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NEEDED: 'THICK SKIN' GM designer knows crucial launches produce a love-hate response 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Chevrolet designer Tom Peters describes the blocky, chiseled front end of the 2014 Silverado pickup as a "fist in the wind." The metaphor also could describe the resolve Peters needs to weather his critics as the lead designer for two of the most closely scrutinized vehicles on the planet: the Silverado and Corvette.... Read More »
TALK FROM THE TOP: MARK REUSS, NORTH AMERICAN PRESIDENT, GENERAL MOTORS GM seeks clean launch, regular updates for pickups 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North America, says GM is staying vigilant on the June launch of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-sized pickups, its most important rollout since the company's 2009 bankruptcy. He says GM is closely monitoring suppliers to avoid bottlenecks that could delay the launch or hurt quality.... Read More »
Mini's culture is as quirky as its cars 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Mini is owned by BMW, but there's a broad gulf between the prestigious luxury marque and the funky small-car brand.... Read More »
CFO says GM streamlining is 'on its way' 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  As a banking adviser to General Motors when he was at Morgan Stanley, Dan Ammann got an upfront view of GM's spiral into bankruptcy in 2009 and subsequent restructuring. Now, more than two years into his job as CFO, Ammann acknowledges that he had only a faint idea at the time of how complex GM is.... Read More »
Obituaries 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013 Information about James Lawrence, former publisher at NADA Used Car Guide, and A.B. Shuman, a product spokesman for Mercedes-Benz of North America Inc.... Read More »
TALK FROM THE TOP: JOE HINRICHS, PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAS, FORD MOTOR CO. Hinrichs: Quality is 'of the highest priority' at Ford 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  After three frenetic years overseeing Ford's ambitious Asia Pacific expansion plans, including the construction of nine plants, Joe Hinrichs returned to the Dearborn, Mich., world headquarters in December to take over as president of the company's most profitable region: the Americas. Hinrichs found Ford's North American operations in the midst of a major growth spurt.... Read More »
TALK FROM THE TOP: JIM LENTZ, CEO, NORTH AMERICA REGION, TOYOTA MOTOR CORP. Toyota streamlines decision-making for North America 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda restructured the company's management this year to give more authority and autonomy to local regions. Nowhere was this more evident than in North America, where Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., was placed in charge of all Toyota sales and manufacturing for the region.... Read More »
TALK FROM THE TOP: LUDWIG WILLISCH, CEO, BMW OF NORTH AMERICA BMW counts on new models to keep luxury sales crown 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Mercedes-Benz led the U.S. luxury-brand sales race through April of 2013, but BMW of North America CEO Ludwig Willisch expects BMW to repeat as No. 1 for the year. Willisch says help is on the way in the form of three models debuting this fall: the 3-series GT crossover, 4-series coupe and a redesigned X5 crossover.... Read More »
Kogai takes reins of Mazda's comeback 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Mazda Motor Corp.'s CEO designate, Masamichi Kogai, had a big hand in creating the more stable, profitable carmaker he inherits. But formidable challenges lie ahead.... Read More »
Dealers 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Dealerships in this report: Majestic Honda in Lincoln, R.I.; Heritage Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram Owings Mills in Owings Mills, Md.; Miller's Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in Martinsburg, W.Va.; Maita Toyota in Sacramento, Calif.; and Gilroy Toyota in Gilroy, Calif.... Read More »
At Fiat-Chrysler 'it's all about differentiating the brands'May 17, 2013 06:01 CET  Olivier Francois, chief marketing officer for Fiat and Chrysler, has helped rehabilitate Chrysler Group's image since its 2009 bankruptcy. Chrysler has racked up 37 consecutive months of year-over-year U.S. sales increases, thanks in part to memorable commercials, such as rapper Eminem's coup during the 2011 Super Bowl.... Read More »
AMY WILSON For AutoNation's Jackson, Penske sets pace for retirement 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 16, 2013  AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson's employment contract with the country's largest dealership group is up in September. Jackson will turn 65 next February, but he has no intention of walking out the door any time soon.... Read More »
MARKETING EXECUTIVE Q&A: OLIVIER FRANCOIS At Chrysler-Fiat 'it's all about differentiating the brands' 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013  Olivier Francois, chief marketing officer for Fiat and Chrysler, has helped rehabilitate Chrysler Group's image since its 2009 bankruptcy. Chrysler has racked up 37 consecutive months of year-over-year U.S. sales increases, thanks in part to memorable commercials, such as rapper Eminem's coup during the 2011 Super Bowl.... Read More »
Krishnan Anantharaman joins Automotive News 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013  Krishnan Anantharaman has joined Automotive News as an assigning editor at the paper's headquarters.... Read More »
Musk's magic touch on Wall St. 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013  The cult of personality surrounding Tesla Motors founder and CEO Elon Musk has wowed the investment community. Operating on the edge of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's fair-disclosure rules, Musk and his steady flow of Twitter posts about Tesla have corresponded with a swift rise in the share price of his EV company. He has repeatedly halted declines with well-timed tweets.... Read More »
Retired Texas dealer McCall supports Tesla 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013  Retired Texas auto dealer Sterling McCall surprised fellow dealers in April when he testified in favor of Tesla Motors Inc.'s bid to carve out an exemption to state franchise law. But after buying two Teslas himself -- and taking delivery of his Model S in a high school parking lot -- McCall became convinced that the current Texas law is unfair to the electric vehicle maker.... Read More »
Mazda problem solver Kogai gets a new job: CEO 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013  After Japan's devastating March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Mazda Motor Corp. CEO Takashi Yamanouchi needed someone to sort out and reinforce the carmaker's shattered supply chain and production system. He chose Masamichi Kogai, a manufacturing and purchasing specialist. Now, Kogai, 58, is getting a new assignment: Run the whole company.... Read More »
Infiniti adds managers 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013  Infiniti President Johan de Nysschen continues to shift decision-making for the luxury brand onto managers who are focused solely on Infiniti.... Read More »
Porsche reassigns 2 execs 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013 Porsche Cars North America is bringing in Joe Lawrence, CEO of Canadian operations, to be its No. 2 executive in the United States, the company's largest market.... Read More »
CARS & CONCEPTS Albaisa leads Infiniti design 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013  Alfonso Albaisa, the Cuban-American designer who has led Nissan's worldwide passenger car design strategy for a year, has been named global design chief for Infiniti.... Read More »
JAMES B. TREECE Can Akio be the Steve Jobs of Lexus? 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013  Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda wants to take personal responsibility for injecting design and performance pizazz into the Lexus brand. In essence, Toyoda is setting out to be the automaker's equivalent of the late Steve Jobs, the legendary boss of Apple James B. Treece is industry editor for Automotive News.... Read More »
MARKETING EXECUTIVE Q&A: ALEX LEIKIKH Acura's new ad agency targets buyers from luxury rivals 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013  Alex Leikikh, the son of Russian immigrants to Minnesota, had key posts at agencies Leo Burnett and Fallon -- working at Fallon on the BMW account -- before being named president of Mullen's headquarters office in Boston. This year, his team made an emotion-filled pitch to win the Acura business.... Read More »
MARKETING EXECUTIVE Q&A: CHRIS PERRY Chevy pitches more than heritage ahead of key launches 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013  This year, Chevrolet is rolling out 13 new or redesigned vehicles, including some of its most important nameplates, such as the Silverado full-sized pickup, Impala large sedan and the seventh-generation Corvette. The busy launch schedule comes at a time of flux for Chevrolet marketing.... Read More »
MARKETING EXECUTIVE Q&A: TOBY BARLOW Marketer uses customers' voices to tell the Ford story 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013  Toby Barlow, chief creative officer of the Team Detroit ad agency, has the job of telling the Ford brand story. Barlow and Team Detroit have relied heavily on customer testimonials.... Read More »
Dealers 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013 Dealerships in this report: Nabors Toyota in Clarksdale, Miss.; Avery Greene Honda in Vallejo, Calif.; Haron Jaguar in Fresno, Calif.; Long Hyundai in Chattanooga; and the Iowa Automobile Dealers Association.... Read More »
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