European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 6, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday december 6, 1993 general motors corp. Says it will recall 600,000 minivans and sport Utility vehicles with automotive the stars and stripes Page 13 potentially defective front seats a As soon As it gets the parts to repair them. At least 23 people have been Hurt when the seats collapsed. Four people received minor injuries when the seats collapsed while the vehicles were moving the other injuries occurred while Thev Chicles were parked. The vehicles Are 1985-1991 Chevrolet Astro and Gumc safari minivans and 1989-1990 Chevrolet and Gumc suburban sport Utility vehicles with front bucket seats. Suburbans with Bench style front seats arc a unaffected. Pm told the National Highway transportation safety. Administration on nov. 17 that it would voluntarily recall the vehicles. But pm has yet to inform owners a we have not put out a release because we do not have the parts to fix the seats yet a pm spokesman John Anderson said. He said the parts to fix the defective bolts were expected to be ready in about 30 Days at which time owners will be notified to take vehicles to dealerships for free inspection and repair. Germany has More automobiles than Ever before of its roads an autobahn yet the number of deaths on Western German roads is the lowest in 40 years the Federal statistics office said. It said that a record number of 45.2 million vehicles were registered in june 38.3 million in Western Germany and 6.9 million in Eastern Germany. The official body also said that a projection of current figures shows that a total of 6,850 people will have died on Western German roads this year. The figure is the lowest in 40 years and represents 450 fewer deaths on the Road than last year. The highest number of deaths on Western German roads was recorded in 1970, when accidents claimed 19,193 lives. Police say Many of the accidents Are caused by Drivers who fail to adapt their Speed to weather conditions such As fog and rain except in areas where it is specifically indicated there is no Speed limit on the autobahn the German highways. Although the number of fatal accidents in Western Germany has been dropping in recent years it has increased dramatically in Eastern Germany. Until German unification in 1990, few East German citizens could afford anything faster than a rickety two stroke trabant or Wartburg that often had difficulty even reaching the Speed limit of about 60 Mph imposed in the communist state. In 1989,1,784 people died on East German roads. This year the figure is around 3,050. Taken on a per capita basis twice As Many people were killed on roadways in Eastern Germany than in Western Germany this Yeu. A Ford motor co. Said Friday that it will drop its reporting Ofle Day Auto sales after the mid december period following general motors  announcement earlier last week that it would Stop issuing the reports. Chrysler corp. Stopped reporting 10-Day sales two years ago. Ford chairman Alexander a. Trotman indicated earlier last week the company was Likely to end the decades old tradition. Although the numbers Are a widely followed indicator of the . Economy automakers decided they often led to faulty analysis by Wall Street and journalists. A from wire reports pact Aims to clean up cars big 3, Federal labs to Pool research on fuel efficiency Washington a . Automakers and the Energy departments National laboratories signed a. Unique research agreement Friday to develop a fuel Coffi Cint car that would fare Well on the Market. The Naster cooperative research and development agreement was signed by the big three Auto manufacturers and the governments 11 National laboratories a a a a this should dramatically reduce the time to initiate new cooperative projects by eliminating the barriers that historically have been major stumbling blocks to agreements with the Auto Industry a Energy Secretary Hazel of Leary said Fri Day. The research program to develop a car three times As clean As those on the Road now was unveiled sept. 29 at a White House ceremony by president Clinton. Executives of Chi Ysler corp., general motors corp. And the Ford motor co. Joined the president and government scientists in making inc announcement. The partnership Between the government and the big three car companies would Altow Public and private resources and expertise to be pooled to achieve commercially viable vehicle technology. The agreement signed Friday do museum piece Evert Louw mans sits in a Genevieve a a 1904 12-Horsepowcr Darracq car which he bought at a London auction thursday he paid $197,600 for the ear on behalf of the dutch National motor museum in  where it will join 300 other cars on display. The car which was bought in 1989 by australian Paul Terry for $440,800, was sold on be hair of his estate following his death. . Agency Steps up probe of possible air bag defects by Tom 1ncantalupo new Day the first Federal investigation into sus elected defects in automobile air bags has Een intensified amid 67 reports that the devices inflated in certain Nissan Maxi Mas for no apparent reason. The National Highway traffic safety administration said 1992 and 1993 Maxi Mas Are involved. About 110,000 Are on the Road. The safety Agency also announced in a monthly report of its activities that Hyundai had agreed to recall 515,000 cars with possibly faulty manual transmissions and that the Agency also had upgraded an investigation into reports of failed drive shafts and Universal joints in certain jeeps. The Agency had launched a Low level investigation into the maximal last june when owners began reporting that air bags inadvertently deployed. In one Case Edward Brickman said he was slowing for a Stop sign May 16 near his Long Island Home when his 1992 Maxima s Driver Side air bag inflated. Nissan contended that the deployment was related to scratches on the underside of his car a the apparent result said Nissan of a mishap such As running Over scribed Standard terms and conditions so the automakers and the labs do not have to renegotiate contracts before starting each new project. The Energy department is expected to provide $16 million during this fiscal year for research into reduced exhaust emissions and applications of super computing to automobiles. Those arc endeavours by the . Council for automotive research or Oscar a joint research group of the big three. With the Clynn car project the goal is to have within a decade a production prototype of practical affordable High performance and Fiill Coffi Cint vehicles. Automakers already make cars with lower emissions than the current average but the cars do not sell Welt. Ford Monde a curb. On thursday Nissan spokesman Mark Adams said the company believes such incidents explain most of the 67 reports but Brickman said there was no mishap. Complaints about air bag malfunctions Are relatively rare in View of the estimated 16 million cars equipped with them. Bui a spokesman for the traffic safety administration Ben Langer said the Agency has a total of 109 complaints As of oct 31 of air bags inflating when motorists believe they should t have. The Maxima investigation now upgraded to the second of three Levels of intensity could Lead ultimately to a recall. The Hyundai recall closes a top level investigation and involves 1986 through 1989 models with four or five Speed manual transmissions that the Agency said could lock up causing the vehicle to come to a sudden Stop. The Agency said that it had found no evidence of widespread manual transmission problems in later Model excels. The jeep investigation sparked by 13 complaints with three accidents and two injuries involves 1989 to 1993 cherokees and wranglers of which a total of 376,559 exist. Wins award Paris a the Ford Monde the $6 billion a world car produced by americans no. 2 automaker has won the prestigious european car of the year award an Industry source said last week. The Monde introduced in March is the Ford motor  big Gamble to try to turn around its $1.3 billion loss in Europe last yeat. The car of the year award an Independent prize decided by 58 journalists from the 17 countries composing the main Western european markets is certain to help sales. A it was the Overall concept the safety and Security a the source said noting that the Monde is equipped with a Standard Drivers air bag. The midsize Xanthia made by Frances citroen was second the source said. Although numerous car magazines and associations have their own annual Auto competitions several of which have been won by the Monde the european car of the year is the most prestigious because it is Independent and based on wide ranging criteria. Candidates must have been available in five markets with sales of at least 5,000 a year. Ford Europe expects to sell 260,000 Mondros this year. The car will be available in the United states from next Spring As the Ford contour and Mercury mystique. Many Industry analysts criticized the widely reported $6 billion Price lag As overspending for a single Model which is replacing the Sierra in Europe and the Tempo and Topaz in the United states. Ford Hopes to save Money from what it Calls its a a world car a because Many parts and components have common sources. The Monde is built in genk Belgium and the North american models will be built in the United states and probably Mexico As Well. Six Cylinder engines Quot to be introduced next year will come from the United states As do the automatic transmissions. A Turbo diesel version of the Monde will come out next year As will a four wheel drive Model. The internationalization of the Monde is underscored by its by Ford exported to Japan where cars drive on being the Only Ford with right hand drive the left. However a right hand drive Model of the sporty Ford probe will be exported to Japan next year. Chrysler already exports right hand drive versions of its jeep grand Cherokee to Japan and is expected to configure its popular Saturn Economy cars with right hand drive for that Market too. Ford Europe has won the european car of the year twice before in 1986 for its Scorpio and in 1981 for the escort