LEFT LANE NEWS - - The Level Field Institute today released new data attempting to assess the amount of American content in cars sold in the United States. Below is the organization's list, weighted by sales:
JALOPNICK AUTO NEWS | NHRA - - If you have no clue about drag racing legends Sox & Martin, kindly soak your head. Everyone else, read on. Bob Panella, Jr. will run this Sox & Martin-liveried Dodge Stratus at the NHRA US Nationals, the biggest deal in drag racing. Sox expressed his enthusiasm for the project before his death last April, and his longtime partner in quickness Buddy Martin. What's more, the car's not one of the retro, one-off paint schemes that seem to run every year at Indy and then revert back to normal sponsor colors after the event they call The Big Go. Which frankly, is pretty awesome.
Sox and Martin Stratus Revealed [MoparMax]
== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==
Region: MAURITIUS - REUNION REGION
Geographic coordinates: 17.549S, 65.854E
Magnitude: 5.7 Mw
Depth: 10 km
Universal Time (UTC): 30 Aug 2006 16:13:38
Time near the Epicenter: 30 Aug 2006 20:13:38
Local time in your area: 30 Aug 2006 17:13:38
Location with respect to nearby cities:
351 km (218 miles) NE (47 degrees) of Rodrigues Island, Mauritius
926 km (575 miles) ENE (73 degrees) of PORT LOUIS, Mauritius
ADDITIONAL EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS
________________________________
event ID : US sach
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist at NEIC For subsequent updates, maps, and technical information, see:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/ussach.php
FOX SPORTS | MOORESVILLE, N.C. - - Late Monday evening, former NASCAR champion and ESPN/ABC Sports lead auto racing analyst, Rusty Wallace and his wife, Patti, were involved in a major auto accident while returning from the weekend's IndyCar Series event and a taping of the NASCAR Angels television show in California. The 2006 Dodge Durango Wallace was driving was hit directly in the driver's door by another motorist who ran a stop sign. Miraculously, all parties involved survived unscathed and did not require medical treatment.
Noted Wallace, "I've been in a lot of crashes in my time, but that was one of the craziest things I think I've ever experienced. Patti and I were driving home from the airport, driving the speed limit, somewhere around 45 miles per hour I believe, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I got hit directly in my door. We really got knocked around in there and we're both really sore."
Despite the Wallace's involvement in the accident, their immediate concern afterwards was the well-being of the other party involved. "As soon as we came to a stop and realized what happened, our thoughts turned directly to the other driver, who miraculously, was uninjured as well." Wallace continued, "She was really shaken up and very apologetic. She claimed that somehow, she just didn't see the stop sign. Luckily for both of us, there was a police officer directly following me and another coming in the opposite direction, both of whom witnessed the entire thing," Wallace continued.
When all was said and done, Wallace credited one thing with the ability of himself and his wife to survive: the safety of the 2006 Dodge Durango. Said Wallace, "You hear car companies talk about safety a lot, but I can tell you that Patti and I are both really thankful for the research and development that Dodge puts into the safety of their vehicles." Wallace joked, "That felt like a crash at Talladega, but thankfully, everyone was able to walk away."
BELVIDERE — The head of the United Auto Workers local representing more than 3,600 workers in Belvidere wants to reopen talks with DaimlerChrysler over its use of 800 workers hired on two-year contracts for a third shift.
UAW Local 1268 President Tom Littlejohn told reporters from Crain Communications Inc., which publishes among other things Crain’s Chicago Business and Automotive News, that the Local 1268 is appealing to the International UAW, asking it to open talks to end the use of the temps.
Littlejohn said Wednesday that he’s been instructed by International UAW officials to not comment further.DaimlerChrysler began a third shift at the Belvidere plant in July to meet the strong demand for the plant’s new products, the 2007 Dodge Caliber and 2007 Jeep Compass. Some industry experts regard the launch of the Caliber as the strongest new domestic car to hit the market in the past three years.
To staff the third shift, though, DaimlerChrysler used a clause in its national contract that allowed hiring temporary workers to hire about 800 people on two-year contracts. The contracts start at about the same pay as in the past but don’t include automatic increases and take eight months for reduced insurance benefits to kick in. The contract also can be terminated at any time during the two years if demand slows, and it has no guarantees of future employment when it ends.
Littlejohn was quoted by Crain’s as saying, “We have language in our national agreement that governs the hiring of temporary workers, and this does not follow those guidelines.”
Neither officials from DaimlerChrysler nor the International UAW would comment on the temporary workers’ contract.
James Doser, a 56-year-old Rockford resident who was hired as a temporary worker in April, said the temporary status and much less protective contract are causing dissension.
“Guys are happy to be there, no question,” said Doser, who has been a UAW member for 32 years at such places as John Deere in Dubuque, Iowa, and Hamilton Sundstrand in Rockford. “There is a lot of grumbling over the lack of hours, and the fact (the two-year contract) obviously violates the national contract.”
Doser originally was hired as a temporary worker who would work 120 days, which basically took him to Labor Day. It’s a common practice as automakers need workers to fill in during summer to cover vacations. In May, though, when DaimlerChrysler announced the third shift, Doser said he was told to sign the two-year deal or find another job.
Doser said he has asked local union officials to file grievances for being forced to change his employment contract and because he feels the two-year deal is a violation of the larger contract. He also is frustrated by the lack of work when he reaches the plant. He said he has not worked a full 40-hour workweek since starting in April.
Continuing problems with the plant’s new automated body shop have caused frequent shutdowns and put the plant thousands of orders behind on the Caliber and the Compass. The third-shift workers, who are paid only for hours worked, unlike their first- and second-shift counterparts, are feeling the effects.
“Most of us thought this would turn into a full-time job, and I thought I might get a chance to retire from here,” Doser added. “A lot of the guys aren’t getting enough work to pay the bills.”
Since seeing Caliber sales grow from 1,397 in February to 12,422 in May, sales of the combination sporty coupe/SUV plunged in June and July because of slow production as workers began integrating the Jeep Compass into production. August car sales are scheduled to be released Friday. The Jeep Patriot is scheduled to go into production in October.
The body shop, with its 700-plus robots, was a key component to a $419 million renovation of the plant at the end of 2005 and beginning of 2006. When functioning properly, it allows workers to ramp up production of different models based on sales without time-draining, costly shutdowns. It’s seen as a key to DaimlerChrysler’s future ability to compete with the Japanese automakers.
“The launch, like every launch, is a process that will take time to reach optimum productivity levels,” DaimlerChrysler spokesman Michelle Tinson said in an e-mail. “We’re focusing our improvement efforts on issues with our robotics programming. Production complexity includes Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot pilots and eight derivatives, as well as an all-new body shop and addition of a third shift.
STMicroelectronics has launched a new, enhanced version of its 32-Mbit Flash memory chip intended specifically for the automotive market. Offering high-speed memory access over a wide operating temperature range, the M58BW32F is specified for powertrain and transmission-control modules and other automotive systems that use 32-bit microcontrollers.
The new M58BW32F is manufactured with an 0.11-micron technology and qualified to the AEC- Q100 standard (revision F) as defined by the Automotive Electronics Council.
Engineering samples are available for evaluation, with volume production planned for Q3 2006. A 16-Mbit device is planned for the second half of 2006. Pricing for the M58BW32F is US$5.5 per device.
== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==
Region: MOLUCCA SEA
Geographic coordinates: 0.333S, 125.114E
Magnitude: 5.7 Mw
Depth: 53 km
Universal Time (UTC): 31 Aug 2006 08:08:29
Time near the Epicenter: 31 Aug 2006 17:08:29
Local time in your area: 31 Aug 2006 09:08:29
Location with respect to nearby cities:
204 km (127 miles) S (172 degrees) of Manado, Sulawesi, Indonesia
246 km (153 miles) ESE (113 degrees) of Gorontalo, Sulawesi, Indonesia
282 km (175 miles) WSW (243 degrees) of Ternate, Moluccas, Indonesia
919 km (571 miles) N (357 degrees) of DILI, East Timor
ADDITIONAL EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS
________________________________
event ID : US sbaj
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist at NEIC For subsequent updates, maps, and technical information, see:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/ussbaj.php
8.31.1904 - James W. Packard marries Elizabeth Achsah Gillmer
8.31.1922 - The Marmon Model 34C is introduced
8.31.1948 - Racer Harald Ertl is born in Mannheim, Germany
8.31.1955 - The world’s first solar-powered automobile, designed by William G. Cobb, is demonstrated at the General Motors Powerama in Chicago, IL
8.31.1958 - Chairman Albert Bradley and President Harlow H. Curtice retire from General Motors
Source: Automobile History Day By Day, by Douglas A. Wick
The current smart fortwo model is already as good as sold out and it has achieved cult status within a very short space of time. Due to the high demand, production in Hambach, France, was increased once more at the beginning of this year. More than 750,000 vehicles have been delivered to customers since the market launch in October 1998.
The smart fortwo edition red is just as sporty as it looks: the BRABUS engine has a power output of 55 kW (75 bhp). 16 inch alloy wheels, a front spoiler and sports rear muffler further underline the sporty appearance. And as the name says, the tridion safety cell and bodypanels are painted in "intensive red".
Leather and Alcantara with elaborately stitched seams dominate in the interior of the smart fortwo edition red. Special contrast components in "intensive red" and aluminium pedals add to the exclusive look. Air conditioning and an audio system with an MP3 interface are also part of the package. The smart fortwo edition red is available as a coupé or a cabrio and costs € 20,995 and € 23,695 respectively.
GUIDO REINKING || AUTOMOBILWOCHE - - In the 1990s, Mercedes-Benz had a classic car commercial.A husband arrives home late and tells his wife, "My car broke down." The wife slaps him in the face. She does not believe her husband's Mercedes could break down.
Today, nobody would understand the advertisement. For many Mercedes drivers nowadays, breaking down is part of the ownership experience.
It took 90 years to build Mercedes' image of quality, and less than 10 years to damage it severely.
Dieter Zetsche has been directing the brand's fate for a year. The quality of Mercedes cars has noticeably improved over that period, but a year is much too short a time to expect lasting results.
Renewing Mercedes
Zetsche has cut jobs and operating costs at Mercedes, but that was relatively easy compared to what now lies ahead. His most important job is to renew the Mercedes brand.
The star emblem on every Mercedes model once signified that customers were getting the safest and most reliable cars that money could buy. Mercedes owners also knew they were buying a car with the highest level of workmanship.
But this unique image was needlessly abandoned in favor of excessive sportiness and a gratuitous pursuit of horsepower records, coupled with dubious model decisions and an unrestrained niche strategy.
Mercedes has wasted its energy on new vehicles such as the A-, B-, R- and GL-class models and the SLR McLaren.
No one really knows what the brand stands for anymore.
Chasing niches
The Maybach ultraluxury sedan highlighted the misguided trend of chasing niches.
The Maybach damaged Mercedes' claim that the S-class upper-premium sedan was the best luxury car in the world. It also maneuvered the company into an awkward situation: Mercedes cannot quietly close the limping Maybach brand. Its customers are important people, and they are not likely to go along with this.
Until recently, Mercedes, with its Smart and Maybach brands, risked losing its way. The task now is to raise the profile of the core Mercedes brand.
Mercedes has to build the most reliable car -- not the fastest.
Zetsche's statements over the past few months are an indication he has recognized this. But it takes years, not months, to turn around the image of a brand such as Mercedes. There will be setbacks along the way.
Detroit Free Press - - With the production launch of the 2007 Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited at its Toledo Supplier Park, Chrysler Group has transformed almost all its assembly plants to build more than one vehicle on the same line.
Flexible assembly plants are expected to cut costs by using robots to automate some jobs, reducing inventory and keeping employment ranks steady. Because the plants can make more than one vehicle, declining sales of one model doesn't necessarily put an entire plant at risk.
For the company, it provides a way to make money by ramping up production of a hot seller.
"The best example of why it matters was in Belvidere," Greg Gardner, a spokesman for Harbour Consulting, said of a plant in Illinois. "Until Chrysler launched the Dodge Caliber, it could only build the Neon there. The PT Cruiser built in Toluca, Mexico, could not be built in Belvidere because it wasn't flexible. If they had been able to shift some production to Belvidere when the demand for the PT Cruiser was strong, that could have made Chrysler more profitable."
Building flexible manufacturing plants is something Japanese automakers are known for, said Erich Merkle, an auto analyst at IRN in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Chrysler, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. are becoming more flexible but are in a race to catch up, analysts said.
. GM's new Delta Township plant near Lansing, Mich., will build the 2007 Saturn Outlook crossover as well as Buick and GMC models. And Ford now has the capacity to build as many as eight different models at its Chicago assembly plant.
8.30.1905 - Louis Bancel Warren of the Chrysler Corporation is born in Monmouth Beach, NJ
8.30.1934 - Automotive products manufacturer Daniel Boyd Griffith is born in Albuquerque, NM
8.30.1937 - Racer Bruce Leslie McLaren is born in Auckland, New Zealand
8.30.1952 - Edmund B. Neil, a truck engineer with the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company and later an independent consulting engineer, dies at age 62
== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==
Region: MOLUCCA SEA
Geographic coordinates: 0.406S, 125.081E
Magnitude: 5.8 Mb
Depth: 60 km
Universal Time (UTC): 29 Aug 2006 10:53:09
Time near the Epicenter: 29 Aug 2006 19:53:09
Local time in your area: 29 Aug 2006 11:53:09
Location with respect to nearby cities:
212 km (132 miles) S (173 degrees) of Manado, Sulawesi, Indonesia
246 km (153 miles) ESE (116 degrees) of Gorontalo, Sulawesi, Indonesia
289 km (180 miles) WSW (242 degrees) of Ternate, Moluccas, Indonesia
911 km (566 miles) N (356 degrees) of DILI, East Timor
ADDITIONAL EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS
________________________________
event ID : US rzal
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist at NEIC For subsequent updates, maps, and technical information, see:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/usrzal.php
Alex Gary | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
The last new 2005 Dodge Neon is out there somewhere in North America, hoping for a buyer.
Sales of the subcompact, assembled at the DaimlerChrysler assembly plant in Belvidere for 11 years until last September, tumbled from 4,068 in March to just 361 in July.
Soon, perhaps Friday when August car sales come out, the Neon sales report will hit zero, the true end of the road.But in the car industry, does any car truly die? Since 1998 when Volkswagen introduced the “New Beetle,” the automotive industry has spent millions on redesigning “retro” cars ranging from the highly recognizable Dodge Challenger, which will come back in 2008 with the look of the 1970 Challenger R/T, to the Chevy HHR, which was based on and named after the almost completely forgotten 1949 Suburban.
That raises the question: Could the Neon ever be retro?
According to automotive analysts, highly doubtful. According to Neon enthusiasts, a firm maybe.
“That car is never going to come back,” said Robyn Eckerd, director of media relations for Irvine, Calif.-based Kelley Blue Book, which compiles automotive resale information. “The car companies are bringing back the ones people had a certain affection for. Look at the Charger, people who are buying it are younger or the baby boomers. The Mini Cooper is an icon. The Neon never had that kind of following.”
The 33-year-old said muscle cars from the 1960s and 70s are the inspiration for most new “retro” vehicles.
U.S. models from the 1980s and 90s lack that cache.
In fact, she could think of just three ‘90s models she’d like to see return and all were foreign made — Volkswagen Corrado, a hatchback in production from 1988 to 1995; the Toyota MR2, a two-seat sports car built from 1984 to 2005; and the Honda Del Sol, a targa top convertible sold in the U.S. from 1993 to 1998.
Erich Merkle of Michigan-based auto market research firm IRN Inc. also doubts the Neon will ever go back into production.
“There wasn’t too much good to write home about in the cars of the ’80s and ’90s,” he said. “What are they going to do, bring back the K car?
“The car companies in the ’80s and ’90s were just trying to survive,” Merkle added. “They were in trouble for a reason — the product. They didn’t introduce anything that memorable.”
Haig Stoddard, manager of industry analysis for Ward’s Communications in Southfield, Mich., held the door open for a Neon return.
“It could happen because the market is moving toward station wagon body styles, from the Dodge Caliber on up to crossover utility vehicles,” Stoddard said. “I could see in 15 to 20 years a nostalgic move to go back to a sedan body style. The Neon was somewhat unique in its design.”
Still, Stoddard put the odds of an eventual Neon return at less than 50 percent.
Neon enthusiasts, though, don’t believe the book is closed on the car that sold more than 2.6 million units in the U.S. under both the Dodge and Plymouth names.
“Based on the number they sold and how many are still out there, I would think they’d want to bring it back someday,” said Bob LaPier, a car salesman at Belvidere Motors, which sells Dodge products. LaPier bought five Neons and believes the 2005 model was the best one yet. “I’ve really dressed up the 2005. It looks like a mini-hot rod.”
Dr. Nesher Asner of Rockford said the Neon’s drivability is its strongest asset.
“It was a small, cheap car but really fun to drive,” said Asner, who joined a nationwide Neon enthusiasts club with his 1998 Plymouth Neon Expresso. “I beat this car into the ground, and it’s still running.”
Another member of the Neon enthusiast club, 35-year-old Benjamin Youman, who lives between Davis Junction and Stillman Valley in Ogle County, said “probably not” when asked if he thinks the Neon will ever be “retro.”
“You’d have to design it to compete with the (Mitsubishi) Lancer or the Subaru WRX,” said Youman, a nuclear engineer at the Byron Exelon generating stations, who gave his 1999 Dodge Neon R/T to his niece. “Make it a high performance car but still tout the great gas mileage.”
Dave Lusz, general manager of Anderson Dodge, said he believes the Neon name might return someday but not as a small subcompact.
“I’ve been here 30 years, and I’ve been surprised a lot of times,” Lusz said. “There are a lot of cars I thought I’d never see again that are being talked about. Names like the Dodge Diplomat and the (Chrysler) Fifth Avenue. It’s a crazy business. You never say never about the Neon because you just don’t know.”
Old car names never die ...
Automakers have increasingly been banking on old favorites in the search for new car sales. Here are a few.
Volkswagen kicked off the retro craze in 1998 by announcing the “New Beetle.”
Chevrolet brought back the Camaro, based closely on the look of the 1967-69 first generation.
Toyota’s FJ Cruiser styling is very similar to the original from the 1960s.
Chevy HHR was based on the little-known 1949 Suburban.
Jeep Commander was reintroduced in 2005, carrying the name from an obscure Jeep sport model from the early 1970s.
Chrysler PT Cruiser was originally based on the 1934 Chrysler Airflow, but the final version resembled the Chrysler CCV and Plymouth Pronto concepts from the late 1990s. Along with VW’s “New Beetle,” it has been the most successful of the retro cars.
Dodge Challenger is coming back in 2008. Its styling is based on the 1970 Challenger R/T.
Dodge Charger is in its third life. DaimlerChrysler brought it back this year as a rear wheel drive sedan.
Ford Thunderbird was revived in 2002 as a two-seater roadster. Enthusiasts say it stayed true to the original 1955-57 roadsters.
Source: Register Star research, Wikipedia and Autobytel.com. To read a full article on the retro craze and see photos of current and past models, type in www.rrstar.com/autobytel/retro
What about the Fury?
Some key Belvidere-built products have been immune to the retro craze.
The Plymouth Fury, Dodge Monaco and Dodge Polara were built in Belvidere from 1965 to 1977, and the Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni, which was put together in Belvidere from 1978 to 1986.
But other cars that had much briefer runs in Belvidere have made comebacks.
Some key Belvidere-built products have been immune to the retro craze.
The Plymouth Fury, Dodge Monaco and Dodge Polara were built in Belvidere from 1965 to 1977, and the Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni, which was put together in Belvidere from 1978 to 1986.
But other cars that had much briefer runs in Belvidere have made comebacks.
The Dodge Charger was brought back this year as a rear wheel drive sedan based more on its 1966-1978 hardtop coupe and personal luxury car days rather than the 1983-1987 era when it was assembled in Belvidere as a front wheel drive subcompact hatchback.
The Chrysler Imperial was first introduced in 1926 and ran under the Imperial name until 1975. In 1990, Chrysler brought it back — and built it in Belvidere — as an upscale version of the Chrysler New Yorker/Fifth Avenue. It was discontinued again at the end of 1993. DaimlerChrysler unveiled a 2006 Chrysler Imperial concept car this year basing the look on the 1960s versions.
The Dodge Rampage was a small front wheel drive pickup built off the Horizon/Omni platform from 1982 to 1984. DaimlerChrysler rolled out a 2006 Dodge Rampage concept that again is a front wheel pickup but this time is a full size truck as large as the Dodge Ram.
You be the designer 
If you worked at Daimler-Chrysler and were given the assignment to bring back the Neon, how would you design it? Would you base it closely on one of the Neon models over the years? Or would you take it in a new direction? Send your suggestions to Alex Gary at agary@rrstar.com for us to use in a future story. Please include your name, city of residence and how to reach you during the day.
8.29.1888 - Automobile historian Frank Ernest Hill is born in San Jose, CA
8.29.1917 - The Lincoln Motor Company is founded by Henry M. Leland to manufacture Liberty airplane engines
8.29.1934 - Rolls-Royce of America, Inc. reorganizes as the Springfield Manufacturing Company to avoid involving the Rolls-Royce name in bankruptcy proceedings
8.29.1948 - The first 1949 Kaiser is produced
8.29.1993 - Racer Roger McCluskey dies in Indianapolis, IN at age 63
Kevin Krolicki | TOLEDO, Ohio, Aug 28 (Reuters) - - Chrysler Group on Monday began production of a new Jeep at the first auto plant in North America where suppliers have taken over key areas of production to help contain costs for a major automaker.
Chrysler, a unit of DaimlerChrysler AG, began making dealer-bound versions of its 2007 Jeep Wrangler on Monday as a 100-acre supplier park began operations.
Chrysler Chief Executive Tom LaSorda, who championed the unusual partnership as a way to reduce capital investment and improve Chrysler's manufacturing flexibility, said the automaker would look at similar outsourced arrangements for other plants.
"Suppliers and (automakers) are going to team up where it makes business sense. Not just to do it, but where it makes business sense for all parties to do it," LaSorda told reporters.
Chrysler's Toledo Supplier Park began building both the 2007 Jeep Wrangler and a new four-door Wrangler Unlimited, off- road vehicles expected to compete with the Hummer H3 from General Motors Corp.
But the Toledo facility also has the flexibility to handle a future niche vehicle expected to sell less than 30,000 units per year or other Jeep variants, LaSorda said.
Chrysler sold about 79,000 Jeep Wranglers last year in the U.S. market and the brand's steady track record was one reason the automaker was able to bring in suppliers who will both collect fees based on production units and share in the costs if sales were to falter, LaSorda said.
"The reason we thought this one, we felt worked pretty good was that the Jeep Wrangler, going back 20 years in good times and bad, had pretty consistent volume," LaSorda said. "We're looking at the volume to be in a very steady range."High gas prices have weighed on U.S. truck and SUV sales, including Chrysler's Jeep and Dodge lines, but LaSorda said he hoped fuel prices had retreated from their near-term peak.
At the same time, he said Chrysler would base its product plans on a scenario in which oil prices steadily increase over the next several years and gas prices could hit $4 per gallon.
"I would hope we've hit the peak," LaSorda told reporters. "But we are planning internally as if it's $3 or $4, what would we do."
KUKA Group, a unit of the German engineering and robotics company, is building the Jeep vehicle bodies. Magna International Inc. unit Magna Steyr is running the plant's paint shop.
Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. affiliate Hyundai Mobis will assemble the vehicle chassis, while Chrysler has responsibility for the final assembly at the $900-million supplier park.
Chrysler also makes the Jeep Liberty and the upcoming Dodge Nitro in Toledo.
The collaborative production plan for the Wrangler, announced two years ago, drew strong support from the United Auto Workers union and Ohio politicians eager to keep the Toledo area from losing manufacturing jobs.
Under a ground breaking 2003 agreement with the UAW, Chrysler won a concession allowing it to outsource the chassis line, body shop and paint shop at a new Toledo plant, as well as jobs in other areas such as maintenance.
"The situation we faced was that these jobs were going to go to Mexico, we believed," Lloyd Mahaffey, regional director for the UAW said on MondayOhio kicked in an estimated $200 million in subsidies, including grants, financing and job training funds to encourage Chrysler to keep its Jeep production in the state, drawing a legal challenge that ended up before the Supreme Court.
In May, the justices ruled unanimously that the Ohio taxpayers who had sued claiming the state-funded tax incentives were illegal had no standing to challenge those government spending decisions.
== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==
Region: OFF COAST OF OREGON
Geographic coordinates: 44.532N, 129.670W
Magnitude: 4.5 Mb
Depth: 10 km
Universal Time (UTC): 29 Aug 2006 03:36:51
Time near the Epicenter: 28 Aug 2006 18:36:51
Local time in your area: 29 Aug 2006 04:36:51
Location with respect to nearby cities:
443 km (275 miles) W (275 degrees) of Yachats, OR
444 km (276 miles) W (268 degrees) of Depoe Bay, OR
445 km (276 miles) W (270 degrees) of Newport, OR
525 km (326 miles) W (278 degrees) of Eugene, OR
563 km (350 miles) W (261 degrees) of Portland, OR
ADDITIONAL EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS
________________________________
event ID : US rzac
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist at NEIC For subsequent updates, maps, and technical information, see:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/usrzac.php
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 (Bernama) -- Si Khiong Star Sdn Bhd has managed to maintain its aim to register sales of 600 units Mercedes-Benz cars this year, according to its chief executive for automotive division, Vincent Lew.
"We are fully aware that the auto market is going to be tough, but we are sticking to this figure (600 units)," he told reporters after the opening of Si Khiong Star Mercedes-Benz Autohaus Service Center in Bandar Kinrara, Monday.
The dealer for the German automotive manufacturer said, to date, it held 20 percent of the Mercedes market in Klang Valley and had sold 300 units for the first half this year, of which 30 units were of the Smart range.
Si Khiong Star sold 400 units of Mercedes-Benz last year.
President and chief executive officer of DaimlerChrysler Malaysia, Frank Steinleitner noted that although Mercedes-Benz customer could afford to buy premium cars, the second hand car market needs some push to boost car sales.
However, he said besides the downtrend of in second hand car markets, there were also other factors that could drag down car sales such as tightening of credit finance facilities as well as high oil prices.
"Getting the second hand car market to move is one of the important factors (in boosting sales)," he said.
Si Khiong Star director, David Park said the company has invested in excess of RM70 million to develop its Mercedes-Benz dealership in peninsular Malaysia, especially with the establishment of the Autohaus.
Si Khiong Star is a member of the Hap Seng Consolidated Group and has only been appointed to sell Mercedes cars last two years.
However, Hap Seng's subsidiary Si Khiong Industries has been the main dealer for Mercedes-Benz passenger and commercial vehicles in both Sabah and Sarawak. -- BERNAMA
BUSINESS NEWS, Tokyo - Daimler Chrysler AG has established another front in its global diesel offensive with a push into Japan.
Hans Tempel, president of Daimler Chrysler Japan, on Monday in Tokyo presented the new E Class Mercedes, which offers a diesel alternative with its E320 CDI model.
The introduction of the E Class with its ''Clean Diesel Technology' represents a milestone for the automobile market in Japan,' Tempel said.
Japan has been a tough nut to crack for diesel carmakers because many of its residents regard diesel cars as slow, loud and sooty, but Germany-based Daimler Chrysler aims to overcome this hurdle with the help of rising oil prices and Japan's discussions over lowering greenhouse-gas emissions. Diesel, for example, is 20 per cent cheaper than petrol in Japan.
Last year, the sales of diesel cars amounted to a mere 0.2 per cent of the country's total car sales, but the Yano Research Institute said it expected that percentage to rise to 11 per cent by 2015.
The only diesel model sold in Japan today is Toyota's Prado Land Cruiser sports utility vehicle, and Daimler Chrysler itself took its last diesel vehicle off the market in 2002 before its launch of the E320 CDI.
'German diesel technology has always led Europe and the world,' said Jochen Legewie, representative of the German Association of the Automotive Industry in Japan. 'It is, therefore, only consistent that a German premium automaker like Mercedes Benz is the first to introduce the new Clean Diesel Technology to Japan.'
Until now, however, hybrid cars have been considered the most environmentally friendly alternative in Japan, but diesel's return to the country caused industry analysts to speculate whether other carmakers would follow Daimler Chrysler's lead and introduce their own diesel models. Many expected Japan's leaders in the industry, like Toyota and Honda, to follow as new emissions standards were due to be enacted in 2009.
David Barkholz | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, TOLEDO, Ohio -- The Chrysler group's unique relationship with suppliers at the just-opened Jeep Wrangler assembly plant here saved the carmaker $300 million in capital that was redeployed for product development and other uses, says Frank Ewasyshyn, Chrysler executive vice president of manufacturing.
Suppliers spent the $300 million to build the plant's body shop, paint shop and chassis-building operation, he said. Those suppliers now are operating those facilities, while the Chrysler group concentrates on assembling on site the redesigned Jeep Wrangler and new Wrangler Unlimited. Both are to go on sale next month.
The Chrysler group spent $600 million to build and equip the assembly portion of the Toledo Supplier Park. The plant replaced an antiquated Jeep assembly plant nearby.
Ewasyshyn said preserving capital was a key component of the new assembly model.
"You can put back what you save in more products," he said before ceremonies marking the opening of the plant today.
Kuka Flexible Production Systems Corp. is producing the Wrangler bodies, Magna International Inc.'s Magna Steyr is running the paint shop, and a subsidiary of Hyundai Mobis is building the chassis. A carmaker traditionally builds the operations and runs them.
But the new model is working out well, said Larry Drake, president of Kuka's North American operations.
Drake said about 85 percent of bodies welded in the plant need no refining or rework. That's a high percentage for a new assembly plant launching a new model, he said.
Kuka is a world leader in building welding lines for body shops. This is its first time as a production parts producer. Drake said that, like any parts producer, Kuka gets paid for its investment as a portion of the piece price for each body. That's different from getting paid when it delivers the machinery and sets it up in a carmaker's assembly plant.
After Kuka builds the vehicle bodies, they are conveyed to the Magna Steyr paint shop. The bodies then are sent by conveyor to the Chrysler group's assembly plant, where they are mated to the finished chassis that the Hyundai Mobis operation sends to assembly. The Wrangler comes in a variety of four-door and two-door versions.
In all, Chrysler is investing $2.1 billion in its Toledo assembly operations, including the costs of developing products there.
Bradford Wernle, Automotive News, AUBURN HILLS MI - - After nearly two months of an employee pricing incentive, the Chrysler group's swollen inventories still exceed the industry average by more than a month.
So Chrysler is offering dealers aggressive financing assistance to help them get rid of their oldest vehicles and to get them to buy more 2006 cars and trucks.
For every vehicle the dealer is carrying over 80 days' supply, Chrysler is offering dealers $150 to $250 per vehicle in monthly floorplan assistance, roughly the average financing cost with a normal 9 percent loan.
Last week, Chrysler added a $1,000 bonus for some models that have been languishing on their lots since March 31, if sold by Thursday, Aug. 31.
Vehicles covered are the Chrysler 300C; Jeep Commander and Grand Cherokee; and Dodge Ram, Durango and Magnum RT. In addition, dealers will get $750 for selling a minivan that has been sitting for the same period.
Dealers welcome the cash and say it shows that Chrysler may be turning away from forcing dealers to take vehicles they don't want.
"For the factory to say, 'If you happen to over-order, we're going to cover it for you,' I think it's a huge shot in the arm for small to mid-size dealers with too much inventory," said Cass Burch, owner of Cass Burch Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep in Quitman, Ga.
Dealers had criticized Chrysler this summer for forcing them to take vehicles they did not want by threatening to withhold more desirable vehicles.
Chrysler has a flood of all-new 2007 products arriving in dealerships, including the Chrysler Sebring and Aspen, Jeep Compass and Patriot, redesigned Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Nitro.
Last week, Chrysler CEO Tom LaSorda said Chrysler will cut production of Dodge Durango SUVs and Ram pickups in the fourth quarter. Chrysler already had trimmed between 65,000 and 75,000 units during the third quarter.
Chrysler vehicles that sold from Aug. 1 to Aug. 20 had sat on dealer lots an average of 90 days, according to the Power Information Network.
"Their average is almost a month above the industry," said Tom Libby, Power analyst.
Dealers are eager for a new incentive that will increase floor traffic.
"We're satisfied with the employee pricing," said John Schenden, owner of Pro Chrysler-Jeep in Denver.
"They said it will end on Aug. 31. It will. New incentives start on Sept. 1."
Chrysler and the dealers decline to specify what those incentives will be.
== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==
Region: ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS.
Geographic coordinates: 51.105N, 179.495W
Magnitude: 5.7 Ml
Depth: 100 km
Universal Time (UTC): 26 Aug 2006 23:46:21
Time near the Epicenter: 26 Aug 2006 14:46:21
Local time in your area: 27 Aug 2006 00:46:21
Location with respect to nearby cities:
215 km (134 miles) WSW (247 degrees) of Adak, AK
384 km (239 miles) WSW (254 degrees) of Atka, AK
2128 km (1323 miles) WSW (252 degrees) of Anchorage, AK
== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==
Region: ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS.
Geographic coordinates: 50.824N, 179.623W
Magnitude: 5.5 Ml
Depth: 50 km
Universal Time (UTC): 26 Aug 2006 23:44:34
Time near the Epicenter: 26 Aug 2006 14:44:34
Local time in your area: 27 Aug 2006 00:44:34
Location with respect to nearby cities:
238 km (148 miles) WSW (241 degrees) of Adak, AK
404 km (251 miles) WSW (250 degrees) of Atka, AK
2157 km (1340 miles) WSW (251 degrees) of Anchorage, AK
ADDITIONAL EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS
________________________________
event ID : AK 00068967
This is a computer-generated message and has not yet been reviewed by a seismologist.
For subsequent updates, maps, and technical information, see:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Quakes/ak00068967.php
Rear shot of the next 2008 Jeep Liberty [provided by Redriderbob]
2008 Jeep Liberty (KK):
Automaker wants to close Van Horn Road in Trenton for plant that would create 700 jobs.
Doug Guthrie / The Detroit News
TRENTON -- New demands by DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group have delayed by at least two weeks a decision on where to locate an $800 million engine factory, prompting further negotiations on a $165 million tax incentive package and giving opponents more time to organize.
City officials hoped to learn this week they'd landed a 1 million-square-foot V-6 engine factory that would create nearly 700 jobs next to the Trenton Engine plant, whose products will phase out around 2010.
Instead, the automaker's late request to permanently close a section of busy Van Horn Road between Fort and Jefferson to make way for the plant has both sides wondering if taxpayers should pay to move natural gas and utility lines beneath the road.
"We are confident, and we will be patient," said Trenton Mayor Gerald Brown. "We are still in the luring process."
The negotiating comes as Chrysler prepares to invest $2 billion in plants in Michigan, Kenosha, Wis., and Toledo for the new V-6. Brown said he believes Trenton is in competition with other cities, but Chrysler spokeswoman Michele Tinson said the company is deciding whether to build, not where.
"At this point, it is a business case," Tinson said. "The decision is whether to move forward."
Tinson said the company is aware of the controversy involving its request to close Van Horn Road and its effect on neighboring Grosse Ile residents, but declined to comment on any impact it might have.
Amid the talks, angry Grosse Ile residents launched a petition drive Thursday to block the closure of Van Horn near the plant. The four-lane road is the most direct connection from the 11,000-resident island to mainland shopping and Interstate 75.
It's a well-connected group. Leaders of the movement last year successfully lobbied Lansing to remove Downriver from consideration for a bridge planned to connect southeast Michigan to Canada by 2013.
"We're not against the (DCX) facility. We just want them to consider us, too," said Tom Burkhart, a 29-year island resident and engineer.
"Why is it have the plant and close the road or have the road and close the plant? There are many ways to design so they can have the plant and the region doesn't have to be physically isolated because of it."
Islander Karin Risko wants planners to consider a bridge or tunnel or other improvements. She said Trenton is "feeling the pressure because it's all about jobs, jobs, jobs in our current economy."
Brown said he sympathizes with Grosse Ile. The city and DaimlerChrysler negotiated for more than three months and the automaker only recently said closing Van Horn was necessary to build the factory.
Brown couldn't estimate how much moving utility lines would cost taxpayers but said they could be covered by selling municipal bonds and reducing tax incentives offered to the automaker.
Reuters, STUTTGART, Germany -- DaimlerChrysler will in future give top executives only three-year contract extensions rather than its standard five-year deals, the German-American carmaker said today.
"The supervisory board has decided to award as a rule a term of only three years when renewing the contracts of members of the management board," a spokesman said, citing efforts to improve corporate governance standards.
Most companies in Germany extend senior managers' contracts by five years at a time, and CEO Dieter Zetsche just had his deal renewed until 2010.
New members of the executive board normally got three-year contracts, and even that was longer than the terms many U.S. companies give their top managers.
Tests of the new standard may come later this year as the world's fifth-biggest carmaker decides on extensions for corporate development head Ruediger Grube and trucks division boss Andreas Renschler, whose contracts expire in 2007.
The spokesman would not say whether the new rules that took effect in August will apply to those two current members
