Dealers express renewed confidence in Chrysler's future

The Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge Dealer Council met with company executives last week. After two days of meetings and a confidential preview of products in the Chrysler pipeline, the council co-chairs, Jim Arrigo of West Palm Beach, Florida, and Hayden Elder of Athens, Texas, came away with renewed confidence in the company and its future. They decided to share their impressions with their fellow dealers and bought a full-page ad in today's Automotive News. The text of their letter is below:

Dear Dealer Colleagues,

On behalf of the 18 members of your Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge Dealer Council, we are pleased to share with you the highlights of our recent two-day meeting with Chrysler management in Auburn Hills. Throughout the meeting, Jim Press, Steven Landry and Chrysler Financial's Darryl Jackson and Mark Manzo demonstrated that they are living by the ideals of "Customer First" and "Quality Period" and are committed to partnering with the dealers and driving dealer profitability. We left Auburn Hills very enthusiastic about our future products, and the processes being used to enhance their quality, appeal and reliability.

The meeting included good healthy dialogue on the issues of the day. But more importantly, we got renewed confidence in the financial health of the company, the future product plans and the commitment to quality.

Our first event was a visit to the Design Dome for an up close look at 2009-2011 models. Without a doubt, the current leadership's commitment to products and quality is having a significant impact on the lineup. The quality of materials put into the new interiors, such as in the new Dodge Ram, is unbelievable. The new approach to enhancing quality is evident in everything we saw. Jim Press then gave us an impressive look at product plans all the way out to 2014. Jim made it clear that Chrysler, with the support of Cerberus, is in this business to win and is making the investments in future products we need to succeed.

The surprise of the day came when Lou Rhodes, the President of Chrysler's advanced propulsion technologies/electric vehicle group, ENVI, gave us an opportunity to experience a developmental advanced-electric-powered automobile. It was fast, quiet and the technology is closer to market ready than any of us would have imagined. ENVI is a significant part of our future as Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealers, and we were thrilled to see Chrysler's progress in environmentally friendly advanced technology for the next generation.

We left Auburn Hills with two clear challenges. First, leveraging all the tools we have at our disposal to drive sales in August and September. There are strong incentives available that can help us run out the model year and be ready for a stronger 2009. Secondly, we have to focus on preparing our businesses for a greatly enhanced, high-quality Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge product lineup in the coming years.

We look forward to our local council meetings to report out the details of our discussions and share some insight into Chrysler's vision of the future. At the end of the meeting, Jim Press made it clear that the company is "all in" to grow our business, and the dealer council echoed that commitment on behalf of all 3,400 dealers. We are truly excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for us.

Thank you for your support.

Jim Arrigo and Hayden Elder
Dealer Council Co-Chairs

Posted on August 18, 2008. 538 views so far. ID 1567.

Chrysler sued by SCO

SCO, which has threatened for over a year to sue Linux end-users but which has refused to provide any evidence that they have a basis for the lawsuits, has announced that they are suing DaimlerChrysler as one of their first targets. DCX was presumably chosen because the legal staff is occupied fighting a real lawsuit brought by Kirk Kerkorian. SCO is largely funded by Microsoft, which reportedly paid $11 million "above the table" for rights to SCO's questionable "intellectual property." A page at http://www.opensource.org/halloween/halloween10.html suggests that they actually are funneling $86 million to SCO's legal efforts. Microsoft has been fighting Linux and open-source software on many fronts since losing several major deals to Linux vendors - including the city of Munich, and, perhaps most serious, the government of China. SCO has claimed that Linux infringes on their rights to a version of UNIX purchased from AT&T, but has not shown any evidence to support that claim. Many commentators believe that SCO is simply working as an arm of Microsoft to create fear, uncertainty, and doubt about the viability of Linux (just as Microsoft spread "FUD" about DR-DOS many years ago). A settlement by DCX would probably be used to push forward other lawsuits by SCO, which is an interesting business model - not unlike buying successful companies, sucking out their assets, mismanaging them, and blaming them for dragging down the parent company.

Reported by Dave at (March 09 2004, 10 AM)

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Dave Steel in new racing series

Dave Steele, who has become known as a leader in Mopar's open-wheel racing stable, will take to the asphalt behind the wheel for two new teams in the USAC National Midget Series and the pavement division of the USAC National Sprint Car Series. (Click "Full Story" to read more.)

Reported by Dave at (March 09 2004, 01 PM)

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Chrysler Racing Wrapup

Click on "Full Story" for news on World of Outlaws, drag racing, NASCAR Truck, and more.

Reported by Dave at (March 09 2004, 01 PM)

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Consumer Reports dings German cars

While long-time Allpar readers know how we feel about Consumer Reports' reliability survey, it must be causing some consternation at Mercedes. While the Jeep Liberty and Chrysler PT Cruiser did very well in the ratings, American cars as a class improved their standing to outrank European cars for the first time since the magazine has started their ratings. Detroit News noted that "all Mercedes-Benz models were below average, as were all Audis, Jaguars, Land Rovers and the BMW 7-Series, X5 and Mini Cooper." The BMW 3-series did well, as did some Volvos and Saabs.

Reported by Dave at (March 09 2004, 01 PM)

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New software for news posting!

To resolve issues with the old news software - notably our inability to control how much of an article would be posted, and login issues - we have installed this nice new system, PHPNews. It should also be a bit quicker, and is easier to customize. It is under active development.

For an RSS feed, use http://www.allpar.com/noos/allpar.xml

Reported by Dave at (March 09 2004, 03 PM)

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Durango best in Car & Driver comparison - Expedition last

ScottB noted that Car & Driver picked the Durango as the best large SUV over (in descending order) the Nissan Armada, Toyota Sequoia, Chevy Tahoe and Ford Expedition.

They averaged 14MPG with the 5.7L Hemi, while moving from 0-60 in 7.2 seconds - both excellent numbers for a full-sized SUV. (Read Allpar's review here.)

Reported by Dave at (March 09 2004, 05 PM)

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Dodge Charger finally made official

The much-rumored Dodge Charger has finally been confirmed, according to Detroit News, and is expected to debut in January 2005, with actual sales starting in spring 2005.

Though based on the LX, the Charger will, according to Chrysler, look very different from the Magnum and 300 - though they have also said the Magnum and 300 look very different from each other.

Until the Charger is released, there will be no full-sized Dodge sedans, though there is still a stockpile of Dodge Intrepids being sold.

Select Full Story for a photo.

Reported by Dave at (March 10 2004, 08 AM)

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Ray joins Mopar team

Wilke-PAK Motorsports chose Davey Ray to fill an empty seat in their USAC Midget Series (open wheel) team. (Click on Full Story for details.)

Reported by Dave at (March 11 2004, 08 AM)

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Colorado not a threat to the Dakota?

acarplace.com has reviewed the Chevy Colorado, noting that it seems to be in a different class than the Dakota, rather than being direct competition.

http://www.acarplace.com/

Reported by Dave at (March 11 2004, 09 AM)

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2003 All Motor champion Scott Mohler to stay with Mopar team

2003 All Motor champion Scott Mohler will stay with Mopar team for the 2004 NHRA Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series, which starts March 13. (Click Full Story for more.)

Reported by Dave at (March 11 2004, 03 PM)

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Microsoft helps fund DCX lawsuit

SCO, which has gone from a UNIX publisher to a lawsuit generator, announced last week that it would sue two of its customers, DaimlerChrysler and AutoZone. BusinessWeek recently reported that while Microsoft did not directly fund the lawsuits - it did pay a substantial sum for "licensing" just after SCO began to threaten to sue Linux end-users - but it did set up SCO Group with hedge fund BayStar Capital, which made a $50 million investment in SCO last October.

Many have suggested that Microsoft is using SCO to intimidate businesses into staying away from Linux, even as many businesses and governments are choosing the open-source operating system to avoid licensing fees, worms, viruses, and "proprietary standards." Industry observers generally seem to believe that SCO's claims are without merit, and are a combination of extortion scheme and Microsoft public relations program.

DaimlerChrysler has not yet announced their reaction to the lawsuit.

Reported by Dave at (March 12 2004, 08 AM)

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Chat with Mopar racer Jay Drake

Team Mopar's Jay Drake will be the featured guest on Racers-Chat.com this coming Monday, March 15, 2004 at 8 pm EST. Fans will have the opportunity to pose questions on to the interactive Web Site.

Drake will seek the USAC National Sprint, Midget and Silver Crown Series Championships for Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises and Team Mopar in 2004.

Reported by Dave at (March 12 2004, 05 PM)

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AEV puts Hemi into Jeep Wrangler

Even as Chrysler is set to put Hemi V8s into Grand Cherokees, an aftermarket firm, AEV, is putting the engines - complete with five-speed automatics - into otherwise stock Wranglers. They boast of double the power of the 4.0 six, only 57 lb extra weight, and full use of all accessories and gauges. The setup may not be legal in some states. (Thanks, DOC.)

Reported by Dave at (March 15 2004, 09 AM)

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Crossfire price cut by nearly 15%

Facing poor sales, Chrysler has cut the price of the Crossfire by nearly 15%, bringing it under the magical $30,000. Aside from showing how much money the Mercedes logo brings - the Crossfire is essentially a restyled and retuned prior-generation SLK, which nearly every reviewer has said is substantially better than the original - the Crossfire has been a public relations and sales failure, and its model may have backfired by causing many to assume that the LX is a prior-generation Mercedes as well.

On a positive note, the action of lowering the price rather than throwing rebates around may be a harbinger of things to come. Allpar has previously editorialized on the need to adjust pricing rather than use heavy rebates.

Reported by Dave at (March 15 2004, 09 AM)

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MoparSpeed Racing Update

In the past, we have reposted MoparSpeed updates at this site. However, because MoparSpeed has both a Web site and a mailing list, we are instead suggesting that you sign up with their site, http://www.moparspeed.com/, for weekly (or more frequent) updates on the Mopar racing scene.

Reported by Dave at (March 16 2004, 02 PM)

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Tracy Hines to race for Mopar on March 27

Mopar's Tracy Hines will return to his midget racing roots, as he will compete in the Mopar Twin 25's at Irwindale Speedway in California on March 27. He captured one of the two 25-lap feature events at Irwindale Speedway during the Mopar Twin 25's event in 2003.

"Just having the horsepower that the Mopar engines make will be a tremendous asset for us," Hines said. "The total package that Mopar offers is just outstanding. The powerplant will give us an excellent shot at winning the event."

Tickets can be purchased for the event by calling (800) 515-8445. For more information regarding the Mopar Twin 25's, log on to www.twin25s.com or midgetmadness.com.

Reported by Dave at (March 17 2004, 11 AM)

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Large vans get stability control

Both General Motors and Ford have announced that, in the next few years, they will make stability control systems standard in their full-sized vans, in the wake of a number of fatalities from van rollovers.

While Chrysler once had the largest market share in full-sized vans, the last Dodge "B-van" was phased out of production recently, with the Sprinter and a new van, reportedly designed in the United States but to debut as a Mercedes in Europe, replacing them (but competing less directly with GM and Ford).

Reported by Dave at (March 17 2004, 11 AM)

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Ford caught, plans appeal

Reuters notes that Ford will appeal an Illinois judge's decision to order a new crash test on their Police Interceptor, which is used by a majority of police departments in the United States. At issue is whether Ford's trunk liner actually prevents fuel leaks during crashes.

Judge Lloyd Cueto found that Ford's claims regarding the liner as printed in a brochure were deceptive, based on tests conducted by the city of Dallas, and said he believed the deception was intentional.

Judge Cueto ordered Ford to perform a 75-mile-per-hour crash test no later than May 15 and to pay $62,217 in legal fees.

Crown Victoria police cars have been involved in the deaths of at least 16 police officers, leading Ford to sell a "trunk pack" to keep equipment from puncturing the fuel tanks of Crown Victorias in a crash. Dallas officials tested the pack and said it actually caused leaks. Ford responded with a brochure sent to over 30,000 customers, saying, in essence, that the tests were rigged.

Reported by Dave at (March 17 2004, 11 AM)

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Mitsubishi predicts larger loss

Mitsubishi has changed its loss prediction for the fiscal year ending in March 2004 from $99 million to $673 million. Analysts had praised Mitsubishi's strategy of selling to younger buyers before a large number of loan defaults caused the company to tighten credit, with a corresponding drop in market share.

Juergen Schrempp has responded in standard fashion, by sending a team of German Mercedes executives to Japan.

Reported by Dave at (March 17 2004, 11 AM)

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Chrysler announces new products for 2004

Chrysler released its official list of new vehicles to be sold in 2004 (most as 2005 models; thanks, E8502):

1. Chrysler 300
2. Chrysler Crossfire Roadster
3. Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible
4. Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan
5. Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
6. Jeep Grand Cherokee
7. Dodge Magnum
8. Dodge Dakota
9. Dodge Ram SRT-10

Following is the complete list of the ten new or refreshed vehicles that will be introduced in markets outside of North America in 2004.

1. Chrysler 300C Sedan
2. Chrysler 300C Touring (wagon)
3. Chrysler Crossfire Roadster
4. Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe
5. Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Roadster
6. Chrysler PT Cruiser Cabrio
7. Chrysler Voyager and Grand Voyager with 2.8L Common-rail Diesel
8-9. Two significantly freshened Jeep vehicles with updated diesel powertrain
10. Dodge Viper SRT-10 (some time in 2004)

Reported by Dave at (March 17 2004, 04 PM)

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Mopar readies for USAC racing season

The 2004 Team Mopar members are ready to tackle a season of firsts as the USAC racing season opens this weekend with the Copper World Classic at Phoenix International Raceway.

Reported by Dave at (March 19 2004, 10 AM)

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Chrysler Sebring seems to "run away"

A 1996 Sebring Convertible went out of control in a parade, injuring several people. The model had been recalled for frayed throttle cables, and the vehicle in question had been repaired by a dealer. Police are focusing on the vehicle. A friend claimed that the driver had tried to use the brakes and shift into Park, and that neither worked to stop the car. However, past cases of unintended acceleration have generally turned out to be the driver's fault, since the brakes on most cars can hold the engine. Chrysler is studying the vehicle and the videotape before making an official announcement.

Reported by Dave at (March 21 2004, 03 PM)

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PT engine fires investigated

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration is investigating seven complaints of car fires in 2001 and 2002 PT Cruisers, six of which resulted in vehicle destruction, and two in injuries. 170,000 2002 models were sold, so the likelihood of problems is still small. Chrysler recalled the relatively trouble-free PTs two years ago because their fuel pumps could leak and cause a fire; these incidents may be related.

Reported by Dave at (March 21 2004, 03 PM)

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EPA orders Ford to retest Superfund site in New Jersey

The EPA has ordered Ford to conduct new tests on a 500 acre site next to Ringwood State Park, which Ford had used as a dump for car parts, solvents, and toxic sludge from 1967 to 1974. In 1983, Ford was ordered to clean the site at a cost of $2.5 million. However, local residents say the site is still littered with sludge and other possibly toxic materials. While the EPA certified in 1994 that surface areas were cleaned, some sections, including mine shafts, were only covered with dirt. Soil testing has revealed a lead concentration nearly 300 times what the U.S. government allows (lead poisoning is serious for adults but more so for children - it has been closely linked to mental retardation and physical illnesses).

Reported by Dave at (March 22 2004, 09 AM)

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Seven-seat Grand Cherokee variant to be separate model

Dieter Zetsche was quoted by AutoWeek as saying that there would be no seven-seat Grand Cherokee as such, since current owners saw the vehicle's "nimbleness and compact dimensions" as advantages. However, the Grand Cherokee platform, already rumored to be the basis of a Mercedes full-size van and a possible minivan, will be adapted to a separate seven-seat model, long rumored as the new Wagoneer.

Reported by Dave at (March 22 2004, 09 AM)

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March sales

Chrysler overall sales have fallen 2% month to month, with a first-quarter rise of 3%. Car sales plunged 10% for the month, 17% for the quarter; truck sales remained even for the month, up 8% for the quarter. It is important to note that the Intrepid, Concorde, and 300M ceased production and so sales declines are to be expected (300 is repoted as having a sales increase, oddly). For results by car, click on "FULL STORY."

General Motors recorded across the board sales increases, with trucks gaining 4% and cars rising 9% compared with March 2003. Total first quarter sales were up 5% over last year, with trucks gaining 7.5% and cars 1.5%.

At Ford, sales rose 3% overall March to March, with trucks rising 8.4% and cars falling 6.6%. Their gains were led by the F-Series and Escape, with the Taurus and Focus both falling 16% and 21% respectively. Despite the sales growth of the F-150, Ford has raised the rebate package to $1,500.

Nissan saw an incredible 30% gain, albeit on far fewer sales than GM or Ford.

Mercedes has fallen 10% compared to March 2003, and 5% quarter-to-quarter. Chrysler Group sells roughly ten times as many vehicles in the US as Mercedes.

Bill Cawthon noted: "Toyota was up, Caravan is still ahead of Sienna and Odyssey. Lexus and Acura both set records, and BMW, Porsche and Audi all had stong months."

Reported by Dave at (April 01 2004, 02 PM)

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Briefs

The Mopar Nationals will be held on the weekend of May 15-16. On Saturday, only muffled cars will race - including a new class, front wheel drive. The racing fee is $25. (Thanks, Steve Menegon.)

Ford has been refused the rights to Futura, their planned name for a new midsized car, as a court found that the trademark belongs to Pep Boys. (Unlike copyrights, trademarks last only a short time after their final commercial use.)

Reported by Dave at (April 06 2004, 08 AM)

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Jeep Grand Cherokee, Liberty diesel introduced

Jeep has unveiled its long-anticipated 2005 Grand Cherokee, as well as an updated Liberty complete with a diesel option. We have details - see the home page.

Reported by Dave at (April 07 2004, 08 AM)

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Auto Show Update

As expected, Chrysler introduced the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the revised Liberty, which includes a more-differentiated Renegade model as well as a diesel option. These are both described in detail on the home page. The diesel was very quiet - quieter, in fact, than the 3.7 liter V6.

We noted that AutoStick is being replaced by a new electronic gearshift in both the LX series and in the Grand Cherokee. The new system does not yet have a trademarked name (lots of people will be disappointed if it is named Charger). This shifter avoids some of the awkwardness of an AutoStick by acting only temporarily; you control the gears until you reach cruising speed, or come to a stop, as it was explained to us. The idea is that you will use it when you want to override the transmission temporarily. This avoids the embarassing "oops, I left it in AutoStick" high-revving that some have experienced coming away from a stoplight. The shifter does not have different Drive and Override positions; to override, you push the shifter left or right.

The Grand Cherokee is far more elegant from the side than it would seem in the photos, and looks better from side or back than the current model. The front still takes getting used to, though it's not so bad in 3/4 view. The chrome trim works well.

Jeep reps pointed to better off-road capabilities - the independent front suspension was designed by Jeep for Jeep (Eric Ridenour emphasized the Jeep origin of the suspension. Mercedes was never mentioned even though they supply the V6 transmission.) There has been a 10% increase in suspension travel, an improvement in articulation, and, perhaps most important, far faster reactions by the electronically controlled clutches than with the past pumps. In addition to reacting with 45 degrees of a wheel turn, the new system operates whether the accelerator is pressed or not - unlike the current pump-operated Varilock system.

Both Joe Eberhardt, speaking with a mild German accent, and Eric Ridenour expressed pride in the Jeep name and brand. They did not introduce the new models until several older vehicles, from the original Army Jeep through to the previous Grand Cherokee, had run over the dirt course. They also showed images of a number of past Jeeps on the monitor, one from an AMC brochure - with the logo still showing.

Camp Jeep is in a large area to the side of the main auto show, with an off-road course that looks quite imposing - including steep dirt hills. Smaller people will have their own miniature play area, with miniature Jeeps, while adults are driven across the track by professional drivers.

We will update our pages over the next day or two to include this information, as well as additional details that are being provided.

Reported by Dave2 at (April 07 2004, 03 PM)

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