The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

February 2002

Select Another Month

Friday, February 15, 2002

Saab: The 2001 Report

Saab: The 2001 Report

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Feb. 15, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Saab: -- Order bookings SEK 15 billion and order backlog SEK 40 billion. -- Sales SEK 15,689 m. (17,840), an increase of 5% for comparable units. -- Operating income SEK 1,594 m. (1,533). -- Earnings per share amounted to SEK 10.59 (9.75). -- After-tax return on sharehold ... Continue reading

Ryder Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

Ryder Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

MIAMI--Feb. 15, 2002--The Board of Directors of Ryder System, Inc. , a global leader in supply chain and transportation management solutions, today declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per share of common stock. The dividend will be paid on March 20, 2002 to shareholders of record on February 22, 2002. T ... Continue reading

GM: Reaction To NASCAR Changes; TLL: Kinda Like Judging Figure Skating Or WWF...Eh?

GM: Reaction To NASCAR Changes; TLL: Kinda Like Judging Figure Skating Or WWF...Eh?

NOTES AND QUOTES; WINSTON CUP - DAYTONA; ADVANCE MATERIAL; FEB. 15; DOUG DUCHARDT, NASCAR GROUP MANAGER, GM RACING: (REACTION TO THE RULE CHANGES ANNOUNCED FOR DODGE AND FORD TEAMS -- spoiler height lowered one-quarter inch on Dodges and Fords today) "We don't believe that the changes announced this morning are warrant ... Continue reading

American Honda Motorcycle Reports Year End Sales

American Honda Motorcycle Reports Year End Sales

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 15, 2002 Torrance CA-American Honda Motor Company's Motorcycle Division reported today year-end retail sales of 219,584 motorcycles, an increase of 54,640 over 2000. Honda motorcycle sales grew 33.1% and Honda retains the number one market share position at 28.8%. The entire industry cont ... Continue reading

SmarTire Systems Supports Highest Tire Safety Standard

SmarTire Systems Supports Highest Tire Safety Standard

RICHMOND, BRITISH COLUMBIA---SmarTire Systems Inc. a leading developer of tire pressure and temperature monitoring technology, has reviewed the recent news release from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announcing that it has returned for further study the proposed tire safety law developed by the National ... Continue reading

Independent Aftermarket Gaining Ground on Dealers for Service Capacity

Independent Aftermarket Gaining Ground on Dealers for Service Capacity

BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 15 --- While new car dealers have lost roughly 25 percent of their service capacity in the past 12 years as a result of a decline in service bays, the independent aftermarket has added nearly 200,000 service bays during the same period, according to a new market research report from the Automotive A ... Continue reading

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Feb. 15 Vehicle production this week in the U.S., Canada and Mexico is expected to hit an estimated 333,586 units, down from the 337,166 cars and trucks built last week, according to Ward's Automotive Reports.Including this week's estimates, calendar year North American output now totals 2,097,147 ve ... Continue reading

Masco Corporation Reports Sales and Earnings for 2001

Masco Corporation Reports Sales and Earnings for 2001

TAYLOR, Mich., Feb. 15 Masco Corporation today reported that net sales for the year ended December 31, 2001, aided by acquisitions, increased 15 percent to over $8.3 billion compared with $7.2 billion for 2000.The Company reported net income of $199 million and earnings per common share of $.42 for 2001. Excluding a $5 ... Continue reading

Capital Automotive Added to Nasdaq Financial-100 Index

Capital Automotive Added to Nasdaq Financial-100 Index

MCLEAN, Va., Feb. 15 Capital Automotive REIT , the nation's leading specialty finance company for automotive retail real estate, announced it will become a component of the Nasdaq Financial-100 Index effective at the beginning of trading today. The Nasdaq Financial-100 Index includes 100 of the largest domestic and int ... Continue reading

Navistar Reports First Quarter Loss as Truck Market Remains Soft

Navistar Reports First Quarter Loss as Truck Market Remains Soft

WARRENVILLE, Ill., Feb. 15 As it forecast last December, Navistar International Corporation , the nation's largest truck and mid-range diesel engine company, today reported a first quarter loss. The company, producer of International® brand trucks and diesel engines, said it lost $56 million, or $0.93 per diluted comm ... Continue reading

Mitsubishi Corporation Releases First 3D Map for Mass Market

Mitsubishi Corporation Releases First 3D Map for Mass Market

Mitsubishi Corporation Releases First 3D Map for Mass Market (Photos attached) Tokyo, Japan, Feb. 15, 2002 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Corporation is pleased to announce the release of DiaMap, the first ever professional-quality three-dimensional digital mapping system to be priced for the mass market. DiaMap combine ... Continue reading

Synergy Produces Soot-Free Feed For Fuel Cell Use

Synergy Produces Soot-Free Feed For Fuel Cell Use

CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 15 Synergy Technologies Corp. today said it has successfully reformed each of the five major fossil fuels into the free hydrogen and other feeds commonly utilized as fuel for most types of fuel cells. Most significantly, the company obtained these results while achieving two industry milestones - ... Continue reading

UPS Rings in Start of NASCAR Season

UPS Rings in Start of NASCAR Season

NEW YORK--Feb. 14, 2002-- To mark the start of the 2002 NASCAR racing season, UPS CEO Mike Eskew and Dale Jarrett, driver of the #88 UPS Ford Taurus, will ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) tomorrow. With Eskew sounding the bell from the notable balcony on Wall Street, Jarrett will conclude the ... Continue reading

Bridgestone Corporation Commenced Construction on $50 Million Distribution Center in Texas, in an Advisory by Industrialinfo.com

Bridgestone Corporation Commenced Construction on $50 Million Distribution Center in Texas, in an Advisory by Industrialinfo.com

HOUSTON--Feb. 15, 2002--Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources Inc.; Houston). Bridgestone/Firestone (Nashville, Tenn.), a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation (OTC:BRDCY) Tokyo, commenced construction in January 2002 on a $50 million grassroot distribution and warehouse center in Texas. Th ... Continue reading

Corporate Profile for Myers Industries, Inc., dated Feb. 15, 2002

Corporate Profile for Myers Industries, Inc., dated Feb. 15, 2002

--The following Corporate Profile is available for inclusion in your files. News releases for this client are distributed by Business Wire and also become part of the leading databases and online services, including all of the leading Internet-based services. Published Date: Feb. 15, 2002 Company Name: Myers Industries ... Continue reading

S&P Asgns 'AAA' to Hitachi Capital Ser 24 ABS Certs

S&P Asgns 'AAA' to Hitachi Capital Ser 24 ABS Certs

TOKYO--Standard & Poor's--Feb. 15, 2002--Standard & Poor's today assigned its triple-'A' ratings to Hitachi Capital Corp.'s Auto Loan Trust Series 24 JPY1.27 billion class 1-8 certificates (see list below). Standard & Poor's ratings address the full and timely payment of interest and the full repayment of principal by ... Continue reading

Ugly Duckling Announces Appointment of New Chief Financial Officer

Ugly Duckling Announces Appointment of New Chief Financial Officer

PHOENIX--Feb. 15, 2002--Ugly Duckling Corporation announced today that Mark G. Sauder has been appointed to succeed Steven T. Darak as the CFO/Principal Accounting Officer for the company. Mr. Sauder is a CPA and has held a number of senior financial, management and/or accounting positions over the last eighteen years, ... Continue reading

HONDA-POWERED TEAMS COMPLETE PENULTIMATE PRE-SEASON TEST SESSIONS IN SPAIN

HONDA-POWERED TEAMS COMPLETE PENULTIMATE PRE-SEASON TEST SESSIONS IN SPAIN

Press Information 15 February 2002 HONDA-POWERED TEAMS COMPLETE PENULTIMATE PRE-SEASON TEST SESSIONS IN SPAIN ------------------------------------------------ Both Honda-powered teams have completed their penultimate pre-season test sessions and are now back in the UK preparing for their final test prior to the start o ... Continue reading

Harley-Davidson Ad Agency, divine, inc Named One of ADWEEK's Top Interactive Agencies

Harley-Davidson Ad Agency, divine, inc Named One of ADWEEK's Top Interactive Agencies

CHICAGO, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- divine, inc. , a leading provider of solutions for the extended enterprise, today announced that the company was chosen as one of ADWEEK's Top 50 Interactive Agencies for its Advanced Branding solutions. The company is listed among the top twenty domestic interactive agencies. ... Continue reading

Reynolds and Reynolds Declares Regular Second Quarter Dividend

Reynolds and Reynolds Declares Regular Second Quarter Dividend

DAYTON, Ohio--Feb. 14, 2002--The Reynolds and Reynolds Company's board of directors today declared a regular second quarter Class A common stock dividend of 11 cents per share, payable April 11, 2002 to shareholders of record as of March 20, 2002. Reynolds and Reynolds, headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, is the leading pro ... Continue reading

Infonet and T-Systems to Build Europcar's Network in Europe

Infonet and T-Systems to Build Europcar's Network in Europe

Exclusive 5-Year Agreement Provides Central Point of Contact for 1,300 Car Rental Stations Across 7 Countries ST QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France & EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--Feb. 14, 2002--Infonet Services Corporation , a leading provider of global communications services for multinationals, today announced that in a joint effort ... Continue reading

GM to Lay Off Up to 2,850 Employees

GM to Lay Off Up to 2,850 Employees

DETROIT Reuters reported that General Motors Corp., the world's largest automaker, on Thursday said it would lay off 1,100 employees at its Linden, New Jersey plant and up to 1,750 employees in Orion Township, Michigan. The automaker said weak market demand prompted the workforce reduction, which will be effective Apri ... Continue reading

Boats Are Automotive Too: Bombardier and Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society Partner Up to Power Research and Education

Boats Are Automotive Too: Bombardier and Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society Partner Up to Power Research and Education

Evinrude Direct-Injection Technology and Johnson Four-Stroke Engines Support Organization's Key Objectives MIAMI--Feb. 14, 2002-- Bombardier Recreational Products' Boats and Outboard Engine division, builder of Evinrude® and Johnson® outboard engines, today announced it has formed a strategic alliance with Jean-Miche ... Continue reading

Fujitsu to distribute Korean movies via broadband

Fujitsu to distribute Korean movies via broadband

Friday, February 15, 2002 at 09:30 JST TOKYO — AlphaOmega Soft Corp, an affiliate of computer giant Fujitsu Ltd, said Thursday it began the same day distributing South Korean movie content via the broadband line to personal computer users by teaming up with Nifty Corp, a Fujitsu subsidiary, and iCONMedia Inc of S ... Continue reading

Magna reports flat fourth-quarter earnings

Magna reports flat fourth-quarter earnings

TORONTO, Feb 14 Reuters reports that autoparts maker Magna International Inc. reported flat fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday amid a slowdown in the North American automotive industry. Magna, one of the world's biggest autoparts makers, said fourth-quarter earnings were $119 million, or $1.28 a share, in the quarter ... Continue reading

J.Johnson Notes - Daytona, Feb. 14

J.Johnson Notes - Daytona, Feb. 14

TEAM MONTE CARLO Contact: Nancy Wager Daytona 500 Qualifying GM Racing Communications Saturday, February 10, 2001 nmwager@aol.com Daytona International Speedway Page 1 Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet Monte Carlo - Pole-sitter for the Daytona 500 visits with media: (As a rookie, are you having trouble finding dr ... Continue reading

Team Monte Carlo Notes - 125 races at Daytona, Feb. 14

Team Monte Carlo Notes - 125 races at Daytona, Feb. 14

Team Monte Carlo hit a double-header when Jeff Gordon and Michael Waltrip captured wins in the first and second 125 qualifying races (respectively) for the Daytona 500. Veteran Chevy driver, Dave Marcis, prepares to retire by qualifying for his 33rd Daytona 500. With 15 Daytona 500 victories in the record books, Chevro ... Continue reading

NAMARS PR: Winternationals Field Takes Shape!...

NAMARS PR: Winternationals Field Takes Shape!...

----- Original Message ----- From: NAMARS, Inc. To: Joe Mershon Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2002 4:22 PM Subject: test FLORIDA WINTERNATIONALS 2002 WINTERNATIONALS FIELD TAKE SHAPE 37 drivers from 10 states representing over 20 Midget Car championships and ten different Midget Car series have entered the 2002 NAMARS F ... Continue reading

Moog Chassis Parts with M2 Technology Poised To Continue NASCAR Streak

Moog Chassis Parts with M2 Technology Poised To Continue NASCAR Streak

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Feb. 14 -- Sunday's Daytona 500 race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway will mark the return of the advanced- design chassis parts technology -- Moog® M2 Technology(TM) from Federal- Mogul Corporation -- that swept the top five positions in last year's race. NASCAR Winston Cup champions have d ... Continue reading

University of Michigan Researchers Say Many Vehicle Body Styles Are Hard on `Older Bodies' Or...Making Vehicles Friendly for Senior Citizens

University of Michigan Researchers Say Many Vehicle Body Styles Are Hard on `Older Bodies' Or...Making Vehicles Friendly for Senior Citizens

WARRENDALE, Pa., Feb. 14 -- A study by the University of Michigan, Dearborn researchers concludes many vehicles are not designed with senior citizens in mind. The findings, along with improvement suggestions, will be presented during the SAE 2002 World Congress, March 4 - 7, Cobo Center, Detroit, Michigan, USA.Thirty-s ... Continue reading

ArvinMeritor Honors 2001 Patent Recipients

ArvinMeritor Honors 2001 Patent Recipients

TROY, Mich., Feb. 14 -- ArvinMeritor Inc. today announced that 87 ArvinMeritor employees were honored for receiving patents in 2001 during the company's annual Patent Awards Ceremony on Feb. 13, 2002. The awards recognize those individuals who have made substantial engineering contributions to ArvinMeritor through the ... Continue reading

CSM Worldwide Forecasts Adjustment Followed by Growth For European Automotive Market

CSM Worldwide Forecasts Adjustment Followed by Growth For European Automotive Market

DETROIT, Feb. 14 -- The CSM Insider Series continued this morning at the Hotel Baronette in Novi, Michigan, where CSM Worldwide presented their European Production Outlook to an audience of OEM and supplier customers. Presentations included a European economic overview by CSM Chief Economist Bob Fish, and a European li ... Continue reading

Hyundai Motor America to Open Processing Facility to Provide Faster Service

Hyundai Motor America to Open Processing Facility to Provide Faster Service

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Feb. 14 -- Hyundai Motor America (HMA), Amports, and the Maryland Port Administration today announced the addition of a vehicle port of call at the Port of Baltimore. The Baltimore facility owned and operated by Amports is HMA's sixth U.S. port and second processing center opening in the past y ... Continue reading

SAE J2450 Translation Quality Metric Becomes SAE Recommended Practice

SAE J2450 Translation Quality Metric Becomes SAE Recommended Practice

BINGHAM FARMS, Mich.--Feb. 14, 2002--J2450 Task Force chairperson and DTB President and CEO, Rick Woyde, announced that the J2450 Translation Quality Metric passed an SAE Recommended Practice vote. J2450 is a quality metric to assist companies in measuring the translation quality of automotive service information. The ... Continue reading

DCX Foggy Forcast

DCX Foggy Forcast

By Christine Tierney in Frankfurt, Germany, and Joann Muller in Detroit Is Chrysler's turnaround in trouble? It sure looks that way. On Feb. 6, the company's German parent, DaimlerChrysler , warned that its 2002 operating profit would fall at least $1.4 billion, or 28%, below the $5 billion target it laid out a year ag ... Continue reading

Johnson Controls Appoints Susan Kampe Vice President of Information Technology - North America

Johnson Controls Appoints Susan Kampe Vice President of Information Technology - North America

PLYMOUTH, Mich., Feb. 14 -- Johnson Controls has named Susan Kampe as vice president and general manager of Information Technology - North America at the company's Automotive Systems Group. is responsible for leading and coordinating the automotive unit's Information Technology initiatives in the North American region. ... Continue reading

Fuel Cell Investors Get Together Again

Fuel Cell Investors Get Together Again

NEW YORK, Feb. 14 -- Fuel Cell Investor, the 2nd annual industry summit, organized by Strategic Research Institute, will be held in New York, NY, the Roosevelt Hotel, March 26-27, 2002. (http://www.srinstitute.com/cr218). The emphasis of this summit will be on financial consequences of a market-driven product developme ... Continue reading

Visteon Appoints New Corporate Officer

Visteon Appoints New Corporate Officer

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 14 Visteon Corporation today announced the election of John Kill as a corporate officer. As Vice President of Product Development for Visteon, Kill oversees the global design and development of customer driven safety-conscious products and processes for Visteon systems worldwide. ``John has made a ... Continue reading

Dana Corporation's Advanced Traction Technologies Save Space, Improve Handling for 2002 Range Rover

Dana Corporation's Advanced Traction Technologies Save Space, Improve Handling for 2002 Range Rover

TOLEDO, Ohio, Feb. 14 Dana Corporation announced that it has been selected to supply a space- saving, performance-enhancing front axle for Land Rover's 2002 Range Rover sport-utility vehicle. The traction technology employs a unique axle design that not only saves space, but also minimizes noise, vibration, and harshne ... Continue reading

Jordan Auto Aftermarket Appoints David F. Peace to President and CEO

Jordan Auto Aftermarket Appoints David F. Peace to President and CEO

ALMA, Mich., Feb. 14 -- Jordan Auto Aftermarket, Inc. announced today the appointment of David F. Peace to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1, 2002. Mr. Peace will succeed Richard Lerch, who has announced his intention of relinquishing daily control at the end of March 2002, to all ... Continue reading

Chassis and emergency vehicle maker Spartan Motors Posts Improved Results for 2001

Chassis and emergency vehicle maker Spartan Motors Posts Improved Results for 2001

CHARLOTTE, Mich., Feb. 14 Spartan Motors, Inc. capped a year of improved performance, today posting higher net earnings and improved margins for the fourth quarter and year ended Dec. 31, 2001.The Charlotte, Mich.-based manufacturer of motorhome chassis, fire truck chassis and emergency vehicles reported net earnings o ... Continue reading

Search The Auto Channel

The Auto Channel content library (since 1996) has grown to become the world’s most extensive and complete interactive archive of automotive centric news, articles, reviews and intense event coverage, presented to viewers as Text, Video and Images.

The Auto Channel Content by Topic

Vehicle manufacturers and alt fuels.