THE 1993 CAR GUIDE
 
Manufacturers S-V
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Saab (GM) Saab Automobile AB, 46180 Tollhättan, Sweden  no links
900 * 9000
Saab realy gives GM a headache. The new Saab 900, based on Opel technology, may help the company to become profitable again.
Saturn (GM)  Saturn Corporation, P.O.Box 7025, Troy, Michigan 48007, USA  no links
SL2 * SC2 * SW2
After a bad start in 1990 Saturn cars have become good sellers recently.
Seat (VW)  Seat Sociedad Espanola de Automoviles de Turismo S.A., Pau Claris 162-164, 08037 Barcelona, Spain  no links
Marbella * Ibiza * Toledo * Terra
Seat is in big trouble, and even owner VW can't help, for the German company is in trouble itself.
Shanghai Volkswagen (VW) Shanghai-Volkswagen Automotive Corporation, Luopo Road, Anting, 201805 Shanghai, China  no links
Santana * Santana Variant
Shainghai-Volkswagen started to build European cars in 1983. It is by far the most successful Chinese-Western joint-venture in the whole world. The SVW  Santana is China's most popular car.

Sipani
Sipani Automobiles Ltd.,  25/26 Industrial Suburb, Tumkur Road, Bangalore, 560 022, India
Montana * D-1
Sipani started building cars with the help of the small English car company Reliant.
Skoda (VW) Skoda Automobilovà a.s., Václava Klementa, CZ-293 60 Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republik  no links
Favorit * Forman
1992 represents the best year in company history. 200,059 cars were produced. This year, however, there is a big problem: VW did not give the promissed financial aid.

Sterling  --->  Rover
Sterling was Rover's brand name in the USA.
Subaru (Fuji) Subaru-Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., 72 Nishi-Shinjuku, 1-chome, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan  no links
Justy * Libero * Impreza * Legacy * SVX // Japanese models: Vivio * Rex
With a production of around 500,000 cars last year Subaru, part of Fuji Heavy Industries, is one of the smaller Japanese car manufacturers.
Suzuki  Suzuki Motor Co. Ltd., Sankaido Bldg. Funk 1-9-13 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107, Japan  no links
Swift * SJ Samurai * Vitara * /// Japanese models: Alto * Cervo * Hustle * Cappuccino * Esteem * Jimny * Escudo
Suzuki's best seller on export markets is it's rather small off roader called Samurai/Vitara.
Tatra  Tatra Kombinat, 74221 Koprivnice, Czech Republic  no links
613-4
Like the models of  many Eastern companies Tatra's models are all too old to be good sellers outside their native countries.
Tofas  Tofas Oto Ticaret SA, Büyükkdere Caddesi 145, Tofas Han, 80622 Zincislikuyu, Turkey  no links
Serce * Sahin * Dogan * Kartal * Tempra
Tofas built 140,000 cars last year; this makes the company Turkey's largest car manufacturer. Most of it's cars are based on Fiats.
De Tomaso  De Tomaso Modena S.p.A., le Virgilio 9, 41100 Modena, Italy  no links
Pantera
De Tomaso is one of the hardest hit victims of the worldwide recession.
Toyota  Toyota Motor Corporation, 4-18 Koraku, 1-chome, Dunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112, Japan  no links
Starlet * Corolla * Carina * Camry * Celica * MR2 * Supra * Previa * 4Runner * Landcruiser /// Japanese models: Sera * Tercel * Paseo * Cynos * Sprinter * Mark II Sedan * Chaser * Cresta * Crown * Aristo * Soarer * Century * Celsior * Corona * Estima Lucida
Toyota is the number One on the Japanese market and with only General Motors in front of it the world's second largest car company. 3.8 million cars were produced in 1992 (all German manufacturers combined produced 4.4 million last year).
Toyota Australia (Toyota) Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Ltd., 2-28 Alexander Avenue, Taren Point, 2229, New South Wales, Australia  no links
Corolla * Camry * Lexcen *
Toyota was the number one in Australia in 1991 and 1992, and there seems to be no reason why this should not be the same this year.

TVR
TVR Engineering Ltd., Bristol Av, Blackpool, Lancs, FY2 0JF, UK
S3 * Griffith * Chimaera
TVR is one of the few luxury sports car manufacturers that were NOT hit by the recession. In fact, they were even able to increase sales from 780 to 920 units per year.

UMM
Uniao Metalo Mecanica Lda, rua des Flores, 712, 1200 Lisboa, Portugal
Alter
UMM produces 20 units per day of the only car they produce, a somewhat ugly off roader.

UAZ
PO AvtoUAZ, Moskovskoje sh., 432008 Uljanovsk, Russia
469
UAZ has been producing off roaders since 1942. There are plans to sell a pick-up in the USA in the near future.

Vauxhall  ---> Opel

Vaz  ---> Lada

Venturi
Venturi, Port Launay, Route du Bac du Pellerin, 44220 Coueron, France
210 * 260
Venturi was founded in 1985 and was called MVS back then. When the company was sold in 1989 it received it's current name. The cars they produce are very fine sports coupés and convertibles, which go as fast as 160 mph (270 km/h).
Volga  PO GAZ, Pr. Lenina, 603046 Nizhnij Novgorod, Russia  no links
3102 * 31029 * 31022
70,000 units have been produced in 1992.
Volkswagen  Volkswagen AG, Berliner Ring 2, 38440 Wolfsburg, Germany  no links
Polo * Golf * Vento * Passat * Corrado * Caravelle (US name: EuroVan)
VW is still Europe's largest auto maker, but the company has huge financial problems. The Lopez affair does'nt help either. The design of most VWs still seems rather old fashioned. The highlights for this year are a station wagon and finally a new convertible version of the popular VW Golf.
Volkswagen Argentina (VW/Ford) Autolatina Argentina S.A., H.Ford y Panamericana, Pacheco, 1617 Buenos Aires, Argentina  no links
Gol * Senda
Autolatina is the name of a South American joint-venture of VW and Ford. The company builds many models of both companies in a former Chrysler plant.
Volkswagen Brazil (VW/ Ford) Autolatina Brasil S.A., Rua Prof. Manoelito de Ornellas 303, 04710 Sao Paulo, Brazil  no links
Gol * Parati * Voyage * Quantum * Santana * Logus
VW of Brazil worked the entire model range over. Now the cars, most of them based on older European models, at least look more modern.
Volkswagen Mexico (VW)  Volkswagen de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Planta Puebla, Puebla, Mexico  no links
Beetle * Love Bug
The Beetle runs, and runs, and runs... And will probably never stop. There are even plans to export it again to the country where it all began: Germany. Apart from the Beetle the Mexican plant produces some Golf and Jetta model, mainly for the US and Canadian market.
Volkswagen South Africa (VW) Volkswagen South Africa, Algoa Rd, Ultenhage, 6230 South Africa, South Africa  no links
Golf I Citi * Golf III GS/ GSX * Fox * Jetta * Bus Range * Audi 500
VW ranges right after Toyota, making it the country's second largest car company.
Volvo  AB Volvo, 40508 Göteborg, Sweden  no links
440/460 * 480 * 850 * 940 * 960
The outlook is more than dark for Volvo. The company lost more than US$ 700,000 in 1992. But there is hope. Renault just increased it's stake in the company from 25% to almost 100%. If the French are able to do for Volvo what they did for themselves, there might be a better future for Volvo.