standing ovation. It was awesome.” — Kathy Jackson http://www.brose.com http://www.brose.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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