Autoblog

Trevor Creed has decided that being the capo di designi capo for such programs as the Chrysler 300, PT Cruiser, Dodge Challenger, Viper, and Ram, among others, is a satisfactory way to cap a career in design. Creed has spent the past 23 years at Chrysler, and his departure as Vice President of Design on August 31st opens up the slot for Ralph Gillies to step up. Gillies will start his new role as Design Veep September 1st, and he'll answer to Frank Klegon, Executive VP of Product Development.

Hey Frank, get rid of focus grouping, give Ralph a bit more leash to manage a staff that can design a car that actually looks good. As Design Vice President, Gillies will now oversee the Product Design Office, so one imagines that, given the opportunity, there may be a glimmer of hope for righting the horrid wrongs of the Sebring, as long as some of that 2009 Ram mojo is still around.

Once Gillies and team work sheetmetal magic, Andreas Schnell is the newly appointed Vice President of Electrical/Electronics Engineering Core, the people that come up with the electronics that not only run the vehicle, but entertain and delight, as well. Schnell will also be responsible for "voice of the customer" efforts, and the voice of the customer should be heard loud and clear saying "please build better cars."

[Source: Chrysler]

Toyota is struggling to sell trucks and SUVs like everyone else, but unlike the competition, no full-time workers from stalled factories are getting laid off. The 4,500 workers at idled plants are instead bettering themselves through eduction by taking classes on safety, diversity, and Toyota history. They're also doing community service while on the clock and even some gardening. The workers will be learning how to work faster and smarter during the down time, and are even being shifted to busier plants on a temporary basis to help plants that are working beyond capacity to keep up with demand.

Toyota's plan to keep its workers busy at all costs isn't cheap, as about $50 million is being spent to keep workers busy with training programs. Of course, you can't please everyone and the plan isn't sitting well with all of Toyota's workforce, as workers at running factories don't like the fact that laid off workers are getting a leg up on training. A more skilled plant could have an advantage over others in getting earmarked for future products, so unaffected workers also want the extra training.

While expensive and a bit of a logistics nightmare, Toyota's plan is a good one if you can afford it. It should help create a more loyal, better trained workforce that also forges ties with the surrounding community. We bet Toyota hopes it will prevent any talk of unionizing, as well. And with Toyota's record profits over the past few years, $50 million is a drop in the corporate bucket.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req., Image: Junko Kimura/Getty]

With both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa contracted with Ferrari through next year, reports are circulating that the Scuderia may bring on board both Fernando Alonso and Robert Kubica for 2010.

After Kimi and Felipe, and with Lewis Hamilton firmly in place at McLaren, the pairing of Alonso and Kubica in Maranello would provide a formidable team against the rest of the field. Alonso, of course, is a two-time world champion and one of the only drivers to repeatedly beat Schumacher to the title, while Kubica has proven himself a competent driver of the highest degree. Whether the reports are accurate, and whether Ferrari would just dump Kimi and Felipe like that remains to be seen.

[Source: Tuttosport via Axis of Oversteer, Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty]

These are precarious times for European design studios and coachbuilders, with some of the biggest names in the business facing potential closure. Not even Pininfarina is immune, and the storied Italian studio cannot afford to miss a beat. That's why, only days since the tragic death of its CEO Andrea Pininfarina, the company has already announced his successor.

Rather than hiring from outside, control of the carrozzeria will pass to Paolo Pininfarina, brother of the late Andrea, son of Sergio and grandson of founder Batista "Pinin" Farina. He is shown here attending the funeral for his brother that took place just yesterday. As we reported earlier today, the company is scheduled to unveil its first new vehicle since the tragedy next week at Pebble Beach: the Rolls-Royce Hyperion .

[Source: Automotive News Europe – subs. req'd, Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty]

We haven't received an official announcement from Saleen, but we're here to report that Chris Theodore has been named the new CEO of Saleen, Inc. His previous title at the company was Vice Chairman and Chief Technical Officer, and he has helped drive the development of Saleen's latest vehicles including the S5S Raptor Concept, S302 Extreme, and Dan Gurney Signature Series Mustang. Theodore is most famous for his time at Ford as the head of North American Car Product Development, where he initiated the development of the Ford GT and was also responsible for other vehicles like the 2002 Ford Thunderbird and the 2001 Bullitt Mustang. We have no information on why former Saleen CEO Paul Wilbur is no longer at the position, but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we find out.

UPDATE - a letter from Saleen regarding the new appointment has been including after the jump.

Based only on his work to date, history would remember Frank Stephenson as one of the most influential automotive designers of our time. He's credited with the resurrection of the retro hatch – having designed the MINI, Fiat 500 and Alfa MiTo – in addition to a portfolio of lust-worthy supercars for Ferrari and Maserati. It came as a surprise when the American-raised designer left his post as head of the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, shortly after the Fiat Group hired former Pininfarina designer Lorenzo Ramaciotti to oversee styling for the entire group, and a big question mark had been left lingering over where he would head next.

Questions demand answers, and in due course this has received its own. Emerging reports now indicate that Frank Stephenson is going to McLaren to head up a new design team for its road car division. The development is an interesting one for McLaren, which used its F1 engineers to direct the styling of its previous road cars. However as the company strives to distance itself from Mercedes-Benz in the wake of the departing SLR, it is clear that McLaren hopes to run in the big leagues and go head-to-head with the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini et al. Following in the footsteps of Gordon Murray is no mean feat, but we'll be looking forward to seeing what Stephenson and McLaren have in store for us next. Hats off to Trevor for the tip!

[Source: Car Design News]

Jeep sales are down. They're way down, in fact, posting a 44-percent drop in their daily sales rate last month. Though the larger 'utes are really dragging down sales, even the once-untouchable Wranger has been feeling the sting of escalating fuel prices, as its blocky shape and 3.8-liter V6 engine conspire to deliver awful fuel mileage. Also selling rather slowly are the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro, which are assembled at the same plant in Northwest-Ohio. In an effort to save costs, Chrysler officials are considering reducing the work-week at the Toledo plant from the normal five days down to four and allowing its workers to stay on for ten-hour shifts. While that total still equals the forty-hours from a five-day, eight-hour per day work-week, Chrysler believes it can save on energy and fuel costs by shuttering the plant for an extra day.

[Source: 13abc.com]

For white collar workers that still work at the Ford Motor Company: congratulations, you've officially made the cut. Ford's President of the Americas, Mark Fields, announced at a media event that the Blue Oval has successfully achieved its targeted cuts, at least for now. Fields told reporters that Ford would "continue to look at our structure and evaluate that versus the external environment," which is fancy executive talk for "if we don't start making some money, we'll cut some more." Fields didn't reveal the exact number of cuts that were made to achieve that goal.

Ford announced in June that it would cut 15% of its salary-related costs in an effort to become more lean and conserve cash during the brutal automotive downturn. Ford is trying to conserve enough Bennies to pay for its ambitious powertrain plans that will be needed to help the Dearborn, MI automaker offer the fuel efficient vehicles customers want. Fields said that spending on engines and transmissions over the next couple years will be "unprecedented," and that Ecoboost, diesels, hybrids, and other fuel-saving technologies will get the lion's share of the spending. Ford also plans to convert three truck and SUV factories to small car production and add six European models to its product mix.

[Source: Reuters]

Rumors have been circulating that CVC, the commercial rights holders to Formula One, have considered selling the series. But before that could happen, they would have to give Bernie Ecclestone the boot.

The reports were fueled by comments made by Max Mosley, the embattled president of the FIA, who related to reporters that conversations about the subject had taken place with executives at CVC. According to Mosley's conclusion, CVC would consider selling Formula One if a huge offer were made – possibly by an Arab consortium – but Ecclestone would need to be replaced because "the whole business depends on a man who is 78 years old". However, CVC issued a strong statement at this past weekend's race in Hungary that it had no immediate plans to sell F1 and was pleased with its performance as well as that of Bernie Ecclestone.

[Source: Autosport, Photo by Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty]

When the Formula One teams met last week at the Ferrari factory in Maranello, they had yet to announce who would take over the helm of their newly-formed Formula One Teams Association. The group was formed to effectively negotiate on behalf of all the teams on a new commercial deal with Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management and on new regulations with the FIA. Reports now indicate that Luca di Montezemolo will act as the group's leader and spokesman.

Now if you're thinking that Montezemolo isn't a team principal, you're right. In fact, he hasn't been actively responsible for the Scuderia in decades. The hereditary Marquis de Montezemolo is president of Ferrari and chairman of the entire Fiat Group, and recently finished his term as chairman of industrial association Confindustria. Certainly a heavy hitter, well above to pay-grade of Scuderia Ferrari chief Stefano Domenicali. The top-level appointment certainly lends a great deal of weight and credibility to the new association.

[Source: F1-Live]