1991 HAS been a tough year for all of us. The Gulf War,
penny-pinching GST, and the forever-lasting recession
have made our lives leaner, tougher, and more risk-aver-

sive.

The resulting ‘‘don’t-spend-
now”’ attitude had a profound ef-
fect on the auto industry. Sales
are down, incentives are revived,
and a greener (i.e. environmental-
ly friendlier) approach is in.

But despite all the challenges
facing the auto-makers, we were
showered by a wave of new _pro-
ducts this year that included
everything from the fun-loving
Honda Prelude to the sumptuous,
$170,000 Mercedes 600 SEL. Like

a kid ‘earning to ride a bicycle for |

the first time, auto-makers, even
with a few bruises this year, are
still hopeful and are definitely not
giving up until they can smile and
“coast down’? in top gear again.

With so much happening this
year, I could fili the entire news-
paper if 1 attempted to highlight
every event. So I’m going to con-
centrate ‘on mosily North Ameri-
can developments, without - going
into all the cars” fhat were in-
troduced this year.

Let’s go over the not-so-bright
stories first. Even with a Pinin-
farina-designed 405 model, the
dismal sales took a final bite out
of’ the French mianufacturer:- In
August, Peugeot decided to pull
the plug from the North American
market (along with Sterling, which

_ was. only available in the U.S.).

Porsche and. Saab announced
lay-offs for their U.S. offices,
and other companies announced
project postponements and possi-
ble budget cuts. General Motors
shocked the industry last week
when ‘it announced plans for
massive cutbacks and the closure
of as many as. 21 Plants in North

' America.’

Reflecting back over’ the. sum-

- mer, the Big - Three Bot together
* . and decided to surprise the Japa-

nese auto-makers -with yet another
fight. against their mar-

_ ket-munching: cars: an anti-dump-

. «ing claim. According-to Big. Three

. répresentatives,

. | minivans from’ japan .are being
** sold here at less ‘than their home

some of the

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22 ~ Friday, December 27, 1991- North Shore News

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Locking back on the auto industry in 1991

David
Chao

OVERDRIVE

price, and this ‘‘dumping’’ is
injuring the North American
manufacturers. Regardless of the
result, the claim is definitely
heating up the already sensitive
relationship between the U.S. and
Japan.

A somewhat bitter attitude
towards the Japanese softened in
August, however, when the
founder of Honda Motor Co. died
at the age of 84. At the time of
the anncuncement, the Prime
Minister of Japan described Mr.
Honda as ‘‘a self-taught man of
great personality... Mr. Soichiro
Honda will be remembered as a
perfectionist and passionate car
‘lover who molded Honda into a

- world-class corporation.

On the brighter side, we have
never seen so much emphasis on

- environment and safety issues as

we have this year. Starting with
the North American International
Auto Show in Detroit in January,
auto-makers displayed. such cars
as the recyclable Dodge Neon,
electric/gas GM _ hybrid HX-3
van, cut Ford Zig/Zag, and a host
of other concept cars equipped
with features such as efficient
two-stroke engines, collision-

984-4111

CFC air-conditioners (CFC’s con-
tribute to the ozone depletion).

At the Tokyo and Frankfurt In-
ternational Auto Shows, the
‘green’? theme carried on, al-
though there were still plenty of
fast, exotic cars which had no
respect for the shrinking natural
resources. TO make the non-
polluting electric cars more viable
in the future, the Big Three and
the U.S. government even formed
a consortium in January to pool
together their efforts to develop
advanced batteries for cars.

On the safety issue, manufac-
turers are offering more cars with
air-bags (some models with dual
air-bags), anti-lock brakes, trac-
tion controls, and improved struc-
tural rigidity for better handling
and crash test results. The °92
Chrysler minivans, for example,
now come equipped with standard
air-bags (first for minivans!) and

‘ available anti-lock brakes, four-
wheel drive, and integrated
child seat.

Numerous innovative ‘‘comfort
and convenience’ features are
part of the new models this year
too, including such features as a
dual zone, driver/passenger indi-
vidually-controlied air-condi-
tioner, double-glazed windows
(Mercedes S-class), auto door-
closing mechanism (Acura Legend
Coupe), and sunreof-incorporated
solar panels that power a fan to
reduce interior heat during: the
summer (Mazda 929).

1991 also marks the Canadian
debut ci the Saturn Corporation.
Saturns are General Metors’ an-
swer to the competitive, import-
dominated small car market, and
are now sold through the newly-
created Saturn-Saab-Isuze Truck
dealer network. Another signifi-
cant market announcement was
made in August by Mazda, this
time on the upper end of the

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46 Manufacturers didn't disappoint

our increasing appetites for.

greener, Safer, and more efficient
cars... 99

market: Mazda will introduce a
luxury division, Amati, in ’94 to
compete against other European,
American, and already existing
Japanese up-scale automobiles.
1991 wasn’t a friendly year, but
manufacturers didn’t disappoint
our increasing appetites for
greener, safer, and more efficient
cars with unique designs and
characters. The recession and ag-
gresively competitive market have
streamlined the auto-makers,
creating a leaner, meaner, and
smarter industry that promises
even more impressive cars in the

(DY LORMOTIV

~NORTH VAN.

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year 1992. :
Just look around the corner,
and you'll see all-new cars. like the
monster Dodge Viper, athletic
Mazda MX-6, aimble Volkswagen
Golf, Mercury/Nissan joint-pro-
ject minivan, and a series of
highly refined Chrysler LH mid-
sized sedans waiting for your ap-
proval in 792. Sure, things aren’t
going to be easier until the con-
sumer confidence goes. up again, .-
but auto manufacturers are ready
to take the challenge with uncom-

- promising fighters that are sure to

win more hearts.

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