European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 28, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday August 29,1966 the stars and stripes Page 13 car co finer Slick new shapes set for the 90s editor s note today we present re port Tram Detroit by Dpi Auto writer Jin a. Zverina who lakes a look into the subject of car styling for the 1990s. He says that while the Domestic automakers will by 10 do away with look alike models the changes Are still Likely to be Only skin deep. Randy Barnetby Jan a Zverina Detroit up1 a Peck into the next decade of automotive styling re Veals some Slick new shapes. But these changes May Only be skin deep As de roil s car makers strive to keep costs Down and Market Sham up. We Are not talking about specially vehicle or exotic sports cars. New technology four wheel steering automatic suspension systems and variable engine timing Are just some of the electronic and computer to pensive features to debut on some Japa Nese sports cars beginning next year what we arc talking about Are High vol ume everyday cars that will inhabit the neighbor s driveway by the turn of this dec Ade. Chevre less Oldsmobile and Fords Hai will replace older Chevrolet Olds to tics and Fords. Cars that carry people to work five Days a week and haul families to shopping centers on the remaining  trends arc expected to High Light smoother wind cheating profile fashioned from lightweight materials said Thomas o Grady head of Inte grated automotive resources of Wayne a a consulting  will become More aerodynamic More so than the current Taurus and Sable he said referring to Ford motor company s new snoopy mid size car that were introduced last december. Like some other car makers. General motors corp. Has in recent years been charged with committing Cooki Cut Tel styling across each or its car lines. One of those accusing fingers has Bee pointed by rival Ford motor co., which has cashed in on pm s identity crisis with a successful advertising Campaign. Both pm and Ford As Well As third ranked Chrysler corp. Stamp out Auto motive clones. Pm uses identical roof lines within nearly every car size and across most name plates with an occasional Quarter window made larger or smaller. Ford has managed to differentiate it models a bit belter As in the Ford thunderbird Mercury Cougar line but telling a escort from a Lynx or a Tempo from a Topaz is still done Only by Reading the Label. Chrysler still does in among Man High volume Dodge and Plymouth mod Els from its subcompact up to us Large rear drive models. Only the names have been changed to protect the stylist s  All boils Down to Cost savings and economies of scale achieved through the duplication of parts. But car makers Are slowly discovering that buyers Are confused and turned off by one j25.000 car thai looks like another costing thousands  analysis have said they feel pm committed a grave tactical error when i shrank its luxury coupes this year to about the same size As the company High volume compact a cars which were introduced a year  said a push is now on atom to enlarge the luxury cars to end their identity crises and slow sales. Between now and the mid-1990s, car makers will pursue a strategy of Niche marketing aiming a car Between traditional size segments or using add on to Appeal to a limited group of buyers White extending a Basic Model s reach. This Short Range solution to Detroit duplication syndrome is a two pronged attack that will reduce Consumers Contu Chrysler Maserati sport Coupe Detroit has gone directly to european de signers for styling expertise the examples Here being the new Chrysler Maserd and the Cadillac Allan ? below. Production of the Chrysler Maserati will begin in Early 1987. The 1987 Cadillac Allante styled by Pini Fuina of Italy us Allante cars Are Down from Turin to Detroit the world s longest Assembly line where they receive their suspensions and Drite rope an car makers. Chrysler for instance has targeted three new vehicles Between traditional size categories. Its Plymouth Sundance and Dodge Shadow a Brace of look alikes for next year land smack in the Middle of the subcompact and compact car sizes a ploy that hopefully will gain sales from both markets. Styling is another Short term solution to make one car look different from the other without incurring major tooling expenses. In this Case plastics Are a design trains. The two Waler Allante la shown Here with its removable hard Lap. The Al Lane will debut at the Paris Auto show oct. 2-12. Or s Best Friend. Ford s hot Selling escort it for example relics on plastic add on such Ascender faring spoilers and a new Grill to attract buyers who desire More than mundane subcompact. More sophisticated Niche marketing could become expensive As . Car makers gear up to enter the luxury sports car Seg ment next year. They Are getting their am munition from the styling houses of Europe ironic because these cars Are slated to fight High priced foreign Competition. Pm for instance will offer its Pinin Farin designed Allante roadster next year while Chrysler in a join Effort  will offer a luxury Road sir Sec photos. Ford has no such comparable car. Bul there has been talk of two French designed Mode by 1990.industry estimates Price these models be tween $25,000 and , entering Arange held exclusively by european luxury car makers like Mercedes Benz and Jaguar Edward j. Sullivan an Auto analyst ill Chase Econometrics associates inc. Of Bala Cynwyd pa., warned thai inc Market could quickly become saturated with Competition. American car makers arc i caving the Small car Market where Competition is stiff and will get stronger Given the level of new japanese plants to be built in America he  arc now tapping into the euro Pean s Niche of higher priced cars Sulli Van said. But this Market is fairly Small if they All do it even in Low volume eventually it will increase the Tempo of Competition but nowhere near the level in the Small car  trends Between now and 1990 will Cater to marketers by More sharply identify  various nameplates. In May Well be the most ambitious attempt to distinguish one name from another since he Early Days of  car makers will once again Start giving its various divisions exclusive models to help Foster a More distinct image such a Cadillac s Allante or two specially cars the Beretta and Corsica to be marketed exclusively by pm s Chevrolet neat year. Plastic car bodies could appear enemas be in 1992 or 1993. A plastic bodied Van is still in the works for Chevrolet and Pontiac in the late 1980s.large Bubble like windshields impregnated with heat and Sun resistant Materi als could appear by the Tarly 1990s.lightweight materials Are causing Auto makers to Lake another look at sliding and Gull Wing  next Tew years will Sec the Rede sign and repackaging of drive trains and underbody components. Long Range plans have pm designing a modular Typ of platform allowing it to place the engine in the front Middle or rear or quickly change from front drive to rear drive or four wheel drive. Future cars could also have dramatically different styling proportions with Shorter hoods More Forward passenger compartments and longer deck lids pro Viding car makers with More flexibility in mid and car engined design so while car makers seek diversity on the outside they will strive for commonality under the skin saving the Batter bul getting rid of the cookie Cutter. Posh cars now on military Market by Bob Hove staff writer the polish so a Fiat based car re tailing for As Little As t3,265, now i available to . Military buyers in Ger Many marketed by Moses motor car Agency Wiesbaden the Low priced so Fiat is being locked in three models All with european specifications. Jerry Moses managing director of the company that bears his name says the polish imports currently arc available at four dealerships with As Many As is planned if the car is Well received in the military Market. Moses has established a sales target of 1,000 cars a year. Models now available Are the so 125 a four door Sedan with a delivery Price of 13,265 the Polonyi a five door Hatchback and a Light pickup truck. The i identical delivery prices known collectively in the Market As sos the cars Are manufactured in War saw by Fabryka Samso Chodrow Osobow Wych. A firm that exports autos through out Europe and to China. All lure models Are Buill with the Fiat 1500 drive train and come with five Speed transmissions. I m proceeding methodically with the program because i want to make sure there is adequate service facilities Avail Able Moses said. We re setting up a parts Pool in Kaiserslautern. All parts for the three mod Els Are interchangeable a feature that should reduce problems. Wherever we set up dealerships there must be local German garages to handle servicing and warranty  the sos Are sold with warranties of one year or 20,000 Kilometres 12,000 Miles these cars May be somewhat old fashioned but they re durable Moses said. The idea is to offer inexpensive and reliable transportation during a serv ice member s overseas tour. And i think after driving the car two or three years in still should be Worth something on the used car  Moses said More than 50 sos were registered with Usa eur before he kicked off his import program. Currently sos Are available at Caro Lina car outlets in Wiesbaden and Kai scr Lautem. Car Corner in Heidelberg and Burgess Auto Hess Isch Olendorf. Herb Scalon owner of car Corner says he s blocking the sos because the fill a need for lower income service families. This car is for those who do not want to spend a lot for an automobile Button t want to risk buying a used car on which there is no warranty Seaton Laid. And because of the Low sticker prices the financing costs will run Only is 50 to s175 a month for just 24 months