European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 05, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday september 5,. 1994 automotive the stabs and stripes page9 three japanese automakers announced 1995prices or Price increases unselected cars Friday As the . Dollar s weakness against the yen continued to squeeze importers. Lexus the luxury division of Toyota motor sales .a., said 1995 Price for its is 300, is 300, so 300 and so 400 models were being increased 5 percent Over initial 1994 prices on a sales weighted average amounting to $lj750 a car. The increase was 1.9 percent from final 1994 prices about $687 a car./. A v _ these increases reflect the continued decline of the Dollar versus the yen said lexus general manager George Borst Nissan motor corp .a. Said Friday that it will raise the suggested retail prices of 1995 Maxima and 240sx models an average of 2.5 percent or $568, a can both cars were introduced this Spring As 1995 models. American Honda motor co. Said 1995 Honda civic prices would be an average of 1.7 percent higher than final 1994 prices or $225 a car. Honda makes about 75 percent of the civics it Sells in the United states at plants in Ohio and Ontario. General motors and other . Auto manufacturers Are losing ground in saudi Arabia company representatives said last week. General motors saw sales in its largest Export Market decline by 10 percent in the first half of this year dealers reported. Pm sales Are expected to slip another 1.0 percent in the second Hal of the year amid a general slump in the saudi Market the kingdom absorbs one third of total pm production. General motors accounts Tor an estimated 70 percent of All american cars imported by saudi Arabia pm dealer Amir Al Zah Idsaid. Dealers blamed Ris Irig inflation for a drop in Auto sales in a Market where. Gasoline is cheaper than drinking water and the population is spread out Over much of the arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia the world s largest Oil exporting nation is facing economic difficulties because of the slump in world Oil prices and the Cost of the 1991 persian Gulf War. Last year Auto sales in  Arabia dropped by 20 Percy it. But the big three . Ca Maurs pm Ford and Chrysler conceded on a 5 percent. They sold 39,000 i in in. 1993 compared with about 41,1 00 the previous  suffered the most losing 19 percent while Ford shed 7 percent Andom 5 percent.  _ a i. Ford motor co. Is recalling 2,600 Lincoln town car and Lincoln Continental 1994 models to inspect a Brake pedal clip that might have been improperly installed and could cause the. Brakes to fail without warning. The company said it had received no reports of accidents or injuries related to the defect. Owners will be notified by mail to take their cars to dealers to have  replaced or reinstalled. Porsche cars North America will Cut prices up to $12,550 on some 1995 models the company said tuesday. The suggested retail prices Range from $39,950 for the 968 Coupe to " $82,260 for 928 its  1995 porsche 911 Carrera 4 Coupe will carry a sticker Price of $65,900, Down from $78,450 for the 1994 version. _ prom the associated Spur dealings alleged Chrysler reportedly recycled Lemons to California buyers by the los Angeles times los Angeles a California state Agency has accused Chrysler corp. Of re Selling Auto Lemons to unsuspecting buyers without telling them it had repurchased the cars from previous owners be cause of  department of motor vehicles said the allegations involve 118 Dodges jeeps Chrysler and Plymouth sold to Consumers through dealerships in North Ern California the Model years Are from 1989 to 1992. On wednesday a Chrysler sp6keswo Man denied the allegations saying that the automaker is in full compliance with California Law and that it disagreed with the department s findings. V we feel we have evidence that we have made full disclosure and we have a meeting set up with the div to go Over the material spokeswoman Rita Mckay said. She declined to provide further de tails. If found guilty Chrysler faces possible revocation or suspension of its License to sell cars in California though a Fine is considered More Likely. General motors paid $330,000 in april to Settle similar charges while denying any intent to de fraud or mislead Consumers. The div said us investigation shows that Chrysler delivered most of the re purchased vehicles to a Northern califor Nia auction House which then resold them to Auto dealers. The dealers then sold the Lemons to Consumers. The dealers and the auction House have not been charged. A new car is considered a Lemon in California if defects Are not fixed within four attempts or after 30 Days in the shop during the first year of ownership. Car owners May sue manufacturers to Force them to repurchase a car if they do not agree to do so. The Center for Auto safety a Washington  advocacy group Esti mates that about 50,000 Lemons Are re purchased nationally each year. While it is hot known How Many of them Are then resold consumer groups have called for closer monitoring of what becomes of the vehicles. Motor voters a Sacramento consumer organization argues that cars with Sev pious mechanical defects should be sold for scrap Only. The nature of the defects involved in the Chrysler Case could not be Learned. Consumer advocates said that in Gener automakers repurchase cars Only if prob lems Are serious and beyond repair. Sskssw0? cd ref a a 1 c i i Ltd a f j w in of Vav � of ",3r a Dexter prewar polishes a 1965 Manta Ray Corvette in the main showroom of the new National Corvette museum in Bowling Green Corvette crazy crowd converges byte Bridis the associated press Bowling Green by a 3,500 car caravan of corvettes stretching nearly 70 Miles converged Friday on the new National Corvette museum,.a $15 million shrine to 41 years of a sports car. The corvettes covering 1953 to 1994 and from about 100 cities took More than two hours to exit the interstate for the museum s opening. This is a one time happening on planet Earth Jim Perkins general manager of Chevrolet told nearly 10,000 people in the museum parking lot. I Don t think Well Ever see this collection of Corvette lovers again.". Wow uttered the museum s presi Dent Dan Gale who lives outside Boston but has spent 28 months in Bowling Green. This looks like Woodstock kind  run by a nonprofit foundation the 68,000-Square-foot museum holds More than 50 corvettes that include one of a kind prototypes Worth ii to $500,000 each. It is across the Road from the general motors corp. Plant where corvettes have been made since 1981. V owners who completed the pilgrimage said they were drawn More by their Fel Low enthusiasts than the fibreglass steel and rubber that is the american built two seater. Corvette crazy i guess you d Call it said Wendell Hill of Louisville polishing the,.hood of his 1991 red convertible. You hate to say it to somebody who s never owner one but it just does t seem like it s read life without a  state it. Gov. Paul Patton commissioned Gale an honorary Kentucky Colo Nel the highest state award Given to civil ians. Patton recalled How he first became acquainted with corvettes. Lie said his daughter had returned from College on academic probation. She looked me in the Eye and said dad if i make the Dean s list this semes Ter will you buy me a Corvette i agreed real rapidly because 1 knew she could t make the Dean s list and because i did t know How much a Corvette costs Pat ton said. Needless to say she s got a  Steve Sokoloff of Philadelphia waited at the museum for his wife to arrive driving the couple s 1953 Corvette in the car Avan. He also was watching his other 53 convertible that was pulled to Kentucky on a trailer. The caravan has been really exciting to go Down the Road and it s just Vette after Vette after Vette Sokoloff said. We talk corvettes. We talk our passion our love. There s nothing a Corvette owner likes to do better than drive his