WEEKLY: GM wooing its orphan owners | Mending Mazda | Top 125 dealerships | First 7 PACE finalists

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER March 19, 2012

» Tell a colleague about this newsletter    » Open this newsletter in a web browser    » Home page » Webinars » Contact Us ShareThis Click here to view this week's digital edition Innovators compete for PACE Awards > Click here are summaries of seven finalists for the 2012 Automotive News PACE Awards Innovation at auto suppliers is enjoying a renaissance as automakers rely on suppliers to control costs, improve fuel economy and boost quality. • What: Automotive News PACE Awards • Co-sponsored by: Ernst & Young and Transportation Research Center Inc. • Winners announced: Black-tie ceremony April 23 • Where: Max M. Fisher Music Center, Detroit • Other finalists: Featured weekly through the April 16 issue and online at autonews.com/pacefinalists EDITOR'S PICKS GM wooing its orphan owners Many former Pontiac, Saturn buyers stay in GM fold; Hummer alums flee One morning last week a dozen or so vehicles streamed into the service drive at Sellers Buick-GMC in suburban Detroit. They were all Saturns. The Buic ...  FULL STORY   Mending Mazda  Top 125 dealerships: Hot brands = big gains  2011 Top 125 Dealership Groups  Nissan dealers expect DMS costs to drop  A veteran auto dealer at 26: He stepped in, stepped up  'Skin in the game' philosophy guides Kuni  Dealer has a fairy-tale career in the shadows of Disney Advertisement For Sale - Complete E-Coat System GoIndustry DoveBid is offering a complete MetoKote E-Coat System, available immediately for sale by order of Dana Holding LLC. The system can process 70+ vehicle frames per hour and is located in Longview, Texas. For further information, please visit: http://www.go-dove.com/event-15933. FINAL ASSEMBLY FINAL ASSEMBLY Winterkorn ($23 million) joins Mulally in payday pantheon Ford CEO Alan Mulally isn't the only auto executive raising eyebrows with his pay. Last week at Volkswagen's annual meeting, journalists were particul ...  FULL STORY  FINAL ASSEMBLY : Blogger Lutz blisters 'rabid' right FINAL ASSEMBLY : Marketspeak: The art of turning nuts and bolts into frothy cappuccinos FINAL ASSEMBLY : When fuel prices rise, the party in power often runs out of gas FINAL ASSEMBLY : Sales recovery marches on BACK TO TOP DEALERS Deadline's near: Tell us why your store's a great place Is your dealership a great place to work? Automotive News wants to hear from you. Automotive News is working with Best Companies Group t ...  FULL STORY   Dealers win challenge in Chrysler suit  Buick offers 2-year lease, with goodies  Chevy aims tiny Spark at city dwellers  Mahindra franchisees in the dark after British ruling against U.S. distributor  Dealers hit snag in legal battle to recoup Mahindra franchise costs  Top 125 dealership groups outpace industry growth  We know that you're out there  Despite slow sales, China looks good in long run  Internet leads: Many dealers still drop the ball BACK TO TOP AUTOMAKERS AND SUPPLIERS Porsche plans plug-in hybrid Panamera in '14 Porsche AG will build a plug-in hybrid version of the Panamera sedan starting in 2014, sources familiar with the situation said last week. The plug-in ...  FULL STORY   GM-PSA product tie-up: How will it work?  Track Apps measures Mustang performance  Taurus SHO stars in Ford TV spots  2013 GMC Terrain Denali packs a larger V-6  Toyota races to raise Prius C supply in U.S.  Diverse British auto industry is on the rise  Asian suppliers lead battery race  Watchdog group probes 4 Japanese headlamp makers  How Mini plans to expand lineup, add dealers BACK TO TOP COLUMNISTS KEITH CRAIN Quick: What's the make of that SUV? No one has ever accused me of being nearsighted, but I am more and more surprised that the auto companies continue to try and mask their identity. I n ...  FULL STORY  LUCA CIFERRI : GM should follow strategy of One Ford DAVID SEDGWICK : 2 giants team up for auto infotainment CHRISTINA ROGERS : VW bucks trend, thinks big (as in SUV big) for U.S. model lineup BACK TO TOP NADA NADA: $5 fuel would torpedo used-SUV prices Rising gasoline prices are expected to peak at about $4 a gallon in May and produce a "mild" effect on most used-vehicle prices, analysts at NADA Used ...  FULL STORY  BACK TO TOP FINANCE & INSURANCE Bright hopes for leasing may be hasty Dealers looking for a big increase in leasing this year may be disappointed. Some forecasters see a leasing boom this year and beyond. But recent data ...  FULL STORY   Toyota offers branded ‘wear and tear’ lease products BACK TO TOP MARKETING BEST PRACTICES For Web-savvy buyers, it's all about the videos Dealer Shaun Del Grande is tapping the power of YouTube to reach Web-savvy auto shoppers in Silicon Valley. More than 1,000 videos shot and edited in- ...  FULL STORY  BACK TO TOP PEOPLE Soaring costs likely to spark more alliances Auto executives see GM-PSA deal as a sign of the new global order Carlos Ghosn says the need to invest in new technology and operate on a global scale will keep pushing companies into alliances like the one announced ...  FULL STORY   A crown prince emerges on BMW's board  Federal-Mogul CEO Alapont will retire  GM adds former Alcoa exec to lead M&A  Personnel  JCI has high hopes for new starter batteries  Personnel BACK TO TOP AUTO SHOWS GENEVA AUTO SHOW Live from Geneva Geneva's auto show is the place for supercar brands, design houses and even mainstream automakers to step out a bit, showing their most stylish stuff. ...  FULL STORY  BACK TO TOP CHINA Allies: China hoards vital metal supply The United States, Europe and Japan joined forces last week against Chinese restrictions on exports of rare earth minerals critical to production of h ...  FULL STORY  BACK TO TOP DESIGN CARS & CONCEPTS Jeep Liberty replacement gets small Pentastar V-6 The replacement for the Jeep Liberty will be powered by a smaller-displacement version of Chrysler Group's 3.6-liter V-6, two sources say. The Liberty ...  FULL STORY   Carbon fiber, software fix create lighter, faster Fiat  Santa Fe gets Hyundai 'storm edge' styling  Select few will see Enzo replacement first  GM ponders how to replicate Camaro's success in redesign  Mazda's small crossover targets CR-V buyers BACK TO TOP INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MAZDA'S FUTURE The Skyactiv strategy: Lower costs, higher sales and bigger margins Mazda Motor Corp. hopes to score a hat trick with its Skyactiv technologies: lower costs, higher sales and bigger margins. Skyactiv is a combination o ...  FULL STORY  BACK TO TOP WEBINARS MARKETPLACE JOB LISTINGS Transforming Retail Sponsored by IBM March 6, 2pm EST Complimentary Explore how Transforming Retail can make a lasting, and positive impact in Automotive business. Online Marketing March 13 & March 22 Converting online traffic into sales and creating online videos to engage buyers. F&I WEEK June 19-21 Regulation Workshop, Strategies That Drive Top F&I Performance, How To Wow Lenders & Much More! Master Google To Sell More Cars Available On-demand Drive more traffic to your website, increase your online customer service score, and much more! Complimentary - Dealer 2 Dealer: Boost Accessory Sales Today! Available On-demand How to develop and implement a profitable accessories sales program. Complimentary Webinar - Driving Performance and Agility with Operations Intelligence Available On-demand Learn how Best-in-Class automotive companies develop and implement an Operational Intelligence strategy. Complimentary - Dealer 2 Dealer: Master Extended Warranty Sales Available On-demand Learn to successfully sell extended warranties and generate revenue in the service drive. Dealership Buy/Sell: What You Need To Know To Understand A Market In Turmoil Available On-demand The landscape for buying and selling automotive dealerships is changing rapidly. Learn what it takes to push through the sale of a poorly performing dealership...and how the lack of proper documentation can trip up a sale. Complimentary Webinar: Redefining The Car Shopping Process and Cross-Shopping Behavior Sponsored by: AutoTrader.com Available On-demand In this webinar, AutoTrader.com will provide new information about the way consumers are cross-shopping New and Used Cars on its consumer site and how to capture fence-sitters.   Auto Owner Email Postal and Phone Data-All Verified Media One   Increase your customer paid labor and parts sales Service Advisor Training   Electronic and no wires to test, tap or cut. The Widget   Automotive insight and marketing solutions. Polk   A premier auto finance provider Ally   Service is more than our name. 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Aisin World Corp. of America   Web-Based Credit Application Management System NEW CAR SALES MANAGER: Unknown Location: Chattanooga, TN, United States Pre Owned Manager: Confidential MO, United States Sales Manager: Unknown Location: Unknown, FL, United States Various Positions: Unknown Various States, NA, United States Internet/BDC Sales Manager: Confidential Location: Miami, FL, United States General Sales Manager: Razzari Ford / Mazda Merced, CA, United States GENERAL SALES MANAGER: Confidential Location: MT, United States Academy Instructor: NADA McLean, VA, United States General Manager: Unknown Location: Stafford, VA, United States To view other breaking news stories throughout the day, visit autonews.com To unsubscribe from this email newsletter, or to sign up for more email products, please click here. Automotive News is located at 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, Michigan, 48207