Tag: chrysler

Report: Fiat expanding beyond Chrysler-paired dealerships

Filed under: Car Buying, Chrysler, Fiat

fiat 500c

2012 Fiat 500c – Click above for high-res image gallery

Fiat dealerships aren’t popping up quite as quickly as the original plans showed they would, but the retail outlets could get a push now that the automaker is looking outside of the Chrysler family. Automotive News reports that Fiat is now offering franchises to non-Chrysler dealers for the first time. There are currently 59 Fiat dealers nationwide, and the automaker plans to open 130 stores by the end of 2011

At one point, there were reportedly 130 Chrysler dealers that had been approved for a Fiat store, but many deals fell through for various reasons. A Chrysler spokesperson tells AN that letters of intent have already been sent out to seven non-Chrysler dealers.

While opening up the franchising process will likely speed up the pace of adding Fiat stores to the U.S., there are still many hurdles for the Italian make. For starters, the 500 is currently the only Fiat available in the U.S., and it could sit alone on the show floor for at least another year. And so far, Fiat has insisted that new franchises will only be awarded to those with plans to build a standalone store.

Though it doesn’t sound like a great situation to us, we’re guessing there are at least 71 more entrepreneurs willing to sign on the dotted line to gain another foothold in the car business.

Fiat expanding beyond Chrysler-paired dealerships originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Chrysler replaces Dodge Charger police car after ‘suspicious’ fire

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Chrysler, Dodge, Police/Emergency

Dodge Charger Patrol on Fire

Chrysler has agreed to replace a Dodge Charger Pursuit and all of the police gear inside for free after the vehicle mysteriously burnt to the ground. As you may recall, a Curry County, Oregon sheriff’s deputy saw his new cruiser (which had 6,000 miles on it) go crispy after stopping to assist in a search and rescue operation.

Patrick Combs, the rescuee, was found and taken to a local hospital by ambulance, but deputy Jared Gray’s new Charger Patrol didn’t survive the scene. The fire seemed to take hold in the passenger-side front wheel well and continued to reignite after fire crews extinguished the blaze.

There was one small caveat to the vehicle’s generous replacement, however. In exchange for the new set of wheels, the sheriff’s department had to agree to sign a non-disclosure, which means we may never know exactly what set the car ablaze.

As our friends at The J point out, no reports of toasty civilian Chargers have been made to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Chrysler replaces Dodge Charger police car after ‘suspicious’ fire originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 May 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Chrysler-owned dealership under California DMV scrutiny

Filed under: Government/Legal, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Fiat

Chrysler Motor Village LA

Automakers have traditionally had little luck owning car dealerships, but that hasn’t stopped them from trying. A recent effort by Chrysler led to the creation of Motor Village in downtown Los Angeles, but the local dealer association is none too pleased about the facility’s location.

Back in 2008, Chrysler purchased La Brea Avenue Motors and in January, the automaker moved the operation to its current downtown LA location. The $30 million facility is now home to Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Fiat stores. Unfortunately, it resides within 10 miles of three other Chrysler dealers, which is a violation of California franchising laws. The local dealer association brought the matter to the attention of the California New Motor Vehicle Board back in March, and the agency has since voted unanimously to have the California DMV open an investigation.

California makes one-year exceptions to the franchise law-for example, if the automaker partners with a local dealership that invests in operational improvements and plans to buy out the OEM stake-but in the case of the Motor Village, Chrysler doesn’t qualify. Lawyers for the automaker tell Automotive News that the Chrysler has attempted to find such an investor but has been unsuccessful so far. The search for a partner continues, but for now, Chrysler says the store “a test bed for new retail and marketing ideas.”

If the DMV finds Chrysler to be in violation of the franchise agreement, California could pull its business license.

Chrysler-owned dealership under California DMV scrutiny originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 28 May 2011 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: UAW to vie for board seats at GM, Ford and Chrysler

Filed under: Chrysler, Ford, GM, UAW/Unions

United Auto Workers president Bob King

The United Auto Workers currently doesn’t have any representation on the boards of General Motors, Chrysler and Ford, but boss Bob King apparently wants to change that. TheDetroitBureau.com is reporting that King and co. would like to add union representation to boards, and the UAW chief is looking to Germany for inspiration. German automakers adhere to a co-determination law that requires automakers to have union representation on the Board of Supervisors of each company.

According to TDB, the UAW hasn’t had any representation on a board since Owen Bieber (no relation to Justin) served on the board of Chrysler in the 1980s. Bieber was allegedly voted off the board for voting against executive pay raises. The union has also has some indirect representation thanks to the Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association. General Motors and Chrysler each have a VEBA representative, though the board spots aren’t affiliated with the UAW.

King hasn’t given many specifics about any plan to add union representation on company boards and he hasn’t outright called for The Detroit Three to agree to such an arrangement, but it looks like it may come sooner or later. The UAW contracts are up as of September, and there has been talk that King may want to negotiate with all three automakers at the same time instead of picking one target for pattern bargaining.

UAW to vie for board seats at GM, Ford and Chrysler originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breaking: Chrysler repays the rest of its federal loans… are SUVs to thank?

Filed under: Government/Legal, Chrysler, Earnings/Financials, Fiat

chrysler banner announces government dept paid off

It’s Official: Chrysler has announced that it has repaid its multi-billion dollar obligations owed to both the United States and Canadian governments. Adding up both loans plus interest, Chrysler has just shelled out a tidy $7.6 billion. The U.S. receives $5.9 billion and Canada will get $1.7 billion.

Chrysler was able to secure new means of financing, which allows the automaker to pay off its government obligations a full six years ahead of the original payment schedule. While this new financing still involves debts, it saves Chrysler an estimated $350 million per year in interest. This move also allows Chrysler to remain liquid, with more than $10 billion in assets ready to roll.

Under the direction of the U.S. government, Chrysler partnered up with Fiat, and the goal was to bring smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles to the states. Yet as an opinion piece in The Detroit News sagely reminds us, it wasn’t really the smaller cars that helped Chrysler, but the newly refreshed sport utility vehicles. The all-new Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee models helped push sales up 17 percent in 2010.

Regardless of how they got there, this move should serve to instill confidence in the U.S. car-buying public. Chrysler continues to add new or redesigned vehicles to its lineup and has a strong media campaign behind those vehicles. Will high gas prices slow the positive momentum that Chrysler has built up, or is this the chance for the Fiat portion of the relationship to step up and shine? Sound off in Comments, and check out the full press release posted after the jump.

Continue reading Chrysler repays the rest of its federal loans… are SUVs to thank?

Chrysler repays the rest of its federal loans… are SUVs to thank? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 May 2011 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Chrysler developing TR Ram Life Style Truck to compete with Honda Ridgeline

Filed under: Truck, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Chrysler, Dodge, Canada

2006 Dodge Rampage concept

2006 Dodge Rampage Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Does the world need a competitor to the Honda Ridgeline? While sales figures of Honda’s half-truck would lead us to believe consumers aren’t clamoring for such a vehicle (Honda only sold 16,142 Ridgelines in 2010, barely more than the 13,047 Dakota’s Dodge moved), recent reports indicate that Chrysler seems to think otherwise.

We’ve known for some time that Dodge was considering a small urban-style pickup – ever since it showed off the Rampage Concept (shown above) at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show and then mentioned it again in Chrysler’s rambling five-year plan announced in 2009 – but talk of the so-called Lifestyle Pickup had cooled off… until now.

According to wheels.ca, Chrysler suppliers were recently briefed on the automaker’s future product plans, and a replacement for the unloved Dakota is on the docket. It’s thought that Chrysler may build the vehicle in Windsor, Ontario atop its minivan platform, which lends credence to the Ridgeline comparison.

We have to wonder if the crossover platform employed by the latest (and very well-received) Durango might be a better bet, but we’ll surely reserve judgement until something more concrete than these rumors begin to surface. We’re also curious as to whether the small pickup would wear a Dodge or Ram badge. Stay tuned for more…

Chrysler developing TR Ram Life Style Truck to compete with Honda Ridgeline originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 May 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Chrysler to idle three plants early for summer shutdown due to parts shortage

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep

2011 dodge ram tradesman

2011 Ram 1500 Tradesman – Click above for high-res image gallery

Other than the temporary shut down of General Motors’ Shreveport, Louisiana plant and the loss of some paint colors, domestic automakers haven’t yet felt the brunt of parts shortages due to the March 11 earthquake in Japan. According to a report from The Detroit Free Press, that changes shortly for Chrysler. Spokeswoman Jodi Tinson tells the Freep that three plants will idle earlier than expected in an effort to “conserve parts from suppliers impacted by the situation in Japan.”

Chrysler’s Warren Truck plant, which builds the Ram 1500 and Dakota, and Toledo North, which builds the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro, will both shut down for the weeks of June 20 and June 27. The original plan was for the plants to go idle for the weeks of July 11 and July 18. The Toledo Supplier Park, which builds the Jeep Wrangler, will shut down for the week of June 20 instead of the week of July 11.

A fourth facility in Saltillo, Mexico, which builds Ram models from the base 1500 through the heavy-duty 5500, will also lose overtime on May 20, May 27, June 10 and June 24. In a move that is likely to annoy the United Auto Workers, Chrysler is also dropping the plants’ planned week of downtime.

At this point, it is unclear if Chrysler will endure more downtime as a result of parts shortages, but it appears that Team Pentastar has more than enough supplies of key vehicles to keep dealers happy for weeks if problems persist.

Chrysler to idle three plants early for summer shutdown due to parts shortage originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mopar brings a custom touch to the Chrysler 300 with grilles and wheels

Filed under: Aftermarket, Sedan, Etc., Chrysler, Design/Style

mopar brings new grilles and wheels to the 2011 chrysler 300

Mopar offers line of grilles and wheels for the 2011 Chrysler 300 – Click above for to watch video after the jump

The 2011 Chrysler 300 is a stylish full-size sedan, but there are always folks out there looking for an extra dash of “different.” Mopar is ready to offer just that, with a new line of grilles and wheels for the new Chrysler sedan. In total, Mopar has produced eight custom grilles and six new wheel designs.

Designed to mimic the exact fit-and-finish found on the factory unit, the Mopar grilles are offered in a variety of styles, including two billet aluminum versions. Price tags on the grilles range from $310 to $750. The Mopar wheels are available in 18, 19 and 20-inch sizes, and range in price from $265 to $610.

These Mopar units are a relatively affordable way to punch up the exterior look of your Chrysler 300. Check out the grilles in the gallery below, and click past the jump for a walk-through of the various styles offered along with the official press release.

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Mopar brings a custom touch to the Chrysler 300 with grilles and wheels originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 May 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Varvatos brings Attitude to the 2011 Chrysler 300 and the streets of NYC

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler

John Varvatos and the 2011 Chrysler 300

John Varvatos pilots a 2011 Chrysler 300 through NYC – Click above to watch video after the jump

Chrysler’s “Imported from Detroit” advertising campaign continues to march on. It all started with Eminem hyping up both his city and the new Chrysler 200. Now, the focus is squarely on the (much more worthy) 2011 Chrysler 300, and a new face joins the party. We’ve seen Detroit Lion Ndamukong Suh take the 300 on a trip back to his Portland, Oregon roots. In a new spot called “Attitude,” Detroit-born fashion designer John Varvatos reflects on the inspiration for his clothing.

Growing up in Detroit gave Varvatos an appreciation for all sorts of musical stylings. Moving to New York, he began to intersect his fashion sense with his love for R&B, Rock and Roll and music in general.

John Varvatos and Ndamukong Suh, along with Chrysler, are just two-thirds of the team advertising the new 300. Joining this group later this summer will be Dr. Dre, who will take the 2012 Chrysler 300 S and hit the streets of Los Angeles. For now, click past the jump to check out John Varvatos and the Chrysler 300 in “Attitude.”

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John Varvatos brings Attitude to the 2011 Chrysler 300 and the streets of NYC originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ndamukong Suh returns to his roots with the 2011 Chrysler 300

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Chrysler, Celebrities

Ndamukong Suh returns to his roots in Chrysler 300

Ndamukong Suh returns home in a 2011 Chrysler 300 – Click above to watch video after the jump

Chyrsler hit a high note when it employed the services of Eminem to show off the new 2011 200 sedan. That commercial put the exact type of spotlight on Detroit that the city was looking for. The automaker is going back to the same well stylistically for a new spot featuring the 2011 Chrysler 300. It’s still tied to The D, but this time shows a person returning to their roots back in Portland, Oregon.

That person is Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He’s returning to the place that made him the man he is, and he’s using a new Chrysler 300 to take him there. It’s not as overtly dramatic as the Eminem ad, yet it still works at both pulling you into a piece of Suh’s world and showing off the new sedan. Click past the jump to check it out.

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Ndamukong Suh returns to his roots with the 2011 Chrysler 300 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 May 2011 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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