Showing posts with label Chrysler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chrysler. Show all posts

11/04/2011

It Came from eBay Hell: 1990 Chrysler LeBaron Convertible Thingamajig


If there was ever an automotive hell, you would probably be forced to roam the roads driving something like this customized 1990 Chrysler LeBaron that is currently up for sale on eBay.

The custom model mixes all sorts of bits and pieces from numerous eras and styles in a way that only someone with the taste buds of Victor Frankenstein would have been proud of calling his own. But as the old adage goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

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10/28/2011

Chrysler Group's New SRT8 Video Works Visually but not Aurally


We all like watching powerful cars drifting slideways and burning rubber and fortunately, we get plenty of that in the Chrysler Group's new SRT video starring the 2012MY SRT8 versions of the Chrysler 300, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Challenger and Charger.

But (there's always a but, isn't there?) while there's no doubt that the clip is visually stimulating, it completely misses the point when it comes to making our ears happy. Watch the video after the break and you'll see/hear what we mean.

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10/26/2011

Ford’s Reliability Suffers in Consumer Reports Survey, Japanese Brands Rule and Europeans are a Mixed Bag


Consumer Reports has published its 2011 annual auto survey in which the main point of interest, as the report states, is a sharp decline in Ford’s so far “solid reliability record”: the Detroit carmaker dropped 10 places in the overall reliability ranks.

According to CR's survey, which is based on responses from 1.3 million vehicles owners, Ford’s drop from 10th to 20th place among 28 carmakers can be attributed to two main factors. The first is that all three of Ford’s new models, i.e. the Explorer, Fiesta and Focus, scored below average in reliability in their first year on the market.

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10/24/2011

eBay Find: Virgil Exner's 1956 Chrysler Plainsman Wagon Concept


The 1950s were the Golden Age for Detroit car designers as they experimented with tail fins, various screen angles, rocket-shaped fenders and, in general, all kinds of configurations, launching wonderful concept cars at Motor Shows.

The Chrysler Corporations' Vice President of Styling, the famed Virgil Exner, was responsible in one way or another for most of the company's concepts cars at the time, including this 1956 Chrysler Plainsman study.

The Plainsman is a unique two-door station wagon with seating for up to eight with many novel features such as the rear-facing third row of seats that are power operated to raise or sink in the trunk.

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10/21/2011

Ram Expands Range with New 1500 Mossy Oak Edition, and Power Wagon ST and Laramie Models


The Chrysler Group's Ram division presented three new pickup truck variants today, including the 2012 1500 Mossy Oak Edition and the Power Wagon ST and Laramie models.

Staring off with the 2012 Ram 1500 Mossy Oak , the special edition version is set to arrive in dealerships in December 2011 with pricing set at US$39,910, including $995 destination charge.

The limited-run model was created in cooperation with Mossy Oak, which is a camouflage brand. This explains the odd-looking Mossy Oak Breakup Infinity trim on the center console and door panel inserts that have the opposite effect of camouflage…

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Ya Don't Say: New Dodge Viper Debut at…Rides and Smiles Rumor Debunked


We had no intention of reporting on the somewhat far-fetched rumor about the 2013 Dodge Viper making its world premiere during a…charity event called "Rides and Smiles" at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida, but since Mr. Matt Hardigree from Jalopnik took another stab at you know auto-what called a Dodge spokesperson to see what was going on, here we are.

And yes, as you may have already figured out, the Dodge PR said it ain't happening. For the record, the rumor surfaced in the form of a report that appeared on TopSpeed and which cited a page on SAMA (Southern Automotive Media Association) talking about the…2009 Rides N' Smiles event as the source.

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10/20/2011

Weak USD Makes Small Car Imports Expensive, American Buyers Turn to Domestic Brands


Is a weak dollar a good thing? If you’re asking the U.S. car industry, it most definitely is. Imported car prices have reached their highest point in the last 12 years, thus driving some of their prospective buyers away.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, in August the average price of an imported car reached a record high of $31,536. That makes the price difference between a comparable domestic-made car $7,614, which is the largest since December 1999.

Add to that the severe supply issues faced by the Japanese manufacturers, who are only now starting to recover from the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake, and it’s easy to see why more and more American car buyers are choosing domestic brands instead.

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Federal Judge Approves $120 Million Legal Fees for “Old” GM Lawyers


The U.S. car industry bailout process was a troubled one but at least ended well as both General Motors and Chrysler are in much better shape than two years ago. In fact, GM has even regained its number one spot in world sales. All is well that ends well, then.

However, the matter of fees and expenses for the lawyers and consultants that were owed by the “Old”, i.e. bankrupt, GM, remained. These professionals worked for the company during the bailout, and then requested their fees.

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Fiat Group Loses Big in Europe, Hits a 20-Year Low Mark in Italy


Just two days ago, we reported that Fiat Group CEO, Sergio Marchionne, said that he would make the North American market Alfa Romeo’s top priority.

Now the Italian automaker’s boss admits that his company is facing huge troubles in Europe as in the first nine months of 2011, the company's sales decreased by 12% compared to the same period last year, with its share in the European market dropping from 8.2% to 7.3%.

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10/19/2011

Chrysler Invests $165 Million in Michigan Assembly Plant


Chrysler announced today that it will invest $165 million in its Sterling Heights, Michigan plant to add a new state of the art, one million square-foot body shop.

Last December, the Detroit carmaker had also revealed that it would invest close to $850 million in the plant’s new paint shop and stamping facilities in Sterling Heights and Warren. The latest investment ups Chrysler’s total investments in its US factories to $3.5 billion since June of 2009 .

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New Lancia Thema Sedan Available in Europe [Gallery with 67 Photos]


On Wednesday, Lancia made its new Thema sedan available in the European market.

The Italian firm's first full-size saloon model after the ill-fated Thesis was discontinued in 2009, is one of two models to emerge from the alliance between Lancia and Chrysler, the other one being the Town & Country-based Voyager MPV.

The Thema is in essence a Chrysler 300 wearing Lancia badges and as such, it was an easy and cheap solution for the Fiat Group to expand Lancia's range upwards without sinking valuable resources into the brand that was once famous for its achievements in the World Rally scene.

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10/15/2011

eBay Find: 1967 Jeep Jeepster Commando Convertible C101


Now here’s something you don't see very often: a 1967 Jeep Jeepster Commando Convertible that has been listed for sale on eBay. But how about a little history before we see what the "deal" with this eBay find is?

Willys-Overland Motors introduced the Jeepster nameplate after the end of WWII as the company attempted to create a vehicle that would bridge the gap between trucks and passenger vehicles. The original Jeepster was produced from 1948 to 1950.

After Kaiser absorbed Willys-Overland Motors in the mid-1950s, the company re-introduced the nameplate in 1966 with the new Jeepster Commando that proved to be more successful than the original model. It was eventually offered in three body styles including pickup truck, convertible and wagon.

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10/13/2011

Chrysler LLC and UAW Reach an Agreement over New Contract


After General Motors and Ford, Chrysler is the last of Detroit's Big Three to reach an agreement with the United Auto Workers union.

The new four-year contract, which is the first after Chrysler’s 2009 bailout and the Fiat deal, covers UAW’s 26,000 Chrysler workers and will create 2,100 new jobs, with Chrysler committing to invest US$4.5 billion in its US plants.

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10/12/2011

Imported from Detroit? Made in the USA Foundation Doesn’t think so, Sues Chrysler and Ford


Chrysler's “Imported from Detroit” campaign that began airing during the Super Bowl earlier this year and continued with several more spots later on, has grasped the interest of viewers and consumers alike.

Unfortunately for Chrysler, it has also caught the attention of the Made in the USA Foundation, which filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against Chrysler's claims for false advertising. And it’s not only Chrysler as the non-profit consumer group is also targeting Ford for the same reason.

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10/10/2011

Change of Plans for Chrysler Group, will Eliminate Duplicate Models, Hints at U.S. Market Delta


The product plan brewing continues over at the Fiat Group – Chrysler LLC alliance. Following the recent news on the Jeep and Alfa Romeo brands, the group's CEO Sergio Marchionne offered new details on Chrysler LLC's strategy.

In an interview with Automotive News, Marchionne said that the company has revised its Project Genesis plan, which was put in place in 2008 when Chrysler was still under the ownership of Cerberus Capital Management.

The two key elements of the Genesis plan are merging the dealerships of all four Chrysler group brands, including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram under one roof, (with only a few exceptions), and abolishing duplicate products that are the result of badge-engineering such as the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger, and the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan.

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10/04/2011

Singapore Company Selling Off 150 Brand-New 1997 Chrysler Neons


To answer your first question, no, we do not know how a Singapore based company got a hold of 150 allegedly brand-new 1997 Chrysler Neon sedans with zero mileage.

The ad along with a single picture showing some of the Neon cars covered in layers and layers of dust was posted by Arete Trading Pte Ltd. on Alibaba, which is an Asian online marketplace.

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10/03/2011

Alfa Romeo Lays Out Product Plans Until 2014, Readying a New RWD Saloon with a V6 Engine


Out of all the mainstream brands included in the Fiat Group and Chrysler LLC portfolio, Alfa Romeo has the most potential to achieve a global reach and bring in some much needed cash and sales. The Italian company's boss Sergio Marchionne is well aware of this and that's one of the reasons he doesn't want to sell Alfa Romeo to Volkswagen, despite Ferdinand Piechs' persistent efforts.

However, one of the most pressing problems with Alfa Romeo is the constant delays, be that for the successors to models like the 159 series or the company's long-awaited return to the U.S. market.

Suffice it to say, there's no way of being sure that the Fiat Group has managed to sort out the time schedule-related problems when it comes to Alfa Romeo. Nevertheless, at a recent event for investors, the Fiat Group introduced an updated plan for the Milanese brand, which it hopes will revitalize Alfa Romeo through the presentation of new models.

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Former Chrysler CEO Nardelli Says Cerberus Could Have Saved the Automaker


It's been two years since Bob Nardelli stepped down as Chrysler CEO while the company was still owned by private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP, for which he still works, but the 63-year-old exec still has the hots for the Detroit carmaker.

During an interview with The Detroit News on the sidelines of a recent Dow Jones conference in New York, Nardelli said that the Obama administration didn’t have to give Chrysler away to Fiat as he believes Cerberus could have done a better job of saving the automaker.

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