Wednesday, September 2, 1998

AAA Foundation Issues Labor Day Warning

Drivers don't know how to cope with sleepiness, suggests a new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, and are in danger of having crashes caused by drowsiness. ... Continue reading

AIAG and Bellcore Announce the Production Launch of ANX Service

The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) and Bellcore announced that Dofasco, Inc. and Taylor Steel, Inc. have become the first subscribed trading partners on the Automotive Network eXchange(R) (ANX(R)) Network. ... Continue reading

Auto Club Homeowners Insurance Offers Uncapped Replacement Cost

With brushfire season already underway, the Automobile Club of Southern California encourages homeowners to review their homeowner insurance policy to see if they are fully protected against catastrophic damage. ... Continue reading

Automotive Credit Transactions Hit The Super Highway

The global and real-time dimensions of the Internet are being applied to virtually every aspect of commerce. Now, all those involved in automotive lease/loan credit transactions have a powerful new Internet-based tool courtesy of e-Fin Inc., Electronic Finance Marketplace. ... Continue reading

BAT Supercar Gets 65 m.p.g. in Urban Cycle

BAT International's "BAT Supercar" has achieved approximately 65 miles per gallon on an urban drive cycle, achieving 4 miles per gallon more fuel efficiency than the Toyota Prius, which went 61 miles per gallon. ... Continue reading

CART: Goodyear Tires Notes, Vancouver

CART: Goodyear Tires Notes, Vancouver ... Continue reading

Colliver Named to Head Honda, Acura Divisions

Richard A. Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., has been named to head up both Honda and Acura automobile divisions effective immediately, it was announced at the annual meeting of Acura dealers. ... Continue reading

Donnelly Announces Realignment of European Management Team

Donnelly Corporation announced that four members of the company's senior management team this week will begin extended assignments in Europe to bring greater speed and effectiveness to the restructuring and turnaround needed at Donnelly operations in Germany and Ireland. ... Continue reading

Driving and Drowsiness -- A Dangerous Combination

Drivers don't know how to cope with sleepiness, suggests a new study released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. ... Continue reading

DSP Technology Inc. Receives $1.8 Million Contract

DSP Technology Inc. announced receipt of a contract valued at approximately $1.8 million for multiple RedLine ADAPT dynamometer control systems from one of the world's largest automotive manufacturers. ... Continue reading

EDS Named Certified Service Provider for Automotive Network Exchange

EDS and its Electronic Business unit are speeding ahead with the automotive industry's migration to the Automotive Network eXchange(R), a highly-secure extranet that will allow the entire trading community to conduct business electronically. ... Continue reading

Energy Research Reports Q3 Results

Energy Research Corporation reported a net loss for the three months ending July 31, 1998 of $349,000 on revenues of $5,537,000 compared to a net income of $195,000 on revenues of $6,448,000 in the same period a year ago. ... Continue reading

Ford, Ford Credit 'A+' Sr Debt Affirmed by Fitch IBCA

Ford Motor Co.'s (Ford) 'A+' senior debt is affirmed by Fitch IBCA. At June 30, 1998, Ford's automotive debt totaled $8.2 billion. Ford Motor Credit's (FMC) 'A+' senior debt rating and 'F1' commercial paper ratings also are affirmed. ... Continue reading

Ford Launches Retail Network in San Diego

Ford Investment Enterprises Corporation, a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company, and a San Diego dealer launched the San Diego Auto Collection - the nation's second Ford Retail Network. ... Continue reading

Goodyear and FedEx Renew Tire Supply Contract

Goodyear has extended the term of its contract to serve as the tire supplier to Federal Express Corporation's (FedEx) truck and airport ground support equipment in the U.S. and international locations. ... Continue reading

Group 1 Automotive Acquires Two Dealerships

Group 1 Automotive, Inc., a leading operator and consolidator in the automotive retailing industry, announced that it has acquired two additional dealerships in Texas. ... Continue reading

Hometown Auto Reports Record Q2 Revenues Up 8% Sequentially

HOMETOWN AUTO RETAILERS, INC. announced the following record pro forma financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 1998. ... Continue reading

Hunter Engineering Packages ALLDATA Diagnostic & Repair System

ALLDATA(R) Corporation announced that Hunter Engineering Company has packaged the ALLDATA(R) database for undercar repairs with their alignment product being marketed nationally to several thousand automotive shops. ... Continue reading

Interstate National Dealer Services, Inc. Announces Q3 Results

Interstate National Dealer Services, Inc. reported an increase in revenues of approximately 30% to a record $13,775,114 for the three months ended July 31, 1998, compared to $10,614,028 for the same period a year earlier. ... Continue reading

IPSCO Inc. Announces 200,000 Ton Per Annum Coil Processing Facility

IPSCO Inc. announced that its U.S. holding company, IPSCO Enterprises Inc., had agreed to arrangements with a US subsidiary of Novamerican Steel Inc. of Quebec to establish a 200,000 ton per annum coil processing facility in Philadelphia. ... Continue reading

IRL: Brack Looks to Lone Star 500 for IRL Title Run

IRL: Brack Looks to Lone Star 500 for IRL Title Run ... Continue reading

Jaguar Special Edition Airplane Flies Home

The Jaguar Special Edition airplane completed a 4,000-mile journey from Jaguar North America to its home near Jaguar's headquarters in Coventry, England. ... Continue reading

Mack Wins $29 Million Postal Service Order

Mack Trucks Inc. has been awarded a competitive U.S. Postal Service contract worth approximately $29 million for 416 vehicles, with delivery expected to begin in the first quarter of 1999. ... Continue reading

Magna Announces Joint Venture With Grammer A.G.

Magna International Inc. announced the formation of a 50/50 joint venture company with Grammer A.G. of Amberg, Germany, to supply truck interior systems to service the North American medium and heavy-duty truck market. ... Continue reading

Mazda Resurgence Continues With Strong August Sales

Mazda's resurgence in the U.S. market continued with the announcement of the company's highest monthly sales total since March 1995. ... Continue reading

Mercedes-Benz Blasts Past 100,000

Mercedes-Benz of North America, Inc. (MBNA) and its 320 dealer partners across the United States continued1998's record- breaking momentum with August sales of 12,983 vehicles, an increase of 74.8 percent over August 1997 (7,429). ... Continue reading

NASCAR Trucks: Cintas Rookie-of the-Year Battle Back and Forth

NASCAR Trucks: Cintas Rookie-of the-Year Battle Back and Forth ... Continue reading

NASCAR Trucks: IWX Motor Freight News and Notes

NASCAR Trucks: IWX Motor Freight News and Notes ... Continue reading

NASCAR WCUP: Geoff Bodine Likes 'Driver vs Racetrack' at Darlington

NASCAR WCUP: Geoff Bodine Likes 'Driver vs Racetrack' at Darlington ... Continue reading

NASCAR-WCUP: Goodyear Tire Notes NASCAR Winston Cup Southern 500

NASCAR-WCUP: Goodyear Tire Notes NASCAR Winston Cup Southern 500 ... Continue reading

NASCAR WCUP: Mattei Continues to Look at Options for 1999

NASCAR WCUP: Mattei Continues to Look at Options for 1999 ... Continue reading

NHRA: Indy Win Tops Team Pennzoil's Wish List

NHRA: Indy Win Tops Team Pennzoil's Wish List ... Continue reading

NHRA: NEC Funny Car driver Gary Densham is making the grade in '98

NHRA: NEC Funny Car driver Gary Densham is making the grade in '98 ... Continue reading

NHRA: Pennzoil's Sportsmen Ready for Indy Action

NHRA: Pennzoil's sportsmen ready for Indy action ... Continue reading

Noble Intl Announces New Developments At Utilase, Inc.

Noble International, Ltd., a leading Tier II automotive supplier, announced several developments at its laser welding operation Utilase, Inc. ... Continue reading

Northport Industries Inc. Signs Three Year Agreement

Northport Industries Inc. is pleased to announce that it has entered into agreements to become a preferred supplier to W.E.T. Automotive Systems Ltd. ... Continue reading

Power Lift Acquires Certified Lift Truck Co.

Power Lift Corp., the exclusive Caterpillar Lift Truck distributor in Los Angeles County, Orange County and the San Fernando Valley, has recently acquired Certified Lift Truck Co., the exclusive Kalmar distributor in Los Angeles. ... Continue reading

Record Number of S. Californians To Hit the Road For Labor Day

Auto travel is predicted to hit record levels this weekend compared with previous Labor Day holidays, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California. ... Continue reading

S&P Assigns 'AAA' Rating to Toyota Yen 50 Billion Issue

Standard & Poor's assigned its triple-'A' ratings to Toyota Motor Corp.'s Y50 billion 2.07% domestic straight bonds due Sept. 20, 2010. ... Continue reading

Standard & Poor's Assigns Midway Insurance Company 'Api' Rating

Standard & Poor's assigned its single-'Api' insurer financial strength rating to Midway Insurance Co. of IL. Midway Insurance Company of IL is licensed only in Illinois. . ... Continue reading

State-of-the-Art Technologies Lower Insurance Rates for BMW Owners

Qualified BMW owners in 32 states can now take advantage of dramatically reduced auto insurance premiums based on a new rate structure that recognizes safety and security features that were introduced on BMW automobiles in the last couple of years. ... Continue reading

Stockholders Approve Ugly Duckling Corporation Split-Up

At the Aug. 31, 1998, annual meeting of stockholders of Ugly Duckling Corp., stockholders approved a proposal to allow Ugly Duckling to proceed with a plan to split its dealership and non- dealership operations into two separately held public companies. ... Continue reading

Supreme Industries Announces Stock Repurchase Program

Supreme Industries, Inc. announced that it is initiating a stock repurchase program. The Board of Directors has authorized the Company to repurchase up to 500,000 Class A common shares in open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions. ... Continue reading

The TACH Report: Phill Hill Joins F-1 Breakfast Club, Plymouth Prowler, New Women's Racing League

Bill Maloney on the Speedway Restaurant and Bistro in Newport Beach, CA and Phill Hill; a yellow Plymouth Prowler; and the Women's Global GT Championship series. ... Continue reading

TMS Records Sixth-Consecutive Month Of 100,000-Plus Sales

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., reported best-ever August sales of 130,814 vehicles, up 10.9 percent over last year. Calendar-year-to-date (CYTD) sales total 888,640, an increase of 3.8 percent compared to the same period last year. ... Continue reading

Toyota to Woo Younger Buyers Through Genesis Youth Project

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. announced it has assembled a new group of youthful-thinking employees to help Toyota appeal to younger buyers. ... Continue reading

Tracks: Bloomington Speedway has Three New Track Champions

Tracks: Bloomington Speedway has Three New Track Champions ... Continue reading

Tracks: Local Artist Carves Texas Motor Speedway 'Two-Step' Trophy

Tracks: Local Artist Carves Texas Motor Speedway 'Two-Step' Trpphy ... Continue reading

UAW Announces Contract Ratification at Mitsubishi

UAW members in Local 2488 at Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America in Bloomington, Illinois have ratified a new three year contract by an 83% majority, announced UAW res Stephen Yokich, UAW V.Pres Jack Laskowski and UAW Region Director Paul Korman. ... Continue reading

USA's top insurers recognized for financial strength and stability

Both the life insurance and the property & casualty insurance companies of Horace Mann Educators Corporation have been named to the "Ward's 50" lists of the nation's outstanding insurers. ... Continue reading

UTC Names Angelo Messina V. P., Financial Planning and Analysis

United Technologies Corp. announced the appointment of Angelo J. Messina as vice president, financial planning and analysis at its corporate office. He previously served as director, financial planning and analysis. ... Continue reading

Volkswagen's Sales Up 71.3 Percent in August

Volkswagen of America, Inc.reported its best August sales results in 17 years. Volkswagen sold 24,208 new cars for the month of August, representing a 71.3 percent increase over the same period in 1997 when it sold 14,132. ... Continue reading

Wireless Data Solutions Reports Nine Month Results

Wireless Data Solutions Inc., announced that for its third quarter ended June 30, 1998, the company reported a net loss of $66,000 on revenues of $414,000 versus net income of $69,000 on revenues of $721,000 for the comparable quarter in 1997. ... Continue reading

ZAP Announces Record Sales, Ships 15,000th Electric Bike

Electric vehicle manufacturer ZAP Power Systems reported record sales for the month of July. ... Continue reading