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May 2003

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Thursday, May 29, 2003

Chrysler Offering Discounts to Boost Pacifica Sales

Chrysler Offering Discounts to Boost Pacifica Sales

DETROIT May 29, 2003; Sholnn Freeman writing for Dow Jones reported that DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group is offering discounts to bolster sales of the Pacifica SUV, dealers say. Effective through June 2, returning lease customers are eligible for a $1,000 "loyalty" discount on the $35,000 vehicle, the dealers say. ... Continue reading

Review: 2003 Honda Element DX 4WD

Review: 2003 Honda Element DX 4WD

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS People - friends, family, and strangers alike - ask me questions about cars. Interestingly, the car I have been asked about the most over the past year, by an extremely wide variety of people, is neither a 200 mph sports car nor an equally exotic ex-military SUV. It's a simple, ine ... Continue reading

Leasing Loses Popularity As Cash and APR Incentives Abound

Leasing Loses Popularity As Cash and APR Incentives Abound

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 29, 2003; -- Edmunds.com ( http://www.edmunds.com ), the premier online resource for automotive information, reported today that the average manufacturer incentive per vehicle sold in the United States was $2,287 in April 2003, up $581 or 34.1% from April 2002 and up $52 or 2.3% from March 200 ... Continue reading

Hino Truck Plans Agressive North American Sales Boost

Hino Truck Plans Agressive North American Sales Boost

Thursday May 29, 2:29 am ET TOKYO May 289, 2003; Dow Jones reports that Hino Motors Ltd. said that it aims to more than double its group operating profit over the three years from this fiscal year under its new business plan. The Japanese truck maker, in which Toyota Motor Corp. has a 50.1% stake, hopes to lift group o ... Continue reading

SARS Delays China's Denway Motors Launch Of "Fit"

SARS Delays China's Denway Motors Launch Of "Fit"

HONG KONG May 29, 2003; Dow Jones reported that Denway Motors Ltd.'s 45%-owned sedan joint venture said Thursday it has delayed the launch of its new small-sized sedan by one or two months because of the outbreak of SARS. The move will result in an extra lift in production of higher-margin Accord sedans this year. Anal ... Continue reading

China Auto Market Booming - Shanghai Volkswagen Considers Outsourcing Santana Model Manufacturing

China Auto Market Booming - Shanghai Volkswagen Considers Outsourcing Santana Model Manufacturing

SHANGHAI May 29, 2003; Dow Jones reported that Shanghai Volkswagen, a joint venture between Volkswagen AG and Shanghai Automotive Industry (Group) Co., plans to contract a domestic carmaker to help manufacture some its best-selling Santana sedans to supplement its existing capacity. "We're still doing the feasibility s ... Continue reading

Mazda to recall over 174,000 Atenza, MPV, Roadsters

Mazda to recall over 174,000 Atenza, MPV, Roadsters

TOKYO, May 29, 2003; Reuters reported that Mazda Motor Corp, Japan's fifth-largest automaker, said on Thursday it planned to recall more than 174,000 units of its Atenza, MPV and Roadster models worldwide after receiving a dozen complaints, most of which related to a defective fog lamp. Mazda, owned one-third by Ford M ... Continue reading

Interior Motives Student Design Awards: Celebrating the next generation of automotive interior design

Interior Motives Student Design Awards: Celebrating the next generation of automotive interior design

London, May 29 -- Tickets for the automotive industry's latest addition to the annual design event calendar - The Interior Motives: Student Design Awards - are now on sale. The first annual Interior Motives: Student Design Awards is taking place at the King Kamehameha Club in Frankfurt on the 10th September 2003. The w ... Continue reading

NASCAR Returns To Pacific Raceways With A Little Help From Chevy

NASCAR Returns To Pacific Raceways With A Little Help From Chevy

Inaugural Northwest Chevy Dealers NASCAR 150 Race To Be Held August 22-24 As Part Of The Raybestos Brakes NW Tour Series, NASCAR Elite Division Kent, WA - After 17 years, NASCAR racing will return to Pacific Raceways with the Northwest Chevy Dealers NASCAR 150, a new stop on the Raybestos Brakes NW Tour Series, a NASCA ... Continue reading

Saab Chief Designer Michael Mauer Appointed Director Of GME Advanced Design

Saab Chief Designer Michael Mauer Appointed Director Of GME Advanced Design

The improvement of engineering efficiencies at General Motors Europe - Opel, Vauxhall and Saab - is fully on track and continues to take shape. The latest move forward is the appointment of Michael Mauer as Executive Director, Saab Design and GME Advanced Design, effective May 1, 2003. NORCROSS, GA May 27, 2003; In add ... Continue reading

GM Reaches Out To Consumers Who Don't Consider GM Vehicles

GM Reaches Out To Consumers Who Don't Consider GM Vehicles

DETROIT May 28, 2003; General Motors Corp. today announced that it will launch an unconventional effort to attract American consumers who don't consider GM products when shopping for a new car or truck. It will begin the first week of June with an initial print installment called "The Road to Redemption," which tells t ... Continue reading

BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION TO SUPPLY TURANZAT ER30 TIRE FOR PORSCHE CAYENNE

BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION TO SUPPLY TURANZAT ER30 TIRE FOR PORSCHE CAYENNE

BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE NORTH AMERICAN TIRE, LLC FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Media Center (877) 201-2373 BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION TO SUPPLY TURANZA(tm) ER30 TIRE FOR PORSCHE CAYENNE NASHVILLE, Tenn. - (May 28, 2003) - Bridgestone Turanza(tm) ER30 N-0 extra load tire in size 255/55R18 109Y will be supplied as original e ... Continue reading

Donaldson Company's Emission Reduction System Earns EPA Approval for Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine Retrofits

Donaldson Company's Emission Reduction System Earns EPA Approval for Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine Retrofits

MINNEAPOLIS--May 28, 2003-- Donaldson is the only company in the United States to receive EPA approval Donaldson Company Inc. , today announced that the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Transportation and Air Quality has approved Donaldson's Diesel Oxidation Catalyst ("DOC") muffler and Spiracl ... Continue reading

Accretech USA, Inc. Names Greg Sebastian President & Christopher Rentz Vice President-Sales

Accretech USA, Inc. Names Greg Sebastian President & Christopher Rentz Vice President-Sales

AUSTIN, Texas--May 28, 2003--Greg Sebastian has been promoted to President of Accretech USA, Inc. He was formerly the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Accretech. Mr. Sebastian joined Accretech USA in 1992. Christopher Rentz has joined Accretech USA, as Vice President-Sales. He was formerly the Vi ... Continue reading

Fairchild's New Ultra-Bright Surface-Mount LED Lamps Are Ideal for Interior Automotive Lighting Applications

Fairchild's New Ultra-Bright Surface-Mount LED Lamps Are Ideal for Interior Automotive Lighting Applications

SAN JOSE, Calif.--May 28, 2003--Fairchild Semiconductor announces the QTLP673C series of surface-mount PLCC-4 package LED lamps. The devices are top-illuminating, high-brightness lamps for interior automotive lighting applications, as well as traffic management signals and signage. The new products extend Fairchild's p ... Continue reading

NAMARS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES OPENS THIS WEEKEND AT KNOXVILLE;

NAMARS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES OPENS THIS WEEKEND AT KNOXVILLE;

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES OPENS THIS WEEKEND AT KNOXVILLE; KENYON, WILLIAMS, BEAUCHAMP LEAD REGIONAL, K-CAR, 600 POINTS May 28, 2003 Speedway, IN The 2003 NAMARS Championship MidgetCar Series begins this weekend with the 2nd Annual Pepsi / Mt. Dew Knoxville MidgetCar Championship at Knoxville Raceway. NAMARS' premier touring ... Continue reading

Orbit Racing - Road Atlanta test

Orbit Racing - Road Atlanta test

Orbit Racing enjoyed a successful two-day test May 27 and 28 at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga. The test was hosted by the American Le Mans Series, giving teams an opportunity to practice for a June 29 race at the track. Peter Baron of Deerfield Beach, Fla., posted the fastest GT lap of the test, covering the 2.54-mile ... Continue reading

NHRA: Driver Safety Takes a Front Seat with Warren Johnson

NHRA: Driver Safety Takes a Front Seat with Warren Johnson

Contact: Jon G. Knapp TMG Sports Marketing Phone: (704) 662-3121 jgknapp@tmgsports.net Driver Safety Takes a Front Seat with Warren Johnson Seat in WJ's new GM Performance Parts Grand Am features revolutionary design SUGAR HILL, GA., May 27, 2003 - When people think of Warren Johnson, the first thing that comes to mind ... Continue reading

Kia Motors America Hires New Director, Parts and Logistics

Kia Motors America Hires New Director, Parts and Logistics

IRVINE, Calif., May 28 -- Steve Green, an automotive industry veteran has joined Kia Motors America as Director of Parts and Logistics. In this capacity, Green will manage Kia's overall parts and PCC operations. "Steve brings a wealth of experience in the area of parts distribution and logistics, and we are confident t ... Continue reading

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