News Briefs
Harley-Davidson ® Fat Boy ® Is NACE Grand Prize
Attendees of the 1998 International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) will be eligible to win the event's grand prize - a new Harley-Davidson ® Fat Boy ® with a NACE '98 custom paint job.
During NACE '98, 10 lucky attendees will discover 10 keys - one of which will fire up this legendary bike. The keys will be strategically hidden and drawn throughout the event. One lucky attendee will ride out of Dallas on this machine, which weighs 631 pounds, has an 80-cubic-inch engine, dual shotgun exhaust, a fat front fork and hidden suspension. (Certain restrictions do apply.)
NACE '98 will take place at the Dallas Convention Center. Conference sessions will be held Dec. 3-6, and the exposition will run from Dec. 4-6. The event is expected to draw more than 35,000 industry professionals, and 650 companies to occupy approximately 2,700 exhibit booths showcasing the latest collision repair supplies, equipment and services.
NACE is sponsored by the Automotive Service Association. For more information, contact Show Management at (817) 255-8030, or visit the NACE Web Site ( http://www.NACE-98.com).
Car Care Month Educates Consumers
Now in its 19th year, National Car Care Month - held each October - is designed to educate and motivate consumers on the benefits of proper vehicle maintenance and repair. In addition to setting up check lanes in communities throughout the nation, the program involves a public relations campaign including distribution of information packets to news media throughout the United States.
In the check lanes set up for the National Car Care Month in October 1997, nine out of 10 vehicles that were checked required maintenance. More than one out of four vehicles needed an air filter, engine oil or coolant. One out of five had low or dirty transmission fluid.
200 Million Vehicles Registered; Truck Growth Continues
The number of vehicles registered in the United States recently surpassed 200 million for the first time, according to a vehicles in operation (VIO) report released by The Polk Company, a privately held firm that markets information to the automotive industry.
Of the 201 million registered vehicles (rounded number), 125 million are passenger cars and 76 million are trucks (gross vehicle weight classifications 1-8). Eliminating medium and heavy trucks, there are approximately 193 million cars and light trucks (pickup trucks, sport-utility vehicles, mini-vans and full-size vans) on the road.
From July 1996 to June 1997, 15.29 million new vehicles were registered. Vehicle scrappage (vehicles failing to re-register are presumed scrapped) totaled 12.51 million units, resulting in a net fleet increase of 2.78 million units. Of the additional 2.78 million vehicles on the road, trucks represent 2.72 million of the total, while passenger cars represent only 0.06 million. Nearly twice as many cars (8.24 million) were scrapped compared to trucks (4.26 million) during this 12-month period.
Light trucks currently account for 68.42 million, or just more than a third, of vehicles on the road. During the last 10 years, the number of passenger cars on the road has risen 4.82 million compared to a rise of 29.05 million for trucks.
Also, for the eighth consecutive year, the median age of automobiles in the United States has increased. The median age of a car in 1997 was 8.1 years, the oldest in history, while the median age of trucks was 7.8 years, also the oldest ever.
High Safety Marks for New SUVs
According to a recent University of Michigan study, people driving in a car are about five times as likely to die if a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) hits them head-on or on the driver's side than if a car hits them in the same way.
However, in its September issue, Consumer Reports extended high praise for the new Mercedes-Benz ML320 for what it doesn't possess: a front bumper that overrides a car's "crumple zone" and a frame that acts like a battering ram. Instead, the ML320's design represents a movement toward safer SUVs that interact more mercifully in collisions with smaller cars.
The ML320 includes an unconventional independent rear suspension that permits the lowering of its front bumper to passenger-car height. In a collision, moreover, the ML320's front end absorbs more energy than do the front ends of other SUVs.
This energy absorption not only protects passengers in the other vehicle, Consumer Reports says, it may benefit the ML320's occupants as well.
CCC, Motor Agree to Long-Term Partnership
CCC Information Services Inc. and Motor Information Systems have announced a 20-year agreement in which Motor will continue as CCC's exclusive collision database provider for its Pathways Collision Estimating and other estimating products for the automotive claims industry.
EPA Expands Refrigerant Regulations || Caught Between the Past and the Future || How Shops Compensate Technicians || Automated Estimating Systems Ease Body Shop Life Despite Problems || Guest Editorial || Tech to Tech || Tech Tips || News Briefs || Taking the Hill || Around ASA || Net Worth || Stat Corner || Shop Profile || Chairman's Message
AutoInc. Magazine ®, Vol. XLVI, October 1998 (http://www.asashop.org)