auto parts manufacturers,auto parts suppliers

Stuttgart. Porsche Deutschland GmbH, Bietigheim-Bissingen, has sold the Porsche Center Mannheim to Penske Automotive Europe GmbH, Wiesbaden, a member of the Penske Group. From July 1, 2008, the Center will be doing business under the name of Penske Sportwagen-
zentrum GmbH, Mannheim, and will be responsible for sales and service of Porsche vehicles in the Rhine-Neckar area.

Porsche Deutschland GmbH acquired the bankrupt Mannheim Porsche Center in November 2002, to ensure continuity in customer service and secure the jobs of the employees. Following its successful restructuring, this Porsche Center will now once again be placed in the hands of an independent enterprise. All employees will be kept on by the new owner.

Bernhard Maier, General Manager of Porsche Deutschland GmbH, says: “In the Penske Group, we have gained for the first time an international partner committed as a dealer to our brand in Germany. I am convinced that the new partner will bring its varied experience of the automotive sector to bear at the Mannheim location and thus maintain the ongoing positive development.”

The new Managing Director of the Mannheim Porsche Center is to be Christian Boe (42) who, after obtaining a Diploma in Business Administration (University of Cooperative Education), worked in a managerial capacity for the brands Mercedes-Benz, Yamaha and Seat.

Valeo announced today that it has signed an agreement for the creation of a joint venture for the production of HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) systems with Itelma, a Russian supplier of automotive systems to Russian automakers. The new company, Valeo Climate Control Tomilino LLC, will be 95% owned by Valeo and 5% by Itelma.

Located in Tomilino (10 km from Moscow), the joint venture will develop, produce and sell Valeo Climate Control products and systems, including HVAC modules for passenger cars.

Thierry Morin, Valeo Chairman and CEO, said: “This joint venture is our first step in our growth strategy for Russia, where local production is growing by 20% a year and is expected to reach 4 million vehicles by 2015. We are entering the market at a very appropriate time as global automakers ramp up production in the country.”

Alexander Postnikov, Itelma Chairman, said: “Itelma is pleased to announce this joint venture with Valeo. We are sure that Itelma’s solid position in the Russian automotive market and Valeo’s technology will enable us to better serve our traditional and new OEM customers.”

Itelma is one of the leading manufacturers of engine management and on-board electronics, wire harnesses and exhaust systems for the automotive industry in the Russian Federation.

Valeo is an independent industrial group dedicated to the design, production and sale of components, integrated systems and modules for cars and trucks. It is one of the world’s leading automotive suppliers. The Group has 125 production sites, 62 R&D centers, 9 distribution platforms, and employs 61,300 people in 28 countries.

HERNDON, VA — Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced the grand opening of the Capitol Volkswagen Dealership in San Jose, California. Perfectly aligned with the demographics in the San Jose market, Capitol Volkswagen is set to become a key dealer for Volkswagen. To help celebrate the grand opening, Volkswagen Group of America’s President/CEO Stefan Jacoby, COO Mark Barnes, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, City Council Members, Members of the Chamber of Commerce and local business luminaries will be in attendance.

“We are extremely proud to celebrate the grand opening of the Capitol Volkswagen Dealership in San Jose,” said Mark Barnes, COO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “Recognized for providing exceptional customer service in the Bay Area, Del Grande Dealer Group has demonstrated their continued commitment toward customer service over the past 30 years. The Del Grande Dealer Group’s newest acquisition is a premier Volkswagen dealership that is sure to make a significant impact on the San Jose marketplace.”

Making a special appearance at the opening, Stefan Jacoby will arrive in the Volkswagen Tiguan HyMotion concept vehicle. One of only two hydrogen powered Tiguans in the world, event guests will have the rare opportunity to view the HyMotion prototype. Embodying Volkswagen’s commitment toward research, innovation and sustainability, the Tiguan HyMotion is the brand’s first compact sports utility vehicle powered by a zero emissions electric motor generated by a hydrogen fuel cell.

In addition to the Tiguan HyMotion concept, Volkswagen will mark the dealership’s opening with dinner, drinks and live entertainment for all attendees to enjoy. Located at 911 Capitol Expressway Auto Mall, the new Del Grande Dealer Group’s Capitol Volkswagen VIP grand opening will be held June 11. A grand opening for the public will follow from June 12 through June 15, offering an array of great deals on the entire line-up of Volkswagen models. In addition, Capitol Volkswagen will be giving away a $25 gas card with a test drive while supplies last.

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich., June 9, 2008 – Visteon Corporation (NYSE: VC), an industry leader in alternative refrigerants, has been chosen to present its expertise at the 2008 SAE Automotive Alternate Refrigerant Systems Symposium, June 9-12 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

As emissions from man-made greenhouse gasses (GHG) and their effect on the environment are a continued concern, the mobile air conditioning industry is investigating methods to reduce GHG emissions. The ninth SAE 2008 Alternate Refrigerant Systems Symposium is a forum at which companies like Visteon will to delve deeper into the issue.

Visteon is committed to developing safe and reliable climate control system and component solutions for the global automotive market. Visteon is committed to investigating the impact of new potential refrigerant alternatives and developing solutions for performance optimization. For example, at the 2006 conference, Visteon demonstrated two drivable vehicles – one using an R744-based air conditioning system and the other using Fluid H. Visteon’s most recent generation R744 system consumes less incremental fuel for A/C operation compared to conventional state-of-the-art R-134a systems.

As part of Visteon’s continuing alternative refrigerant systems development, Dr. John Meyer, a Visteon climate control technical fellow, will present a discussion on system enhancements for the use of HFO-R1234yf. The presentation is on Tuesday, June 10.

Dr. Meyer will discuss the refrigerant properties of R1234yf and resulting technologies and strategies to optimize system performance. R1234yf is being put forward as a possible near drop-in replacement for R-134a, the predominate refrigerant used in today’s mobile air conditioning systems. Dr. Meyer will present enhancement options that allow the R1234yf system performance to match that of R134a.  R1234yf has a global warming potential (GWP) rating of four, compared to a GWP of 1300 for R-134a, allowing it to meet the European legislation with the GWP limit of 150 (affects new vehicle types brought into the market as of 2011).

“As a global automotive supplier, Visteon has in-depth climate systems expertise and broad development capabilities enabling the company to supply components and system solutions for either R744 or R1234yf,” explains Joy Greenway, vice president of Visteon climate controls. “It’s a privilege to share our expertise at industry forums as important as this.”

Visteon Corporation is a leading global automotive supplier that designs, engineers and manufactures innovative climate, interior, electronic and lighting products for vehicle manufacturers, and also provides a range of products and services to aftermarket customers. With corporate offices in Van Buren Township, Mich. (U.S.); Shanghai, China; and Kerpen, Germany; the company has facilities in 26 countries and employs approximately 40,000 people.