Automotive News Europe back issues from February 2008:
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Renault to use CVTs, DCTs to save fuel.
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink Renault to use CVTs, DCTs to save fuel Renault will use continuously variable and dual-clutch transmissions to cut its fleet CO2 emissions. Both solutions are more fuel efficient than the automatics and manuals Renault uses now. Renault ...
ANE makes changes to its team.(News)(Automotive News Europe appointed Nina Sauer)(Brief article)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Staff report Automotive News Europe has appointed Nina Sauer sales and marketing director for the publication. Sauer, formerly a sales executive responsible for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy, has already started in her new role. On the ...
New Mercedes E class spotted.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... The new E class is still two years away but Mercedes has already started testing prototypes of the car. Although it's difficult to see in this spy shot because of the camouflage, the new model's headlights will be more rectangular than the current car. The new generation also gets a larger ...
Calvet's legacy is alive at PSA.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink Jacques Calvet's influence on France's postwar auto industry is unprecedented. The former right-of-center politician and financial executive saved France's Peugeot from collapse. In the process, he created the highly successful, modern-day ...
News digest.(Briefs)
Feb 04, 2008 ... VW's Sitech to open seat factory in Russia Volkswagen subsidiary Sitech Sitztechnik will set up a Russian unit to produce seats for VW's new plant in Kaluga, near Moscow. The unit will be called Automotive Components International (ACI) and will be based on a supplier ...
Ford hopes to get Craiova OK this month; Ford of Europe CEO says delay in EU approval has pushed back start of production in Romania.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: John Revill Ford of Europe expects to get approval this month from the European Commission to complete the purchase of the former Daewoo Motor factory in Romania. But executives at the automaker admitted to mounting frustration over the EU inquiry, which they ...
Lancia fixes, expands dealers to hit ambitious 2010 sales target.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink Fiat Auto's slow-selling Lancia brand is looking to an upgraded and expanded dealer network outside Italy as key to boosting sales to 300,000 a year over the next two years. The 2010 target, set by Fiat group CEO Sergio Marchionne, calls for ...
Mixed views on 2008 sales.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Luca Ciferri Industry analysts have conflicting views on how 2008 will turn out for Europe's automakers. European sales were flat in 2007, growing by just 1.1 percent to 15.96 million units, according to ACEA, the European car manufacturers association. ...
Coda looks for new suppliers while preserving existing relationships.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Luca Ciferri Gianni Coda, 61, is doing his part to further reduce Fiat group's costs and boost profitability. The head of the newly created Fiat Group Purchasing department is looking for savings by sourcing more from low-cost countries. At the same time, he ...
Sales surge for Europeans in Brazil; Fiat, VW and the French are poised to continue their growth in S. America.(Special Report)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: John Revill There's far more to Brazil than carnivals, beaches and soccer players. The world's fifth largest country has a booming automotive industry with European manufacturers leading the way. The country reported record registrations last year ...
Brazil's auto future looks good: 2.9m sales forecast for 2008.(Special Report)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: John Revill The rapid expansion of the Brazilian market in 2007 is expected to continue in 2008, according to Brazilian automakers association Anfavea. Last year the market grew 27.8 percent to a 2.46 million units. Cars and light commercial vehicles accounted ...
What's happening at www.autonewseurope.com.
Feb 04, 2008 ... * February 11: Faurecia releases its 2007 financial results * February 12: Valeo releases its 2007 financial results ...
Porsche CEO Wiedeking on VW: 'We care about our investment'; CEO says Porsche has a responsibility to dig deep into VW's background.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Bettina Mayer Wendelin Wiedeking says he will push ahead in transforming Europe's biggest carmaker into a leaner, meaner rival to Toyota. Wiedeking said Porsche's acquisition of a 31 percent stake in Volkswagen group has been a good investment. "We care about ...
Luxury brands seek more stores in Russia.(News)
Feb 04, 2008; Franey, James ... Byline: James Franey Premium automakers want to capitalize on rising demand for high-end cars in Russia by increasing their dealer presence in the fast-growing market. Mercedes and Lexus will add stores in Russia this year. BMW will reveal its growth plans for the ...
News digest.(Briefs)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Smart opens 68 sales sites in US Smart USA opened 68 sales outlets in 31 states last month to sell the ForTwo. Smart USA, a distribution subsidiary of US-based Penske Automotive Group, plans to open six additional sales locations by year-end. Penske executives ...
CO2: Time to get on with things.(Opinion)
Feb 04, 2008 ... One thing is clear: CO2 legislation is coming. And it will take effect sooner than many in the auto industry would like. In recent weeks there has been a slew of pronouncements that underscore the growing global resolve to jointly fight climate change. * The EU ...
Nano changes everything.(Opinion)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Jesse Snyder It's not on the market yet, but Tata Motors' Nano is already a game changer. The simple, affordable minicar is so obviously right for its purpose that it is stunning. Tata Motors undoubtedly will have some early troubles. Combine a ...
Letters to the Editor.(Letters)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Welcoming VW competition To the Editor: I enjoyed Jason Stein's column "Volkswagen's aim for the top is too ambitious" (December 10, 2007). It was interesting, professional, competent and well-argued. I have worked for Toyota since 2001. I know the Toyota ...
Renault's Norman needs a bigger garage.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Ian Morton Stephen Norman, Renault senior vice president of global marketing Steve Norman has spent more than three decades in the auto industry. He started in 1976 at Leyland International as a graduate trainee in the European service division. He went to ...
Confidential.(Briefs)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Charging up for Le Mans After scoring a global hit with the hybrid Prius, Toyota is developing hybrid racers and is considering entering the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in 2010. Toyota's best finish at Le Mans was second in 1999. Then it abandoned its Le Mans ...
Mercedes could build C class in US; Shift would be considered if sales of model keep rising.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: April Wortham If Mercedes-Benz sales continue to grow in the US, the automaker could build C-class cars there, said Mercedes Chief Operating Officer Rainer Schmuckle. "If we perceive developments on the purchasing-power side of the US continuing as they did ...
Renault, Nissan to go electric, seek leadership in green cars.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Hans Greimel Renault and Nissan are poised to bypass rivals fixated on hybrids. The partners have a new plan that moves them straight into pure electric vehicles by 2011. The automakers will start selling the battery-powered cars in Israel with an eye toward ...
Fiat: [euro]1.5b more in cheap parts; Company wants at least 8% savings on parts sourced from outside the European Union.
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Luca Ciferri Fiat group wants to buy [euro]1.5 billion more from low-cost countries by 2010, said Gianni Coda, the head of Fiat's newly created group purchasing division. Coda, who started his new job January 1, said the Italian conglomerate wants to raise ...
Lancia CEO promises to meet 300,000 sales target by 2010.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink Olivier Francois may have the toughest executive challenge in Italy - reviving the fortunes of Lancia, Fiat Group Automobiles' slow-selling premium brand that came close to being shut down in 2004. The 46-year-old Lancia CEO, who was lured to Fiat in ...
The loud debate over quiet tires; EU wants less tire noise, but will this reduce safety?(Technology)(European union)
Feb 04, 2008; Lewin, Tony ... Byline: Tony Lewin The European Commission wants car tires to be quieter to protect citizens from stress-related illness caused by unhealthy noise levels. Automakers and tire makers oppose the Commission's proposals. They say quieter tires might be less capable of ...
Gamma could be GM's biggest platform; Cars built on the architecture will sell in Europe and Russia.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Alysha Webb General Motors' global Gamma small-car platform will potentially be GM's largest platform by volume, said Michael A. Grimaldi, GM Daewoo Auto & Technology president. "That particular segment on a global basis is over 10 million units," Grimaldi ...
New boss, new era at BMW, Krause says.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Times have changed at BMW under Norbert Reithofer, says Stefan Krause, board member for sales and marketing. Former head of production Reithofer took over as CEO from Helmut Panke in late 2006. He inherited a very different company to his ...
Ford funds keep flowing to Jag, Land Rover; US carmaker pays for product development at British luxury brands.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Mark Rechtin Jaguar and Land Rover are up for sale, but Ford Motor continues to fund product development programs for its two British luxury brands. Some Ford insiders said recently that the company had frozen future product development work when Jaguar and ...
Tata cannot wait to get its hands on British brands' r&d.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: John Revill If Tata Motors buys Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor, it would greatly improve the Indian automaker's research and development capability. It also would give Tata immediate respectability as a global automaker. Those are two benefits that ...
Volkswagen plans transmission, engine plants in North America.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Rick Kranz Volkswagen will have engine and transmission assembly plants in North America to support a new vehicle assembly plant the automaker is expected to build in North Carolina. The plant could be operational in 2010. "We'll make an ...
Mulally prepared to cut further if needed.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Amy Wilson If the US sinks into a recession, Ford Motor is prepared to make new cost cuts to keep its turnaround on track, CEO Alan Mulally said. "If demand goes down substantially more than what we are predicting, then we'll continue to restructure our ...
Conti exec says VDO purchase is paying off.(News)(Continental AG acquires Siemens VDO Automotive AG)(Brief article)
Feb 04, 2008; Barkholz, David ... Byline: David Barkholz, Robert Sherefkin Continental is ahead of schedule when it comes to identifying potential cost savings from its purchase of Siemens VDO Automotive. By combining the two German suppliers, Continental had expected to find [euro]170 million in ...
Bohr to industry: We need teamwork.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Robert Sherefkin Bernd Bohr, head of the automotive division of Robert Bosch, wants a joint effort to get automakers to standardize parts to limit growing research and development costs. Bohr said Bosch - currently the world's largest auto parts supplier - is ...
Carnival atmosphere for Europeans in Brazil.
Feb 04, 2008 ... Renault has rebounded in Brazil because of the success of cars such as the ...
Congress notes.(Briefs)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Chrysler forms team for medium vehicles As part of its product development realignment, Chrysler will create a dedicated team to design mid-sized vehicles, CEO Bob Nardelli said. Nardelli said the new team would be housed in its own facility and would include every ...
Spain learns a new trick; Rising wages prompt a switch to adding more value.(News)
Feb 04, 2008; Oliveira, Paulo Soares de ... Byline: Paulo Soares de Oliveira For a second time, the Spanish auto industry is reinventing itself. The first transition was from kit-assembly plants designed to avoid high import duties into Europe's auto workshop. This switch was fueled by low labor costs. As a ...
The EU's sales gains are mainly in Spain.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Jesse Snyder, Paulo Soares de Oliveira Since 1990, Spain has contributed almost half the new-car sales growth in western European. Spanish sales rose to 1.61 million cars last year from 988,000 in 1990, said ACEA, the European automakers association. ...
Supplier Ficosa adapts, diversifies to reduce risk.(News)(Company overview)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Paulo Soares de Oliveira Like most Spanish suppliers, Ficosa has prospered by adapting. The base of its ?900 million in sales comes from customers among Spain's 11 car assembly plants. But like fellow Spanish parts makers Grupo Antolin, Corporacion Mondragon, ...
The risks and rewards of Russia; GM executive says finding the right dealer partners is hard, but the payoff can be great.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Ryan Beene Finding the right dealer partners in eastern Europe and Russia is one of the biggest challenges faced by General Motors' operations in the region. Chris Lacey, GM's executive director for central and eastern Europe, said it's tough because selling ...
Ford fine-tunes Verve for North American tastes.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Amy Wilson When Ford Motor introduced its Verve hatchback concept at the 2007 IAA in Frankfurt, the sleek small-segment car received positive reviews. But Ford already had deemed the Verve - the first of three such concepts shown by the automaker in the past ...
German automakers say they can handle a US downturn.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Pia Krix, Henning Krogh Automobilwoche A possible US recession is threatening the sales outlook for German automakers there, although executives say they are well positioned to handle a downturn. The US accounts for more than 20 percent of the total sales of ...
VW to cut US prices.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Felix E. Bauer Volkswagen will attempt to increase future sales in the US with new marketing and a significant drop in prices. In an interview, Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, acknowledged mistakes in VW's current marketing in the US. ...
Delphi provides the Jaguar XF with military technology.(Suppliers)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Steven Wingett Delphi supplies the new Jaguar XF's adaptive cruise control, which uses scene interpretation techniques developed from military research programs. The US partsmaker says the system's narrow-beam radar provides improved target recognition compared with ...
Mercedes' CLC targets volume rivals; New entry-premium coupe will be priced low in a bid to attract younger customers.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: James Franey Mercedes-Benz hopes to attract customers from mass-market brands with its new CLC-class entry-premium coupe. Klaus Maier, Mercedes-Benz Cars executive vice president of sales and marketing, told Automotive News Europe that the CLC class would be ...
Want to be a UK Ford dealer? Now is your chance; Country's top-seller wants a bigger sales network ahead of product offensive.
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: John Revill Ford wants to strengthen its UK dealer network to capitalize on a coming product offensive and to reach more private customers. It is advertising in trade publications and holding special events to recruit new entrepreneurs and to encourage ...
Despite belt-tightening, Beru studies acquisitions.(Suppliers)(Thomas Waldhier)
Feb 04, 2008; Krust, Matthias ... Byline: Matthias Krust Automobilwoche Thomas Waldhier, named CEO of Beru last October, has moved quickly to point the Ludwigsburg-based ignition plug manufacturer and diesel specialist in a new direction. He said in an interview with Automotive News Europe sister ...
Polytec: No Grammer bid now.(Suppliers)(Brief article)
Feb 04, 2008; Florecke, Klaus-Dieter ... Byline: Klaus-Dieter Florecke Automobilwoche Friedrich Huemer, CEO and major shareholder of the Austrian auto supplier Polytec, is playing down reports that he is preparing a takeover bid for Grammer. Polytec, a supplier of interior, exterior and under hood components ...
Correction.(Correction notice)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Dacia's new test track in Titu, Romania, is 80km from its assembly plant in Pitesti and 45km ...
Indian market takes off; Automakers rush to meet local demand but also prepare to boost exports.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Jesse Snyder Under new roofs, workers are installing tooling at Fiat's big new Indian production complex. As Gurpratap Boparai, head of powertrain production, strides past rows of plastic-wrapped machining centers from Germany's Heller Automotive, he is ...
Infiniti will subsidize its dealers in Europe.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Bettina Mayer Infiniti will provide temporary financial support to its European dealers. "The business case in the first two years is not so good," Jim Wright, vice president of Infiniti Europe, told Automotive News Europe. "So we have to support our dealers ...
It's time to deal in Russia; Renault-AvtoVAZ alliance leaves VAZ's current partner GM looking at new options.(News)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Jesse Snyder Renault's plan to acquire 25 percent of Russia's AvtoVAZ is still in the due-diligence phase, but already the pact looks like it will spark a wave of dealmaking in the fast-growing auto market. "There has come a new time, a time of change, a time ...
Union: Jag-Land Rover sale done this month.
Feb 04, 2008 ... Byline: Tony Lewin Ford Motor and Tata want to finalize the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover to the Indian automaker within weeks. "They're hoping to do the deal proper by the middle of February," said Roger ...
BYD will show F3R in Geneva.
Feb 18, 2008 ... Byline: Luca Ciferri, Kevin Huang China's BYD Auto will show a hatchback variant of its F3 sedan at next month's Geneva auto show. The lower-medium F3R (shown) could be sold in Europe. BYD aims to begin sales in the region within 12 months, a source said. ...
News digest.(Briefs)
Feb 18, 2008 ... Credit crunch hits GM's European unit General Motors says its European profits are being hit by the turmoil in global financial markets. "The credit crunch has had an impact on consumer confidence, particularly in the UK and Germany. In 2008 it is possible it may have ...
Valeo boss gives Pardus some advice; CEO says big shareholder should avoid making 'hasty decisions'.(News)
Feb 18, 2008 ... Byline: Anne-Elisabeth Moutet Valeo CEO Thierry Morin was in a feisty mood during a press conference February 13 following the release of the French supplier's year-end results. Morin talked about the supplier's 17.7 percent increase in annual operating profit to ...
EU approval to give LED suppliers a boost; High-beam headlamps likely to have OK from Brussels before end of year.(News)
Feb 18, 2008; Franey, James ... Byline: James Franey Lighting suppliers are poised to benefit when the European Commission approves the use of full LED headlamps by year-end. High-beam LEDs still require an OK from Brussels to be used on cars in the EU. "We are currently preparing ...
Free from F1, Spyker starts recovery.(News)(Brief article)
Feb 18, 2008; Weernink, Wim Oude ... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink Spyker's involvement in Formula One nearly killed the Dutch sports car maker. "F1 turned out to be a massive bleeder, losing [euro]2 million a month because some sponsors did not pay," Spyker CEO Victor Muller told Automotive News Europe ...
Great Wall, Honda executives will speak at AN China event.(News)(Conference news)
Feb 18, 2008 ... Top executives of major Western and Chinese automakers and suppliers will speak at the Automotive News China Conference, which will be held in Beijing April 17-20. Confirmed speakers include Great Wall Motor President Wang Fengying, Honda Automobile China President Masaya Nagai ...
Geneva gems: The show's key debuts.(News)
Feb 18, 2008 ... Ford of Europe, Renault, Volkswagen, Lancia and Skoda will debut key production cars at this year's Geneva auto show. Ford's Fiesta is the carmaker's second-largest volume seller in Europe so the new model that debuts in Geneva needs to be a success. The latest Fiesta is the ...
Russian CEOs fight to reclaim market; Savvy executives learn from foreigners and try new ways to benefit from local growth.(News)
Feb 18, 2008 ... Byline: Jesse Snyder, Anna Smolchenko Three Russian automakers are adjusting their business plans to battle against foreign brands that are dominating their home market. The Russian new-car market is red-hot, jumping 34 percent to 2.41 million sales last year, ...
Small steps for electronic brakes; Performance, packaging will improve with new systems, but downside is higher cost.(News)
Feb 18, 2008; Mayer, Bettina ... Byline: Bettina Mayer Crude and cumbersome linkages form the heart of a car's braking system. And the prospect of replacing these with neat wires, compact actuators and all-knowing electronic controls has always appealed to engineers. Yet, progress toward fully ...
Give BMW some time - but not too much.(Opinion)
Feb 18, 2008 ... BMW's five-month-old restructuring plan has come under criticism. It's seen as short on detail, slow to start bearing fruit and controversial in its impact on supplier partners. That's all true, but major reorganizations take time and BMW is making the right decisions. In ...
For Asians, Russia is No. 1; Booming sales make country the top European market for 6 Japanese and 2 Korean brands.
Feb 18, 2008 ... Byline: Luca Ciferri Russia's booming demand for foreign cars has made the country the biggest European market for most Asian automakers. In 2007, Russia became the No.1 European market for six Asian brands including Toyota, Nissan and Kia. It has already ...
Russian CEOs rethink strategy.(Opinion)
Feb 18, 2008 ... Byline: Jesse Snyder Boris Alyoshin, Vadim Shvetsov and Erik Eberhardson have a plan. Three separate plans, actually. The CEOs of Russian automakers AvtoVAZ, Severstal-Avto and GAZ, respectively, are seeking new identities for their companies. New strategies that ...
London mayor's green passion will hurt us all.(Opinion)
Feb 18, 2008 ... Byline: Jason Stein If the European Commission is looking for a role model for CO2 legislation in Europe, we've found your man. He drives a car that screams green: a Toyota Prius. He talks tough about big, thirsty and polluting SUVs. "Irresponsible ...
