Unleashing the Power

This isn't just a redesign — it's the beginning of a new era. With this issue, Ward's AutoWorld becomes more than a monthly magazine. It becomes a conduit for some of the auto industry's most powerful print and electronic information tools.

Ward's, after all, is a family of publications and data services: It includes the statistical news weekly Ward's Automotive Reports, the authoritative bi-monthly Ward's Engine and Vehicle Technology Update and the monthly Ward's Dealer Business. We're also the world leader in sales and production statistics. Even the Federal Reserve relies on our extensive data to shape its economic forecasts.

We have a staff of 16 of the most knowledgeable automotive journalists in the business, plus a dozen correspondents scattered throughout the world. They break important stories every day that are found nowhere else. Plus we have half a dozen folks in our Data Group gathering and analyzing every day the vital statistics that drive our industry.

Their information in turn shows up not only in Ward's Automotive Reports, but also a variety of special products and the annual Ward's Automotive Yearbook. All this news and data is available daily on WardsAuto.com, the auto industry's most sophisticated and comprehensive subscription Website. (A number of major auto makers and suppliers already are making the Website available to employees through corporate-wide subscriptions.)

As these varied resources converge within the pages of AutoWorld, they will give you an understanding of the global automotive industry that is unmatched in its depth.

One of the ways we'll do this is by using far more of the data we have in-house to illuminate the stories we cover. And if you ever want more information on anything you read, you're sure to find it on WardsAuto.com.

That's why we changed our logo. Now it reflects who and what we are: It's big and bold and can barely be contained on a page, just like the information Ward's provides. That's why we've changed other aspects of the magazine as well.

We've greatly expanded our news section to give you the full benefit of our global newsgathering capabilities, and we've added a new column called Outlook to showcase the depth we have in forecasting and statistical analysis.

Don't worry, Ward's AutoWorld will continue to deliver the forward-looking, in-depth analysis of news and trends you expect, and all the pointed commentary, too. And we'll continue to cover all the bases related to manufacturing, safety and product technology. But starting with this issue, you're going to have access to so much more. Ward's AutoWorld will be your ticket — and your guide — to the many tiers of the Ward's franchise: Now literally — as well as figuratively — the biggest name in the industry.