About the same time the great Tina Turner made the phrase “Simply the Best” household words, a group known as NACTOY was creating its own “best.” But this one – built by 50 veteran automotive journalists -- was a list of the top cars and trucks released in North America that year. Since then, every December that jury narrows its list to three candidates and prepares to crown the winner of the North American Car and Truck of the Year at Detroit’s International Auto Show in January. On this week’s Autoline, founding member John McElroy is joined by two of his NACTOY colleagues to talk about the top trucks, SUVs and Crossovers of the year and to predict the winner of this year’s North American Truck of the Year.
Though not as big as it once was, General Motors is still a formidable global corporation with offices and factories all over the world and the numbers and financials to match. And the man in charge of making sure all those add up correctly is John McElroy’s special guest on Autoline This Week. Joining GM CFO Dan Ammann is Jeff Bennett from the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg’s Tim Higgins.
The United Auto Workers is going through an identity crisis. From the bankruptcies to the VEBA to the loss of over a million members, the UAW is plotting its future path. Will it unionize transplant factories in right-to-work states? Maybe expand beyond automotive and bring in other industries or services? The man with the answers – UAW President Bob King -- makes his first official visit to the Autoline set on this week’s show. Joining John McElroy’s panel are Brent Snavely from the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News’ Bryce Hoffman.
Regular viewers of Autoline know that few topics get host John McElroy’s attention like autonomous cars. He can’t wait for a Star Wars world here on earth. To get the latest lowdown on what’s going on with the self-driving set, John is joined by three special guests on Autoline This Week. Christian Schumacher runs Continental’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems while Annie Lien - a veteran of the DARPA Challenge - now works for VW’s Electronic Research Lab in California and Gary Silberg from KPMG wrote the definitive white paper on the topic.
2013 has been a pretty good year so far for Chrysler’s Ram brand. It started with its 1500 winning the North American Truck of the Year award before unveiling two new Cargo Vans at the Chicago Auto Show. Fred Diaz picked the right time to be in charge of a brand that’s clearly on the move. Join John McElroy and Ram's Fred Diaz along with panelists Scott Burgess from Motor Trend and Car and Driver’s Tony Swan as they talk trucks on Autoline This Week.
Automakers are still hunting for the 21st Century Holy Grail – better known as the next cheap energy source. With the jury still out on petroleum -- and ethanol, electricity and natural gas all having their issues -- what’s a vehicle manufacturer to do? Well some, like our three guests on Autoline This Week, say check out liquid propane. Join host John McElroy along with Wayne Moore from CleanFUEL USA, Ford’s Rob Stevens and Joe Thompson from ROUSH CleanTech for a look at what may be the next great fuel.
I guess when you’ve been a Plant Manager for Chevrolet, a VP of Manufacturing for VW and re-engineered Chrysler’s operations in addition to founding American Axle and Manufacturing, it’s time to write a book. And then when you call it “American Drive” with a subtitle that states “How Manufacturing Will Save Our Country,” you better have the experience to back it up, and Dick Dauch sure does. This week he joins John McElroy, The Detroit News’ columnist Daniel Howes and Jeff Gilbert from CBS radio on Autoline This Week.
Even the home of the UAW wasn’t safe from Right-to-Work legislation. With Michigan’s law taking effect last month that makes nearly half the country covered by the right-to-work umbrella. Just how it will affect unions and the car companies is still up in the air. Join Autoline’s John McElroy along with his panel Kristin Dziczek from CAR, Robert Chiaravalli of Strategic Human Resources and legal expert Gary Klotz from Butzel-Long as they talk about the auto industry and the impact of right-to-work.
Automakers buy from all sorts of suppliers – from global-sized to small “neighborhood” parts producers. It’s a complicated system, especially for purchasing, which is why many of these companies are turning to the Cloud to improve everything from information flow to payment. Joining John McElroy to discuss the advantages and potential dangers of this 21st Century system is Fred Hensel from the number crunchers at KPMG along with Tim Burke from Plex Online with its ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning software and CBS Detroit Technology Editor Matt Roush.
For more than 100 years, it’s been a man’s world in the auto industry. But if the business leaders from Inforum have anything to say about it, that’s all about to change with programs like “Automotive Next.” On Autoline This Week John McElroy talks to four participants in the program; two professionals – Nancy Gioia from Ford and Maximiliane Straub of Bosch – along with two students – Alicia Luzkow from Michigan State and Laree Gardner from Wayne State, to hear how female executives are helping to mentor young women in the auto industry.
Over the past five years automotive suppliers did whatever they could to save money. Much of that savings came from eliminating their manufacturing capacity. Today with the auto industry once again going great guns Tier Ones are straining to meet demand, however, with the economy still suspect…they are as well. From the floor of the North American International Auto Show join John McElroy along with his guests Neil De Koker of OESA, Bridgestone’s Michael Martini along with Doug Grimm from casting component creator Grede on Autoline This Week.
Cajoled out of retirement by President Obama in 2009 to steer the troubled car maker General Motors, Ed Whitacre became its CEO during the company’s most turbulent times. After a career spent in Telecom, the native Texan looked to resurrect this American institution with the same experience that took him to the top of AT and T. And guess what? It worked! Join John McElroy along with the New York Times’ Bill Vlasic and Joe White from the Wall Street Journal as they talk to Ed Whitacre about his book, “American Turnaround,” this week on Autoline.
We all know that cars and trucks and what's inside them have changed since the '70s, but that's usually as far we go. But what about the personalities that ran those organizations, their policies and automotive journalism itself? To ponder these questions Autoline's host John McElroy takes a different seat on this week's panel as he turns the show over to WWJ62-Detroit host Carol Cain and joins veteran automotive journalists Edward Lapham from Automotive News (40 years in the business) and Tony Swan from Car and Driver/Kelly Blue Book (35 years) to discuss the changes they have seen over their years covering the auto industry.
Remember back in the early '90s when the Detroit Three -- GM, Ford and Chrysler -- were still the Big Three dominating the global auto industry? It was at that time the three companies, with the blessing of the federal government, formed a partnership to help develop technologies to keep the American auto industry vibrant. That organization was and is today USCAR or the United States Council for Automotive Research. Joining John McElroy on Autoline This Week to give us an inside look at this important organization is its Executive Director Steve Zimmer. Drew Winter from WardsAuto.com and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production round out the panel.
Lincoln has been undergoing a renaissance. Not only our 16th president with an award-winning theatrical film, but also the car brand that was named for him. Over the past decade or so, Ford's Lincoln had lost its way. It fell from a top selling luxury brand to a name that almost faded away replaced by the thriving European luxury lines. But with a new chief designer, some great looking product and an automotive veteran to guide the car company, has Lincoln finally turned the corner? John McElroy hosts Matt VanDyke, Lincoln's new global head of marketing, sales and service to see where he intends to take the company. Joining John on his panel is Keith Naughton from Bloomberg News and William Vlasic of the New York Times.
No one knows engines like the editors from WardsAuto.com. Each year for the past two decades they have put together their winners of the top ten powertrains. The Ward's 10 Best Engines list has become a coveted award in engineering circles and a great research tool for the car buying public. John McElroy welcomes four of the Ward's judging panel -- Drew Winter, Tom Murphy, Christie Schweinsberg and Steve Finlay -- for a look at this year's winners.
It's award time again and it starts with the finalists for the North American Car of the Year. John McElroy is joined by two fellow jurors from the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury to review the top three finalists and make their predictions for this year's winner. John welcomes Mark Phelan from the Detroit Free Press and Karl Brauer of TotalCarScore.com.
It's award time again and it starts with the finalists for the North American Truck of the Year. John McElroy is joined by two fellow jurors from the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury to review the top three finalists and make their predictions for this year's winner. John welcomes Michelle Krebs from Edmunds.com and Tony Swan from Car and Driver and Kelly Blue Book.
The Environmental Protection Agency's calendar keeps turning. Auto manufacturers are on a deadline to raise their total mpgs. Most are pushing their engineers to come up with gas-sipping ICEs as well as alternative powertrains like electrics and hybrids. But in addition, they are also turning to lighter weight materials like carbon fiber. Though still extremely expensive, manufacturers and suppliers alike are looking at ways to make the product cheaper so it can go on vehicles of all prices. On Autoline This Week John McElroy welcomes three people from the carbon fiber world. Florian Schattenmann is the Global R and D Director for supplier Dow Chemical, Graham Henkel is the designer of the new Viper from Chrysler's SRT division while James Staargaard is the president of Plasan Carbon Composites.
Despite being one of the largest and most successful automotive suppliers in the world, most consumers only know the BorgWarner name from its connection to the Indianapolis 500. It has sponsored the winner's trophy since 1935. And despite the products it does produce for racing, namely its turbo systems, this company founded in the 19th century produces high-tech powertrain components along with a variety of other automotive products for cars across the globe. Joining John McElroy on Autoline This Week is James Verrier, the company's current President and Chief Operating Office. Drew Winter from WardsAuto.com and Joe Szczesy of the Oakland Press join in on the discussion.
Many believe the biggest news of 1982 was the Falklands War invasion while in business the DeLorean Motor Car Company hit the brakes for the last time. Meanwhile, the big winner at the movies was the overachieving period film “Chariots of Fire.” Those stories grabbed the headlines but in a rural hamlet near central Ohio, Honda was quietly opening the first Japanese auto factory on U.S. soil. It’s been 30 years since those doors opened and the factory is not only still going strong but continues to grow and expand. This week on Autoline, John McElroy goes on-the-road to Marysville, Ohio to visit this historic plant and see what it has meant to not only Honda for the last 30 years, but the community as well.
Cash for Clunkers may have been great for the manufacturers at the time, but few realized the long term impact it would have on the used car market. Even today – close to four years later – the prices for good used cars are still rocketing skyward. Whether they come from the auto auctions, trade-ins or even Internet sites, thanks to the combination of Clunker destruction and a stagnate economy, the used market continues to be a hot commodity. And John McElroy has the topic covered with his Autoline panel including: Ricky Beggs from the Internet site Black Book, Ron MacEachern, the General Manager from the Detroit area dealership the Suburban Collection and Steve Finlay from WardsAuto.com.
AM Radio was king in the car for nearly 50 years. But since the 70s, its evolution has been fast and furious. First FM was all the rage followed by music on 8 Track and Cassette tapes. It wasn’t long before CDs started flooding the front seat and now, well you know, anything goes. Today’s Multi Media Interface can offer the driver everything from Satellite Radio Services to Navigation to even the Internet without breaking a sweat, but that’s just the tip of the chip. On Autoline This Week, John McElroy talks with three experts in audio electronics to hear first hand about the latest and greatest that they’re offering the consumer. Joining John are Marios Zenios, the head of Chrysler’s Uconnect Systems, Mike Hichme, GM’s Infotainment Design Manager and Allen Kudla from Panasonic Automotive.
You may be buying your car from the biggest auto dealer in the country and not even know it. AutoNation has over 200 dealerships selling cars under 18 different local brands around the USA. From luxury to economy, from Sacramento to Orlando, this 16-year old corporation has the country blanketed with cars so if there’s any one person who has a good sense of where the retail is heading in this industry it’s Mike Jackson. On Autoline This Week the Chairman and CEO of AutoNation joins John McElroy to share his views on the state of the auto industry and where it goes from here.
They arrived with such fanfare a couple years back, that you’d have thought we’d all be driving electrics by now but that’s not the case. In fact, even today some manufacturers are reticent to even offer an electric option. But that hasn’t stopped everyone from the biggest OEMs to the single car startups from designing and building all-electric cars. On Autoline This Week John McElroy and his panel look at the world of electric cars, if there’s a want, a need or a business case to be made for their existence. Joining John in studio is Csaba Csere, the former Editor-in-Chief of Car and Driver magazine and Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics.
Heavy steel, hard plastic and thick rubber used to dominate an automaker’s assembly line. But these days those elements have been replaced by high strength, lighter weight cousins of the earlier versions along with newer materials, like aluminum. On this week’s Autoline, John McElroy introduces you to his panel of materials experts who talk about how their latest products are impacting the auto industry. Joining John on his panel are Rose Ryntz from IAC talking about the new softer, stronger plastics, Blake Zuidema from steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal discussing today’s high strength steel and Ganesh Panneer from Novelis, who provides lightweight aluminum to many auto manufacturers.
When GM product guru Bob Lutz retired, many automotive insiders wondered what would happen to the company’s revived product line and, more importantly, who would fill those big shoes. It turns out they didn’t have to look very hard. GM veteran Mary Barra was appointed Senior Vice President of Global Product Development soon after and the stunning products have kept rolling off the line. This week on her first visit to the Autoline studios host John McElroy is joined by panelists Michelle Krebs from Edmunds.com and Jeff Bennett from the Wall Street Journal to talk to Ms. Barra about the company and her vision for future GM products.
Scott Painter is the essence of the 21st century entrepreneur. Having started several dot-coms since his days at Berkley, he turned his sights to the auto industry with TrueCar.com, an attempt to educate the automotive consumer with data and pricing. And that’s where all the trouble began. On Autoline This Week, John McElroy welcomes Scott Painter to the studio to talk about how TrueCar is attempting to change the auto buying customer experience. John’s panel of industry experts includes Steve Finlay from WardsAuto.com and Joe White from the Wall Street Journal.
You may only know the company as the one that uses hamsters in its ads but with 24 straight months of U.S. sales records as well critically-acclaimed product, it’s not surprising that South Korea’s Kia is the least known success story in the car industry. Well, joining John McElroy on Autoline This Week to correct that are the men who can talk, first hand, about Kia’s slow and steady growth in the American market. Tom Loveless is Kia Motor America’s vice president of sales and Michael Sprague is its executive VP of marketing (aka., the man responsible for green lighting the hamsters). Also joining John is Brent Snavely from the Detroit Free Press.
Cash for Clunkers may have been great for the manufacturers at the time, but few realized the long term impact it would have on the used car market. Even today – close to four years later – the prices for good used cars are still rocketing skyward. Whether they come from the auto auctions, trade-ins or even Internet sites, thanks to the combination of Clunker destruction and a stagnate economy, the used market continues to be a hot commodity. And John McElroy has the topic covered with his Autoline panel including: Ricky Beggs from the Internet site Black Book, Ron MacEachern, the General Manager from the Detroit area dealership the Suburban Collection and Steve Finlay from WardsAuto.com.
AM Radio was king in the car for nearly 50 years. But since the 70s, its evolution has been fast and furious. First FM was all the rage followed by music on 8 Track and Cassette tapes. It wasn’t long before CDs started flooding the front seat and now, well you know, anything goes. Today’s Multi Media Interface can offer the driver everything from Satellite Radio Services to Navigation to even the Internet without breaking a sweat, but that’s just the tip of the chip. On Autoline This Week, John McElroy talks with three experts in audio electronics to hear first hand about the latest and greatest that they’re offering the consumer. Joining John are Marios Zenios, the head of Chrysler’s Uconnect Systems, Mike Hichme, GM’s Infotainment Design Manager and Allen Kudla from Panasonic Automotive.
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