PHILADELPHIA-Pep Boys-Manny, Moe and Jack has opened its first Parts USA, a 13,000-sq.-ft. store in Houston with some 22,000 items but no auto service bays or tires. The company reportedly plans to open at least 10 of the stores during 1995.
Pep Boys also reported that in its fiscal fourth quarter it opened 27 Supercenters-which have approximately 23,000 square feet of space and 11 service bays.
`Goodwrench' program
GM expanding its 'Goodwrench' program
DETROIT-General Motors Corp. plans to expand two of its Goodwrench service programs into new test markets.
In January, GM's Service Parts Operations moved its Goodwrench Parts System program into the Jacksonville, Fla., area.
In addition, this spring the Goodwrench Service Plus program will expand into metropolitan areas in Texas, California and Georgia, as well as a major northeastern market, the company said. The program began its test run in Columbus, Ohio, in 1991 and in Chicago two years later.
Dealers who participate in the Service Plus program pledge to have convenient service department hours and to complete most services while customers wait, or provide courtesy transportation when the service can't be done immediately.
In brief
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Philatron International is recalling 1,505 air brake hoses-Part No. S3-600-15-CBR-because the hoses do not meet the construction, tensile strength and air pressure requirements of federal brake hose safety standards.
Ever wonder about sport utility vehicle popularity? The Specialty Equipment Market Association, citing a sales report from Land Rover, said the company produced 94,716 vehicles in 1994-with more than half of them Discovery-model SUVs, compared with 30,020 Jaguar cars last year.