Chrysler News
-
Toyota, Nissan and Honda all build cars in the U.S. General Motors, Chrysler and Ford all build cars in Mexico and Canada in addition to within the U.S. It's hard to know which car is built where as a consumer, and the American International Automobile Dealer's Association (AIADA) is upset over President Barack Obama's 'buy American' message in during the Chrysler bankruptcy announcement yesterday. The organization, which represents the 11,000 foreign nameplate car dealerships in the U.S., thinks the 'American' distinction is irrelevant. "In today’s globalized economy ’buying...
-
Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli sheds light on resignationNews of Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli's departure has been making the rounds recently, but now the resigning chief has shed some light on the matter. Unlike his former counterpart at General Motors, Nardelli insists that he was not asked by the Obama administration to step down from the helm at...
James Martinez -
Chrysler and Fiat finally form global strategic allianceBankruptcy is the word of the day for Chrysler, but 'merger' will soon be replacing it. The whole bankruptcy process is being pushed forward quickly to eliminate the remaining obstacles between Chrysler's viability and the Fiat merger. President Obama's speech today reflected this path, confirming...
Nelson Ireson -
White House confirms bankruptcy plans for Chrysler, Nardelli to step downThe White House has announced Chrysler's entry into bankruptcy protection today, with talks between the Treasury Department and the carmaker failing to reach an agreement on the last day before the auto industry task force’s restructuring deadline. No further talks are planned but President...
Ralph Hanson -
Chrysler and UAW reach agreement, bankruptcy still likelyIt’s official. Chrysler and the UAW have come to an agreement, with members of the nationwide union group ratifying an earlier proposed agreement by a strong majority. According to UAW president Ron Gettelfinger, the union realizes that the contract concessions that have just been ratified...
Ralph Hanson -
Chrysler and UAW reach agreementIt’s official. Chrysler and the UAW have come to an agreement, with members of the nationwide union group ratifying an earlier proposed agreement by a strong majority. According to UAW president Ron Gettelfinger, the union realizes that the contract concessions that have just been ratified...
Ralph Hanson -
Despite the troubles in Detroit and Washington for U.S. carmakers, almost three-quarters of the buying public say they'd buy American - and over half of U.S. consumers are in the market for a new car within two years, according to a recent survey. The news is a glimpse of silver lining in the cloud currently hanging over the market, and General Motors and Chrysler in particular. The survey, conducted by R.L. Polk & CO., may have to be taken with a grain of salt given the smallish 1,361-person sample size, but assuming their methods are sound, the study shows that 55% of U.S. consumers will be...
-
Report: UAW will get 55% stake in ChryslerIn a hugely positive step for Chrysler, the carmaker announced on Monday that it had reached a deal with the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union, while also agreeing to revised labor terms with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. With just a few days left before the April 30 deadline for...
Nelson Ireson -
Daimler agrees to offload 19.9% stake in ChryslerLast October Daimler was forced to write-down the value of its remaining 19.9% stake in Chrysler to zero, yet up until now the German auto giant was still trying to sell the shares. Daimler has announced today that is has reached an agreement to unload its remaining stake in Chrysler, while also...
James Martinez -
Government preparing for possible Chrysler bankruptcyAs the April 30 deadline for Chrysler to restructure its business looms closer, the Treasury department has begun to prepare a bankruptcy filing for the struggling carmaker. The news highlights the severity of Chrysler's situation should it fail to enact a deal with Italian auto giant Fiat, but the...
James Martinez -
Chrysler presents electric minivan concepts for U.S. Postal ServiceChrysler may be on the brink of bankruptcy but that hasn't stopped the company from trying to claw its way back into the now burgeoning electric market - with the help of the U.S. Postal Service. This week the company showed off four all-electric Chrysler Town & Country minivan concepts, which it...
James Martinez -
Chrysler creditors offer to swap debt for equityChrysler's race to turn its debts into equity took a major turn for the better today, with an offer from a group of banks and hedge funds that hold almost $7 billion in debt. The group is proposing to exchange around $2.5 billion of Chrysler's debt, but only in exchange for close to 40% of the...
James Martinez -
Negotiations between Chrysler and Fiat regarding an alliance have now turned to production capabilities, and an anonymous source has revealed that three Chrysler plants are under consideration for possible re-tooling, at which point they will build Fiat vehicles, as well as Chrysler-badged vehicles built on Fiat platforms. The three production plants being considered include Chrysler's Canadian MPV plant in Windsor, Ontario, across the river from Detroit, as well as a plant in the U.S. and Mexico. The Windsor plant in Canada currently builds the Chrysler Town & Country, as well as the Dodge...
-
Fiat threatens to walk away from Chrysler dealAt the end of March the President's task force on the auto industry put a 30-day window on Chrysler and Fiat reaching an alliance agreement. Just hours later Chrysler announced the two companies had signed off on the deal. That turned out to be premature, as there remains a strong chance that Fiat...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mopar Underground unveils two new Jeep off-road conceptsMopar, Chrysler's affiliated tuning and accessories arm, has a special group within its ranks called Mopar Underground - late last year we reported on one of the division’s more memorable projects, a V10-powered Dodge Challenger. Now, Mopar Underground has brought us some new concepts, this...
Ralph Hanson -
Chrysler’s new Pentastar V6 likely to appear in Fiat modelsChrysler on Wednesday unveiled a brand new V6 engine called Pentastar that the carmaker plans to launch in its redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee due next year and eventually most of its lineup. This new engine is very important for Chrysler as it has already absorbed billions of dollars in development...
Ralph Hanson -
Chrysler previews interior for next-gen 300Brand new versions of both the Chrysler 300 and Jeep Grand Cherokee are coming in the next couple of years, kicking off a product renaissance at Chrysler that will include the launch of 24 new or updated models over the next 48 months. The company used this week’s New York Auto Show to...
James Martinez -
More details on the potential Fiat-Chrysler alliance emergeAt the end of March the President's task force on the industry put a 30-day window on Chrysler and Fiat reaching an alliance agreement. Just hours later Chrysler announced the two companies had signed off on the deal. That turned out to be premature, but the deal is still being developed, with new...
Jeremy Weber -
Chrysler has announced today that it has signed an agreement with American battery supplier A123Systems for new nanophosphate lithium-ion batteries for its future generation of plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles. A123Systems plans to open a new manufacturing facility in Michigan, and via this deal both companies are reinforcing their commitment to keeping the future development of electric mobility in the United States. Chrysler’s first electric vehicle is due to go on sale next year and will eventually be followed by a range of plug-in hybrid or range-extended vehicles based on...
-
Canada follows U.S. lead and rejects GM and Chrysler viability plansCanada has followed the lead of the U.S. and rejected the respective viability plans of General Motors and Chrysler, claiming the plans do not go far enough in their current form. This means the carmakers may miss out on the initial $3.2 billion in loans pledged in December, though a small portion...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Auto industry task force rejects GM and Chrysler viability planThe Obama administration auto industry task force has rejected viability plans for General Motors and Chrysler and threatened that both may be forced into bankruptcy unless further sacrifices are made. The task force has consistently stated that its goal is to solve the industry's problems rather...
Ralph Hanson -
Dodge adds special edition SE ‘Rallye’ to Challenger lineupTo mark the introduction of its five-speed automatic in the base Challenger SE, Dodge has unveiled a brand new special edition ‘Rallye’ model that is set to go on sale next month. By pairing the five-speed auto, which is normally found in HEMI-powered V8 Challengers, with the SE’s...
Jeremy Weber -
Base Dodge Challenger now fitted with five-speed autoThe Dodge Challenger was one of the most widely anticipated cars of the recent past but while the HEMI-powered V8 models stole most of the thunder, it remains a fact that a large portion of sales is for the entry-level V6 model. Sadly, the base Dodge Challenger SE is a little anaemic when it comes...
James Martinez -
Obama, task force want to offer more help to U.S. industryNo one really knows what to make of the auto market right now, least of all the industry itself. Fiat is forecasting blue skies, GM is on the brink of failing to meet a restructuring deadline, and Ford is still chartering private jets - but President Obama and the task force on the industry are...
Ralph Hanson