GM’s Suit Against Goodyear Moves to Federal Court
A lawsuit General Motors Corp. filed last month against the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. entered federal court Wednesday, accusing Goodyear of threatening to stop tire deliveries for GM’s new vehicles. The vehicles involved, including the Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia, are among the most important models GM will introduce over the next year. The automaker is counting on them to contribute strong sales and billions of dollars to keep its recovery on track.
The Little Hybrid Engine that Could
One of the most impressive cars at last week’s Philadelphia Auto Show doesn’t come from Japan, Germany or Detroit. It came from the auto shop at West Philadelphia High School. The car — designed and built by students in the school’s Academy for Automotive and Mechanical Engineering — delivers more horsepower than some Porsches and gets gas mileage comparable to a Toyota Prius. It runs on fuel made from soybeans.
Continental Cuts Production at Charlotte Passenger Plant
Continental Tire North America (CTNA) announced yesterday that it is making a significant cut in tire production at its Charlotte, N.C., passenger and light truck/SUV tire plant, a move that will result in some 200-300 layoffs.
New Tire Inflation Positioning Switch Said to Allow Smarter TPMS Servicing
Detroit-based Spectrum Composites has introduced a new Tire Inflation Positioning Switch (TIPS), billed by the company as a “state-of-the-art, sensor-triggering Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) tool for tires.” The company describes TIPS as a tool that re-programs a vehicle’s computer each time the wheel position changes (each tire rotation).
Many Recalled Cars Remain Unrepaired
Timothy Michaud died in May after falling from the tailgate of a Chevrolet pickup and suffering severe head injuries. The 19-year-old from Maine never knew General Motors Corp. had recalled the pickup two months earlier because the tailgate cables could corrode and snap. At the time of the accident, Michaud’s employer, which owned the used 2000 pickup, hadn’t received a recall notice, said Stephen Schwarz, an attorney for the Michaud family. The pickup was one of the millions of recalled vehicles that go unrepaired each year. Sometimes vehicle owners are at fault for not getting repairs. But some safety experts say automakers and federal regulators share the blame because they haven’t developed a better system to track whether a vehicle has in fact been repaired.
Japan’s Fair Trade Watchdog Raids Bridgestone, Other Tiremakers
Japan’s fair trade watchdog on Thursday raided offices of Bridgestone Corp. and more than 10 other tiremakers on suspicion of rigging bids for supplies to the military, a government official said. The Fair Trade Commission launched raids on industry leader Bridgestone, Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd., Toyo Tire and Rubber Co. Ltd. and more than 10 other tiremakers, the official said.
From the Inside: Executive Interview with Craig Anderson, President, Hercules Tire & Rubber Co.
Our latest edition of “Executive Interview” features Craig Anderson, president of Hercules Tire & Rubber Co. While Hercules has grown quietly, preferring to remain out of the spotlight, every year brings line expansions, new products and other enhancements designed to help its members and dealer customers grow their businesses. Even after selling off its core retreading business, Hercules posted its best sales year ever in 2002, and again in 2003, and saw each of its divisions turn a profit in 2003. Craig Anderson, president, sat for an interview with Jim Smith, editor of Tire Review magazine in April. The two discussed how the changes impacted Hercules, the company’s plans in the future, and how he sees the market moving in the near-term.