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July 2003
July 31, 2003 Although Formula One deserted the Nurburgring track at the end of 1976, the Nurburgring has in recent times come to be used as a proving ground for the automobile industry and is now renowned as much as a high speed test track as it is a classic motor sporting venue.
Toyota has introduced a new gas-electric hybrid version of the Alphard minivan. The Alphard Hybrid features the Toyota Hybrid System-CVT (continuously variable transmission) (THS-C), which employs a hybrid battery with greater output than previous hybrid batteries and boasts better energy management.
Yesterday, the last Beetle left the production line at Volkswagen de México in Puebla. The Mexican workforce gave a festive farewell for the 21,529,464th Beetle with flowers and mariachi music. The best-selling model will now make a last journey over the Atlantic to Wolfsburg where it will have a place of honour in the Automuseum.
July 31, 2003 Standard 8 Releasing is currently in production of an adventure documentary, "The Last Road Trip: Paris to Dakar." The movie will focus on several teams of adventurers who attempt to complete the world's most famous rally, a race followed passionately by several hundred million fans throughout Europe and Asia each year.
July 30, 2003 Mini Canada, a division of BMW Group Canada, has been named "Top Automotive Client" in Strategy magazine's Top Clients Report 2003. The honour, bestowed annually in five categories by the editorial staff at Strategy, was awarded to Mini Canada for the company's innovative approach to producing a distinctive brand campaign.
Lincoln will publicly unveil the new 2004 LSE sports sedan today at the division's top selling dealership in the U.S.A. in Novi, Michigan.
July 30, 2003 Edmunds.com reports that the average manufacturer incentive per vehicle sold in the United States was $2,624 in June 2003, up $654 or 33.2% from June 2002 and up 3.6% or $92 from May 2003. Industry average "days-to-turn," which measures how many days on average it takes to sell a vehicle after it hits the dealer's lot, remained constant from last month at 69 days, but was up from last June's 55 days.
July 29, 2003 Transport Minister David Collenette today announced proposed amendments to the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations that will make anti-theft immobilization devices mandatory for all new cars, vans and light trucks (including SUVs) built after September 1, 2005.
July 28, 2003 Lexus U.S.A.'s Lexus Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle program, which ranked first in customer satisfaction in a recent J.D. Power and Associates Used Vehicles Sales and Certification Study, is attracting a large number of buyers from competitive makes, says a Lexus Group Vice-President.
July 28, 2003 Significant opposition from angry citizens and a province-wide petition opposing the planned privatization of the Coquihalla toll highway, a vital link between Vancouver and the B.C. interior, were the main reasons that the B.C. provincial government decided to abandon its privatization plans last week.
BMW released photos and details yesterday of the new X5 'Sport Activity Vehicle' (SAV), first introduced in 1999, that will be debuted this September at the Frankfurt Motor Show and be available to Canadian consumers in mid-October.
July 24, 2003 he 2004 Echo Hatchback, a "made-for-Canada" model, will reach dealerships on July 29th. Toyota has priced the new sub-compact at just $12,995 for a 3-door Echo Hatchback CE with 5-speed manual transmission.
July 24, 2003 Quality improvements across the automotive industry are driving down the need for warranty repairs at new-vehicle dealerships, transforming the nature of the dealer service business, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2003 Customer Service Index (CSI) Study released on Wednesday.
July 24, 2003 Dodge has invited nearly 240 under-privileged
children and children with disabilities from Kidsport and the BC Little League
Challenger Division to watch Friday's Vancouver Molson Indy Race from one of
the best viewing locations in the area - Dodge Corner.
Volkswagen AG has revealed photos of the fifth generation Golf which will be introduced this Fall.
Arriving at Porsche dealerships in the Fall of this year, the 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet is based on the existing Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe, incorporating the Coupe's engine, body structure, four-wheel drive system, chassis, and suspension and brake systems.
July 23, 2003 The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into the safety of the suspension of the Dodge Durango after receiving reports of front suspension failures.
July 23, 2003 With a maximum output of 476 horsepower, a maximum torque of 516 ft.-lbs. and a cargo volume of up to 1950 litres, the new turbocharged Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG Estate (Wagon) is likely the most powerful station wagon in the world.
July 22, 2003 Transport Minister David Collenette has released Transport Canada's first Advanced Technology Vehicles Program annual report.
July 22, 2003 The Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance (Concours) will celebrate its silver anniversary on Sunday, August 3rd with an unprecedented presentation of 25 Duesenbergs, the crown jewel of the classic car world.
July 22, 2003 In British Columbia, an industry-led lubricating oil recycling program replaces the current return-to-retailer model, effective July 22, 2003.
July 21, 2003 General Motors of Canada and Chevy Trucks will once again be the presenting sponsor of the Canadian Country Music (CCMA) Awards to be held this year, September 5-8 in Calgary's Pengrowth Saddledome. GM/Chevy Trucks will also sponsor the "Rising Star of the Year" Award.
July 21, 2003 Dollar Rent A Car is embarking on a rapid Canadian expansion plan. By year-end there will be at least 70 dual-branded locations among the 150 operated by DTAG Canada. The locations are dual-branded with sister company Thrifty Car Rental. Dollar has in-terminal locations at international airports in Ottawa, Halifax, Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg.
July 18, 2003 Highway fatalities in 2002 reached the highest level since 1990 while crash-related injuries hit an all-time low, the U. S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced on Thursday.
July 17, 2003 Westport Innovations announced today that it has signed an agreement with Ford Motor Company to supply components to the automaker's hydrogen engine development program.
July 16, 2003 Ford Motor Company today announced it is investing U.S.$335 million in its Lima (Ohio) Engine Plant to build an all-new 3.5-litre V6 engine.
July 16, 2003 Officials from Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama announced a major expansion of the company's facility located in the Huntsville/Madison County area. Toyota's expansion will include an additional investment of U.S.$20 million in its Alabama facility and will add 150 new jobs, a figure that raises the facility's total workforce to approximately 500 employees.
July 16, 2003 Volkswagen announced it will double the annual capacity currently available at its Chinese factories from 800,000 to 1.6 million vehicles over next five years. This means expanding its two joint ventures in Changchun and Shanghai. In addition, new sites are also being examined.
July 15, 2003 The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) posted its fourth listing of model year 2003 New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) rollover and crash test results on Monday.
July 15, 2003 BCAA's Road Assist Service reports that call volumes during July and
August are equal to the volumes experienced during the winter. BCAA receives approximately 65,000 emergency roadside calls per month during its peak seasons. Most summer calls are related to overheated engines or battery problems.
July 14, 2003 With the start of production of the "Última Edición", Volkswagen de México in Puebla marked the last phase of production of the legendary Beetle. The last Beetle will leave the factory on July 30, 2003.
July 14, 2003 Goodyear has introduced a new H-speed rated tire: the Goodyear Eagle GT-HR radial replaces the popular Eagle HP line and 18 sizes of the Eagle GT II. The new Eagle GT-HR delivers a series of performance improvements versus the previous generation tires, plus it provides longer treadlife.
July 14, 2003 Volvo Cars of Canada announced an agreement to sponsor the Canadian Ski Instructors' Alliance (CSIA) and the Canadian Ski Coaches Federation (CSCF).
July 14, 2003 Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) has released a list of its recommended best places to go topless this season.
ASC Incorporated, a specialty-vehicle development partner for automotive manufacturers, and Hot Rods & Horsepower, a manufacturer and marketer of steel bodies and components for the street-rod industry, jointly unveiled a running prototype of a modern- convertible-top, all-steel replica of the legendary 1932 Ford "Deuce".
July 14, 2003 Federal Transport Minister David Collenette and Yvon Marcoux, Quebec Minister of Transport, agreed today during their first meeting to conclude an agreement under the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP)for Quebec as quickly as possible.
BMW has released photos of the new 6 Series Coupe which will be introduced to the public at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The on-sale date in Canada is planned for early 2004 and the price, not yet finalized, will be close to the BMW 7 Series sedan.
July 11, 2003 Reese Witherspoon's character, Elle Woods, in the new Hollywood film Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, drives an Audi TT Roadster with a unique Candy Blue paint developed exclusively for the movie.
July 11, 2003 The Avenger Corporation has introduced a new line of dog trailers and truck toppers designed especially for hunters and dog handlers.
July 11, 2003 Chris Nordoff, from Heritage Nissan in Dartmouth Nova Scotia, has been named the 2003 NISTEC National Champion. NISTEC stands for Nissan International Service Technical Excellence Contest.
The first shipment of new 2004 Chrysler Crossfires arrived by ship in Halifax, Nova Scotia from Germany on Thursday.
July 10, 2003 The Chrysler Group has filed a lawsuit against three Texas lawyers who fabricated a fraudulent product liability lawsuit involving evidence tampering and attempted bribery. The company also is filing a grievance with the Texas Bar saying the lawyers, Robert Kugle, Robert "Trey" Wilson III and Andrew Toscano of the former Kugle Law Firm of San Antonio, should no longer be permitted to practice law.
Nissan Canada announced pricing of the new 350Z Roadster, a convertible version of the 350Z coupe, which will go on sale this summer. Base price is $52,900 with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed automatic transmission with gated shifter and manual mode. An optional GPS Navigation System with DVD-based data storage will be available on both for an additional $3,400.
July 10, 2003 While Japanese-branded vehicles continue to dominate in terms of long-term vehicle quality, the Europeans have lost their edge over the U.S. domestic-branded vehicles, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2003 Vehicle Dependability Study(VDS) released on Tuesday.
A FedEx Express ("FedEx") driver made history Wednesday in Tokyo when he used General Motors' HydroGen3 fuel cell vehicle to deliver packages to a leading energy company and a major hotel.
July 10, 2003 Ford Motor Company is making a 2005 Ford GT available for sale at the famed Christie's Auction, held in Pebble Beach the evening following the Concours on Sunday, August 17. Proceeds from the sale of the car will go to Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance designated charities, which include The Pebble Beach Company Foundation, United Way of Monterey County, The Wheelchair Foundation, and Boys & Girls Club of Monterey County.
July 8, 2003 Next month, Dunlop Tires will present the 7th North American Amateur Sumo Championship in British Columbia. The championship, which will be held at The Steveston Community Centre in Richmond on Saturday, August 23, 2003, will feature amateur sumo wrestlers
from across Canada, the United States, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Jamaica and Japan.
Canadian Press reports that Mercedes-Benz Canada will sell the 2-seater Smart micro-car in Canada in the 2004 model year if it can meet all the necessary safety and emissions requirements. It could take up to a year to determine if the car will meet all applicable standards. At just 2.5 metres long, the Smart car would be the smallest car available in Canada.
July 4, 2003 In Canada, GM, Ford and the Chrysler division of DaimlerChrysler all reported lower vehicle sales in June. General Motors of Canada sales of 34,010 decreased 25% when compared with June of 2002 - GM car sales were down 26.7% and truck sales were down 23.2%. Ford of Canada's total vehicle sales of 28,232 were down 6.4% - passenger cars dropped 11.4% and trucks 3.7%. Sales of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles were off 14% - car sales were down 8.5% and trucks sales dropped 15.9%.
July 4, 2003 The German Automobile Association (ADAC) has given the New Beetle Converitible top marks in a rollover test.
July 3, 2003 AutoWeek has published the results of its 14th Annual "America's Best" Survey, conducted entirely online at www.autoweek.com . The survey polls automotive consumers and enables them to voice their opinion on their favourite cars, trucks and sport-utility vehicles.
In a deal with Warner Bros. pictures, Toyota and Lexus supplied a Toyota Tundra pickup truck and the Lexus SC 430 hardtop convertible for the top characters to drive during dramatic chase scenes in "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines".
The first Land Rover G4 Challenge will be shown in two one-hour programs on the Outdoor Life Network on August 24 and 31, 2003. The event tests men and women from 16 countries in a four-wheel driving competition across three continents.
July 1, 2003 Ford Motor Company is recalling 171,446 Ford F-150/F-250 pickups and Ford Expeditions, model year 1997, to inspect the steering intermediate shaft yoke which could separate from the steering gear input shaft resulting in a loss of steering control. Owner notification began June 2, 2003.
July 1, 2003 Despite the common belief that airbags cause serious eye injuries, results from a Finnish study show otherwise. The study appears in the June issue of Ophthalmology, the clinical journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Eye M.D. Association.
July 1, 2003 Evenflo Canada Inc. is offering a free safety upgrade kit to all owners of Evenflo Cozy Carry infant car seats. Although the car seats meet or exceed all Canadian safety standards, recent crash tests conducted by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lead Evenflo to believe that the performance of the detachable automobile base in certain types of collisions may be improved with this free upgrade.
July 1, 2003 At the Environmental Press Conference held on Monday in Stuttgart, DaimlerChrysler AG presented the world's first synthetic diesel fuel, which does not affect the CO2 atmospheric balance in the atmosphere during driving. This fuel is produced by the complete utilization of organic substances.
July 1, 2003 Lexus in the U.S.A. has introduced a newly redesigned web site featuring more user-friendly navigation and moving images.
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July 31, 2003
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