Wheels on Road

Volvo

H S — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:00:06 +0000

Volvo company came about in Gothenburg, Sweden in the year 1927. The company was founded by SKF as a subsidiary company 100% owned by SKF. After this the young company produced closed top and cabriolet vehicles, which were designed to hold strong in the Swedish climate and terrain. The Volvo symbol is an ancient chemistry sign for iron. In 1964 Volvo opened its Torslanda plant in Sweden, which currently is the one of its largest production sites. Then in 1965 the Ghent, Belgium plant was opened, which is the company’s second largest production site. Finally in 1989 the Uddevalla plant in Sweden was opened, which is now jointly operated by Volvo Car Corporation and Pininfarina of Italy.

A collection of Volvo’s most important historical vehicles are now housed a The Volvo Museum, which opened in a permanent location in Arendal at Hisingen on May 30, 1995. For several years, the collection had been housed at “The Blue Hangar,” at the then closed Torslanda Airport.

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Volkswagen

H S — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:54:08 +0000

Literally, the word “volkswagen” means “people’s car” in German, in which it is pronounced. In 1934, Ferdinand Porsche was commissioned to build a small, inexpensive car at the request of Adolph Hitler. His answer — a beetle-shaped sedan that was called a Volkswagen debuted two years later. Hitler had a town built near the plant for factory workers; he named it Kraft durch Freude Stadt and soon decided that Porsche’s creation should be named the KdF-wagen. World War II delayed production of the vehicle; the factory suffered extensive damage during combat, and was ultimately taken over by the British Army. The company was renamed Volkswagen, and the town at the factory was renamed Wolfsburg. Volkswagen’s star rose during the 1960s, its success fueled largely by the breakout success of the Beetle. The car benefited from an effective advertising campaign and from an appearance in a popular Disney movie. By the close of the decade, Volkswagen’s yearly output of Beetles topped the 1 million mark.

The new millennium saw Volkswagen moving into the luxury segment with the launch of the pricey Phaeton sedan and Touareg SUV. Though well-designed and executed, the Phaeton was a disappointment sales-wise, perhaps signaling unwillingness on the part of consumers to shell out premium dollars for a brand that lacks the cachet of established upscale names like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Luckily, Volkswagen has seen success with other vehicles in its lineup, which currently includes everything from family-oriented sedans to roomy SUVs. Today, the automaker enjoys a reputation for crafting vehicles that offer refined handling and upscale accommodations.

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Toyota

H S — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:42:43 +0000

Toyota Motor Co. is Japan’s company established as an independent and separate company in 1937. Toyota began to expand in the 1960s with a new research and development facility, a presence in Thailand was established, the 10 millionth model was produced, a Deming Prize and partnerships with Hino Motors and Daihatsu were also established. The first Toyota built outside Japan was in April 1963, at Port Melbourne in Australia. By the end of the decade, Toyota had established a worldwide presence, as the company had exported its one-millionth unit. With high gas prices and a weak US economy in the summer of 2008, Toyota reported a double-digit decline in sales for the month of June, similar to figures reported by the Detroit Big Three. For Toyota, these were attributed mainly to slow sales of its Tundra pickup, as well as shortages of its fuel-efficient vehicles such as the Prius, Corolla and Yaris. In response, the company has announced plans to idle its truck plants, while shifting production at other facilities to manufacture in-demand vehicles.

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TATA Motors

H S — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:31:49 +0000

Tata Motors Limited is India’s largest automobile company. Established in 1945, Tata Motors’ presence indeed cuts across the length and breadth of India. Over 4 million Tata vehicles ply on Indian roads, since the first rolled out in 1954. In 2005, Tata Motors created a new segment by launching the Tata Ace, India’s first indigenously developed mini-truck. The years to come will see the introduction of several other innovative vehicles, all rooted in emerging customer needs. Besides product development, R&D is also focussing on environment-friendly technologies in emissions and alternative fuels. Through its subsidiaries, the company is engaged in engineering and automotive solutions, construction equipment manufacturing, automotive vehicle components manufacturing and supply chain activities, machine tools and factory automation solutions, high-precision tooling and plastic and electronic components for automotive and computer applications, and automotive retailing and service operations.

Tata Motors today took the covers off the world’s cheapest car — the Nano. Over the past year, Tata has been building hype for a car that would cost a mere 100,000 rupees (roughly $2,500) and bring automotive transportation to the mainstream Indian population. It has been nicknamed the “People’s Car.”

True to the tradition of the Tata Group, Tata Motors is committed in letter and spirit to Corporate Social Responsibility. With the foundation of its rich heritage, Tata Motors today is etching a refulgent future.

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Suzuki

H S — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:22:43 +0000

In 1909, Michio Suzuki founded the Suzuki Loom Company in the small seacoast village of Hamamatsu, Japan. For the first 30 years of the company’s existence, its focus was on the development and production of these exceptionally complex machines. By the 1950s, its focus had expanded beyond just loom machines to include both motorcycles and automobiles. In 1955, it rolled out the Suzulight, a compact car that proved to be a harbinger of a new era of Japanese lightweight vehicles. By the end of the decade, the Suzuki lineup had grown to include the Fronte passenger car, the subcompact Fronte 800 and the Carry Van full-cab van. Suzuki and General Motors purchased ailing Daewoo in 2004, and two of that manufacturer’s vehicles were rebadged and given new life as Suzukis; the Suzuki Forenza and Suzuki Verona both had former lives as Daewoo cars.

Today’s Suzukis come up a bit short in refinement relative to the competition. However, they still offer plenty of value for car buyers on a tight budget.

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Rolls-Royce

H S — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:14:23 +0000

A partnership between Charles Stewart Rolls and Frederick Henry Royce, British-based Rolls-Royce Ltd. was officially formed in 1906. For decades following the takeover, Rolls and Bentley vehicles were almost identical mechanically. The automaker hit a rough patch in the early 1970s. Problems with an engine contract led to severe financial difficulties, which in turn caused the manufacturer to file for bankruptcy. In 1980, Rolls was purchased by Vickers PLC. The Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit was launched in 1981; the car was the first of a new generation of Rolls vehicles. Rolls changed hands yet again in the ’90s. Vickers put the marque up for sale, and BMW seemed like a frontrunner to take the reins; however, in a surprise move, Volkswagen outbid BMW. The two German automakers arranged for VW to relinquish control of the Rolls-Royce name on January 1, 2003, with VW keeping Bentley and the Crewe plant. As a result, BMW has built a $100 million facility in Goodwood, England, to accommodate the distinguished British manufacturer.

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Nissan

H S — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:07:44 +0000

Nissan was born in Japan. The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. The following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. The first Datsuns hit American shores in 1958. Vehicles like the Datsun 1000 were based on Austin platforms. In 1981, Nissan shelved the Datsun name and began selling vehicles worldwide under the Nissan moniker. The early ’90s saw Nissan’s fortunes rise in the U.S. thanks to fun-to-drive cars like the 300ZX, Maxima and Sentra. A 1999 alliance with Renault, a European automaker, also helped to shore up the company’s finances. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of vehicles capable of going head to head with the best of the best when it comes to overall quality, dependability and performance.

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Mercedes-Benz

H S — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:59:14 +0000

Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. The Mercedes automobile was first marketed in 1901. The first Mercedes-Benz brand name vehicles were produced in 1926. Mercedes-Benz has introduced many technological and safety innovations that have become common in other vehicles several years later. In J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study for the first quarter of 2007, Mercedes showed dramatic improvement by climbing from 25th to 5th place, surpassing quality leader Toyota and earning several awards for its models. For 2008, Mercedes-Benz’s initial quality rating improved by yet another mark, now in fourth place. On top of this accolade, it also received the Platinum Plant Quality Award for its Mercedes’ Sindelfingen, Germany assembly plant. As of 2009, Consumer Reports of the United States has changed their reliability ratings for several Mercedes-Benz vehicles to “average,” and recommending the E-Class and the S-Class.

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Hyundai

H S — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:49:49 +0000

Hyundai refers to a group of companies and related organizations founded by Chung Ju-yung in South Korea, founded in 1947 as a construction company, and the Hyundai Group eventually became South Korea’s largest conglomerate company. The best well-known Hyundai organization is the Hyundai Motor Company, the world’s 5th largest automaker selling mid-sized sedans, coupes, and SUVs like the Sonata, Genesis Coupe and the Santa Fe. The Hyundai Group underwent massive restructuring following the 1997 East Asian financial crisis and the founder’s death in 2001. Today, many companies bearing the Hyundai name are legally unrelated, with each company having a different chairman. Former components include Hyundai Group, Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, Hyundai Department Store Group, Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, and Hyundai Development Group. After the separation, Hyundai Group focuses on elevators, container services, and tourism to Mount Kumgang.

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Hummer

H S — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:42:59 +0000

Hummers were originally built by AM General Corporation, which was formerly AMC Jeep’s General Products division, in its Mishawaka, Indiana assembly plant. They were created on contract for the US Military, and the first model, the Hum-Vee, was available with many different military-based extras. AM General had planned to sell a civilian version of the Hum-Vee as far back as the late 1980s. In 1992, AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle to the public under the brand name “Hummer”, called the Hummer H1. In 1998, AM General sold the brand name to General Motors, but continued to manufacture the vehicles.

The future of the Hummer brand is in doubt. On Tuesday 3 June 2008, one day prior to GM’s annual shareholder meeting, CEO Rick Wagoner said the brand is being reviewed, and has the possibility of either being sold, having the production line completely redesigned, or being discontinued.

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