Car Makers to Form Internet Parts Venture

General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler said they planned to form an Internet portal to connect all the companies serving the estimated $550-billion global market for automotive parts and services. The first product for the yet-to-be-named venture will be CollisionLink, which will connect automotive dealership service centers with collision repair shops via the Internet, helping to eliminate wrong orders and cutting costs and time. The auto makers partnered with imaging and information management company Bell & Howell Co. to create the venture. Each partner will own 25% of the company, focusing initially on the United States and Canada.