This Day In Auto History: 07 November
 |
|
 | Source: Automobile History Day By Day, by Douglas A. Wick |
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Caliber to be Marketed Internationally
 | ||||
13 News BELVIDERE -- Belvidere's Chrysler Plant makes a diesel version of the Dodge Caliber to be sold internationally, and it seems to be doing better abroad than domestically. According to Alex Gary of the Rockford Register Star, sales of the Caliber are 75,791 in the U.S. compared to 110,370 for Dodge Neons sold through the first 10 months of 2005. The Neon was also made in Belvidere. But according to Gary, DaimlerChrysler is using the Caliber to launch the Dodge brand worldwide and international sales are doing much better. The company sold 12,175 Calibers to buyers outside America through October. Gary says that's more than the full-year international sales totals of the Neon for the years 2002-2005. | ||||
Monday, November 06, 2006
US Auto Sales: October 2006 Top Twenty-Five Vehicles
| U.S. Light-Vehicle Sales, October & YTD | ||||
| 10 mos. | 10 mos. | percent | ||
| 2006 | 2005 | change | ||
| 1 | F series | 672,732 | 749,094 | -10.2% |
| 2 | Silverado | 539,310 | 599,577 | -10.1% |
| 3 | Camry | 374,717 | 368,672 | 1.6% |
| 4 | Ram pickup | 303,476 | 343,898 | -11.8% |
| 5 | Accord | 302,067 | 319,375 | -5.4% |
| 6 | Civic | 272,886 | 257,749 | 5.9% |
| 7 | Impala | 240,297 | 201,238 | 19.4% |
| 8 | Corolla | 235,169 | 207,379 | 13.4% |
| 9 | Altima | 189,422 | 221,769 | -14.6% |
| 10 | Cobalt | 187,330 | 182,332 | 2.7% |
| 11 | Caravan/Grand Caravan | 182,805 | 194,408 | -6.0% |
| 12 | Sierra | 177,813 | 196,374 | -9.5% |
| 13 | Taurus | 168,746 | 173,659 | -2.8% |
| 14 | Explorer | 155,246 | 209,000 | -25.7% |
| 15 | Focus | 152,242 | 164,041 | -7.2% |
| 16 | Odyssey | 150,550 | 145,755 | 3.3% |
| 17 | TrailBlazer | 148,497 | 204,874 | -27.5% |
| 18 | Tacoma | 148,033 | 139,600 | 6.0% |
| 19 | Mustang | 145,055 | 139,719 | 3.8% |
| 20 | Malibu | 144,207 | 175,229 | -17.7% |
| 21 | Town & Country | 136,721 | 151,612 | -9.8% |
| 22 | CR-V | 136,437 | 125,594 | 8.6% |
| 23 | Sienna | 133,644 | 134,496 | -0.6% |
| 24 | G6 | 132,915 | 98,027 | 35.6% |
| 25 | Tahoe | 132,904 | 129,549 | 2.6% |
Magnitude 5.8 - EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==
Region: EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G.
Geographic coordinates: 5.415S, 146.579E
Magnitude: 5.8 Mw
Depth: 112 km
Universal Time (UTC): 6 Nov 2006 20:56:49
Time near the Epicenter: 7 Nov 2006 06:56:49
Local time in your area: 6 Nov 2006 20:56:49
Location with respect to nearby cities:
85 km (53 miles) ESE (103 degrees) of Madang, New Guinea, PNG
148 km (92 miles) ENE (60 degrees) of Goroka, New Guinea, PNG
156 km (97 miles) NNW (343 degrees) of Lae, New Guinea, PNG
456 km (283 miles) N (351 degrees) of PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea
ADDITIONAL EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS
________________________________
event ID : US utbh
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/usutbh.php
Chrysler contract boosts French supplier
Bradford Wernle | | Automotive News / November 6, 2006 - 1:00 am
Although Faurecia is the ninth-largest auto supplier in the world, the French conglomerate remains a comparative minnow in North America.
But a big contract with DaimlerChrysler to supply major systems to the 2007 Chrysler Sebring sedan could jump-start Faurecia (pronounced four-SEE-uh) here.
Faurecia supplies the Sebring's front and rear seats, door trim panels, instrument panels, center consoles, front-end modules and exhausts. The Sebring went into production this past summer at the Chrysler group's Sterling Heights, Mich., plant.
Chrysler also hosted design reviews and housed other suppliers at its technical center. To service the contract, Faurecia set up four operations in the Detroit area.
The Sebring contract was one of the most extensive the Chrysler group has given to a supplier.
Overall Faurecia business with DaimlerChrysler in North America will reach about $600 million in 2008, including the Sebring contract and other new business, according to Shannan Triplette, Faurecia group vice president for the Chrysler account.
Said Don Montroy, analyst for CSM Worldwide in Grand Rapids, Mich.: "It's pretty significant for Faurecia. I think they are pretty ambitious, especially on the interior, seat and trim side."
Frank Klegon, executive vice president of product development for the Chrysler group, said the Sebring contract is part of a move to involve interior suppliers in vehicle design.
"We like to have interior suppliers on board at the front of a program," he said. "We're now making them part of our strategic partnership earlier in the program."
In 2003, Faurecia set up an interior design and technical center three miles from Chrysler's Auburn Hills, Mich., tech center. Chrysler hosted engineering and design reviews there instead of at its own tech center, Triplette said.
| Faurecia Headquarters: Nanterre, France 2005 global sales: $14.00 billion 2005 North American sales: $1.54 billion Primary products: Seats, cockpits, doors, acoustic packages, front ends, exhausts Top 5 customers (% of 2005 revenue):
2. VW (22%) 3. Renault-Nissan (14%) 4. Ford (10%) 5. GM (8%) Source: Faurecia |
Setting up shop
"It was easier for them to have all the interior systems in one location," he said. "Chrysler used our facility as an extension of theirs."
Faurecia leased space to other Tier 1 suppliers to the Sebring. They included Lear Corp. (overhead systems), Rieter Automotive North America Inc. (carpets), Cadence Innovations (hard plastic trim) and BBi Enterprises Group Inc. (trunk trim).
"That allowed these suppliers to upload all their mathematical models," Triplette said. "They used our data-exchange network to upload all their math models, as opposed to doing it remotely from their traditional tech centers."
Joe Dehner, chief interior and exterior designer for the Sebring, said the kind of close relationship Chrysler forged with Faurecia "allows you to get design consistency throughout the interior."
It's important to know "how your door is going to interface with my instrument panel," he said. "They had equal ownership of the final product."
North American growth
The JS platform that Chrysler uses for the Sebring is by far Faurecia's highest-revenue North American platform to date. It ranks behind only one major European PSA/Peugeot-Citroen platform and one Volkswagen platform in sales revenue.
Faurecia's first North American Chrysler business came in 2003 when the supplier started making interior components for the PT Cruiser in Toluca, Mexico, including center consoles, door trim panels and instrument panels. Faurecia also has supplied Mercedes-Benz in Europe.
Faurecia is pursuing other Chrysler business. It supplies exhausts and door hardware for the Dodge Nitro SUV and exhausts on the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot.
Faurecia ranks No. 9 on the Automotive News list of the top 100 global suppliers with worldwide original-equipment automotive parts sales of $14.00 billion in 2005. It ranks No. 33 the Automotive News list of the top 150 suppliers to North America with North American original-equipment automotive parts sales of $1.54 billion last year.
Imperial Decision
|
| Imperial Decision |
| Chrysler is close to deciding luxury sedan's fate |
AutoWeek | Published 11/06/06, 8:28 am et Chrysler is nearing a decision on whether to produce a vehicle based on the Imperial concept shown at the Detroit auto show in January.
"The development teams have gotten us all the information we need to make a decision," Frank Klegon, Chrysler group product development chief, said in an interview.
Klegon said a decision could come before the end of 2006 or the first quarter of 2007. He declined to say which way Chrysler is leaning.
John Wolkonowicz, analyst for Global Insight in Lexington, Mass., said production of the vehicle, code-named CY41, should begin in early 2009 as a 2010 model.
The Imperial was conceived as a luxury rear-wheel-drive vehicle built on the same platform as the Chrysler 300. But the big Imperial was nearly a foot-and-a-half longer than the 300 and six inches taller. The concept was powered by a Hemi engine
Update: Mercedes GLK-Class Spied
GERMAN CAR SCENE | Posted on 4th November, 2006 by Warren M
Here’s a couple of spy shots showing the forthcoming Mercedes GLK-Class out on the streets.
Sharing an almost identical chassis with the C-Class 4MATIC, we can expect a similar powerplant lineup. The RWD version using a 190 bhp 2.2L CDI and 231 bhp 3.0L V6. Its AWD brother receiving either a 224 bhp 3.0L diesel or 272 bhp 3.5L V6.
Designed to go up against Audi’s forthcoming Q5 and BMW’s X3, the GLK-Class should be with us by 2008.
[Source: eGMCarTech]
AI Design Mercedes CLS 55
GERMAN CAR SCENE | Posted on 5th November, 2006 by Warren M
AI Design have created this custom 2006 Mercedes CLS 55 for DC Shoes Co-Founder, Ken Block.
AI Design began by upgrading the heart of the CLS 55 using Brabus K8 engine tuning components yielding 575 bhp. The CLS 55 breathes easily through Brabus twin-tip sport exhausts that peek out from behind a tailor-made Brabus rear bumper diffuser.
Handling has been dramatically enhanced thanks to a Brabus electronic suspension lowering module, combined with Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tyres wrapped around Radenergie R10 20-inch wheels.
Brembo 8-piston racing brake calipers mate to 15-inch discs up front, while 4-piston calipers and 13.6-inch discs have been fitted behind the rear wheels.
The exterior appearance of Block’s CLS 55 is a departure from tradition within any segment of the custom car scene - a matte black finish has been applied to all body panels, and in contrast, the chrome trim has been finished in a glossy piano black, giving the sleek saloon an almost menacing appearance. Tail and side marker lamps have all been tinted.
This Day In Automotive History: 06 NOVEMBER
|
|
| Source: Automobile History Day By Day, by Douglas A. Wick |
Chrysler plants busy, but vehicles don't sell
Chrysler plants busy, but vehicles don't sell
Workers in Detroit and Windsor puzzled by OT
Workers at the plants that make some of the vehicles that the Chrysler Group is having the hardest time selling were scheduled to be hard at work Saturday, earning overtime to build more.
The OT might make their paychecks a little bigger, but workers at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit and across the river at Windsor Assembly say it worries them that they continue to build more vehicles just like those that already crowd storage areas near their plants.
Jefferson North builds the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Commander. Windsor builds the Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country.
Sales of the Jeep Commander, which was new last year, were up in October with the help of incentives of as much as $8,000, but they continue to fill inventories, dealers say. The Power Information Network reports that Commanders that sold in October sat on dealer lots for an average of 157 days -- more than five months -- before the sale.
Grand Cherokees averaged 120 days on dealer lots before selling. The Grand Caravan averaged 133 days, the Pacifica, 142 and the Town & Country 117.
Chrysler acknowledged that the two plants are among those running on overtime. The other plants running overtime make the brisk-selling new Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Compass and Dodge Caliber.
Production schedules, Chrysler spokeswoman Michele Tinson said, are not based solely on demand but also are influenced by estimates of future demand.
"We are continuously reviewing our operations to support future volume levels, plant loading, shift patterns and line rates as influenced by market demand and other industry or company factors," she said.
Chrysler reported a $1.5-billion loss in the three-month period ending Sept. 30. It blamed the loss on high inventory levels that built up after consumer demand shifted away from its truck-heavy lineup.
Maybach releases the 62 “S” edition
Posted on Monday 6 November 2006
MOTOR AUTHORITY AUTO NEWS - - Maybach launched the 62 S in Peking this month, the limo that’s being touted as the “strongest Chauffeur sedan in the world.” The luxury maker has enlisted the help of AMG to squeeze out 612hp (450kW) with 1000Nm of torque from the bi-turbo 6L V12 motor. The extra 62hp (45kW) over the regular model allows the pointless performance-limo to reach 100km/h from rest in just 5.2 seconds, all the way to an electronically controlled speed of 250km/h.
To further differentiate the S from the regular 62, Maybach has added niceties such as the custom multi-spoked 20in wheels and a slightly different front end, which includes a new headlight design. The interior features piano gloss surfaces, carbon or anthracite coal trim and leather lined equipment. At the rear is a modified apron with two integrated squared off exhaust pipes. Prices are yet to be released, but if you have to ask then you probably can’t afford it.
More images ahead.
Mercedes gets back up to speed
A focus on quality and cost has the luxury automaker humming again
 | |
After a three-year slump during which vehicle quality suffered, Mercedes is seen turning things around under leadership of DaimlerChysler CEO Dieter Zetsche. / BusinessWeek Online |
Updated: 12:46 p.m. PT Nov 3, 2006
DaimlerChrysler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche may be losing sleep over the woes of Daimler's U.S. unit, Chrysler Corp., but he's sure to be breathing easier about once-troubled Mercedes-Benz. On Oct. 25, when Chrysler reported a $1.5 billion loss for the third quarter, Mercedes posted a 127% jump in operating profit, to $1.2 billion. Sales are up 9.3% this year, and analysts expect the turnaround to stick. "The downward spiral," Zetsche says, "has changed direction."
Mercedes' improved fortunes couldn't have come soon enough. The prestigious automaker is finally emerging from the most painful stretch in its 127-year history: a three-year slump in which its once-hallowed reputation for quality and engineering took a beating even as rival BMW surpassed it in global sales. Mercedes' fall in recent years was so precipitous it helped spur the early departure of former CEO Jürgen Schrempp.
The troubles became apparent in 2003 when the world's No. 1 luxury brand landed near the bottom of J.D. Power's annual quality survey. Then, in 2004 and 2005, electronics snafus led to widespread recalls, further denting Mercedes' reputation and finances. And as Mercedes dragged its heels modernizing its manufacturing techniques, competitors made huge strides in improving the way they build cars. As a result, even today, "Mercedes is getting squeezed on all sides by very high-quality cars produced at half the price," says Jay Baron, head of manufacturing at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Enter Zetsche as top dog. After running Chrysler from 2000 to 2005, he took over DaimlerChrysler 14 months ago. Zetsche quickly set about slashing some 9,300 jobs by offering workers buyouts. More important, to shake up Mercedes' hidebound culture he kicked off a radical restructuring, organizing the company around functional elements of the car--motors, chassis, and electronics systems--instead of by model lines.Lab workers put each new model's electronics system through a battery of 10,000 tests that run 24 hours a day and take three weeks to complete. One favorite tactic: Simulate what happens when a driver hits buttons all over the dashboard willy-nilly at the same time. "We try to come up with every strange situation possible," says Dieter Serries, Mercedes' head of development testing. Mercedes used the technique to ferret out more than 1,000 errors in the new S-Class, including one where the blinkers didn't function when there was no air conditioning system in the car. Says Zetsche: "You can find 99% of the glitches before a car ever hits the road."
Even so, engineers are doing more test driving than ever, thanks to a decision to build three times as many prototypes of new designs. That allows engineers to drive a new model 3 million miles before it goes into production.
Manufacturing processes are getting an overhaul, too. At Mercedes' 10,000-worker Sindelfingen plant near Stuttgart, which churns out 1,200 E-Class sedans a day, managers have analyzed each work station to reduce complexity and boost quality. For instance, when laser sensors in the body shop detect minute flaws caused by robots, a computer sends an instant message to the cell phone of the engineer, or Meister, in charge. And workers now take 30 minutes from each shift to do maintenance, avoiding breakdowns by reducing wear and tear on machinery. Ergonomic seats on the E-Class line help workers swing in and out of the cars without strain, reducing errors. Photos illustrating a perfectly executed job hang over each work station, replacing confusing written descriptions. And the assembly line is punctuated with "zero-defect gates," where cars can't pass until they are certified flawless.
Since electronics problems peaked in 2002, the number of flaws has dropped 72%, to about one per car. And warranty costs are down by 25% this year. "It's about doing things right 1 million times over," says Mercedes Chief Operating Officer Rainer Schmückle.
Zetsche aims to keep the pressure on, using some of the tactics he deployed at Chrysler to speed change. When a manager gets a report of a problem, it is logged into a database, and the clock starts ticking. If the manager can't figure out how to fix faulty parts or systems within three weeks, the case automatically lands on Zetsche's desk. That seems to be incentive enough. In the four months since he implemented the practice, only one case has ended up there. "Quality was always a given at Mercedes," Zetsche says. "We trusted too long in a given system instead of trying something new."
Deal reached to bring 2-seat Smart car to U.S.
Deal reached to bring 2-seat Smart car to U.S.
Three-cylinder auto gets 40 miles per gallon, retails for less than $15,000
 | DaimlerChrysler AG Chairman Dieter Zetsche poses a SMART car. Other automakers have responded to the car's introduction with smaller, sporty vehicles. |
Bill Pugliano / Getty Images file |
AP | DETROIT - DaimlerChrysler AG will team with former auto racer and businessman Roger Penske to sell its funky two-seat Smart car in the U.S. starting early in 2008, the automaker’s CEO said Wednesday.
The decision — announced by DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche during an appearance in Detroit — is a watershed moment for Smart, which has not posted a profit since it was formed in 1998.
Penske’s United Auto Group Inc. will be responsible for picking potential dealers and developing and maintaining a Smart vehicle dealership network throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. It will focus mainly on highly populated areas and have 30 to 50 dealerships, Penske said.
Smart will sell the next generation of its “fortwo” model, which has been popular in Europe. It gets an average of 40 miles per gallon in combined city-highway driving and will sell for less than $15,000.
Zetsche said the time is right to introduce Smart to urban Americans who have to deal with congested roadways, $3 per gallon gasoline and a perpetual search for parking.
“We may never see cheap gas again,” he said.
But he said the appeal of the car goes beyond gas mileage to attract people who question the status quo and seek individuality.
The fortwo’s three-cylinder, 700cc engine has significantly lower emissions than other cars, Zetsche said.
U.S. buyers in the past have been reluctant to embrace minicars, in part due to safety concerns. But Zetsche said the 1,600-pound fortwo’s engineering and safety features should allay those concerns.
“It’s outstanding from the standpoint of safety,” Penske said, touting its air bags, electronic stability control and performance in offset head-on crash tests.
Penske, who chaired the Detroit Super Bowl XL Host Committee, is best known as the owner of an auto racing team that has won the Indianapolis 500 13 times. His privately held Penske Corp. includes a controlling stake in United Auto Group Inc., the second-largest publicly traded dealership chain after AutoNation Inc.
 |
Zetche, who personally oversees DaimlerChrysler’s Mercedes Car Group of which Smart GmbH is a part, had said repeatedly this year that a decision on whether to sell the tiny car — which measures 8.23 feet from bumper to bumper — would come by the end of June.
The move could help generate new revenue for the ailing Mercedes group, which has dragged down the company’s overall earnings as it restructures and re-emphasizes its focus on quality.
Other automakers also have begun selling small, sporty small cars, including Toyota Motor Corp., which has the Yaris, and Honda Motor Co., which sells the Fit.
Smart launched the fortwo in Canada in 2004, and last year it sold about 4,000 models, or twice what it had initially forecast.
Last year worldwide, Smart sold 143,000 cars, a small increase from the 139,000 it sold in 2004. It produced 124,300 cars in the same period, down from 152,100 the previous year.
In March, DaimlerChrysler said it would spend nearly 1 billion euros on restructuring Smart, cut 300 of the 750 jobs at the unit’s Boeblingen, Germany, headquarters and end production of its larger, four-seater forfour model.
Zetsche is a fan of the car, despite the fact that some shareholders have called for Smart to be closed.
Traditionally Testosterone Dodge Brand Gains Female Fans
Katie Merx | DETROIT - The Dodge brand, with its bullish Durango SUV and muscle car Charger, traditionally hasn't been much of a hit with female buyers. But a few strategically placed, subtle styling cues on its new Caliber and Nitro are generating more female attraction of late.
The Chrysler Group brand's new sporty offerings, despite their testosterone-injected names, are helping boost the brand among female buyers, who currently make up about one-quarter of Dodge's customers.
The Power Information Network reports that 44.9 percent of the Caliber's buyers in the third quarter were women and 39.2 percent of the newly launched Nitro's early buyers were women. The only other Dodge models to do as well were the Neon and the Stratus, both of which the company no longer makes.
Just 27.2 percent of the total brand's buyers are women. That compares with an industry average of 37.2 percent and an industry high of 48.7 percent by Mini, according to data from the Power Information Network.
"Until recently, Dodge has been predominantly a truck brand. We play big in the large truck segment with" sales of "about 450,000 units," said Mark Spencer, senior manager of Dodge brand communications. "Most of the truck buyers, 85 percent, are male. … When you look at the Caliber, it will be significantly female; we anticipate 45 percent of buyers will be female. The Nitro should be similar.
"Our brand will be much more gender-balanced going forward."
Bristol Fighter uses Dodge V10 Engine [1012-HP]
Posted on Thursday 2 November 2006
MOTOR AUTHORITY - - Bristol Cars is a manufacturer of hand-built luxury cars based in Filton, near Bristol in the UK. Their annual output is less than 150 cars per year, but the company has made some fiery models in its past, which includes its Fighter supercar. First released back in 2004, the Fighter is powered by an 8.0L V10 sourced from the Dodge Viper, which is in keeping with Bristol's tradition of using engines sourced from Chrysler.
Bristol has added a pair of turbochargers to the V10 coupe, and it now develops 1012hp and 1400Nm of torque (up from 660hp). Thanks to its drag coefficient of 0.28Cd, the company claims that the slippery gull-wing coupe can reach a top speed of 435km/h. However, the car?s speed has been electronically limited to 362km/h, so we find the claims a little hard to swallow. Still, a 0-100km/h of less than 3.5 seconds is very impressive.
Via: Autoblog.nl
Link: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/news/bristol-fighter-gets-twin-turbo-v10/
SEMA - Barracuda with an Attitude by Mattel
TSKIOT AUTO NEWS - - Then there’s the return of Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop blazing orange 1971 G-Force Plymouth Barracuda. First built for SEMA in 2005, it still impresses with a NOS-fed, 572 cubic inch Hemi, carbon fiber body panels, and 20-inch rear wheels covering titanium brake rotors. We’ll take one no matter the scale.
Here we thought Hyundai is not part of DCx
Hyundai News - Badge engineering gone bad: the Dodge Attitude
6 11 2006
TSKIOT AUTO NEWS - - Hey Dodge, Hyundai’s marketing crew called, they want you to go to Mexico and try a little harder to badge engineer the Accents they sold you. That’s right, the car sold in the US by Hyundai as the Accent is sold in Mexico as the Dodge Attitude. It doesn’t stop at the Accent either, the Hyundai Atos, a city car sold throughout the world, is also part of this badge engineered deal.
It’s not really much of a surprise the two have teamed up in Mexico to market a couple small Korean cars as Dodges. The North American wing of DCX has nothing in the subcompact and micro classes, and with U.S. domestics still highly regarded in Mexico, it’s no wonder that Hyundai choose to market through another manufacturer. And there isn’t anything inherently wrong in this arrangement; it’s just painful to see such a poor attempt to reuse Hyundai’s own press photos and Photoshop in a Dodge emblem. You guys couldn’t even spring for a new set of Glamour Shots?
Check out the doctored pics after the jump.
(Thanks for the tip, Neal!)
Dodge Attitude (Hyundai Accent)
Dodge Atos (Hyundai Atos)
