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Welcome to The Paddock, our newest semi-regular feature where we bring you some of the best motorsports-related products born from a passion for the sport. Whether we're talking safety equipment, [...]

Byline: ROGER HART FOLLOWING CLOSELY the release of its XKR-S coupe ('No Whining,' July 11, 2011), Jaguar is letting drop-top fans in on the fun with a convertible model, the [...]

Is Visteon nearing the end of its short, unhappy life? This month Reuters speculated that a major Visteon shareholder, Alden Global Capital, wants to break up the company and sell [...]

Byline: Donna Harris At many dealerships, marketing of service and parts takes a back seat to vehicle marketing. Not at Reedman-Toll Auto World in Langhorne, Pa. 'A dollar is a [...]

US car dealers that sell auto parts wholesale to independent garages and body shops believe they are providing a valuable service, despite the National Automobile Dealers Assn's assertion that the practice helps competitors and should be discouraged. Dealers that sell wholesale auto parts point out that are satisfying manufacturers as well as keeping customers happy. Auto parts wholesalers also help dealers save money by allowing them to reduce their parts inventories. However, the business is extremely competitive and requires a strong commitment on the part of the dealer.

Byline: Robert Sherefkin Geri Kottschade, co-owner with her husband, Jerry, of Jerry's Body Shop Inc., never expected trouble getting a front bumper bar for a customer's 2005 GMC Yukon Denali [...]

Byline: Michael Knauer Opel and its new controlling owner Magna International Inc. are heading into the future with a new advertising slogan and a spruced-up brand campaign. The brand will [...]

The well-known Murray's name will soon vanish from the list of Detroit retailers. Starting next spring, the 79 Murray's Discount Auto stores in Southeast Michigan will take the name O'Reilly [...]

1979 Chevrolet Corvette T-Top Coupe Barrett-Jackson, Las Vegas Oct. 16-18, 2008 White with black vinyl. V8, automatic. Said to have a brand-new crate motor; as a small-block, assumed to be […]

Verizon spends $64 million on upgrades in first half of year Verizon Wireless spent $64.5 million in the first half of 2008 to improve its Michigan network, including about $45.1 [...]

Lear fashion show to parade chic for cheeks Get ready for runway-ready rawhide. Lear Corp. is planning to hold a leather fashion show and press conference Wednesday to unveil its [...]

Despite the economic doldrums plaguing metro Detroit, two premier sporting events coming to the region are confident they will reach hospitality and sponsorship fund-raising goals. The Detroit Belle Isle Grand [...]

Financial difficulties of US suppliers in their home market should mean more business for Italian supplier Magneti Marelli, says CEO Eugenio Razelli. 'Magneti Marelli is strong in Europe and in [...]

Byline: David Barkholz Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross will have some competition in his bid to buy troubled supplier Collins & Aikman Corp. Besides Ross, four prospective buyers have submitted bids [...]

Maserati will offer a conventional automatic transmission in response to complaints about the jerky shifting of the Quattroporte sedan's semiautomatic gearbox. The automatic will be offered next year, along with [...]

Eifel Inc., a tier-two automotive supplier in Fraser, needs to keep customers satisfied in order to keep a steady stream of business. The company usually has about a dozen customers, [...]

Byline: Mark Rechtin, Arlena Sawyers Jaguar this year will reduce sharply the number of used vehicles coming back from leases and fleets. But the underlying weakness of the brand - [...]

Join us Feb. 8, noon-1:30 p.m., for the Crain's Detroit Business 2005 Newsmaker of the Year Luncheon honoring Roger Penske, chairman, Penske Corp. It's hosted by the Detroit Economic Club [...]

Despite the volatility of its market segment, Southgate-based ASC Inc. is confident that its plan to aggressively pursue the design and production of niche vehicles is just what the industry [...]

In a bid to become a larger player in the growing high-technology market, French supplier Valeo is trying to sell its night-vision technology to automakers. But, contrary to its competitors, [...]

Byline: KEITH MARTIN RM Auctions Meadow Brook Hall Rochester, Mich. Aug. 6 1969 Land Rover Series II 109-inch wheelbase. Side-facing benches in rear. 2.6-liter six, four-speed manual (no overdrive). 44,000 […]

Lexus wants its RX400h hybrid SUV to win it sales from people who like to be the first to try new technology. Called first adopters by some, Lexus calls them [...]

Byline: Marty Bernstein Reaching out to young, car-obsessed tuners in California is not a new strategy for aftermarket retailers. But marketers often have difficulty reaching tuners because their preferences tend [...]

Delphi Corp. wants Wall Street to know that it's more than just an auto supplier. Delphi is in the midst of its first TV ad campaign for its nonautomotive business, [...]

Contractors plead guilty to tax fraud Father-and-son Ann Arbor roofing contractors Kurt and Herbert Greaves have pleaded guilty to one count of tax fraud in a case that's part of [...]

Delphi starts TV campaign to boost nonauto business Delphi Corp. is using a television ad campaign that'll run throughout the year to promote its nonautomotive business. The ads, created by [...]

Three suppliers are developing dual-clutch systems to compete with early leader BorgWarner and to meet the expected strong European demand for the new technology. Clutch suppliers LuK, Valeo and ZF [...]

Byline: Gail Kachadourian ASC Inc. will launch an advertising campaign next month aimed at reintroducing itself to the industry as a specialty vehicle supplier, and not just a sunroof maker. [...]

BorgWarner Inc. is counting on a new transmission system that combines the ease of an automatic with the fuel efficiency of a manual to propel its European growth. The company [...]

Byline: Harry Stoffer A major supplier of electronic stability controls is taking its case directly to consumers. The message from Continental Teves is: If you want protection from vehicle rollover [...]

Supplier: Navigation Technologies Innovation: Working directly with dealers and customers Sales of navigation systems are taking off in Europe, but many consumers still find them a novelty and hard to [...]

Suppliers of engine components will have more at stake with each new contract win or loss over the next five years. Automakers are cutting the variety of engines they build [...]

THIERRY MORIN, chairman and CEO of Valeo, sees new products as key to the French supplier's growth. Morin says safety and emissions issues are helping drive the development of such [...]

Top Europe-based suppliers took advantage of growing North American vehicle production in 2002 to boost global sales. Each of the 10 Europe-based companies among the 25 largest global auto suppliers [...]

The Volkswagen group is helping European Tier 1 suppliers increase their sales in Asia - particularly in China - as business slows in other key global markets. Wolfgang Dehen, CEO [...]

Small independent tire makers are finding success in Europe by focusing on specialized niches and individual markets. Five major tire makers - Michelin, Goodyear, Continental, Pirelli, and Dunlop - dominate [...]

Frederic Saint-Geours, managing director of PSA/Peugeot-Citroen's Automobiles Peugeot unit, talked about the company's goals with reporter Georg Auer. Where do you want to take PSA in the future? Do you [...]

NEW-CAR sales in western and central Europe are declining, but Toyota has increased its volume and expects to reach 800,000 annual sales by 2004, one year ahead of the company's [...]

GM Daewoo Auto & Technology is beginning a new product and sales network offensive in Germany with the aim of more than doubling sales. 'This year we expect to achieve [...]

Audi of America is encouraging its dealers to sell unsold 2002 models as used cars. On March 1, Audi of America had a 100-day supply of new vehicles, up from [...]

Toyota expects a major sales increase in Spain after taking over its private importer in the country. Toyota acquired independent importer Grupo Berge late last year. Berge kept Lexus brand [...]

Opel tries to stop the leak Opel is determined to find out who leaked the company's five-year business plan to Germany's Capitol magazine. At its April 7 meeting, the Opel [...]

GENERAL MOTORS is rapidly folding Saab into its European operations. First it combined Opel and Saab product development functions and now it's integrating their national sales companies. There is also [...]

TOYOTA MOTOR Europe turns to European managers and engineers for important jobs whenever it can - not just expatriates from Japan. Jos De Boes is one of them. The native [...]

Opel's product-led turnaround will get another boost when the new Meriva arrives in dealerships on May 7. Order books opened in March and the [euro]14,000 small minivan is already attracting [...]

Bosch expects huge growth in demand for electronic stability program systems in the near future as consumers learn their value. 'ESP can save more lives than the airbag,' said Wolfgang [...]

Bosch is using its fuel-injection technology to drive expansion in international markets. The biggest opportunity is in the Chinese market, where the company already had sales of [euro]1 billion last [...]

Byline: David Sedgwick The SARS flu epidemic has forced auto executives in southeast Asia, Europe and North America to take defensive measures. Automakers and suppliers are limiting or banning business [...]

The number of vehicle platforms generating 1 million units or more annually will more than double in the next five years. Meanwhile, Volkswagen has put the first 2 million-unit platform [...]

BMW dealers are resisting a new contract proposal that they say could expose them to sharply lower profit margins. Dealers say the contract would squeeze their margins if BMW raises [...]