justinjsw

Tom Elliott to retire from Honda
Former Mazda COO Mendel named as successor

By Dale Jewett
Automotive News / December 01, 2004


Honda's Tom Elliott, above, will be replaced by John Mendel.
Tom Elliott, the highest-ranking American executive at Honda Motor Co.'s U.S. operations, will retire next year, the automaker confirmed on Wednesday.

Elliott, 64, will be replaced by John Mendel, 49, who unexpectedly quit as COO of Mazda's North American Operations in mid-November.

Elliott is American Honda Motor Co. Inc.'s executive vice president of automobile operations. He is in charge of product planning, advertising, marketing, public relations and distribution for Honda and Acura vehicles.

Mendel is a 28-year Ford Motor Co. veteran who had risen through the marketing ranks. His career includes a stint as marketing director at Ford of Britain. At Mazda, he led the effort to get more dealers to build exclusive stores for the brand.

Mendel started at Honda on Wednesday, Dec. 1, as a senior vice president and will work alongside Elliott, a Honda spokesman says. Honda did not give a specific date for Elliott's retirement.

Over the past year, Elliott has presided over the launch of key products for Honda, including the redesigned Odyssey minivan and the next-generation Acura RL luxury sedan. He is expected to be on hand in January when Honda unveils the production Ridgeline pickup truck at the Detroit auto show.

Elliott joined Honda in 1970 as a sales assistant. He worked through a series of regional jobs until being appointed assistant vice president in 1980. Three years later he was named vice president of automobile operations. He was named to the American Honda board of directors in 1988 and joined the Honda North America board of directors in 1992.

Elliott has also been a key executive in Honda's racing programs in North America, spending several years as the automaker's point man in the Indy Racing League and the former Championship Auto Racing Teams series

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

Hmm...hopefully Medel won't screw with the quality side of things, but be able to bring some of Mazda's zoom-zoom attitude to encourage production of some serious sportscars.

justinjsw

Maybe give the green light to bring a couple of V8s stateside.

Justin, who is waiting for the V8/IMA/AWD super sedan from Honda

F23A4

Good riddance. He's probably the reason why the USDM got the Si and RSX-S FP instead of the CTR and ITR. (He's also probably why the TL was detuned to 270hp instead of the 300hp+ attained in development.)

dom

These guys take what Honda Japan gives them.

TSX 'R' US

I fixed your post for ya

justinjsw

Thats not entirely true you noob...its a little of give and take. If NA Honda don't ask...JDM Honda won't give.

dom

And you don't think they asked for a V8 and RWD? long ago

sauceman

I'm just anxious to see what good will come of it.

justinjsw

The dealers did...Tom E. didn't. Tom E. thought when the S2000 was designed Honda can just stick a V6 in it and bring it over as an Acura...so with that in mind he never asked for a roadster for NA Acura. JDM Honda said the only way to get a V6 in is to design a new platform...and theres no way Honda was going to do that.

Tom E. is a Honda guy...plain and simple...he didn't know what to do with Acura...dressing up an accord and calling it a CL doesn't work.

Dude, I think I know a little bit more of whats going on in the national
meetings...

dom

I have a hard time believing a guy as knowledgeable about cars as Tom E would just presume a V6 fit in the S2000 so he didn't bother asking for a specific Acura roadster. Thats like presuming the 3.0L V6 fit in the TSX, which I'm sure many people did and still do.

I have no doubt dealers ask for alot of things at the national meetings but in the end its Honda Japan that nakes the final call. Honda NA is mainly here to simply market and sell what Honda provides.

jaydub

Here's hoping it bodes well for Honda and Acura in the future.

ABP-CL9-TSX

Lets hope he helps turns things around at Honda. Make it like Mazda and come out with rides that ppl would actually want to own....and not something like a dumped down/cheapened 7th gen bland aging crappy Honda Civic.

vybzkartel

Hmmmmmm........are you trying to tell us something, Mr. Oracle?

justinjsw

Domn, you are way over your head on this one. When I have some time maybe we can go thru what Tom E and NA Honda has done to Acura...and why Acura to date is still looked upon as a souped up H. The reasons has everything to do with Tom E.

justinjsw

No, not really...but I do have my fingers crossed.

TSX 'R' US

me too

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

wow...you sure do have a lot of fingers...

sauceman

I will be waiting to hear about this too!

domn, you may see it in your business as well, and I see it in mine. An administrator sees things from an administartive perspective. They usually see it the way an accountant does. They are not engineers, and they are not working on the field, so it is hard for them to know what is reasonnable to ask when producing a car.

A good example of this would be when Ferdinand Piech demanded a Bugatti with 1001hp and a top speed of over 400kph. Well the engineers have overrun their deadlines, and still don't see when they'll be able to commercialize the Veyron.

dom

How am I over my head? my post states that in the end ts Honda Japan that makes the final call, nothing more. Of course Honda NA asks for certain things from Honda Inc. But explain to me why Honda was so late to the SUV game and are now late to the V8 and RWD game? Because Honda Inc was and is dragging their feet worried more about the European and Asian markets then they are about the NA market.

I'll take your word that Tom E drove Acura into the ground, not doubting that, but what I am saying that even if he did ask for a roadster and a V8 and RWD platform, he wouldn't have gotten it anyway.

justinjsw

Why was NA Honda so late to the SUV gm?...Because Tom E. never saw it coming.

I never said T.E. drove Acura to the ground...DO NOT put words in to my mouth. What Im trying to say is T.E. did not know how to seperate the Honda and Acura brands. He managed Acura as if it was Honda...a smaller step brother. And it should have been the other way around. Acura should have been in the fore front, a show case for what Honda had to offer to the world...instead Acura was/is secondary in NA. Honda is to make do with less...apply that to Acura and it won't work...just enough in the luxo market is not enough.

The S2000 is a great example... T.E. had the say as to which brand it could have went to. He chose NA Honda...his thinking was if Acura really needed a roadster some time down the line they can always built off the S2000 platform. The problem is the X platform is a stand alone platform...who dropped the ball here I don't know...but who runs the show for NA Honda?...T.E... Its his job to know.

Tom E. maked a great Honda guy...Acura...no way. Forget cars...just look at the advertisements for Honda and Acura...they look the same. Its only the last 2 yrs when they changed that. And who is in charge of NA advertising?

Ask anybody that know anything about Honda/Acura and what Tom E. meant to the company. 99% will say Tom is a Honda guy.

dom

Or because Honda Inc, did'nt give him anything to work with?

So he did a poor job of maketing Acura, or poor job of managing what products were sold by Acura?

I'd argue he knew, but couldn't do a damn thing about it.

Thats my point as well. Its Tom E's and everyone else at Honda NA job to market what their given. The RL is another great example. I'm sure they wanted a RWD V8 in there and I'm sure they asked for it long ago. Problem is, Honda didn't give them one, not sure how you can blame that on Tom E? Unless he hasn't been asking for one to Honda Inc which I seriously doubt.

justinjsw

You know everything Domn.

dom

Did I say I know everything. Notice my points have question marks after them.

Didn't know because you sell cars, your word is final

justinjsw

You are in charge of NA operations...the MDX was designed and builted here for the NA market now imported back to Japan...so what are you talking about honda Inc, didn't give him anything to work with. He never saw the luxo SUV market till it hit him in the face.



Both


You know him and the company better than I do than.



.

Tom E. is a follower not a visionary.

justinjsw

First of I don't sell cars. Im a corp finance manager for the Auto group. I am allowed to sell because thats where I started and I enjoy doing it.

My word is not final. Because I maked no statement. You said NA Honda gets what is given. I said its not entirely true. You called that my word is final???

You are the lame one.

sauceman

dom

They were late to the game, they needed a platform, that was my point.

That doesn't mean I can't speculate or question what really occured. And I have a real hard time beleiving that someone who is the head of a company like Honda NA didn't realize the S2000 could not be altered. Not saying it didn't happen that way, just saying I don't beleive it.

Don't know and never disagreed with your thoughts on Tom E. I'm just a believer in the theory that Tom E and everyone at Honda NA is at the mercy of Honda Inc.

dom

I thought we were having a discusson about this? But apparently you don't like people questioning you, which is apparently what I was doing. But since you know everything about Tom E and Honda just close the thread after you post info about them. Since you know it all, there's no need for discussion.

Grow up dude.

justinjsw

What the fuk are u talking about.

You maked a blanket statement I said its not entirely true. You catch a hard on because I disagreed with you.

Then you call me out about what I do and call me lame in an open forum...who needs to grow up here...Mr. Mega Mod.

justinjsw

Read your own post dude...#5...I questioned you...Not you questioning me.

I responded by telling you what I have come to learned from working in Torrance.

The discussions are fine with me till you called me out...

TSX 'R' US

:ultraghey: