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Autoline #1425: Hands Down Jul 16, 2010

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Hands Down
Without a doubt, some of the reasons are simple. Old line factories have closed, there's more automation in those that remain and foreign companies are building in right-to-work states. With all that working against them, it's understandable why membership in the United Auto Workers has fallen the last thirty years. Like the constant drip from a faulty faucet, the pool of workers from this once dominant union has been slipping away losing more than a million since its peak in the '70s.
But don't cry for Bob King, the new UAW president. Elected merely a month ago, he knows the job in front of him and it's no easy task. Not only does he have to retain his current members, but reach out and recruit new ones. Just how he does that is one of the biggest challenges he'll face. But wait, don't forget about the questions surrounding The Detroit Three. How will the UAW deal with not only the success of Ford, but also the rebuilding at GM & Chrysler?
These are just a few of the tough questions that our all-star panel tackles on this week's Autoline Detroit. Joining John McElroy to discuss the future of the UAW are Sean McAlinden from CAR, Joe Szczesny from the Oakland Press and Robert Chiaravalli of Strategic Labor & Human Resources.

Autoline #1424: B Driven Jul 02, 2010

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B Driven
You can see it, can't you? The slow-motion black and white shots of sweaty sinewy muscles inter-cut with close-ups of a certain athletic footwear and a simple closing graphic. Of course you could "IF" this really were the next iconic brand message from Nike. But this "B Driven" headline references the tsunami of new compact cars that will soon engulf America.
And though the Bs lead the list, this week on Autoline Detroit we look at several new cars, trucks and crossovers either out now or poised to hit the marketplace soon. Joining John McElroy for this new vehicle smorgasbord are two of his fellow voters on the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury, Tony Swan from Car and Driver and Michelle Krebs of Edmunds.com.
Throughout the show they'll be discussing many of the potential award-winners that could come from virtually any segment including luxury entrants like the CTS Coupe from Cadillac or the latest XJ from Jaguar. Of course performance cars are always in the spotlight especially with new products such as BMW's 5 Series and Ford's iconic Mustang with not one but two all-new powertrains: a V-6 and, finally, an honest-to-goodness 5-Liter. And of course there are crossovers as well like the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sorento and Infiniti QX56 to talk about. But without a doubt, the largest group of important cars coming out this year are indeed the Bs: Ford Fiesta, MAZDA2 and Chevrolet Cruze -- to name three of the bigger volume models -- will be getting the most attention from critics and consumers alike. So join John and his NACTOY panel for a look at the latest and greatest coming to dealer lots this week on Autoline Detroit.

Autoline #1423: Detroit Drift Jul 01, 2010

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Detroit Drift
Even though it may sound like the next installment in "The Fast & Furious" franchise, this drift refers to what's going on right now in the auto industry in not only Detroit but across the globe. Fresh leaders, closed brands and new marketing plans are just a few of the topics that go into evaluating today's automotive landscape by R.L. Polk, the 140-year-old analytical firm with long-time Detroit roots.
So if anyone knows what's going on with sales trends, market position and brand loyalty -- to name a few -- it's Stephen Polk, Chairman, President and CEO of the company. On this week's special July 4th edition of Autoline Detroit, Mr. Polk joins John McElroy to discuss the latest news on everything from sagging spring sales to the potential plug-in revolution. And joining John on this week's journalist panel are Jeff Green from Bloomberg News and Tom Walsh of the Detroit Free Press.

Autoline #1422: Mythology Jun 25, 2010

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Mythology
The Greek culture has given the world significant contributions in several areas. One of the more interesting is the bizarre mixture of heroes, villains, mortals and gods constructed, most experts say, to explain the mysteries of life. How ironic that so much of what we know as 'Greek Mythology' was centered around the ancient city of Delphi. Ironic because the Delphi we're familiar with today had its own mythology; a Tier One supplier born from General Motors in the '90s with a similar lineup of enigmatic characters who mysteriously turned a thriving company into a bankrupt one.
For the last five years the corporation has struggled until it emerged from bankruptcy late last year. Led out by Rodney O'Neal, its current CEO and President who has been around the company since its GM years, Delphi today is much leaner and much less dependent on its former #1 customer. So equipped with a variety of new clients as well as fresh innovative electronic products, Mr. O'Neal believes that Delphi is ready to reclaim what it lost over these last few years, namely sales and market share.
This week on Autoline Detroit John McElroy welcomes Rodney O'Neal of Delphi Automotive. Joining John on his panel are Tom Murphy from WardsAuto.com and Carol Cain of CBS Television Detroit.

Autoline #1421: Grand Re-Opening Jun 18, 2010

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Grand Re-Opening
Fourteen months ago Chrysler was closing down. We're all familiar with the strange turns the story took. From bankruptcy to Obama to Italy and back, Chrysler survived, jobs were saved and the Pentastar was back in business. Well almost. There was that little thing about new product; it didn't have any and wasn't expected for some time. With its competitors pumping out fresh cars and trucks seemingly each month, it didn't seem like a scenario for success.
But somehow, someway Chrysler cobbled together a year of better sales with that aged product and, lo and behold, today it finally has something it hasn't had in over twelve months: a new vehicle in the form of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Now it still is the "only" new vehicle available to its dealers for the near future but don't try to rain on Mike Manley's parade with that observation. Jeep's President and CEO is excited about this brand new SUV and what it says about his brand, the company's upcoming products and the future of the new Chrysler itself.
For a closer look at this all new Grand Cherokee, the Jeep brand and how it fits into Sergio Marchionne's plan for Chrysler, join John McElroy as he welcomes Mike Manley as his guest on this week's Autoline Detroit. Joining John on his panel are Bob Gritzinger from AutoWeek and Scott Burgess of The Detroit News.

Autoline #1420: Elbow Room May 28, 2010

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Elbow Room
Like it or not, we're all fast becoming neighbors. As the world's population continues to boom and more and more people congregate in urban areas we've created a phenomenon known as megacities. These are metropolitan areas around the globe with populations that exceed 10 million. New York and Los Angeles are the U.S. flagbearers in this urban Olympics which includes places like Tokyo, Mumbai, Shanghai and 20 others (so far). The development of these small population nations has a unique set of challenges in which 'movement' is perhaps the most vital. No matter how you cut it whether it comes to work, food, education or entertainment, transportation or 'movement' within the megacity is the key. How does it take place now? How will it take place in the future as these megacities continue to grow? What will move people around the area and, finally, what are automotive companies designing for that eventual future?
These are just some of the provocative questions that were tackled at the 7th Annual Michelin Auto Design Panel recently held at the Detroit Athletic Club and the subject of this week's Autoline Detroit. John McElroy served as the Master of Ceremonies for this Automobile Press Association sponsored event. Joining John on the panel were: Clay Dean, director of GM Advanced Design, Scott Strong, Ford's Global Interior Design Director, Phil Zak, Chief Designer at Hyundai North America and Larry Erickson, the Transportation Design Department Chair at the College of Creative Studies.

Autoline #1419: Purchasing Power May 21, 2010

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Purchasing Power
Buying in bulk has never been more popular. Warehouse shopping at places like Costco and Sam's Club has sold many consumers on the procurement secrets of the Big Three -- buy in quantity and the unit price goes down. Whether or not that practice is good for every household is another question, however, there's no doubting that it's a winner for the OEMs. Just ask Tom Stallkamp. The former vice chairman and board member of DaimlerChrysler worked his way to the top through Procurement and Supply. Perhaps the only Big Three CEO to ever do so. And he got there by developing innovative purchasing programs and partnerships for Chrysler like SCORE (Supplier Cost Reduction Effort) and the company's 'Extended Enterprise' concept.
Today, removed from the the daily automotive grind for more than a decade, Mr. Stallkamp is an Industrial Partner with the private equity group Ripplewood Holdings, yet he remains a keen observer of the industry. This week on Autoline Detroit John McElroy welcomes Thomas Stallkamp, one of the most successful automotive leaders in the last thirty years, to the program for his analysis on the continuing upheaval in the automotive world. Joining John on his panel are Edward Lapham from Automotive News and Neal Boudette of the Wall Street Journal.

Autoline #1418: An Incredible Ride May 14, 2010

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An Incredible Ride
It started last year with a simple e-mail between two 'car guys.' That's when Victor Muller the creator of the small exotic luxury brand Spyker petitioned Bob Lutz, the then Vice Chairman of General Motors. Mr. Muller was interested in the corporation's plans for his childhood dream car SAAB. GM, as you'll recall, was staggering out of bankruptcy and in the middle of jettisoning brands like a Golden Retriever sheds its winter coat. Pontiac was closing while Hummer, Saturn and SAAB were all up for sale but in danger of winding down as well. That one November e-mail sparked a heart-pounding 'live-or- die' three months for this iconic Swedish brand. The "incredible ride" as Victor Muller himself describes it finally ended earlier this year with ownership firmly in the hands of this Dutch entrepreneur.
On this week's show John McElroy welcomes the new owner of SAAB Victor Muller to Autoline Detroit where he'll discuss not only his suspense-filled acquisition of the car company, but more importantly, how he intends to do what GM couldn't do with the brand and that is sell cars and make money. Joining John on the panel are Todd Lassa from Motor Trend and David Welch from Bloomberg Businessweek.

Autoline #1417: Platforms May 07, 2010

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Platforms
Like many other areas of 21st century life, the publishing world is in an upheaval. Newspapers are consolidating and closing while books are turning into digital devices and music virtually floats around the Internet for free. Yet perhaps the sector with the most on the line is the magazine; those recurrent glossy periodicals that cater to our every interest, taste and whim. The problem is that the magazine audience is getting a little long in the tooth -- to put it mildly -- yielding decreasing sales across the board. And no place is that more evident than with the automotive enthusiast magazine crowd. From Automobile to Car and Driver to Motor Trend to Road & Track, no matter the name, no matter the content, everyone is losing out to the Internet. So the multi-million dollar question is how can these grand old dames of the enthusiast set transfer the magazine experience to a new generation -- one that doesn't so much read information as it does devour it. Well, one answer may be platforms. Creating unique content specifically for a digital device. Of course that's easier said that done because then you still have to have an audience who buys it.
Joining John McElroy to discuss the short and long term future of the automotive enthusiast magazines is a panel who knows the issues first hand. Csaba Csere worked for Car and Driver magazine for nearly three decades leaving as Editor-in-Chief in 2008. Eddie Alterman is charged with facing those challenges today as the current Editor-in- Chief of Car and Driver while John Neff and his popular website, Autoblog.com, is just one of the reasons that the enthusiast crowd is looking for new workable options like platforms.

Autoline #1416: The Perfect Marriage Apr 30, 2010

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The Perfect Marriage
It happened last century. Way back, nearly a hundred years ago; a union so sweet, so hand-in-glove that to this day many of us still take it for granted. The alliance was a smart, sublime coupling of west coast imagery and Midwest manufacturing yielding the perfect marriage: the mating of cars and movies.
That's right from Laurel and Hardy to Roger and Me, from the Love Bug to Bullitt, celluloid seemed made for our four-wheeled wonders. In fact, if anything its worked almost too well. From the early days of the silent films all the way up to today's 3D digital blockbusters, cars continue to be enormous stars. But with so many movies in the car film universe, whenever you start to pull together your favorites, it's a list that can careen out of control pretty "Fast and Furious." That's why here at Autoline we leave that sort of heavy lifting to the experts. Joining us for Round Two of our Autoline look at history's greatest car films are Jim Hall from 2953 Analytics, Todd Lassa from Motor Trend and Peter De Lorenzo of Autoextremist.com. From racing to comedy to Bond to cult, our panel critiques these great films and tells you why, if you have yet to see some of them, you need to put them on your own personal list.

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