Troubles at Ford Extend to NASCAR
Amid distressing news of layoffs, buyouts and factory closings, the Ford brand also is taking hits at the racetrack these days. Even longtime Ford driver Mark Martin is ditching the Dearborn , MI , company to drive a Chevrolet in 2007. That leaves the Ford teams in NASCAR — already fewer than the dominating Chevrolet teams — with precious few big names and lots of question marks just as yet another manufacturer, Toyota, is joining the competition for wins, championships — and drivers.
Automotive Hall of Fame Recognizes Inductees and Young Leaders
Seven individuals representing racing, design, manufacturing, management and innovation were inducted this week into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, MI. The Inductee class of 2006 includes Nuccio Bertone, Dale Earnhardt, Bill France, Jr., Wayne Huizenga, Shojiro Ishibashi, Arjay Miller and Bruno Sacco.
Judge OKs Meridian Financing Changes
The judge overseeing reorganization efforts of Meridian Automotive Systems Inc. approved changes in its bankruptcy financing that will help the auto-parts supplier stay competitive as it navigates turmoil in the industry. Judge Mary Walrath’s order Wednesday allows the Dearborn, MI-based company to take advantage of the full $75 million of its debtor-in-possession loan, and it extends the maturity date of the financing package to Dec. 31. The agreement was set to expire Oct. 31.
Tomorrow’s Technician Editor Serves as Team Judge to Winning Team in National Student Auto Skills Competition
Earlier this week, 50 two-person student teams from across the country competed against each other, and against the clock, to accurately diagnose and fix vehicles in the 2006 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills National Finals. The competition took place June 27 in Dearborn, MI. Two aspiring techs Bradley Bolton and Aaron Clay, seniors at Paris High School in Paris, TX, only needed 29 minutes and 34 seconds to accurately diagnose and fix their Ford Mustang Convertible and win the 2006 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills national finals on Tuesday. Ed Sunkin, editor of Tomorrow’s Technician, a B-to-B automotive tech magazine that is distributed to 1,200 NATEF-certified schools, reaching more than 50,000 automotive technician students, served as a Team Judge for the Paris, TX, duo.
Executive Interview with Scott Luckett, Chairman of the Aftermarket eForum Planning Committee
This week, we hear from Scott Luckett, vice president of technology standards and solutions for AAIA. Luckett is also chairman of the Aftermarket eForum Planning Committee. The 2006 Aftermarket eForum takes place in Chicago next month – July 17-19 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare. Join us as Luckett gives us an update on the aftermarket technology landscape.
Investigators Search For Shipwreck Cause, Funeral Mass for Michelin Set
Barring weather problems yesterday, French navy drivers were expected to examine the wreckage of the 24-foot fishing boat that sunk off the Brittany coast, claiming the life of Edouard Michelin, chief executive and managing partner of Groupe Michelin. The accident happened Friday while Michelin and Guillaume Normant, head of a regional fishing association, were on a fishing trip. An underwater robot located the wrecked boat under some 240 feet of water approximately nine miles off the island of Sein on France’s Atlantic coast. Michelin’s body was found late Friday, but there was no sign of Normant.
Are Hybrid Sales Running Out of Gas?
Every car company hopes for hit models that are in high demand, and long windows of time in which it doesn’t have to offer sales incentives. Hybrid cars and SUVs have been among that exclusive club. But auto makers investing in the vehicles are seeing some cracks in consumer demand as more people question hybrids’ financial payback.
GAAS Panel to Discuss the Importance of Marketing
A panel of marketing executives will examine the importance of marketing within the automotive industry on Wednesday, May 17, at the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, MI. The function of marketing has undergone a lot of change in the automotive aftermarket. What was once a discipline driven by manufacturers, has evolved into a highly participative process among manufacturers, distributors and retailers. A panel of marketing experts will look at the changes marketing has undergone in the last 10 years, the state of current programs and what lies ahead.
Quality Not Price
During the AAPEX show this past November in Las Vegas, I visited the lower level where many overseas companies were exhibiting aftermarket parts. In small 10’x10’ booths arranged by country, they displayed their wares in hopes of a buyer. The former underground parking structure of the Sands Hotel and Casino was filled with the two best things America exports, capitalism and opportunity. But, it was also tempered with the universal evils of greed and ignorance. In this mixing pot of automotive culture, not only was it possible to get an international view of the aftermarket, but you could also get a better view of your own situation.
AMN’s Top Ten Week: Top Ten News Stories
If nothing else has been made clear by the events taking place in the automotive industry over the past 12 months, this much is true: The automotive aftermarket is changing — in dramatic ways. Here, the editorial staffs of Counterman and aftermarketNews takes a month-by-month look at the key events that have shaped this industry’s destiny over the past year.