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Home   Previous Issues   Industry Statistics   Print Subscriptions Apr. 26, 2012
 
 
 

The clock is ticking!
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Have you made plans to attend the ASA Annual Business Meeting May 7-8 in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area? Online registration closes May 3. Register Now!




Study: Auto repairs generate $173 billion annually
Auto Service Professional    Share    Share on FacebookTwitterShare on LinkedinE-mail article
A new report from the Center for Automotive Research documents that automobiles drive more than $735 billion into the U.S. economy each year. Of that total, the manufacture and sales of parts, along with repairs and service, accounts for $173 billion in economic activity. More

AMI accepting applications for host of scholarships
BodyShop Business    Share    Share on FacebookTwitterShare on LinkedinE-mail article
The Automotive Management Institute (AMI) has announced that it is accepting applications for a variety of scholarships. The institute's accredited curriculum consists of more than 700 courses taught by more than 150 faculty members. More

Survey compares car dealers to independents
Modern Tire Dealer    Share    Share on FacebookTwitterShare on LinkedinE-mail article
Every year, the "Consumer Reports Annual Auto Survey" asks car owners how satisfied they were with auto repairs performed by dealerships and independent shops in the previous 12 months. This year, the findings on repair service are based on more than 67,000 reports on service visits to independent mechanics and 101,000 service visits to new car dealerships by "CR" subscribers. More

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Steering wheel can communicate information
UPI    Share    Share on FacebookTwitterShare on LinkedinE-mail article
A vibrating steering wheel conveying directions from a car's navigation system is effective way to keep a driver's eyes on the road, U.S. researchers say. Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University and AT&T Labs studying combinations of audio, visual and haptic feedback for route guidance found younger drivers in particular were less distracted by a navigation system's display screen when they received haptic feedback from the vibrating steering wheel. More

Auto black boxes: Will they invade your privacy?
The Wall Street Journal    Share    Share on FacebookTwitterShare on LinkedinE-mail article
The Senate passed a bill in March that calls for "mandatory event data recorders" (or black boxes) to be installed in all new passenger motor vehicles, starting with the 2015 models, and which would record data before, during or after a crash, according to KurzweilAI.net. The bill has a privacy provision but gives the government the authority to access the black box in a number of circumstances, including court order, consent of the owner, an investigation or inspection, or to determine the need for emergency responses. More



Auto suppliers optimistic on resin shortage
Reuters    Share    Share on FacebookTwitterShare on LinkedinE-mail article
Fears that a shortage of a nylon resin used in auto manufacturing will cut deeply into production worldwide are easing some, but there is still a danger that output may be curtailed, according to an industry executive. More

A push to make motors with fewer rare earths
The New York Times    Share    Share on FacebookTwitterShare on LinkedinE-mail article
For much of the last century, the straightforward solution to making a car perform better has been to install a bigger engine. In the hybrids and electric cars of coming years, however, the answer might be installing motors with more powerful magnets. More



Is your shop at fault?
AutoInc.    Share    Share on FacebookTwitterShare on LinkedinE-mail article
What if a car is brought in to the local repair shop by the owner for a routine oil change and later the brakes fail due to a condition that perhaps could have been detected by a thorough inspection? Is the repair shop responsible for ensuring that all of the vehicles’ systems are functioning properly if it was not part of the duties outlined in the original repair estimate? More

A drive down the highway of history
The Wall Street Journal    Share    Share on FacebookTwitterShare on LinkedinE-mail article
For Americans, cars have always been much more than a way to get around. Since the rise of middle-class prosperity after World War II, cars have been an extraordinarily reliable window into the country's culture and mood. As went our automobiles (so to speak), so went Americans, through the ups and downs of a tumultuous half-century. More



Blue oval could soon belong to Ford again
The Associated Press via Google News    Share    Share on FacebookTwitterShare on LinkedinE-mail article
Ford is closer to getting its blue oval out of hock. Ford Motor Co. mortgaged its logo, along with factories and equipment, in 2006 in exchange for a $23.5 billion restructuring loan. It got one of the two investment-grade ratings it needs to get those assets back. Fitch Ratings raised the automaker's credit from junk status to "BBB minus," the lowest investment-grade rating. More

First prototype of Dodge SRT Viper hits the roads of southeast Michigan
Detroit Free Press    Share    Share on FacebookTwitterShare on LinkedinE-mail article
The very first prototype version of the 2013 SRT Viper was prowling the roads of Southeast Michigan with Ralph Gilles, president and CEO of the SRT Brand, behind the wheel. Chrysler discontinued the Viper in 2010 because of financial difficulties but decided bring it back after Fiat became the company's controlling shareholder. More
 


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AutoInc.'s AutoLinks
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Disclaimer: This AutoLinks is a weekly roundup of articles compiled from independent worldwide news sources. The opinions and ideas appearing in this publication are not necessarily representative of the Automotive Service Association (ASA).
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