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New Car Auto Part AUTOMAKERS: Toyota's sales pass GM's, Automotive News says Toyota Motor Corp. passed General Motors Corp. in worldwide vehicle sales last year because GM incorrectly included microvan and other sales from a Chinese affiliate in its sales, an industry publication reported.

But GM said it has always reported sales from its stake in the SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co. and that its figures are accurate.

Automotive News said in Monday's edition that Toyota sold 8,808,000 vehicles last year, compared with GM's 8,679,860.

GM, however, reported earlier this year that it sold 9.09 million vehicles worldwide in 2006. information from : www.stltoday.com 9. Thailand's Growing Economy Positively Impacts its Automotive Industry and the Steering Systems Market Ireland--Research and Markets announces the addition of Frost & Sullivan’s new report Thailand Steering Systems Market to their offering.

This Frost & Sullivan research service, titled 2006 Thailand Steering Systems Market, provides in-depth information on market dynamics, forecast, competitive dynamics and Thai industrial policies.

In this research, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the Thai passenger car market.

Thailand's Growing Economy Positively Impacts its Automotive Industry and the Steering Systems Market The automotive industry in Thailand is one of the major industries in the country contributing substantially to its gross domestic product (GDP).

"Most of the global automotive players, particularly the Japanese companies have assembly and/or manufacturing plants in Thailand," according to the analyst.

"With considerable support in terms of incentives and subsidies from the Thai Government and related institutions, Thailand is expected to emerge as 'the Detroit of Asia Pacific’." The automotive industry in Thailand is also focused on exports.

Thailand exports vehicles to countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, as well as to Middle East and several African countries.

In addition, global participants such as Toyota Thailand have launched the Innovative International Multi-Purpose Vehicle (IMV) project in Thailand.

Besides this, other global participants such as Isuzu and Ford-Mazda's Auto Alliance factory have also set up a pickup production line in Thailand.

Thus, Thailand is gradually becoming a global production and export hub for one-ton pickup trucks.

Thailand's Liberal Investment Policies and its Trade Agreements with Many Countries is Expected to Drive the Steering Systems Market In addition to its booming economy, Thailand’s liberal investment policies do not pose any restrictions on foreign investors with respect to export requirements or foreign equity restrictions in manufacturing, local content requirements, and location requirements.

In addition, the cost of setting up a business in Thailand is also relatively low. This encourages the entry of all major global automobile companies into Thailand.

In order to strengthen the country’s position as a ’global automobile hub’, the Thailand Automotive Institute (TAI) has formed a $217.5 million plan. This includes five key projects, including a human resources development (HRD) program, an automotive experts dispatching program, a fund for the establishment of R&D centers, an information technology center to analyze industry trends and an automobile export promotion center.

These facilities are expected to give tremendous impetus to the Thai automotive industry and thus to the demand for automotive components and parts such as steering systems.

Thailand has also entered into several Free Trade Agreements with other major international automobile markets such as Australia, New Zealand, China, and India.

This is expected to boost the exports from Thailand to other countries.

For example, Tata Industries, the major Indian auto producer is in the process of setting up a pickup truck manufacturing plant in Thailand, and this is likely to assist in penetrating the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Chinese markets through the Free Trade Area (FTA) treaty.

"These new developments have contributed toward Thailand’s double-digit vehicle export growth over the past few years and the rising significance of Thailand as a regional automotive manufacturer and supplier," explains the analyst.

"Several major global auto manufacturers depend on their Thailand operations to serve both domestic and regional demand." Content Outline: 1. Introduction 2. Total Thailand Steering Systems Market 3. Leading Manufacturers Profiles and Activities 4. Supplier Profiles 5. Database of Key Industry Participants List of Figures Chapter 2 Total Steering Systems Market: Vehicle Manufacturers and Steering Systems Suppliers (Thailand), 2005 Total Steering Systems Market: Market Drivers Ranked in Order of Impact (Thailand), 2006-2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Market Restraints Ranked in Order of Impact (Thailand), 2006-2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Unit Shipment Forecasts (Thailand), 2002-2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Revenue Forecasts (Thailand), 2002-2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Percent of Revenues by Product Type (Thailand), 2002-2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Market Share Analysis of MS Systems (Thailand), 2005 and 2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Market Share Analysis of HPS Systems (Thailand), 2005 and 2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Market Share Analysis of EPS Systems (Thailand), 2005 and 2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Market Breakdown by Vehicle Manufacturers (Thailand), 2005 Total Steering Systems Market: Steering Systems Offered in Vehicle Marques (Thailand), 2005 Total Steering Systems Market: Unit Shipment Forecasts for MS Systems (Thailand), 2002-2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Revenue Forecasts for MS Systems (Thailand), 2002-2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Unit Shipment Forecasts for HPS Systems (Thailand), 2002-2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Revenue Forecasts for HPS Systems (Thailand), 2002-2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Unit Shipment Forecasts for EPS Systems (Thailand), 2002-2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Revenue Forecasts for EPS Systems (Thailand), 2002-2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Pricing Trends and Forecasts for MS Systems (Thailand), 2002-2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Pricing Trends and Forecasts for HPS Systems (Thailand), 2002-2012 Total Steering Systems Market: Pricing Trends and Forecasts for EPS Systems (Thailand), 2002-2012 Chapter 3 Steering Systems Market: Profile of Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (Thailand), 2005 Steering Systems Market: Profile of Siam Nissan Automobile Co., Ltd. (SNA) (Thailand), 2005 Steering Systems Market: Profile of Isuzu Motors Co., Ltd. (IMCT) (Thailand), 2005 Steering Systems Market: Profile of HONDA Automobile Co., Ltd (Thailand), 2005 Steering Systems Market: Parameters for Supplier Selection of Isuzu Motors Co., Ltd. (Thailand), 2005 Steering Systems Market: Parameters for Supplier Selection of Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. (Thailand), 2005 Steering Systems Market: Parameters for Supplier Selection of Auto Alliance Co., Ltd. (Thailand), 2005 Steering Systems Market: Parameters for Supplier Selection of Volvo Car Co., Ltd. (Thailand), 2005 Steering Systems Market: Parameters for Supplier Selection of Mitsubishi Motors Co., Ltd. (Thailand), 2005 Steering Systems Market: Parameters for Supplier Selection of Siam V.M.C Automobile Co., Ltd. (Thailand), 2005 Chapter 4 Steering Systems Market: Profile of Summit Kurata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Thailand), 2005 Steering Systems Market: Profile of Siam NSK Steering Systems Co., Ltd. (Thailand), 2005 Steering Systems Market: Profile of Yamada Somboon Co., Ltd. (Thailand), 2005 Steering Systems Market: Profile of KYB Steering (Thailand), 2005 Steering Systems Market: Profile of Toyoda Machine Works (Thailand), 2005 Labels: Automotive Posted by Raden Ezo on 6/14/2007 12:47:00 AM 0 comments   Automotive Awards - MINI USA, Butler Shine Stern & Partners Score Top Automotive Honors at 2007 Effie Awards MINI USA's "Covert" automotive marketing campaign, created by Butler Shine Stern & Partners, received top honors in the automotive category at the 39th Annual Effie Awards at New York's Metropolitan Pavilion on June 8th. Honoring the most significant achievement in the business of marketing communications-ideas that work-the Effie Awards are internationally considered the preeminent award in the advertising industry.

"We are thrilled that MINI and our Covert campaign has been honored as a 2007 Gold Effie Award winner," said Jim McDowell, Vice President of MINI USA. "At MINI, we relish unconventional thinking and continually seek creative, innovative ideas like Covert to deliver the spirit and imagination of the MINI brand to consumers.

MINI is more than just a brand-it's an experience, it's a lifestyle, it's a state-of-mind-and MINI's enthusiastic owner community is a real reflection of that." "The big idea was to leverage the true amabassadors of the MINI brand - our owner base. We want to continually surprise them with communications that are specifically tailored to them. Whoever said 'I wouldn't ever want to belong to any club who would have me,' never owned a MINI," said John Butler, Executive Creative Director and Founding Partner at Butler Shine Stern & Partners, MINI USA's ad agency.

Designed to create buzz, deepen engagement and increase driving participation, MINI's Covert campaign targeted existing MINI customers with encrypted communications that could only be decoded by MINI owners with spy- like tools.

Results of the campaign included a 75 percent increase in buzz and a 21 percent increase in engagement.

Driving participation also increased-in August 2006 more than 3,500 MINI owners joined for the first-ever MINI Takes the States coast-to-coast road rally held to celebrate MINI's vibrant owner community.

About the Effie Awards The Effie Awards honor the most significant achievement in the business of marketing communications: ideas that work. Known by advertisers and agencies globally as the pre-eminent award in the industry, the Effies recognize any and all forms of consumer engagement that contribute to a brand's success.

Any marketing medium is eligible for an Effie, as long as results are proven, including Print, TV, Radio, Outdoor, Internet, Guerrilla, Digital, Package Design, Events, Street Teams, PR, Paid or Unpaid Media.

The 2007 Effies are sponsored by Yahoo, Millward Brown, Best Buy, Bloomberg, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, Catalina Marketing, CEMUSA, Discovery Networks, Advertising Age and Sappi.

MINI in the US MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group.

In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC which has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country.

BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all Z4 models and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles.

The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car centers, 335 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 142 BMW motorcycle retailers, 82 MINI passenger car dealers, and 30 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.

BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

The Perth-based firm, which claims the mantle as Australia's biggest auto seller, has relocated an existing Subaru dealership in Western Australia to a new showroom.

In Western Australia, the new Volkswagen and the existing Subaru dealerships will be at AHG's hub at Wangara, in Perth's northern suburbs.

The car company will also open a Kia dealership at Rockingham, a growing suburb on Perth's southern fringe.

In Queensland, a Subaru dealership is being built at Capalaba, just south of Brisbane, and a Hyundai outlet will be opened at Coopers Plains in Brisbane's south.

The two Queensland retailers form part of the Zupps Motor Group, which AHG bought for $117.4 million earlier this year. AHG chief executive Bronte Howson said the new dealerships were part of the company's growth push. "We believe there is strong growth potential in developing new dealerships around our existing operations and increasing our established relationships with the automotive manufacturers," he said. "These new dealerships have potential in their own right and collectively they will add to the strength of the group and will benefit from the efficiencies that flow from the expanded operations." The company's share price has doubled in the past year. It was steady at $4.10 after trade resumed on Wednesday.

AHG now has 90 franchises across four states and New Zealand, with strong population growth in Western Australia and Queensland especially expected to drive demand for new cars. Nationally, the car seller has increased sales by 8.4 per cent so far this calendar year. information from : www.smh.com.au Labels: Automotive Posted by Raden Ezo on 6/14/2007 12:45:00 AM 0 comments   Ford Corporate - Ford Motor Company, Meridian Automotive Systems Sign MOU Outlining Sale of Automotive Components Holdings Sandusky Plant Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) and Meridian Automotive Systems today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), outlining a framework for the sale of Automotive Components Holdings' lighting business and its Sandusky, Ohio plant.

With this announcement, ACH has sold one plant and signed MOUs related to eight additional plants during the past six months.

The primary product produced at the ACH Sandusky Plant is automotive lighting, including front, rear and signal lights.

These products are found on a number of Ford vehicles from the Focus to the Expedition, and about 60 percent of Ford's North American vehicle production.

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