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SPECIAL REPORT - USA - Frankfurt Auto Show
Pleasant Ridge, MI,USA -The Car Connection -15 Sept 2005:--) Main bosses three's big automakers, recent declarations:
VW's Bernhard Lays Down Ultimatum
Even as Volkswagen wrapped up a major product offensive with this week's debut of its Eos hardtop/convertible, the brand's new boss, Wolfgang Bernhard, told that the future of the German automaker is anything but certain... While problems at home are getting much of the attention, VW AG has a variety of other issues to address, including the slump in its U.S. operations, and its continuing decline in China, where it was long the industry's leading brand. But without a turnaround in Germany, Bernhard stressed that the automaker's future is, at best, uncertain... Sales have been minimal, at most, but Bernhard is convinced the model serves as a brand halo, and should be kept alive. "Our customers say it supports the brand, but it's a hell of a job selling those vehicles"...
Chrysler's New Team Staying the Course
"Nothing's changed" as a result of the recent management shake-up at Chrysler Corp., insisted the automaker's new number two executive, Eric Ridenour... But in a Frankfurt interview, Ridenour said the company's top priorities remain product, quality and cost. On the quality front, Ridenour said, "We intend to be among the leaders in 2007." Meanwhile, the company has been taking a variety of steps to drive down material costs and to bring down fixed costs...
GM Studying European Competitiveness
"We know how to make our workforce more competitive," said General Motors Europe Chairman Fritz Henderson, during an interview at the Frankfurt Motor Show. What's not clear is if workers will go along with demands that could result in more work for no more pay. The automaker said unions are not the only reason why European factories are increasingly uncompetitive, pointing to the Continent's high taxes, used largely to fund social welfare benefits... "Never declare victory too soon," said Fritz Henderson, the head of General Motors' big European subsidiary, during a small group interview on Wednesday. But with GME having really posted a much-needed quarterly profit, Henderson couldn't resist at least a little chest-pounding, suggesting that, "We're moving in the right direction."
Ford Depends on Design, Says Padilla
"We intend to be far more aggressive and far more appealing," said Jim Padilla, Ford Motor Co. Chief Operating Officer, during an appearance in Frankfurt Wednesday. "A major tenet of what we intend to do in the business is a design-led recovery." That's a significant change in direction for the troubled number-two automaker... In recent years, Ford has tended to play it "safe," with admittedly boring products, such as its...
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