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95-522: The opportunity for Japanese manufacturers to export more expensive models had arisen with the 1980s voluntary export restraints , negotiated by the Japanese government and U.S. trade representatives, restricting mainstream car sales. The initial success of the Legend and Honda's Acura division in competing against established European and American luxury manufacturers would lead to Toyota and Nissan creating

190-461: A North American Acura Legend sales brochure dated 1986 by American Honda Motor Company. Voluntary export restraint A voluntary export restraint ( VER ) or voluntary export restriction is a measure by which the government or an industry in the importing country arranges with the government or the competing industry in the exporting country for a restriction on the volume of the latter's exports of one or more products. By this definition,

285-536: A VER, by strictly addressing the one or few low-cost suppliers that were disrupting the domestic industry, obviated the possibility of harming third countries in the process of defending domestic manufacturers (which could have been the case with a nondiscriminatory import quota). For all of these reasons domestic policymakers often preferred a VER to alternative measures. It offered relatively quick, politically inexpensive assistance to an industry threatened by import competition. A VER could also have been attractive to

380-493: A VER. Imposition of a VER will lead to higher domestic prices of the good when: Unilateral automatic export restriction means that the exporting country unilaterally sets export quotas on its own to restrict the export of commodities. Some of these quotas are stipulated and announced by the government of the exporting country. Exporters must apply for quotas from relevant agencies and obtain an export license before exporting. Some are stipulated by exporters or trade associations of

475-533: A growing deficit in trade with Japan, and under pressure from domestic manufacturers, the US government extended the quotas for an additional year. The cap was raised to 1.85 million cars for this additional year, then to 2.3 million for 1985. The voluntary restraint was removed in 1994. The Japanese automobile industry responded by establishing assembly plants or "transplants" in the United States (primarily in

570-520: A new 161 hp (120 kW) 2.7 L C27A engine. Sedans received the new engine for 1988. The Legend was the first production Honda vehicle to offer a V6 engine. The 1987 Acura Legend LS coupe would be the first Japanese car to offer a driver's side airbag . The Legend was a result of a joint venture with Britain's Austin Rover Group called Project XX that started in November 1981 with

665-478: A one of a kind Honda alpha touring grille. North American models did not, however they did receive a factory option set of lower bumper guard foglights making all legend model interchangeable options endless. Appearance of the sedan was adopted from the first generation Legend coupe and Honda also wanted to visually align the appearance of both the Legend coupe and sedan to the Acura NSX . Legend coupes also shared

760-676: A popular form of protection during the 1980s ; they did not violate countries' agreements under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in force. As a result of the Uruguay round of the GATT, completed in 1994, World Trade Organization (WTO) members agreed not to implement any new VERs, and to phase out any existing ones over a four-year period, with exceptions grantable for one sector in each importing country. Some examples of VERs occurred with automobile exports from Japan in

855-460: A product, and 2- Measurements are phony, in general, as they are printed." In some non-audio-related publications, Bose has been cited as a producer of " high-end audio " products. Commenting in 2007 on Bose's "high-end" market positioning among audiophiles , a PC Magazine product reviewer stated, "not only is Bose equipment's sound quality not up to audiophile standards, but one could buy something that does meet these stringent requirements for

950-543: A result of the negotiations, Article 19 of the General Agreement was amended to restrict the application of automatic export restrictions. In general, restrictive trade measures are usually taken for two purposes: to protect or improve the balance of payments situation, and to provide relief for industries adversely affected by foreign competition, thus allowing them to undertake the adjustments necessary to regain competitiveness. VERs were usually implemented for

1045-461: A row and Motor Trend 's Import Car of the Year for 1987. Manual-equipped models could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in under 8 seconds and reach a top speed of 135 mph (217 km/h). Sedan models had a drag coefficient of 0.32, while coupes were only 0.30. When the Legend was introduced, Honda's newly established luxury car division just for the Legend was called Acura, using

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1140-506: A trip computer, electronic vehicle monitoring system in the center console and a Bose sound system. It was also joined by the Acura Vigor which set the stage for the larger second generation Legend introduced October 1990. For the 1990 model year, all Legends came with body-colored side mirrors. Legend coupes had a revised body-colored front grille, new red & clear tail lights, and improved front seats. LS model coupes also received

1235-458: A trunk-mounted lip spoiler. All LS models featured burlwood interior trim. Production of the first-generation models ended in 1990 as a second-generation version became available for the 1991 model year. At least by the 1990 model year, the fuel filler door on the sedan had been moved rearward about 15 cm (5.9 in). From the exterior, there are only superficial similarities between the Legend and its Rover 800/Sterling cousin. Both cars share

1330-489: A turbocharger with variable geometry in the Legend with the smaller 2.0 L V6, called the "Wing Turbo" for model year 1989. Second generation units became available October 24, 1990, now using a 200 hp (149 kW) SOHC ( C32A ) engine mated to either a standard 6-speed manual or an optional 4-speed automatic . The second generation Legend was a larger, more streamlined-looking car (drag coefficients were actually higher at 0.34 for sedans and 0.32 for coupes). The design

1425-627: Is based in Framingham, Massachusetts . It is best known for its home audio systems and speakers , noise-canceling headphones , professional audio products, and automobile sound systems . Bose has a reputation for being certainly protective of its patents, trademarks and brands. The majority owner of Bose Corporation is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . Non-voting shares were donated to MIT by founder Amar Bose and receive cash dividends. The company's annual report for

1520-643: Is beneficial to them, and then export restrictions are truly "voluntary." If voluntary export restrictions include government-to-government agreements, they usually refer to orderly market sales arrangements, and usually specify export management rules, negotiation rights, and supervision of trade flows. In some countries, especially in the United States, structured marketing arrangements are legally different from strictly defined voluntary export restrictions. Agreements involving industry participation are often referred to as voluntary restriction arrangements. The difference between these forms of voluntary export restrictions

1615-509: Is decreased competition, which should result in higher prices, profits, and employment. VERs are also noted for having a less-damaging effect on the political relations between countries and they are also relatively easy to remove. Such benefits to producers and the labor market, however, come with some notable trade-offs. VERs reduce national welfare by creating negative trade effects , negative consumption distortions , and negative production distortions . (This could again be illustrated by

1710-504: Is known for electing not to provide audio specifications for its products. This policy dates back to 1968 when Amar Bose published a paper titled "On the Design, Measurement, and Evaluation of Loudspeakers" wherein he rejected numerical test data in favor of subjective evaluation. In a 2007 interview, Amar stated: "There are two reasons we cut out the specifications: 1- We don't know of any measurements that actually determine anything about

1805-565: Is mainly legal and literal, and has nothing to do with the economic impact of voluntary export restrictions. A typical voluntary export restriction imposes restrictions on the supply of export products based on the type, country and quantity of the commodity. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade regulations on government's influence on trade prohibit export restrictions under normal circumstances; if export restrictions are approved, these restrictions must be non-discriminatory and can only be implemented through tariffs, taxes and fees. However,

1900-618: The Lexus and Infiniti brands, respectively, to compete in the luxury car market. Honda introduced the model in Japan on October 22, 1985, to be their premier luxury model, and in North America for the 1986 model year, as the top of the line model for its then-new Acura lineup. Sedan models came to the market first, powered by a 151 hp (113 kW) 2.5 L C25A V6 , with coupes making their first appearance in 1987, powered by

1995-544: The " gas-guzzlers " typically produced by the American companies toward more fuel-efficient cars (that were mostly imported from Japan). When the automobile industry in the United States was threatened by the popularity of cheaper, more fuel efficient Japanese cars, a 1981 voluntary restraint agreement limited the Japanese to exporting 1.68 million cars to the U.S. annually as stipulated by U.S Government. The agreement affected all Japanese manufactured vehicles exported to

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2090-426: The "Best Storage Solution for In-Car Environment." A prototype active suspension system, using electromagnetic motors instead of hydraulic/pneumatic power, was unveiled by the company in 2004 and was due for release in 2009. However, it did not materialize due to weight and cost. The system used electromagnetic linear motors to raise or lower the wheels of an automobile in response to uneven bumps or potholes on

2185-489: The 1981 US Automobile VER.) In the 1950s and the 1960s American manufacturers of textiles faced increasing competition from Southeast Asian countries. Therefore, the US government requested VERs be established by many of these Asian countries and was successful in doing so. During the Eisenhower administration, the United States government negotiated a voluntary export restraint with Japanese textile manufacturers to limit

2280-481: The 2.5L and 2.7L Honda engine with 160 hp (119 kW) and a 4-speed automatic transmission. The core structure and chassis design is also common to both cars, however the Rover version has its own exterior panelwork, interior and electrical systems. The Rover was also offered with a 2.0L in-line 4-cylinder engines, however the Legend was only available with V6 power regardless of market. In Japan only, Honda installed

2375-499: The 2021 financial year stated that Bose Corporation's yearly sales were $ 3.2 billion, and the company employed about 7,000 people. The company was founded in Massachusetts in 1964 by Amar Bose with angel investor funding, including Amar's thesis advisor and professor, Y. W. Lee. Bose's interest in speaker systems had begun in 1956 when he purchased an audio system and was disappointed with its performance. The purpose of

2470-658: The Austin Rover-Honda XX letter of intent signed by the two companies to replace the Rover SD1 and to provide a luxury vehicle for Honda. The Rover Company had a long established reputation as a luxury car in the United Kingdom and Europe, demonstrated with the Rover P6 , and Honda wanted to introduce a luxury car for both domestic Japanese and the United States markets. The joint development produced

2565-530: The Board. In January 2020, Bose announced that they would be closing all their more than 100 retail stores in North America, Japan, Europe, and Australia. They would retain their online presence, as well as sell their products through Target, Best Buy, and Amazon. In late January 2020, President and COO Jim Scammon replaced Phil Hess. In August 2020, Bose named their first female CEO, Lila Snyder, who

2660-582: The Legend and the corresponding British version was the Rover 800-series , which was badged under the Sterling brand in the United States and competed with the Legend. Rover also wanted to return to the American market when they had reportedly sold only 1,500 cars in 1971, and a brief return in 1980, selling 800 Rover SD1s by offering the Sterling. The Legend won Car and Driver 's Ten Best three years in

2755-570: The Legend in most other areas of the world. However the RL and RLX never achieved the sales success that the original Legend managed; by the early 2000s Acura sales would be dominated by the Acura MDX crossover 3-row SUV and the Acura TL front-wheel drive sedan while the RL contributed little, by contrast the Legend made up 40% of the marque's sales volume during Acura's early years. It can be said that

2850-578: The Legend nameplate was overshadowing the Acura marque in the United States, plus other luxury marques like Mercedes-Benz and BMW used alphanumeric designations, hence the third-generation Legend sedan would be badged as the RL for North America. The replacement for the Legend sedan was sold as the Acura RL for two generations and then the Acura RLX in North America , although Honda continued to sell it as

2945-505: The Legend sedan was available in 'base', 'L', and 'LS' trims; the coupe remained available in L and LS through its entire run. The higher-end LS cars added automatic climate control, a power four-way passenger seat, burled walnut interior trim, and body colored side moldings. Honda made significant upgrades for 1993, making a 230 hp (172 kW) Type II North America version of the SOHC C32A1 engine standard on all coupes, along with

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3040-562: The Legend was fitted with all glass headlamps as well as built-in foglights, also a flush decklid spoiler option was available from factory (1991-1993 coupes only), similar to the USDM KA3/KA4 Legend first generation coupe/sedan option . (1994-1995 coupe) rear decklids were excluded from Europe's factory flush spoiler option, as they offered a slightly enhanced curvature of decklid in the later production years. Japan, New Zealand & Europe coupe/sedan models also came fitted with

3135-614: The San Luis and Batu Kawan factories were taken over by contract manufacturer Flex in 2016 and continued to produce Bose products. Following an unsuccessful attempt to sell aftermarket car speakers, Bose's first OEM audio installation was in a MY 1983 Cadillac Seville . Bose has since supplied audio systems for many car manufacturers. In 2007, the Bose media system won the International Telematics Award for

3230-526: The SoundDock for iPod music players in 2004. Then, in May 2014, Apple bought out Beats, bringing Bose and Apple into direct competition in the headphone market. In Apple stores, Bose headphones were once the foremost brand offered, but at the time of the lawsuit, Beats products outnumbered Bose. In 2014, for the total premium headphone market share, Beats held 62%, and Bose held 22%. In October 2014, Bose dropped

3325-645: The Southern U.S. states where right-to-work laws exist as opposed to the Rust Belt states with established labor unions ) to produce mass market vehicles. Some Japanese manufacturers who had their transplant assembly factories in the Rust Belt e.g. Mazda, Mitsubishi had to have a joint venture with a Big Three manufacturer (Chrysler/Mitsubishi which became Diamond Star Motors , Ford/Mazda that evolved into AutoAlliance International ). GM established NUMMI which

3420-800: The Town of Stow of intention to vacate the 81.5 acre Stow campus after 18 years at the site, moving nearly 1500 employees to the Framingham headquarters. The Bose factories in Mexico are located in Tijuana and San Luis Río Colorado . The Malaysian Bose factory is located in Batu Kawan and is the company's Asia-Pacific and Middle East distribution hub. In 2015, two facilities in Columbia, South Carolina , US and Carrickmacross , Ireland , were closed (with

3515-400: The US economy was that the social welfare losses totalled $ 3 billion. An analysis of this particular trade policy conducted by Berry et al. in 1999 estimates the foregone revenue of the voluntary export restraint relative to a tariff amounted to $ 11.2 billion which would have nearly equaled the consumer welfare losses of $ 13.1 billion. Consumer welfare for United States domestic consumers was

3610-518: The United States, but did not include Japanese brands manufactured in the United States, such as Honda cars produced in Ohio based factories. Vehicles produced by Japanese manufacturers like Mitsubishi or Suzuki for United States brands like Chrysler and General Motors were counted in the export restraint limitations. This quota was originally intended to expire after three years, in April 1984. However, with

3705-467: The advertising slogan "Precision Crafted Performance", and the Legend was offered with one factory installed option, the choice of transmission used, and one trim level. In the 1986 sales brochure, the Legend's full name used was "Legend Touring Sedan". The vehicle was virtually identical in luxury content to the Japanese market V6Zi, but was identical in size and the longer overall length of the top level V6Xi to comply with United States crash standards, using

3800-520: The amount of imports of Japanese produced cotton products, including velveteen , cotton fabrics, and blouses which had reached an all-time high in exports in 1955. The agreement did not satisfy American textile manufacturers, leading various states to enact discriminatory labeling on imported Japanese textiles. A new bilateral VER agreement was negotiated and announced in January 1957 that capped textile imports from Japan at 235 million square yards, which

3895-421: The back. The base sedan was dropped, while a new GS sedan became the new top-line variant, sporting the 230 hp (172 kW) Type II engine, upgraded brakes from the coupe, sport suspension from the coupe, a body-colored version of the 1991 to 1993 grille, the same standard 6-speed manual transmission found on the coupes as well as the special 16-inch 5-spoke LS Coupe wheels (better known as GS Wheels ). This

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3990-453: The bilateral voluntary export restraint and resulting losses in the US market for Japanese textile manufacturers contributed to a period of strained trade relations between Japan and the United States. Textile producers in Europe faced in the 1950s and the 1960s similar problems to their US counterparts, and as a result negotiated voluntary export restraints as well. Eventually, an agreement

4085-472: The company was to develop speaker systems which used multiple speakers aimed at the surrounding walls to reflect the sound and replicate the sound of a concert hall. In 1966, the Bose 2201 was the first product sold by the company. It was an unusual design consisting of 22 speakers, with many of them facing away from the listener. The 2201 was designed to be located in the corner of a room, using reflections off

4180-426: The decimal point." In 1996, Bose sued two subsidiaries of Harman International Industries — JBL and Infinity Systems —for violating a Bose patent on elliptical tuning ports on some loudspeaker products. In 2000, the court determined that Harman was to cease using elliptical ports in its products, and Harman was to pay Bose $ 5.7 million in court costs. Harman stopped using the disputed port design but appealed

4275-464: The division accounted for about 60% of Bose's annual revenue. Bose was the first company to pay for the title of official Olympics sound system supplier, providing audio equipment for the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics in Calgary and Albertville respectively. Bose's systems have not received THX certification. The Bose L1 is a range of portable line array loudspeaker systems for musicians. The L1

4370-428: The domestic market, regardless of country or supplier. Voluntary Export Restraints are able to be negotiated to exclude certain exporting countries or suppliers, based on factors such as supplier share of the good or refutation of export limitations. Due to these key differences, the economic outcome in relation to the domestic price of the good will be different when imposing an import quota or tariff compared to imposing

4465-432: The early 1980s and with textile exports in the 1950s and 1960s. Along with import quotas , Voluntary Export Restraints (VERs) are a form of a non-tariff trade barrier . Import quotas and VERs differ in two key areas, however. Like tariffs , import quotas artificially restrict demand for the imposed good, while VERs artificially restrict supply. Additionally, import quotas and tariffs, when imposed, affect all imports into

4560-499: The early 1990s to stop the audiophile loudspeaker maker from using ".2" at the end of its product model "CS2.2". To comply with Bose's trademark of ".2" associated with the Bose Model 2.2 product, Thiel changed their model name to "CS2 2", substituting a space for the decimal point. Bose did not trademark ".3" so in 1997 when Thiel introduced the next model in the series, they named it the "Thiel 2.3", advertising "the return of

4655-522: The export of relevant commodities, and the importing country shall conduct supervision and inspection based on customs statistics. As one of the non-tariff measures, automatic export restrictions have seriously hindered the development of international trade. In September 1986, the Uruguay Round of negotiations began to include automatic export restrictions as one of the important elements of the negotiations to reduce and abolish non-tariff barriers. As

4750-405: The exporter usually agreed readily to a VER. There are ways in which a company can avoid a VER. For example, the exporting country's company can build a manufacturing plant in the country to which its exports would be directed, so that it no longer needs to export its goods to this country, and therefore would not be bound by the country's VER. This suggests that VERs were usually not effective in

4845-438: The exporting country according to the government's policy intentions. The automatic export restriction of the agreement means that the importing country and the exporting country gradually expand the self-restriction agreement or orderly marketing arrangements to provide for certain products to be exported during the validity period of the agreement. The exporting country has accordingly adopted an export licensing system. Restrict

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4940-409: The exporting country or face further retaliation (probably also in the form of protectionist policies) if it failed to do so. This was because VERs already incorporated built-in compensation in the form of rents (i.e., higher earnings arising from the scarcity of a product). This made acceptance by the exporting side more likely and retaliation less probable. Another reason for the introduction of VERs

5035-405: The exporting country, since it made the imported good scarcer, therefore a producer was enabled to raise its price. Other reasons that made a VER attractive, even for exporters, were that it provided the government of the exporting country with an element of control over the domestic industry, and it terminated the uncertainty inherent in a countervailing duty investigation. These factors suggest that

5130-416: The financial decision. At the end of 2002, the earlier judgment was upheld, but by this time, Bose's court expenses had risen to $ 8 million, all to be paid by Harman. Bose was successful in blocking QSC Audio Products from trademarking the term "PowerWave" in connection with a specific QSC amplifier technology. In 2002, a court decided that the "Wave" trademark was worthy of greater protection because it

5225-530: The government's involvement in voluntary export restrictions is not always clear. In addition, voluntary export restrictions do not always have clear market share clauses; for example, they may take the form of export forecasts and therefore become cautious in nature. VERs are typically implemented on exports from one specific country to another. VERs have been used since the 1930s at least, and have been applied to products ranging from textiles and footwear to steel , machine tools and automobiles . They became

5320-678: The importing country and deter it from imposing explicit (and less flexible) trade barriers . The implementation of VERs was prohibited in 1994 under modifications to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (Article 11). Voluntary export restrictions are usually due to pressure from importing countries. Therefore, one can consider export restrictions to be "voluntary" simply because exporting countries may find such restrictions more desirable than alternative trade barriers that importing countries may establish. In addition, in non-competitive, especially oligopolistic industries, export companies may find that negotiating voluntary export restrictions

5415-455: The initial voluntary export restraint. The Net effect on Japanese earnings was close to zero. This policy increased the US car sales and total revenue of the American car manufacturers by about $ 10 billion. The increase in earnings of the American companies was mainly paid for by the consumers in the US. By the imposition of this policy, they suffered the loss of around $ 13 billion (measured in 1983 dollars). The overall net welfare effect on

5510-478: The instrument binnacle within reach of the right hand; the opposite side of the instrument binnacle had a button to open, tilt or close the standard equipped glass moonroof with sun shade. The North American Legend was not offered with some of the items offered in Japan, such as automatic, one-touch climate control, and 100% wool cloth interior in brown. Blue interior was shared with Japan and North America, but brown

5605-412: The larger 2.5 V6 engine. The Technics supplied 80W four speaker cassette tape stereo offered four user programmable equalizer settings, and was equipped with a dual diversity antenna, meaning it had a conventional extendable power antenna and an embedded antenna in the rear window. One of the novelty items was a simple volume control rocker switch and a pre-set radio station channel selector installed on

5700-612: The lawsuit after the court determined Bose to be guilty of laches (unreasonable delays) and that Bose's assertions of fraud and the likelihood of confusion were without merit. CEDIA was criticized for spending nearly $ 1 million of its members' money on the lawsuit, and Bose was criticized for "unsportsmanlike action against its own trade association," according to Julie Jacobson of CE Pro magazine. In July 2014, Bose sued Beats Electronics for patent infringement , alleging that its "Studio" headphones line incorporated Bose noise-canceling technology. Bose and Apple had collaborated on

5795-401: The listener. The 901 was an immediate commercial success. As a result, Bose Corporation experienced rapid growth during the 1970s. The Bose 901 model name was a mainstay of the Bose line-up for many years, being produced from 1968 until 2016. In 1991, a team of Bose researchers debunked a 1989 experiment that claimed to have created energy through cold fusion . The first Bose retail store

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5890-518: The long run. This strategy was used by the Japanese car manufacturers in the attempt to avoid a US imposed VER on the import of Japanese automobiles. The option to build manufacturing facilities overseas, and in this way, bypass exporting rules is one of the main reasons why VERs have historically been ineffective in protecting domestic producers. With functioning VERs, producers in the importing country experience an increase in well-being as there

5985-500: The loss of 300 and 140 jobs, respectively) as part of a "global streamlining of Bose's supply chain. Bose used the Columbia facility, which opened in 1993, for distribution and repair, sub-manufacturing and regional manufacturing, and final assembly for some headsets. The Carrickmacross factory began operations in 1978 and did the final assembly for some home theater systems, Wave radios, and other regional manufacturing. The operation of

6080-547: The luxury marques distanced themselves from its parent brand which was mass marketed) in order to make more money from a limited number of cars. The effect of the voluntary export restraint was, that it raised the prices of the cars imported from Japan for about $ 1200, while reducing their sales. After the initial institution of the voluntary export restraint in 1981, prices of Japanese imported vehicles did not raise significantly. However, significant increases in price of Japanese cars from 1986 onward can be attributed as an effect of

6175-482: The magazine Consumer Reports for libel. Consumer Reports reported in a review that the sound from the system they reviewed "tended to wander about the room." Initially, the Federal District Court found that Consumer Reports "had published the false statement with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of its truth or falsity" when it changed what the original reviewer wrote about

6270-434: The most affected by this voluntary export restraint, with the majority of the burden disproportionately falling on the consumers with more inelastic demand for Japanese manufactured products, especially vehicles. Bose Corporation Bose Corporation ( / b oʊ z / ) is an American manufacturing company that predominantly sells audio equipment . The company was established by Amar Bose in 1964 and

6365-476: The one-piece front headlamps already in use in Japan since the 1985 introduction, a revised front bumper, trunk lid, tail light cluster, and an upgraded double-wishbone rear suspension, with a new alloy wheel appearance. By that time all Legends came equipped with a Honda-designed 4-wheel anti-lock brake system. A driver's side airbag was now standard on all Legends. Other features such as power driver's seat memory for 3 positions were added. High-end LS models featured

6460-403: The option of a 6-speed manual transmission (for 1993-1995 coupes 1994-1995 sedan). The LS version of the sedan lost the option for a manual transmission and was only available with an automatic transmission from then on. 1993 also saw the addition of dual airbags as standard equipment in all trims, the deletion of the black molding on the entry-level cars, and a new wheel design with fewer spokes on

6555-417: The renaming of the Legend to the RL, as well as Honda's refusal to adopt a front-engine rear-wheel drive layout which typify the more expensive luxury cars, had hurt sales of the RL and other Acura passenger cars. Information added to the first generation Legend was compiled from a 1986 Japanese language Honda Legend brochure, a Japanese market Honda Legend Press Information brochure dated October 22, 1985, and

6650-449: The road. Bose claimed up to a 90% reduction in driver's seat vibration. As of 2018, automobile brands that have Bose audio systems free in their vehicles are Buick , Cadillac , Chevrolet , Fiat , GMC , Honda , Hyundai , Infiniti , Kia , Mazda , Mitsubishi , Nissan , Renault and Porsche . Bose's product range has included: In 2012, Bose was the highest-selling company in the United States for retail home theater systems and

6745-430: The road. The wheels are raised when approaching a bump (or lowered into a pothole) to keep the automobile level, using principles similar to noise cancelling audio devices. A prototype car had been engineered to jump over an obstacle. The company said that the system was too expensive and heavy, even after development over more than 20 years and costing $ 100 million. In November 2017, it was reported that Bose had sold

6840-546: The same mirror design as the first generation NSX. The segment the Legend originally filled was now being served by the Acura Vigor which allowed the Legend to position itself more towards the rear drive Lexus LS and the Infiniti Q45 sedans. Honda decided not to upgrade the size of the engine to a V8 because it would have upstaged the Acura NSX which has a V6 that introduced Honda's VTEC technology. For 1991 and 1992

6935-408: The same price or, often, for less." Bose has also received mixed reviews from the public. Bose has not been certified by THX for its home entertainment products even though its more expensive home theater products compete at prices where THX certification is common. Some other views include: Audio industry professionals have described Bose as a litigious company. In 1981, Bose unsuccessfully sued

7030-714: The second generation Legend were licensed to Daewoo Motors of South Korea , where a clone of the Legend sedan, called the Daewoo Arcadia , was produced from 1994 to 1999. During this period, Honda also held a small stake in Daewoo Motors. The Legend was a very successful vehicle to launch Acura as a separate division, and combined with sales of the Integra this resulted in Acura outselling longtime luxury marques BMW and Mercedes-Benz as well as Toyota's new luxury division Lexus . Nonetheless Honda executives felt that

7125-411: The second reason and compared to the other protectionist policies they offered several advantages, at least from the viewpoint of the protecting country. For example in contrast to imposing protectionist measures under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) rules (as amended before 1994), a protectionist country was, in the case of imposing a VER, not expected to negotiate compensations with

7220-465: The sedans (16-spoke vs. 20-spoke). To reach the higher output, the Type II engine has bigger intake valves, a higher lift camshaft, and an exhaust with freer flow. For the 1994–95 model years, all Legends received new front bumper and trunk lid designs, a new front grille (L & LS Sedans only), and a power tilt-telescoping steering column; the word "Legend" was now spelled out in individual letters on

7315-540: The speakers in his pre-publication draft, that the sound tended to wander "along the wall." The Court of Appeals then reversed the trial court's ruling on liability, and the United States Supreme Court affirmed in a 6–3 vote in the case Bose Corp. v. Consumers Union of United States, Inc. , finding that the statement was made without actual malice , and therefore there was no libel. In an interview decades later Amar Bose said "We had 37 people at

7410-433: The technology to ClearMotion. In May 2018, it was announced that five major car manufacturers had expressed interest in the technology and that it may be available in 2019 for low-volume vehicles and by 2020 for the mass market. A truck seat system called Bose Ride was introduced in 2010. This active seat system aims to reduce fatigue, back pain and physical stress experienced by truck drivers by reducing vibration from

7505-412: The term VER is a generic reference for all bilaterally agreed measures to restrain exports. They are sometimes referred to as 'Export Visas'. The restraint could be a preset limit, a reduction in the exported amount, or a complete restriction. Typically VERs arise when industries seek protection from competing imports from particular countries. VERs are then offered by the exporting country to appease

7600-427: The third highest-selling for portable audio products. The company has sold aviation headsets since 1989 and consumer headphones since 2000. The current range of headphones/headsets consists of over-ear, in-ear, aviation and military models. Bose has contracts with the U.S. military and NASA . The Bose Professional division was established in 1972 to produce and install public address systems . In 2009,

7695-425: The time. I gathered them in one room and said, 'If we don't do anything, it will probably kill us. But if we do something, we have no credibility since we're just a small company, and we can't do anything against this.' I said I think we oughtta do something. I wanted a vote. It was unanimous in favor of taking action. Little did we know it would take 14 years to go through the legal process." Bose sued Thiel Audio in

7790-404: The walls to increase the apparent size of the room. The 2201 failed in the marketplace and was discontinued after three or four years. After this experience, Bose concluded that the audio system measurement techniques of the time (such as measuring distortion and frequency response) were ineffective ways to evaluate the goal of natural sound reproduction. Bose argued that the listener's perception

7885-572: Was MIT permitted to participate in the company's management and governance. Following Amar Bose's death in 2013, Bob Maresca became the Chief Executive Officer. In June 2016, Bose and Flex manufacturing extended their strategic partnership, transferring Bose operations in Malaysia and Mexico to Flex. At the end of 2017, Maresca stepped down as CEO, and Bose President Phil Hess took the position. Maresca remained Chairman of

7980-440: Was equivalent to roughly 1.5% of American textile industry output at the time. The VER resulted in a decline of Japanese cotton exports totaling $ 84 million in 1956 and $ 69 million in 1961. American textile manufacturers continued to lobby for additional VERs and import quotas against unrestrained low-wage competitors from Hong Kong and India that had filled the gap in the US market left by the reduced Japanese imports. The legacy of

8075-566: Was formerly an executive at Pitney Bowes . Snyder, who took her position in September 2020, is an MIT alumna, having earned her masters and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering there. Bose's products are manufactured in the United States, Mexico, China and Malaysia. The company's factories in the United States are located in Framingham, Massachusetts (also the site of the company headquarters), Westborough, Massachusetts and Stow, Massachusetts . In early 2021, Bose Corporation notified

8170-572: Was initially a joint venture with Toyota which later expanded to include a Canadian subsidiary ( CAMI )) - a GM/Suzuki which were consolidated that evolved into the Geo division in the U.S. (its Canadian counterparts Passport and Asuna were short lived - Isuzu automobiles manufactured during this era were sold as captive imports ). The Japanese Big Three (Honda, Toyota, and Nissan) also began exporting bigger, more expensive cars (soon under their newly formed luxury brands like Acura , Lexus , and Infiniti -

8265-476: Was introduced in 2003 with models retroactively known as the "L1 Classic" range. These products were replaced by the "L1 Model I" and "L1 Model II" in 2007. A smaller and lighter "L1 Compact" model was introduced April 2009. The L1 Model I was replaced by the "L1 Model 1S" in 2012, and the "B1 Bass Module" was replaced by the larger "B2 Bass Module". Since the 1980s, Bose has offered 25-volt and 70-volt installed commercial audio systems for businesses. The company

8360-495: Was not offered in North America, and "sand gray" was offered instead. Exterior colors were matched to only one interior color choice and leather was not offered. Due to the success Honda had with the Legend, it served as an inspiration for the Subaru Legacy with which it shares many visual resemblances and dimensions both inside and out. In late 1988 for the 1989 model year, the sedan received some minor tweaks, upgrading to

8455-480: Was opened in 1993 in Kittery, Maine . In 2011, then-chairman and primary stockholder Amar Bose donated the majority of the firm's non-voting shares to his former employer and alma mater, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . An annual cash dividend is paid out to "advance the research and education mission of MIT." However, the conditions of receiving the shares stated that MIT was not allowed to sell them, nor

8550-528: Was reached between the exporting and importing parties within the textile industry that led to the formation of the Multi-Fiber Agreement in the 1970s. This agreement was essentially an arrangement of multilateral voluntary export restraints. It was terminated in 2005 after the expiry of a ten-year transition period since the 1994 GAT. Following the 1979 oil crisis , the American auto producers suffered record losses as customers moved away from

8645-692: Was referred to as a "fuselage" shape, and had rear-wheel drive proportions which were possible thanks to the use of a longitudinally mounted engine; unusual for front-wheel-drive automobiles. The Legend offered a host of features seen on luxury cars of today including dual front driver & passenger airbags (standard on 1991 Legend LS, 1992 L and LS trims), speed-sensitive steering, hands-free telephone, automatic climate control, heated leather seats, heated mirrors, four-wheel ABS disc brakes, seatbelt pretensioners , and electric soft-close doors (coupe only). Japan and New Zealand coupe/sedan models came factory with one-piece headlamps and built-in foglights. In Europe

8740-455: Was that imposing tariff or quotas on foreign goods may be politically risky since the costs of such measures can be recognized by the public. Because the VER was an action taken by a foreign entity, domestic legislative struggle could be avoided. Furthermore, the administrative costs associated with protectionism were reduced this way and transferred to the exporting country. A third reason was that

8835-468: Was the best measure of audio quality. Also in 1968, the company introduced the Bose 901 stereo speaker system, which used eight mid-range drivers pointing towards the wall behind the speaker, and a ninth driver towards the listener. This design aimed to achieve a dominance of reflected over direct sound in home listening spaces. The design used in the 901 was unconventional compared with most systems, where mid-range and high-frequency speakers directly face

8930-467: Was the only 6-speed sedan offered. Added for 1995 was the limited-production 'SE' sedan, which was essentially a Legend 'L' with a two-tone paint scheme, pre-1993 15-inch 7-spoke 'LS' coupe wheels, "Special Edition" floor mats, and an automatic transmission. The Japan Domestic Market version of the 1990 Legend (second generation) was the second vehicle offered with a navigation system ( electro Gyrocator ). The tooling and intellectual property rights of

9025-601: Was well-known on its own, even beyond its association with Bose. In 2003, Bose sued Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association (CEDIA), a non-profit electronics trade organization, for use of the "Electronic Lifestyles" trademark, which CEDIA has been using since 1997. Bose argued that the trademark interfered with its own "Lifestyle" trademark. Bose had previously sued to protect its "Lifestyle" trademark beginning in 1996 with success against Motorola and continuing with settlements against New England Stereo, Lifestyle Technologies, Optoma and AMX . In May 2007, CEDIA won

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