Developing the Nissan NV
If you are an American, you probably don’t consider Nissan when you think “commercial vehicles,” even though it has a 75-year history in that segment.
Christopher A. Sawyer
Contributing Editor
FCA Appoints Outsiders as COO, PR Chief for N. America
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV has named former executives from Amazon and Shell Oil to be chief operating officer and head of communications for its North American business.
Former Ford Exec Ligocki Joins Lear Board
Lear Corp. has appointed Kathleen Ligocki, a longtime auto industry executive, to its board of directors, effective immediately.
Auto Stocks Plunge in Stock Market Rout
Auto industry stocks took a beating on Monday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 635 points to 10,810.
Cooper-Standard Hires New North America President
Novi, Mich.-based Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. has recruited auto veteran Bill Pumphrey as of head of the partsmaker's North American business, effective Aug. 16.
Tower Stock Goes Public Today
Livonia, Mich.-based Auto supplier Tower International Inc. says it plans to sell 6.25 million new shares for $13 per share in its initial public offering today, thus raising $81.3 million for the company.
Ex-Ford Exec Ligocki to Head “Green” Vehicle Maker
San Diego, Calif.-based green car startup Next Autoworks Co. has hired former Ford Motor Co. executive Kathleen Ligocki as CEO, effective this week.
Explorer (Still Head of the Class)
Ford's Explorer created the SUV segment as we know it today. Judicious upgrades for 2006 shuld see it remain as the class leader.
Tower Automotive Plans IPO
Supplier Tower Automotive LLC, which is owned by hedge fund Cerberus Capital Management LP, says it is poised to begin an initial public offering of 6.25 million common shares at an estimated price between $15 and $17 apiece.
Tower Automotive Plans Notes Issue to Pay Loans
Towers Automotive LLC says it will issue $450 million (€350 million) in senior secured notes to repay European and U.S. term loans due in 2013.
Canada’s Onex to Acquire U.K. Supplier Tomkins
Toronto-based buyout firm Onex Corp. and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board have agreed to pay 2.9 billion ($4.5 billion) in cash to acquire British supplier Tomkins plc, a maker of auto sensors, axles, drive belts, transmissions components and building products.
Tower Automotive Plans IPO
Livonia, Mich.-based supplier Tower Automotive LLC filed a registration statement for a $100 million initial public offering yesterday with the U.S.
Two More Doors, One "New" Truck
The one truism in this industry right now is that trucks make money. So how do you build more different trucks? Just ask Dodge...
Building Better Brakes
Here's how a "museum of manufacturing" is one of the most productive manufacturing plants on the planet.
NISSAN'S Platform Play
The mid-size 2005 Pathfinder, Nissan's largest design and development program to date, involved three technical centers, and took 36 months and countless trans-Pacific trips to complete. Though it borrows major components from the full-size Titan pickup and Armada SUV, it's not just a downsized clone.
Christopher A. Sawyer
Contributing Editor
Looks Great. Less Weighty
Chrysler is on the fast-track to the 21st century with the ESX2, a polymer-intensive vehicle that, if all goes well, could be ready for volume production by 2003.
The '02 RAM: This Time, the Build
When the '94 Dodge Ram appeared, the styling was a knockout. With the new platform, it is how it is put together that makes it a tough contender in the hotly contested field.
Gary S. Vasilash
Editor-in-Chief, Automotive Design & Production
