Archive for the 'Auto industry' Category
November 19th, 2009 by Bill Cawthon
Four Chrysler vehicles were named Top Safety Picks for 2010 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety while Toyota failed to place a single car or truck on the list. Chrysler also had more domestic models on the list than either Ford or General Motors.
Chrysler got the nod for the Avenger and Sebring sedans when equipped with optional Electronic Stability Control, the Dodge Journey and the Jeep Patriot with optional thorax side air bags.
Ford got the largest number of picks with six, but four of those went to Volvo. Only the Taurus and Lincoln MKS made the grade for Ford’s domestic brands. GM was represented by the Buick LaCrosse and Chevy Malibus made after October 2009.
Subaru got five picks, Volkswagen got four, plus one for the Audi A3. Two Hondas made the list along with one each for Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan.
November 18th, 2009 by Bill Cawthon
Chrysler will invest $179 million in the Dundee, Michigan plant it formerly shared with Mitsubishi and Hyundai in the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance which was dissolved earlier this year. The funding will be used to covert production to building Fiat’s 1.4-liter, four-cylinder engines. The plant is expected to produce about 250,000 engines each year and will add an estimated 155 new jobs to the plant.
THe change will also help Fiat SpA to achieve one of the goals set by the government for increasing its ownership of Chrysler. By building an engine in the U.S., Fiat can increase its stake to 25 percent. It’s anticipated that Fiat will be able to achieve all the benchmarks to have a 35 percent controlling ownership of Chrysler by the end of 2011.
November 18th, 2009 by Bill Cawthon
Gary Peters, Democratic Congressman from Bloomfield Township, has taken issue with remarks made by former Republican Presidential candidate John MacCain. While serving as grand marshal at a NASCAR event in Arizona, McCain said, “Anybody believes that Chrysler is going to survive, I’d like to meet them.”
Peters accepted the challenge in a letter, saying he “will meet with you at your convenience to discuss the future of Chrysler and the contribution they make to our nation’s economy.” Peters added, “Better yet, I’d be more than happy to bring you to my district to meet with thousands of Americans who are working hard every day to design new and exciting vehicles and ensure the continued future of the American automobile industry. Hopefully then you might choose to be a partner in the continued success of an industry critically important to our country.”
Peters also contested McCain’s claim the United Auto Workers refused to renegotiate existing contracts. In fact, the UAW agreed to a number of contract changes, including an agreement to allow new workers to be hired at half the existing contract rate, to help Chrysler and GM before they filed for bankruptcy.
McCain declined to back down, other than to clarify his remarks, changing “Anyone” to “Any objective observer.” In a reply to Peters’ letter, McCain said, “As I am sure you know, I have spent a considerable amount of time in Michigan over the years, and have seen firsthand the great work achieved by the citizens of Michigan. Their perseverance merits praise.”
McCain’s remarks seem to be part of a GOP effort to discredit the efforts of Chrysler and General Motors to recover and become profitable again. Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, seized upon GM’s announcement of a third-quarter loss, saying this was “further proof that President Obama’s economic experiments are wrong for America.”
Steele’s comments ignore the fact that the bailouts were started under President George W. Bush after he and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson engineered an almost-no-strings-attached, $750 billion bailout of Paulson’s cronies on Wall Street. Furthermore, at the beginning of the third quarter, General Motors was in bankruptcy. In addition, GM’s sales in the most recent reported month were actually ahead of October 2008, marking the General’s first month-over-month improvement in almost two years.
November 18th, 2009 by DaveAdmin
The 2011 Fiat Doblo, which is expected to eventually be exported to the United States in commercial vehicle form, has been announced. The small van is designed to carry up to seven people.
The original Doblo had sales of nearly one million; the new one has been thoroughly re-engineered on a new platform with a standard 108 inch wheelbase.
Minivan models have fold and flip seats, with numerous storage compartments. Both interior and exterior have been reworked. The EuroDoblo will have four
engines: a 95 bhp gasoline (petrol) and three low-noise diesels with 90 to 135 hp. A Natural Power dual fuel (gas and methane) is to be added along with another Dualogic diesel. Start & Stop is optional; it shuts down the engine while standing idle.
The rear suspension is bi-link, calibrated for each model. Stability control, ABS with electronic brake distribution, and a hill-holder are standard.
Doblo Cargo has a squarish cargo bay, with sliding side doors and a large rear hatch. It has an inner length up to 2.2 meters [a meter is three inches just longer than a yard], width between wheel arches of 1.23 meters, and volume from 3.4 to 4.2 cubic meters (120-148 cubic feet). Combined gas mileage is around 4.8 liters / 100 km with the smallest diesel – around 49 mpg but that engine is unlikely to be used in North America. The range includes short and long wheelbase vans with high roof versions.
Minivan models have fold and flip seats, with numerous storage compartments. Both interior and exterior have been reworked. The EuroDoblo will have four engines: a 95 bhp gasoline (petrol) and three low-noise diesels with 90 to 135 hp. A Natural Power dual fuel (gas and methane) is to be added along with another Dualogic diesel. Start & Stop is optional; it shuts down the engine while standing idle.
The rear suspension is bi-link, calibrated for each model. Stability control, ABS with electronic brake distribution, and a hill-holder are standard.
Doblo Cargo has a squarish cargo bay, with sliding side doors and a large rear hatch. It has an inner length up to 2.2 meters [a meter is three inches just longer than a yard], width between wheel arches of 1.23 meters, and volume from 3.4 to 4.2 cubic meters (120-148 cubic feet). Combined gas mileage is around 4.8 liters / 100 km with the smallest diesel – around 49 mpg but that engine is unlikely to be used in North America. The range includes short and long wheelbase vans with high roof versions.
November 13th, 2009 by Bill Cawthon
The Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills is putting on its holiday finery for its “Cars, Trees & Traditions” exhibit, Nov. 21-Dec. 30. The fifth annual seasonal exhibit returns with enhanced décor, a vintage pedal car display and new programs.
“Cars, Trees & Traditions” spotlights eight decades of holiday style through 23 nostalgically- and thematically-decked evergreen trees, paired with vehicles from the museum’s collection. Each vignette is wrapped with text, images and advertisements reminiscent of holidays past. Following the exhibition’s narrative from one vignette to the next, guests see how vehicle progression—from horseless carriages to enclosed, more comfortable and better engineered models—helped change the ways in which Americans celebrated the season’s festivities.
New for 2009
Thirty vintage pedal cars dating back to the 1920s, including many Chrysler-inspired models and specialty vehicles, will lend an additional nostalgic touch to this year’s exhibition. The miniature cars and trucks are from the private collections of Greg Gladki of Westland, Mich., and Earl Ickes of Clinton Township, Mich. Among the pedal cars on display:will be a 1925 Hudson, 1937 Airflow Sedan, 1938 Dodge Sedan, 1939 Chrysler Airflow Fire Truck, 1939 Dodge, 1941 Dodge Fire Chief, 1941 Chrysler Sedan, 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury, 1968 Dodge Charger and a Jeep.
Cars, Trees & Traditions opens with Family Fun Day, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21. Events include informal exhibition tours and visits with Santa in a vintage Dodge truck ( bring your camera), a host of holiday crafts, air brush body art (11 a.m.-1 p.m.). At 11:30 a.m., Lisa Gleeson, of Lisa’s Gift Qrappers in Royal Oak, will present Christmas Traditions Unwrapped, a program presenting the origins of many holiday traditions, including the Christmas tree’s German roots, how St. Nicolas, the Bishop of Myra, became Santa Claus and the custom of exchanging wrapped gifts.
The museum’s gift shop also will feature discounts on a number of collectibles, providing an opportunity for guests to get a jump on their holiday shopping.
Special Family Fun Day admission is $7.50 per person for ages 2 and older, and $28 for a family of four. (Member admission is $6.25 per person and $24 per family of four.)
Holiday Ornament Workshops
For crafty guests, the museum is hosting Holiday Ornament Workshops, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. or 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, including a bulb-making session, refreshments and an exhibition tour. Participants will create a keepsake memento from a favorite photo scanned prior to the workshop and slipped into a glass bulb. Participants will adorn the ornaments with a variety of silk flowers, leaves, beads and baubles—all with the help of a pro, Kathy Burm of Bulbs by Blondie. Registration is $21/person, including Museum admission ($19 for members). Visit Featured Events at www.wpchryslermuseum.org or e-mail events@wpchryslermuseum.org for registration and details for submitting photos via e-mail or mail.
Saturday Crafts
Everyone in the family can test their creativity with holiday crafts du jour, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Saturday from Thanksgiving through year’s end. Two to three child-friendly crafts will be offered each Saturday with regular museum admission.
“Cars, Trees & Traditions” will be open for self-guided tours from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. The museum is closed every Monday, as well as Nov. 25 and 26, and Dec. 24 and 25.
General museum admission, which includes “Cars, Trees & Traditions,” is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors (62 and older) and $4 for juniors (6 – 12). Children 5 years old and younger are free. Admission is $4 per person for groups of 15 or more with advance registration.
For more information—and two-for-one admission coupons—visit the Museum website or call (248) 944-0001. To schedule a group visit, e-mail grouptours@wpchryslermuseum.org or call (248) 944-0450. Two-for-one admission coupons are not valid for Family Fun Day or the Holiday Ornament Workshops.
November 13th, 2009 by DaveAdmin
The police car market has, in recent decades, tended to be dominated by one manufacturer at a time, with Chrysler holding 80% during the Diplomat/Gran Fury years, Chevrolet holding a dominant share during the Caprice years, and Ford coming in strong when there were no competing rear-wheel-drive domestic pursuit sedans from other automakers. Since its launch, the Dodge Charger police car has been adopted by numerous police agencies despite (according to reports) a heavy price premium. Now, it seems that the Charger can be the most affordable, as well as the most capable, police car.
A recently published Florida contract guide shows the 2010 Dodge Charger squad car, equipped for police usage, at $19,184 marked, or $19,718 with the “street appearance” package. The Chevrolet Impala, usually the low-cost leader and the only major squad car with front wheel drive, listed at $19,246 marked, or a low $18,745 unmarked. Ford came in at $21,119 marked, $21,317 with street appearance (3.27 axle; 3.55 axle was extra). Lead time on the Chargers was, however, the longest of the three, with 120 days quoted vs 60 for the Chevy and 90 for the Ford.
The listings are titled “Police pursuit automobile” and therefore likely include the Hemi engine rather than the V6. However, the model code does not specify which engine is used.
All Ford orders must be in by May 14, 2010, and there may be a rush of final orders as fleet managers eager to keep everything standardized and uniform stock up for future years when convenience takes a back seat to performance and economy.
Chrysler does not have an entry for special service SUVs this year.
November 12th, 2009 by DaveAdmin
The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit has announced the debut of Electric Avenue, a 37,000 square foot feature on the main floor of the 2010 show. The new showcase will spotlight electric vehicles and technology of both traditional automakers and innovative entrepreneurs. The new exhibit has already secured sponsorship by The Dow Chemical Company.
