European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 16, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse The voyager minivan accounts for half of Chrysler a sales in Europe Chrysler Here come the americans despite sluggish sales at Home the big three push hard in Europe the Frankfurt Auto show which occupies 10 buildings will draw 1.2 million people before it closes sunday. By David Tarrant staff writer american car makers beset by foreign Competition in the states Are seeking to turn the tables in the 1990s by becoming Europe a version of the Pesky outside competitors. But it won t be easy. Europe including its new markets in the East is expected to become the major Battleground of the car Industry in the 1990s. The japanese also Are making an assault on Europe. But an agreement reached in july Between the 12-member european commission and Japan has effectively Frozen the level of imports from Japan to the dec to about 1.2 million a year through the end of the decade. However a loophole exists for the japanese to build their cars in Quot transplant Quot factories in Europe. . Manufacturers still reeling from the recession continue to suffer from Competition from the japanese who now account for More than 30 percent of the . Market. As a result it is becoming a matter of survival for american car manufacturers to find new markets in Europe to compensate for losses to foreign competitors at Home. Those sentiments were expressed in Stark terms by general motors at the International Auto show continuing through sunday in Frankfurt Germany. Quot in the 1990s, the global competitive Battles will be won by car manufacturers that can build and dominate fundamentally new markets Quot a pm statement said. Quot in that respect Europe continues to be pm s largest Market area outside of North Chrysler a . Smorra general manager of International sales and marketing has no problems with the expected increase in Competition in Europe Quot we re very used to that Type of Competition in the United states Quot Smorra said at the Auto show Chrysler which sold 40,000 vehicles in Europe in 1990, has set a goal of 50,000 for 1991 and 60,000 in 1992 Chrysler a hottest Selling vehicles in Europe Are its minivans the voyager and the grand voyager which account for nearly half its total european sales since the voyager arrived on the scene in 1983, Chrysler has produced More than 3 million of the minivans. It holds a 50 percent share of the . Minivan Market and the voyager had a solid 16 percent of the european minivan Market in the first half of 1991. Chrysler has sold about 35.000 minivans in Europe. In the Long term Chrysler is banking on european sales of the voyager to triple. To help service its 1,200 sales locations in Europe and to take advantage of the new markets in Eastern Europe Chrysler will begin manufacturing the voyager later this year in Graz Austria. The joint venture called euro Star Between Chrysler and an austrian firm initially will have the capacity to produce 25.000 voyagers and eventually 100,000. Smorra said that Chrysler is very close to starting sales operations in the soviet Union Poland Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria. It already is Selling some vehicles in Yugoslavia and Hungary he said. But he cautions that car makers have to approach the markets of Eastern Europe differently. Quot my feeling toward Eastern Europe is that it s necessary to become a catalyst for growth and change Quot Smorra said. Quot Well bring some expertise into those countries and help provide some technical and business however Volkswagen a also is starting an Eastern offensive. Vow chairman Carl h. Hahn is moving fast to gain the upper hand especially in the former East Germany where work on a factory at Mosel near Zwickau is designed to produce 250,000 golfs each year. Meanwhile general motors Europe is betting that its new opel Astra will be Able to match Vwg a new Golf sales in 1992. Both cars have received favourable reviews from european car magazines with Mot a German motoring Magazine giving the Astra a slight Edge and the British car Magazine Auto car and motor giving the Golf the nod. In North America general motors Sells More than 100 different types of vehicles. But the world s largest car manufacturer Sells just nine american models in Europe from sports sedans to Large luxury touring coupes. With the nine pm is hoping to mine potential niches in what the company describes As an already fragmented Market. In the sports Sedan category Are the Pontiac Issei the Pontiac firebird which is celebrating its 25th anniversary hmm Mim s. A a general motors believes its opel Astra and other sporty models will compete Well with the vow Golf. Pm also Sells .-made cars in Europe. Opel Ford much of Fords Hopes for cornering the expanding european Market rests on the escort above and probe both versions of .-built cars. In 1991 and the Corvette. The Cadillac Eldorado the All new Cadillac Seville its and the Buick Park Avenue Are poised to take on european luxury cars. The Chevrolet Astro and the Pontiac trans sport both categorized by pm As Quot people carriers Quot aim to compete in the minivan category. Finally the Chevy Blazer is competing with other Quot off Road Quot vehicles. General motors has doubled its .-car dealerships in Germany in the last year to 60 and now has 260 dealers across Europe said Klaus Baranek marketing manager in Germany. Ford is updating the escort As its main competitor to the new vow Golf and the opel Astra. Ford claims great Success in Europe with the escort and says that by the end of the first half of 1991 there were almost 100,000 escorts registered in Germany. The new escort the sporty three door is 2000, features rounded off front and rear bumpers. It will be More powerful with a 2.0 liter 16-Vdlve engine. Ford also is looking for a boost in sales with the probe. Since its launch in Germany earlier this year the probe it a sporty .-built Coupe has garnered Strong sales of More than 5,000. The probe which was developed in conjunction with the japanese car maker Mazda has been sold in the states since 1988 and is one of the bestselling cars in its class. Another Success Story at Ford is the fiesta which recorded More than 100,000 new registrations in Germany last year. The Frankfurt Auto show also Marks the launching of the fiesta courier compact Van and its live seater estate version in the German Market. Fords concept car the Ghia Zag and a new electric car the escort express give a glimpse of the future at Ford. A Fleet of 100 of the electric vehicles which Are powered by advanced sodium Sulphur batteries Are undergoing rigorous Long term tests. The Ghia Zag with its compact Quot Beetle Quot design is powered by a new two stroke engine developed jointly by Ford and the Orbital engine co. In Australia. Ford boasts that the engine offers Good fuel Economy and Low pollution emissions. The engine is about a third lighter than comparable four Cylinder engines. Udo Reinhold manager of corporate affairs for Ford Europe said Ford is ready for the Battle shaping up m Europe. Quot we Are quite sure that a lot of things will change Quot he said at the Auto show Quot we will be there with h e changes in the future s4s Dove com Renault Sreiner Huebner explains to new employees what they will be doing As company hostesses. A amps Dave Camy three Auto show Staples an executive a Model a gorgeous car. A Trade show tradition using looks to sell by Luke Britt staff writer the International car show is the proving ground for the latest trends in automobiles. But Many of the 1,200 companies at the show Are promoting their products with a timeworn form of marketing. More than 5,000 women have been hired to staff information Booths serve food and drinks to prospective buyers pose for photographs or simply walk among the cars said a spokeswoman for the Frankfurt Messe a where the exhibition is being held almost All of the women were hired from hostess agencies in Germany and have no background with the Auto companies for which they Are working the spokeswoman said Quot this is not what i thought i would be doing Here said 20-year-old Giesla Korte of Wiesbaden Korte a University student was one of several women de by Suzuki to promote its Azzy new Sarty Urai off Road vehicle. Their Job Korte said is to appear Active at All times. Clothed in tights or bathing suits they Are required to sit on Suzuki vehicles Bounce balloons As if playing volleyball Load and unload samurais with Beach gear and occasionally act if they Are driving the vehicles a i thought i would be learning something about Selling cars Quot Korte said Quot i guess in a Way i am Quot Suzuki representatives would not talk to reporters about the Issue several women working at the Trade show complained of lewd comments from spectators Quot about fives times a Day a Man will say something rude Quot said Joanna Cir my 20, a British student living in Frankfurt it is demeaning they All think they re the first to say something but it happens so much Cir my works at Peugeot s display while wearing shorts and a Leotard she said her employer asked her continued on Page 16 Page 14 b the stars and stripes monday september 16, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 15
