General Motors has appointed Ed Welburn to succeed Wayne Cherry, veteran GM design chief. Cherry will retire in January after a 42-year career with the world's largest automaker.
Welburn (52), began his GM career in 1972 as an associate designer in the advanced design studios and held various positions at GM's Oldsmobile, Saturn and Opel.
In his current position, his group has overseen the design of the Cadillac Escalade sport utility vehicle, the Hummer H2 SUV and the Chevy SSR, a small pick-up truck with a convertible top. He will work closely with GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, who has taken an active role in design since joining GM two years ago.
Sadly it seems Renault designers are calling time on the pram-like designs that have helped it scream originality on the roads. According to reports the French marque has decided that the new Megane hatchback will be the last car to carry the quirky rear-end. Renault is apparently developing a new design direction with the concept due to be unveiled at next year's Paris motor show.
Motorcycle fans will have to wait until December 2004 to visit the National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham. A massive fire devastated the museum on September 16th causing in excess of £30 million in damage. According to owner Roy Richards, over 600 rare, classic and vintage machines were damaged in the blaze.
Toyota has underscored the dominance of foreign luxury vehicles in the US by launching production of its Lexus brand in North America for the first time. Toyota now expects to produce about 60,000 of its RX330 SUV (the American equivalent of the RX300 sold here) at a plant in Ontario, Canada, for shipment to the US, where it's the best-selling model in the Lexus range.
The decision is a further challenge to the Detroit 'big three', which controlled the luxury vehicle market until the late 1980s, and the luxury vehicle market is one of the few areas left offering significant margins. The Canada plant currently builds Toyota Corollas.
MG Rover appointed Gus Corrigan as managing director of MG Rover Ireland. With over 30 years in the motor industry Corrigan has has recently been an MG Rover dealer. He has also been chairman of the MG Rover Dealer Association for the past two years. He takes up the position following the departure of David Smith who has returned to the company's centre in the Britain.
Volvo has joined with Italian design house Pininfarina in a joint venture to develop and manufacture Volvo's next generation convertible.
A new company will be formed, based will be in Uddevalla, Sweden, where the current Volvo convertible has been built since 1997. Pininfarina will be the majority owner with 60 per cent, with Volvo holding the remainder.
Honda has developed a crash compatibility body frame structure it claims provides greater safety in collisions between vehicles of differing size and weight. The new design uses the engine compartment to disperse and absorb collision energy during two vehicle collision. It will be first used on the Life mini-car, just launched in Japan.
Women's fashion sense is changing the look of car interiors. Out are black and brown interiors, which are being replaced in some vehicles by the new "in" colours of cream, blue, red and yellow, according to interior fittings experts. "The demand now is for luxury coloured leathers to be used to decorate the seating and interior fittings and panel surrounds," said Brett Townsend, managing director of Automotive Trim Developments. "The result is the birth of glamorous appearance inside some cars we step into." Interior fitting companies say the trend is becoming fashionable throughout the USA and Europe.
After 36 years as BMW's Irish importer and distributor, Frank Keane is back in the retail trade. His new BMW and MINI dealership will be known as Frank Keane (Naas Rd) based in the former Motor Import premises, which are getting a €4 million expansion. Among his new team will be Des Smyth, formerly of Maxwell Motors.