Tag: VehicleVoice

1958 International Harvester restoration report. Progress being made, but slowly.

Ford Flex promises to become a good selling Crossover SUV with polarizing styling and excellent function

I’ve never owned a major manufacturing corporation worth millions, never employed Union workers and I’ve never played the game of ‘Chicken’; but I’ve heard all are risky endeavors. In the case of American Axle they are dealing with all three variables concurrently. They are said to be ‘sitting on “$344 Million” (AN), employing 3,650 UAW members and American Axle CEO Richard Dauch is currently playing ‘Chicken’ with UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. Are we taking bets? I’m really trying to figure out what I would do in either position and whose side I’m really on.

What happened?
Since February 26 all 3,650 UAW member walked off the job leaving American Axle production in a lurch. In the last two months this strike has affected progress at as many as 30 GM plants. American Axle produces parts for GM’s full-size pickups and SUVs, the hot new [...]

Honda Pilot - a serviceable crossover tarted up as the answer to all your problems

Buick Lucerne Super. Super competent Buick. Restrained, fast, confident.

We often get asked, “So why don’t the domestic brands build better vehicles?” and the answer usually comes down to simple economics. It’s not that the domestics don’t know how to engineer and produce amazing, well-built vehicles. It is a matter of fixed costs, variable expenditures, unions, dealers and what we like to call ‘bean counters’. Bean counters are those guy’s who help cost reduce a vehicle within an inch of its life in an effort to compete in the automotive marketplace. The imports typically have a leg up on the domestics due to their younger work force (read: health care costs and retirement costs), their efficiency and the American publics perceptions about their quality.

Chrysler and Nissan announce OEM product-supply agreements that help each improve U.S. and global product lines. Chrysler will build Nissan's next-generation Titan on the Ram platform, and Nissan will build a Chrysler-designed small car on their next-generation Versa platform.

Tata Motors buys Jaguar Land Rover and sets itself up for the Turtle's slow and steady pace. Will it pay off?

Ford launches Drive One campaign.

Hyundai's Genesis Coupe, which will replace the front-drive Tiburon with a rear-drive two-door, is set to offer the least-expensive 300HP. Will that be enough to help realign Hyundai perception?