NGK Unveils New Climatically Controlled AWD Dyno
NGK Spark Plugs hosted an open house yesterday at its Wixom, MI, facility to celebrate the grand opening of the company’s new $3 million all-wheel-drive dyno, housed in a climatically controlled chamber. Dynos are fairly commonplace in a state as automotively focused as Michigan, but the fact that this one combines a four-wheel-drive dyno with a climatically controlled chamber makes it unique. In fact, there is only one other dyno chamber like it in the state.
ZF Sales Up 8 Percent in 2005
ZF Friedrichshafen AG reported $13.5 billion in global sales for 2005 — an increase of 8 percent over 2004. North American sales totaled $2.1 billion. The increase is attributed to an upswing in the commercial vehicle Market and new plant openings in China, Russia and North America. In addition to the commercial vehicle market, key products such as six-speed automatic transmissions, electronic steering systems and passenger car axle systems and components resulted in above-average sales, according to the company.
Delphi Outlines Transformation Plan
Delphi this morning outlined its strategy to prepare for its return to stable, profitable business operations through a broad-based global restructuring in order to complete the Chapter 11 cases for Delphi and 41 of its domestic U.S. subsidiaries in the first half of 2007 as previously announced. Delphi’s transformation plan is intended to allow the company to become competitive in the global marketplace.
Rookie Driver Paul Dana Dies After IndyCar Crash
Paul Dana was an up-and-coming rookie driver living his dream, a former motorsports journalist who was hours away Sunday from beginning his most promising season yet. Then, before the green flag flew, something went terribly, inexplicably wrong. While streaking around the Homestead-Miami Speedway oval during a warmup session, Dana failed to notice that another car had spun to a stop, slamming into it at close to 200 mph. Two hours after his shattered car came to a rest, the 30-year-old Dana was pronounced dead at a hospital.
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.
Auto Woes Manufacture City’s Decline
Look at a map of Ypsilanti, MI, and draw your finger along Ford Street and over to the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum, home to obscure cars once built here. Or circle around to Factory Street and Ford Lake, a man-made invention created when Henry Ford brought the promise of hydropower and middle-class wages to the city in the 1930s.
Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week is Hub for Suppliers and Distributors
Twelve heavy-duty aftermarket associations and marketing groups are participating in the inaugural Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW), which takes place Jan. 23-27 at The Mirage in Las Vegas. The executive conference will feature a comprehensive distributor education program and an aftermarket-focused trade show with more than 200 supplier exhibitors. One-On-One Business Meetings will provide the unique opportunity for distributor and supplier senior executives to meet. The event will also offer new networking opportunities among a broad cross-section of participants from throughout the world.
Sterling Truck Corp. to Unveil New Low Cab-Over-Engine Truck at NTEA Work Truck Show 2006
Sterling Truck Corp. will unveil an addition to its product lineup at NTEA’s Work Truck Show on March 1-3, 2006, in Atlanta. Introducing a new low cab-over-engine truck, Sterling will be the only truck OEM in the industry to offer a full line of Class 3-8 commercial vehicles.
Distributor and Supplier Relationship is Focus of Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week General Session
Four industry leaders will give their views on the important, inter-dependent relationship between distributors and suppliers during the general session at the first-ever Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW), Jan. 23-27, 2006, at The Mirage in Las Vegas.
Executive Interview with Terry McCormack, President and CEO, Affinia
Every other week, aftermarketNews.com offers an interview with high-profile individuals in the automotive aftermarket. We give executives free reign to express their views on anything from the state of their corporations to recent legislative news to future trends in their niche markets. Here you see what matters to the newsmakers themselves. This week we catch up with Terry McCormack, president and CEO of Affinia.