Friday, January 24, 2003

US Auto Sales Start Year Slowly

DETROIT January 24, 2003; John Porretto writing for AP reported that a potential war with Iraq and an incentives-led sales blitz in December have led to a sluggish start for auto sales in January, and analysts say that may lead to even more bargains for buyers. Goldman Sachs & Co. said in a report this week that Januar ... Continue reading

GM Statement On The Passing Of Giovanni Agnelli

Giovanni Agnelli was a true legend of the automotive industry and had a huge impact on business around the world. Jack Smith, Rick Wagoner and all the employees of General Motors express their deepest sympathy for the passing of Mr. Agnelli and send their heartfelt condolences to his family, as well as to the entire Fi ... Continue reading

ALLETE Reports 2002 Earnings, 2003 Expectations

DULUTH, Minn.--Jan. 24, 2003--ALLETE, Inc. today reported 2002 earnings of $1.68 per share, compared with earnings of $1.81 in 2001. Excluding one-time events, earnings were $1.80 per share in 2002 and $1.87 in 2001. Net income was $137.2 million in 2002 on revenue of $1.507 billion, compared with $138.7 million net in ... Continue reading

CRM Take-Off Attracts Top Talent to Auto Town

HAYWARD, Calif.--Jan. 24, 2003--Auto Town(R), a leader in CRM software for auto dealerships, anticipates a watershed year in the industry. This opportunity has proven a powerful attraction to the experienced executives who have recently joined its management team. Chief among these are Kurt Olnhausen, Auto Town's presi ... Continue reading

Dover Motorsports, Inc. Quarterly Earnings Conference Call Announcement

DOVER, Del., Jan. 23 -- Dover Motorsports, Inc. invites you to participate in a conference call subsequent to the release of Dover Motorsports, Inc.'s earnings for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2002. The conference call will be held on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time. To listen to ... Continue reading

DriverShield Corp. Changes Name to Accessity Corp. And Ticker Symbol to 'ACTY'

New Name Reflects Diversification of Business Into Non-Automotive Areas CORAL SPRINGS, Fla., Jan. 24 -- DriverShield Corp. announced today that its name has officially been changed to Accessity Corp. Also, the Company's stock will begin trading today under its new ticker symbol, ACTY. The new corporate name, approved b ... Continue reading

Durakon Maintains Manufacturing Operations in Lapeer

Agreement Enhances Durakon's Competitive Position LAPEER, Mich., Jan. 24 -- Durakon Industries, a leading manufacturer of cargo management, accessories and systems to the light truck market, has reached an agreement with the United Auto Workers to continue manufacturing specialty cargo bedliners at its facility located ... Continue reading

Edelbrock Corporation Schedules Release of Earnings for Second Quarter Fiscal 2003 Conference Call

TORRANCE, Calif.--Jan. 24, 2003--Edelbrock Corporation today announced that it will release earnings for its Second Quarter Fiscal 2003, before the market opens on February 6, 2003. Senior management consisting of Vic Edelbrock, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Jeffrey L. Thompson, Executive Vice President an ... Continue reading

Myers Industries Announces Date of Fourth Quarter, Fiscal 2002 Earnings Release and Conference Call

AKRON, Ohio--Jan. 24, 2003--Myers Industries, Inc. will announce its fourth quarter and fiscal 2002 earnings on Thursday, February 13, 2003, prior to the market opening. The announcement will be followed by a conference call at 2 p.m. Eastern Time (1 p.m. Central Time). The call will be conducted by President and CEO S ... Continue reading

Pamida Stores Names Exide Technologies as Supplier of the Year

PRINCETON, N.J., Jan. 24 -- Pamida Stores, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, has named Exide Technologies as its Vendor of the Year for 2002. Exide Technologies (OTC Bulletin Board: EXDTQ), (http://www.exide.com ) is a global leader in stored electrical energy solutions. Pamida, a leading U.S. retailer known for "bring ... Continue reading

Roadway Completes Sale of Arnold Transportation Services

AKRON, Ohio--Jan. 24, 2003--Roadway Corporation announced today that it has closed the previously announced sale of its Arnold Transportation Services subsidiary to a management group led by Michael S. Walters, the unit's president and chief executive officer and private equity firm, Jefferies Capital Partners. The tra ... Continue reading

Subaru Partners With The National Sports Network To Provide Vehicles For A Nationwide Tour

- Subaru Baja to serve as official vehicle - CHERRY HILL, N.J., Jan. 24 -- Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) a pioneer of crossover all-wheel drive vehicles designed for the active lifestyle driver, today announced the feature partner arrangement with The National Sports Network (NSN). As a feature partner, Subaru's 2003 B ... Continue reading

William G. Klehm Appointed President and General Manager of Newgen

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 24 -- Newgen Results Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of TeleTech Holdings, Inc. , and a leading provider of customer management solutions to the automotive industry, today announced William G. Klehm III, Newgen's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, was named President and Genera ... Continue reading

Subaru of America, Inc. Announces New Executive Appointments in Marketing and Sales

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Jan. 24 -- Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) today announced that Rick Crosson has been named Vice President, Marketing, reporting to Fred D. Adcock, Executive Vice President, effective February 3, 2003. Crosson comes to SOA from the Subaru of America Central Region office in Aurora, CO, where he most re ... Continue reading

What to Do When Your Teenager Asks: 'Can I Borrow the Car?'

GEICO Hosts Virginia Beach Video Premiere January 29 To Provide Parents with Lesson Plan for Safe Driving VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Jan. 24 -- What is one of the scariest questions your young teen driver can ask? At the top of the list is, "Can I borrow the car?" GEICO has invited Virginia Beach area high school parent grou ... Continue reading

Super Bowl Sunday One of Deadliest Drunk Driving Days of the Year

With DUI Deaths Climbing, National Commission Against Drunk Driving Urges Safe and Responsible Driving on Super Bowl Sunday WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 -- The National Commission Against Drunk Driving (NCADD) warned, today, that alcohol-related traffic deaths typically rise sharply on Super Bowl Sunday, and urged Americans to ... Continue reading

Roadway Corporation Declares Dividend

AKRON, Ohio--Jan. 24, 2003--The Board of Directors of Roadway Corporation , today declared a cash dividend of $0.05 per share on the Company's common stock. The dividend is payable on March 3, 2003 to shareholders of record on February 14, 2003. Included in the Dow Jones Transportation Average, Roadway Corporation , is ... Continue reading

PACCAR Achieves Record Market Share

BELLEVUE, Wash.--Jan. 24, 2003--PACCAR (a) award for medium-duty conventional trucks has been won by either Kenworth or Peterbilt for four consecutive years. Kenworth and Peterbilt are the fastest growing medium-duty products in the marketplace and this growth has contributed to our dealers' profitability. PACCAR has e ... Continue reading

GM Contributes $25,000 to Help Earthquake Victims in Central Mexico

FOR RELEASE: January 24, 2003 GM Contributes $25,000 to Help Earthquake Victims in Central MexicoDETROIT - General Motors announced a $25,000 contribution today on behalf of its employees to assist relief efforts for the powerful earthquake that ripped through western and central Mexico on Jan. 21. The earthquake kille ... Continue reading

Chrysler Financial Web Site is a Hit

* More than 9 million visits in 2002 * Linkage to Chrysler Group Dealers * New Simplified User Interface * 24 hour account access FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Jan. 24 -- Chrysler Financial, a DaimlerChrysler Services business unit, announced today it has launched a refreshed version of its Web site, http://www.chryslerfina ... Continue reading

Snap-on Incorporated Declares Quarterly Dividend

KENOSHA, Wis.--Jan. 24, 2003--The Snap-on Incorporated board of directors declared today a first-quarter dividend of $0.25 per share, payable March 10, 2003, to shareholders of record on February 17, 2003. Snap-on has paid consecutive quarterly cash dividends since 1939. Snap-on Incorporated is a leading global innovat ... Continue reading

Land Rover U.S. Selects G4 Challenger

EASTNOR, Herefordshire, England, Jan. 24 -- At the end of a grueling five-day training and assessment program, Nancy Olson, 29, U.S. Marine Core Officer, has emerged as the competitor who will represent the United States in the 2003 Land Rover G4 Challenge. Despite intense competition from her fellow American Kirk Boyl ... Continue reading

Kia Motors America Enhances Retail Communication System

Reynolds Network Services to support Kia's new Dealer Communication Services Network across the US DAYTON, Ohio, Jan. 24 -- The Reynolds and Reynolds Company today announced that Kia Motors America (KMA) has selected the company as a provider of complete networking services to its 628 retailers across the United States ... Continue reading

Ward's Reports Estimated North American VehicleProduction

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Jan. 24 -- Vehicle production this week in the U.S., Canada and Mexico is expected to hit an estimated 311,235 units, down from the 337,356 cars and trucks built last week, according to Ward's Automotive Reports. Including this week's estimates, calendar year North American output now totals 1,107,99 ... Continue reading

GM Contributes $25,000 to Help Earthquake Victims in Central Mexico

FOR RELEASE: January 24, 2003 GM Contributes $25,000 to Help Earthquake Victims in Central MexicoDETROIT - General Motors announced a $25,000 contribution today on behalf of its employees to assist relief efforts for the powerful earthquake that ripped through western and central Mexico on Jan. 21. The earthquake kille ... Continue reading

GM Motor Club Readies Winter Drivers

FOR RELEASE: January 24, 2003 GM Motor Club Readies Winter Drivers Southfield, Mich., January 24, 2003 - History has shown that even during mild winters, hazardous snowstorms, blizzards, below-zero temperatures and bitter winds can hit when we least expect it. For example, in 1993, central New York and northeast Pennsy ... Continue reading

Torvec Announces Next Generation Differential and Infinitely Variable Transmission at Annual Shareholders Meeting

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 24, 2003; At its Annual Meeting of Shareholders, held on January 23, Torvec, Inc. announced that the Gleasmans, the original inventors of the dual-drive (Torsen®) differential, have invented a next- generation differential called Iso-Torque(TM) that is lighter, stronger, and can be manufactured a ... Continue reading

Cummins Inc. Appoints Jill Cook Vice President - Human Resources

COLUMBUS, Ind.--Jan. 24, 2003--Cummins Inc. today announced the appointment of Jill Cook as Vice President - Human Resources. Cook will lead the development and implementation of strategic Human Resource initiatives across all business units. She will also lead Corporate Employee and Labor Relations, Human Resources Fu ... Continue reading

AAA TEXAS: Weekend Gas Watch; Statewide Average Holds Steady

HOUSTON--Jan. 24, 2003--The statewide average price for a gallon of gasoline is holding steady despite tensions across the globe, according to the Weekend Gas Watch, compiled by AAA Texas. The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline at popular destinations for motoring trips. While the Texas average fo ... Continue reading

Auto Club: Gas Prices Continue Month-Long Rise; Highest L.A. Metro Prices in 17 Months

LOS ANGELES--Jan. 24, 2003--For the fourth consecutive week, gasoline prices in most of the Southwest continued their rise last week, reaching a level not seen since the summer of 2001, according to the Weekend Gas Watch compiled by the Automobile Club of Southern California. The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average ... Continue reading

Start Order & News - SCCA ProRally - SnoDrift

The press release text included below is also available in a formatted Word97-Word2000 document. If you would prefer to receive our press releases in that format, or if you wish to opt out of these distributions, please send your request to: sccaprorally@aol.com. For immediate release 23 January 2003 Start Order & Late ... Continue reading

China: Auto Sales Predicted to Hit 4 Million Units in 2003

The Peoples Daily reports that automobile demand in China is forecast to reach 4 million units this year. Sales of vehicles made in China will amount to between 3.7 and 3.9 million units this year, an increase of around 20 per cent from a year earlier, said the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. In 2002, sa ... Continue reading

MG Rover to buy 100,000 cars from India's TELCO

NEW DELHI, Jan 24, 2003; Reuters reported that Britain's MG Rover Group Ltd will buy 100,000 Indica hatcback cars over five years from India's Tata Engineering & Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) for sale in Europe, a TELCO spokesman told Reuters on Friday. TELCO <TELC.BO>, India's third largest carmaker and the top truck and ... Continue reading

GM cuts work for 500 commercial truck workers

FLINT, Mich. January 24, 2003; The AP reported that General Motors Corp. is cutting work for 500 employees who make medium-duty commercial trucks because of slow sales in the weak economy, the company announced. The layoffs are at the Flint Truck Assembly Plant. "This downtime is again driven by the fact that we need t ... Continue reading

Honda Fit Aria A Hit In Japan

TOKYO January 24, 2003; Kae Inoue writing for Bloomberg reports that Honda Motor Co., Japan's second-biggest automaker, said orders for its Fit Aria small sedan exceeded its target for the first month of sales in Japan. Honda received 3,000 orders of the Thai-built model in the period, which is 1,000 more than the targ ... Continue reading

Fiat patriarch Gianni Agnelli dies at 81

TURIN, Italy Jan 24, 2003; Gianni Montani writing for Reuters reports that Gianni Agnelli, one of Italy's most powerful businessmen who turned the family car company Fiat into a global industrial giant, has died aged 81, his family said on Friday. Agnelli, Fiat's honorary chairman, had been suffering ill health and las ... Continue reading

San Diego Opera Announces Audi of America, Inc. as 2002-2003 Season Sponsor

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 23 -- San Diego Opera is pleased to announce that Audi of America, Inc. has committed to its seventh consecutive year as the Opera's season sponsor. The 2002-2003 season opens on January 25, 2003, with Beethoven's Fidelio and continues with four additional productions featuring magnificent music, intern ... Continue reading