After the shock ending of the Spanish GP, where Hakkinen appeared to have it in the bag until three corners from home, who is going to predict the outcome
of this one? Michael Schumacher still leads the title chase with 36 points, from Coulthard on 28, Barichello on 14, Ralf Schumacher on 12 and then Heidfeld on 8. Hakkinen is
way back in 9th position with only 4 points. The “smart money” is still on Schumi, who showed a surprising side of him when he went up and commiserated with Hakkinen at
the end of the race. Luck does still play a part in motor racing!
The teams have now had another 2 weeks to get the traction control electrotrickery working properly, and despite what was said publicly, I would not be
surprised if Schumacher’s “tyre” vibration and Hakkinen’s “clutch” problem were directly related to traction control stresses in the transmission. Schumacher’s
tyre problem was a fudge job. Since the Ferrari crew could change a complete set in 8 seconds and Schumacher was 60 seconds in front of Montoya obviously they would have
brought him in immediately.
Join me “trackside” in front of the big screen at Shenanigans. Telecast commences (I think) at 7 p.m., but check the UBC schedule or ask Kim at
Shenanigans. I have been known to be wrong; however, if you get there early settle back and have something to eat at the carvery!
Who wants to drive a Magna Steyr?
What’s a Magna Steyr, I hear you cry? Well, hold on to your hats, Magna Steyr is aiming to be the biggest carmaker in the world. These guys are based in
Austria and are a subsidiary of Canadian supplier giant Magna International. And they don’t even have a brand of their own!
In the auto manufacture bizz, the world’s largest incestuous family, the sparkling new car you bought was probably not built by the company whose name
adorns the grille. Auto manufacturers farm out the production of various models, and companies like Magna International build them.
President Siegfried Wolf says Magna Steyr cannot build “me-too” products, but will build vehicles that are both unique to a customer’s brand and that
can be produced nowhere else. He said the way to win new business is to make complex, highly-engineered modules that range from sub-assemblies to vehicles that are completely
developed, engineered and assembled by Magna Steyr.
Now if you think this is pie in the sky talk, consider this. The firm is building a new engineering and R&D centre for 400 technicians in St. Valentin,
Austria. When complete, it will double the engineering capacity of the Graz R&D centre. Magna Steyr will also build complete cars and modules in North America for some
customers. In addition, they conduct their own sophisticated safety testing at the ACTS laboratory near Frankfurt and a noise and vibration test centre in Graz operates in
cooperation with engine developer AVL-List.
Siegfried Wolf says, “All this gives Magna Steyr a globally unique position. It can furnish the complete vehicle from first concept. It enables Magna
Steyr to offer customized solutions for sophisticated parts and modules like four-wheel-drive power-trains, a specialty of the house.”
Interior fittings are produced and supplied by other European Magna affiliates, led by the former Magna North America, now renamed Magna Interior.
So there you go, you could be driving a Magna Steyr next year - and not even know it!
Natter Nosh & Noggin
The next get together for the car buffs is on Monday night 14th May (the second Monday of each month) at 7 p.m. at Shenanigans Irish Pub on Pattaya Second
Road. This is an entirely informal affair where we chat about cars owned, driven, lusted after or scorned. This is done over a beer and generally we stay on for the 195 baht
Steak Night dinner. If you are interested in cars come along and join us. Just ask the friendly Shenanigans staff where Dr. Iain’s meeting is and they’ll introduce you to
our motley crew.
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week we stayed with F1 and asked when Ron Dennis took over the McLaren Racing Team. This was simple for the historians, or those with old books, as
Ron (Smiling) Dennis took over McLaren in 1980, but it wasn’t till 1984 that he pulled off the world championship.
So to this week, and it’s another easy one. How many cylinders in the engine of the 21 litre Metallurgique of 1919?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct answer to fax 427 596 or email [email protected]
So you think you’re doing it tough!
I found the following item in the American Auto News web site, and since both of the gentlemen mentioned in the article have been here to Thailand, I
thought I should share some of their misery and woe with you all.
Remember Jack Smith? Jack came out to open the GM plant at a time when nobody was really sure what they were going to produce here (in fact, I would not be
surprised if GM didn’t know at that time either). Jack is the chairman of General Motors and in the year 2000 had to take a cut of 52.6% compared to his 1999 take home pay.
Jack Smith’s actual salary grew from $1.95 million in ’99 to $2.05 million last year - but his bonus in 2000 was $1.17 million, compared with $4.84
million the previous year. Jack was also given $400,000 in stock options in 2000. So there you go, it’s not all beer and skittles being top dog. With the cuts, Jack is
having to exist on slightly more than $8,500 a day. By the way, in case you think I’m fudging these figures, they were the ones supplied by GM in their proxy report filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US.
The other chap was Richard Wagoner. Rick is the CEO of GM and was out here to see the first Zafira roll off the assembly line down at the ESIE plant. He
was paid $2.34 million in salary and bonuses in 2000, made up of a salary of $1.55 million, $200,000 more than his 1999 salary, but his bonus of $784,000 in 2000 was 69.8 %
less than his $2.6 million bonus in 1999. This reduction brought him down to a mere $5,500 a day, so he’s had to be careful how he spends his pennies. Mind you, he did get
given stock options worth $250,000 in 2000 as a little bit of a sweetener.
The grass on the other side is definitely greener!
On the other side of the fence at the Rayong ISIE site is Ford Motor Company. Things don’t appear to be so grim for the senior FoMoCo execs with Jac (no
I haven’t forgotten a “k”) Nasser, their CEO bringing home $15.7 million in the year 2000. Jac’s pittance was made up of $12.14 million in salary, bonus and other
compensation, and another $3.55 million in common stock in 2000, according to Ford’s 2001 proxy statement filed with the same Securities and Exchange Commission.
As a breakdown, Nasser received $1.62 million in salary and a bonus of $7.7 million for 2000, more than $1 million more than he received in salary and
bonus in 1999. He also received $2.82 million in other compensation in 2000.
Jac Nasser earned the common stock through Ford’s Long-Term Incentive Plan, a three-year performance program measuring how well executives meet corporate
objectives. Additionally, as of Dec. 31, 2000, Jac held options to purchase 4,531,866 shares of common stock, including a 2000 grant of 10-year options to purchase 906,703
shares of Ford common stock at an exercise price of $22.73 a share.
Jac Nasser I’ve also met when he was boss of Ford Australia, and he is actually a helluva nice guy, but then I’ve never worked for Ford. Mind you, when
Jac’s earning a smidgin over $43,000 a day you can probably afford to be nice to the little people. Wot, me jealous? Never!
Mo Show - PT Cruiser and coloured accessories
Continuing with the impressions from the Bangkok International Motor Show, one stand which was right up there with the “modern retro” style was
Chrysler with the PT Cruiser. When I first saw photographs of this car last year I was appalled, recalling visions of the old “Slopers”. However, it has turned out to be
a vehicle which has caught much public imagination.
They are actually built in Toluca, Mexico which can only produce 180,000 units annually. The demand has been so great that the Chrysler plant in Graz in
Austria is to also come on line later this year to produce an additional 50,000 Cruisers. The ones on display in Bangers were actually destined for Australia, but were
‘hi-jacked’ on the way!
Continuing in the colourful vein, some of the accessory places were really turning it on. Look at the engine bay of this Honda.
What with blue ignition leads and purple and yellow everything else you needed sunglasses to check the engine oil! Reminded me of the old drag racers
creed, “If it don’t go - Chrome it!”
