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Chrysler 2Q Profit, Sales Rise, but Cuts Full-Year Forecasts

July 30, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By The Associated Press

fiat ceo sergio marchionne chrysler earnings automotive industry manufacturing

Filed under: Company News, Chrysler, Automotive Industry, Manufacturing, Investing

Paul Sancya/APFiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne

By DEE-ANN DURBIN

DETROIT — Chrysler Group’s sales picked up in the second quarter thanks to strong U.S. demand for trucks and SUVs, but the company still cut its full-year sales and profit targets after a slower than expected start to the year.

Chrysler said Tuesday that its net income rose 16 percent to $507 million in the April-June period from $436 million a year ago. It was Chrysler’s eighth straight quarterly profit.

Chrysler sold 643,000 vehicles worldwide in the second quarter, up 10 percent from a year ago. Sales were also up 10 percent in the U.S., where Chrysler sells 75 percent of its vehicles. Chrysler’s U.S. sales rose faster than the industry average of 8 percent in the second quarter.

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Revenue was up 7 percent to $18 billion from $16.8 billion.

Chrysler said it now expects to ship 2.6 million vehicles worldwide in 2013, at the low end of its target of between 2.6 million and 2.7 million. It expects to earn between $1.7 billion and $2.2 billion, down from its previous target of around $2.2 billion.

Chrysler’s first-quarter figures suffered because it was slow to release new versions of the Ram pickup and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV, two of its most popular vehicles. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne described the first quarter as a one-off event and urged workers to “just close your eyes and plug your nose and move on from here.”

Chrysler’s production issues were resolved and there were plenty of vehicles on the ground in the second quarter. U.S. Ram sales rose 30.4 percent over last year as construction companies and other small businesses raced to replace aging trucks. It was the Ram’s best second quarter since 2007.

Grand Cherokee sales soared 27 percent to 47,663. The Grand Cherokee is one of Chrysler’s biggest money makers. U.S. buyers paid an average of $40,294 for a Grand Cherokee in the second quarter, up 9 percent from a year ago, according to car pricing site Kelley Blue Book.

U.S. sales were up for the company’s Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and Ram brands; only the Chrysler brand, with aging vehicles like the Town and Country minivan, saw sales drop.

In the second half of this year, Chrysler should get a boost from the release of the new Jeep Cherokee, which started rolling off the line in Toledo, Ohio, last month. The Cherokee replaces the Jeep Liberty, which was phased out last year.

“Chrysler Group is poised for a very strong performance in the second half of the year,” Marchionne said Tuesday in a statement.

Chrysler is majority owned by Italian automaker Fiat SpA, which is scheduled to release its second-quarter results later Tuesday.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Automobiles

Report: Chrysler extending production of current Dodge Avenger, Jeep Wrangler, Grand Caravan

July 24, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Steven J. Ewing

Filed under:

Are you hesitant to pull the trigger on a brand new Dodge Avenger in hopes that a new one will be coming? Well, don’t hold your breath. According to The Detroit News, Chrysler will be extending production of the current Avenger sedan through the end of 2015.

Originally, we heard that the company would kill the Avenger to better focus its midsize sedan efforts on the Chrysler 200 replacement. But then new reports stated there would indeed be an Avenger successor, and that we could see it as early as next January. This Detroit News report cites supplier sources confirming the extension of Avenger production, though Chrysler has not released an official statement on the matter.

These same suppliers say that the current Jeep Wrangler will live on through mid-2018 – that’s right, another five years. The Detroit News reports that a replacement for the iconic, go-anywhere Jeep was due in mid-2016.

Lastly, the report mentions that the Dodge Grand Caravan minivan will remain in production through late 2017, though its Chrysler Town & Country counterpart will be replaced by an all-new vehicle for the 2016 model year. This only further backs reports that the Grand Caravan will be killed from the Chrysler Group portfolio, with the T&C remaining the only minivan in production at the company’s Windsor facility.

Chrysler extending production of current Dodge Avenger, Jeep Wrangler, Grand Caravan originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Report: Chrysler to veer away from 'Imported From Detroit' message?

April 17, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Jonathon Ramsey

Filed under:

Claim some ground, control that ground and then expand. Chrysler, wandering the Earth like Kane from Kung-Fu when it came to brand message after the bailouts, pulled off the first two feats in only 120 seconds when its “Imported from Detroit” commercial aired during the 2011 Super Bowl. Two years later and now that the brand has a center in the minds of consumers, the Chrysler Group‘s head of marketing, Olivier Francois, says it’s time to move away from the “Detroit” component of that slogan and express the “Imported” aspect.

It is, more precisely, about positioning Chrysler as genuine competition for imports and not Ford or General Motors, but rather Toyota on quality or Audi on technology. A report in Forbes said that Francois not only “wants to attract import owners to Chrysler vehicles by focusing on quality, technology, fuel economy and style,” but to “take back the lead in these four things.” That is the new understanding he wants people to infer from the idea of Detroit – that the nation’s car capital isn’t just a patriotic rallying point but a lively competitor for established giants.

Chrysler has been running ads that no longer refer to Detroit, and recent efforts have linked a specific character to each brand – like Jenny with Jeep and Steven with the Chrysler 300 – to create brand separation. Francois hasn’t detailed what he plans to do to bolster Chrysler’s upscale pretensions, but his efforts would be helped by CEO Sergio Marchionne loosing the pursestrings and the arrival of strong new product.

Chrysler to veer away from ‘Imported From Detroit’ message? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From: http://feeds.autoblog.com/~r/weblogsinc/autoblog/~3/_ZCU90HOzv0/

Automobiles

Official: Chrysler Group moves around execs in wake of recent departure

April 16, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Zach Bowman

Filed under: Chrysler is busy shuffling executives around in the wake of Ram head Fred Diaz’s departure. The automaker has named Reid Bigland (pictured, right) as Diaz’s successor in the role of president and CEO of Ram, though Bigland will continue his duties as the head of US sales and the president and CEO of Chrysler Canada. Bigland first came to Chrysler in 2006 from Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, so the guy knows a thing or two about trucks.

Meanwhile, Timothy Kuniskis will take over as president and CEO of Dodge. Previously, he served as the head of Fiat in North America and has been with Chrysler in one capacity or another since 1992. His old title now falls to Jason Stoicevich, who will also continue to work as the director of the automaker’s California Business Center. Finally, Bruno Cattori will take over as the president and CEO of Chrysler Mexico.

Diaz left his position to take over as a divisional vice president of sales and marketing with Nissan. You can read the full press release on the Chrysler personnel changes below for more information.

Continue reading Chrysler Group moves around execs in wake of recent departure

Chrysler Group moves around execs in wake of recent departure originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From: http://feeds.autoblog.com/~r/weblogsinc/autoblog/~3/uvTduWWfPxs/

By Adam Levine-Weinberg, The Motley Fool

Can Toyota's New Tundra Challenge the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado?

April 14, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

Filed under: Investing

Back in February, Toyota Motor unveiled the third generation of its Tundra full-size pickup, which will make its debut in September for the 2014 model year. Let’s take a look at how it might stack up against similar offerings from the big names in Detroit.

While Toyota has become a force to be reckoned with in the U.S. car market over the past few decades, it’s had much more trouble breaking into the full-size pickup segment. Ford has been the segment leader for a long time with its F-150 pickup, and General Motors is a strong second with its Chevy Silverado. (If you include the Silverado’s twin, the GMC Sierra, GM‘s total market share in the segment is similar to Ford’s.) Chrysler Group lags well behind Ford and GM in terms of market share, but its Ram pickups still have the No. 3 market share spot locked up.

The new Tundra makes some modest performance improvements over the previous version, but the interior redesign is far more impressive. However, truck owners are known for being very loyal to their favorite brands, so Toyota faces an uphill battle to grow its market share. Nevertheless, I believe Toyota may offer significant discounts to drive higher volume. In today’s price-conscious world, this strategy could be successful and drive a significant market-share increase for Toyota, at the expense of the Detroit Three.

Tundra’s long road
The full-size pickup segment offers very high margins compared with the auto industry as a whole, which explains why Japanese automakers have tried to break into this business. Toyota opened a new manufacturing plant in San Antonio to produce the second-generation Tundra back in 2007 and hoped to sell 200,000 per year. It was favorably reviewed, won the Motor Trend “Truck of the Year” award, and nearly met its sales goal in 2007. However, the collapse of the housing market shortly thereafter drastically reduced sales; last year, Toyota sold barely 100,000 Tundras. By contrast, Ford sold more than 645,000 F-Series trucks in 2012.

Clearly, the loyalty of longtime Ford, Chevy/GMC, and Dodge/Ram truck owners puts a limit on the Tundra’s market share. Still, Toyota did gain substantial market share back in 2007 when the last-generation Tundra hit the market. Furthermore, while Toyota hasn’t provided a specific sales goal, executives have said they expect the Tundra’s sales growth to outpace overall segment growth this year, even though the new Tundra won’t hit the market until the fall.

Going for luxury
The main area where Toyota has made significant improvements over the previous generation is in the luxury pickup segment. Toyota is offering many more upscale options on the 2014 Tundra, including two different premium grades — the Platinum and 1794 edition. The fastest-growing segment of the pickup market has been for luxury trucks retailing for $40,000 or more, but Toyota hasn’t previously offered that level of luxury. With the new high-end Tundra models, Toyota is using high-quality leather and

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/14/can-toyotas-new-tundra-challenge-the-ford-f-150-an/

Automobiles

Report: Car companies dialing-in rental car test drives

April 4, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Michael Harley

Filed under:

Automakers have always known that the best way to sell a car is to put potential buyers behind the wheel. With that in mind, savvy car manufacturers have tapped into the rental car industry to entice renters – studies show they are twice as likely to buy a new vehicle within the next six months – as potential new customers, and use them for market research.

General Motors is piloting a program with its Chevrolet brand that puts its midsize Malibu sedans in Enterprise Rent-A-Car fleets located in markets popular with that type of buyer. To nudge interested renters towards the showroom, QR Codes have been placed prominently in the vehicles. When conveniently scanned by a smartphone, the codes connect users to Chevrolet’s website where they can find specifications, pricing and dealership locations.

Chrysler Group is also working with Enterprise, but taking things a step further. Its QR Codes not only send people to the automaker’s website, it links them to walk-around videos and offers them discounts on vehicle purchases in a manner similar to targeted direct mail. But selling cars isn’t Chrysler’s only objective, as they have been working with renters to gather opinions on vehicle factors including engine power and cabin comfort. If you’ve got a captive audience, why not?

Car companies dialing-in rental car test drives originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Report: Fiat's Marchionne ponders Chrysler going public again

March 4, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Chris Paukert

Sergio Marchionne gives speech at Chrysler's Kokomo, Indiana plant

Filed under:

Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne says there’s a real possibility that its majority-owned Chrysler Group may eventually return to the ranks of publicly traded companies. According to Bloomberg, the Fiat and Chrysler CEO gives that a “50 percent chance” of happening, but he doesn’t appear to favor that scenario: “My preference is to be one single company… we belong together.”

Marchionne has seemingly been operating under the assumption that Fiat will eventually own all of Chrysler, working to buy up the shares it doesn’t own and looking to buy out the retiree trust fund that it shares Chrysler ownership with. Certainly, Chrysler going independent again would be increasingly difficult, as the companies continue to blend products, technologies, facilities and staffing, a trend started immediately after the Italian automaker became custodian of the brand following Chrysler’s bankruptcy in 2009.

Marchionne’s remarks to the media came at Chrysler’s Kokomo, Indiana plant, where he was on hand to announce a major investment at four facilities in the state to build eight- and nine-speed automatic transmissions.

Fiat’s Marchionne ponders Chrysler going public again originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Mar 2013 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

February 2013: No Leap Day Edition

March 1, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By John Neff

Filed under:

Last year was a Leap Year, and February 2012 indeed offered automakers an extra day of selling cars compared to the 24 trips around the sun we took last month. Nevertheless, the US auto industry took full advantage of the days they were given and posted a solid month of sales in February 2013.

Among major automakers, Honda America (+12.79 percent), Ford Motor Company (+9.33 percent) and General Motors (+7.17 percent) were the leaders, while Toyota Motor Company (+4.34) and Chrysler Group (+4.11 thanks to a +30.33-percent performance by Dodge) managed to stay positive. Nissan North America, however, fared less well, reporting a drop in year-over-year sales of -6.65 percent.

Among brands, we see many luxury marques near the top, including Bentley (+42.86 percent), Porsche (+30.53 percent), Audi (+27.77 percent), Mercedes-Benz (+23.05 percent), Cadillac (+20.34 percent) and Land Rover (+19.97 percent). If taken as a sign of a recovering economy, then the wealthier among us appear to be leading the way.

You might not be surprised to see Lincoln at the very bottom of the sales pile.

Perhaps more notable are the brands that didn’t do so well in February. Kia (-7.84 percent) has rarely been seen in the red, and even trumpeted a new sales record for January last month. The rare dip is unusual for the Korean automaker, having increased sales four years in a row and experiencing only one month of declining sales last year in December. Likewise, Jeep (-16.48 percent) and Nissan (-7.18 percent) manage to avoid the crimson club most months, but not last month.

You might not be surprised to see Lincoln at the very bottom of the sales performance pile, having reported a large decline of -29.35 percent. Don’t blame the new MKZ just yet, as production has still not yet ramped up to the levels of its predecessor. Lincoln sold 945 new MKZs in February, down 62.0 percent from the year prior, but up 47.9 percent month-over-month.

*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 24 selling days in February 2013 and 25 selling days in February 2012, so there is a difference between the change in monthly sales volume and the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

February 2013: No Leap Day Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading YouTube tallies votes for this year’s top five Super Bowl spots [w/video]

Automobiles

Official: YouTube tallies votes for this year's top five Super Bowl spots [w/video]

February 19, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Jonathon Ramsey

Filed under:

When we asked you to tell us which of this year’s 16 car-themed Super Bowl commercials you liked best, you chose the Farmer commercial from Chrysler Group, advertising the Ram trucks, over Audi’s Prom commercial in second place. Turns out the voters in YouTube’s Ad Blitz poll agreed, voting the same commercial to the number one spot from among the field commercials in every category.

From there, however, they went in a totally different direction. Budweiser’s The Clydesdales spot came second, Samsung’s The Next Big Thing took third. The Jeep Whole Again ad scored fourth in the YouTube poll, fifth in our poll of auto commercials, and the Hyundai Team spot got fifth from the YouTubers, but ninth in our poll.

The voting results don’t match up with the viewing numbers, though – while Farmer has more than 13 million views, The Next Big Thing is well beyond 21 million. You can read the press release below and see all five spots, lined up for you, one more time.

YouTube tallies votes for this year’s top five Super Bowl spots [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

SRT Viper Convertible Is In the Pipeline, According to Report

February 14, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By John Lamm

It makes sense, of course, that there should be a convertible version of the new-generation SRT Viper. Earlier iterations were launched with open tops, with the hardtop version following thereafter. This time around, SRT’s opening act, so to speak, is the closed model, but SRT boss Ralph Gilles has told WardsAuto that there will be a convertible version of the new Viper. Considering it took roughly three years to add the SRT10 coupe to the third-generation Viper stable, we could be in for a wait. But, Gilles said, “We won’t wait that long,” telling Wards that he hopes the topless snake will arrive “within a few years.” He then added that, “The car was designed to be a convertible. Under the skin is a convertible chassis. It’s already there—the stiffness is there. It’s extremely easy should that come, but we’re not in any rush.”

It’s understandable why SRT chose to launch the coupe first with this generation when considering that the previous-gen Viper sales were split 60/40 in favor of the coupe. It also illustrates just how valuable the convertible is to the car’s sales.

Beyond sales, there’s another element behind SRT’s decision to lead off with the coupe, and that will become evident when the Viper race car hits Sebring next month for the first round of the 2013 American Le Mans Series championship. Racing is an important element in Viper history, with GTS-R versions having scored overall wins at Daytona, Spa, and the Nürburgring. Then there are three class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and five FIA GT championships. However, the Chrysler Group’s performance arm has been unable to add anything to the Viper’s trophy case for nearly a half-decade, so one can understand SRT’s desire to get back in racing to underscore the car’s potential. That point is particularly poignant considering the long, strong race record of its crosstown rival, Chevrolet’s Corvette.

Continue reading Mopar ’13 Dart will roll into Chicago next week

Chrysler says Alfa Romeo will eventually outsell Fiat in U.S

February 10, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

Fiat SpA’s Alfa Romeo will outsell stablemate Fiat in the United States once the sporty brand gets a foothold in its new market and expands to sell larger models, an executive with Fiat-owned Chrysler Group said on Saturday. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox Business Headlines

Automobiles

Limited Edition Mopar ’13 Dart To Roll Out at Chicago Auto Show

January 31, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Darryl

Mopar, known as Chrysler’s parts and accessories division, has been in the good business of providing a wide array of products for Chrysler vehicles including Dodge and Jeep. Recently Mopar has stepped up to the plate to work closely with Chrysler engineers to put the enthusiastic consumer literally in the driver’s seat for a complete ‘performance’ package on new vehicles. The latest vehicle to receive such treatment is the limited edition Mopar ’13 Dart.

The Mopar ’13 is not your ordinary Dodge Dart with some visual appeal; it is much more with extra horsepower to boot. The upcoming Chicago Auto Show will host the Debut of the Mopar ’13 Dart featuring many upgrades.

The Mopar ’13 Dart, limited to 500 units, features on the outside a gloss black finish, Mopar blue stripes, Mopar ground effects and 18-inch gloss black wheels shod in 225/40R18 performance tires. On the inside, the Mopar ’13 Dart gets leather seats – a blue one for the driver and black for passengers, blue accent stitching, sport pedals, black/black chrome trim and other Mopar accessories. In the performance department, the Mopar ’13 Dart receives the same MultiAir 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine found in the Fiat Abarth 500 mated to a manual transmission.

With only 500 units made available, the Mopar ’13 Dart one basically be one of a kind. Chrysler is even throwing in a wireless smartphone charging base and personalized owner kit including a personalized plat with vehicle specs and unique ID number for the limited edition build.

After its debut at the Chicago Auto Show next week, expect the Mopar ’13 Dart to start production this spring at the Belvidere, IL plant. If this is any indication as to what we may see in a Dodge Dart SRT, we say bring it on! – Maybe throw in a bigger turbocharged engine and we have a deal, don’t you think?

Press Release

Chrysler Group LLC Introduces New Mopar ’13 Dodge Dart

– Select Mopar parts and accessories outfit new Mopar ’13 Dart
– Performance upgrades include lowered sport suspension, revised steering calibration, sport-
tuned exhaust, ground-effects kit, and premium brake kit with slotted rotors
– Custom leather Mopar driver’s seat
– Industry-first wireless charging for smartphones
– 500 numbered units to be built at company’s assembly plant in Belvidere, Ill.
– Limited-edition vehicle to be displayed at Chicago Auto Show

Auburn Hills, Mich., February 1, 2013 –Chrysler Group LLC today introduced the limited-edition Mopar ’13 Dart, marking the fourth special-edition Mopar-badged vehicle created since the company partnered with Fiat S.p.A in 2009. The car will be shown at next week’s Chicago Auto Show.

Building on the success of the Mopar ’10 Challenger, Mopar ’11 Charger and the Mopar ’12 300, the limited-edition Mopar ’13 Dart will be built and customized with Mopar performance parts and accessories. Production for a limited run of 500 units will begin this spring at the company’s assembly plant in Belvidere, Ill.

“Our new Mopar ’13 Dart will turn heads and stand out from the crowd,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “For this special, limited- edition vehicle, we specifically kept the driver in mind as we added select Mopar parts and accessories.”

Inspired by the tuner scene, the Mopar ’13 Dart is designed for driving enthusiasts. Powered by a 1.4- liter MultiAir® intercooled turbo engine with a manual transmission, the Mopar ’13 sports a gloss-black finish with a pair of car-length Mopar Blue stripes, which mirror each of the three previous Mopar- themed models.

For enhanced handling, upgrades include a performance steering-gear calibration, a 7 millimeter- lowered suspension and low-profile 40 aspect performance tires (225/40R18). From the racing scene, Mopar added a premium brake kit with slotted rotors. Engine breathing is enhanced with a performance-tuned exhaust and to further optimize aerodynamics and increase downforce, the custom Dart features Mopar’s ground-effects kit, which includes a front-chin spoiler, one-piece deck-lid spoiler, as well as a unique and aggressively styled rear diffuser.

Unique exterior elements include a Mopar badge in the crosshair grille and gloss-black 18-inch wheels with a Mopar logo on the wheel center caps. The vehicle’s unique interior, featuring a serialized plate, gives the driver a custom Mopar Blue leather seat with black accents. To keep the emphasis on the driver, the driver seat is Mopar Blue while all other seats are black with blue accent stitching. The centerpiece of the interior is a floating island bezel that is accented with Mopar Blue paint and lighting. The interior is further enhanced with rich details, including Mopar Blue accent thread, as well as light- black chrome and gloss-black elements.

Along with a Mopar serialized badge on the dash, the special-edition Mopar ’13 includes industry-first wireless charging for smartphones, a blue-stitched leather-wrapped steering wheel with an identically garnished shifter knob, a bright sport-pedal kit, premium Mopar carpet floor mats, door-sill guards and an 8.4-inch navigation screen.

The limited-edition Mopar ’13 Dart will be delivered to each customer with a personalized owner kit. Assembled in a custom-made black case, contents include a personalized plate with vehicle specifications, the date of manufacture and the unique identification number (of 500) of the vehicle. Along with a Mopar ’13 brochure and other memorabilia, the kit will include a limited-edition sketch of the vehicle signed by Mark Trostle, Chrysler Group Chief Designer for the Mopar Brand.

Mopar-first Features

Mopar has introduced numerous industry-first features including:
• Vehicle-information apps: first to introduce smartphone vehicle-information applications, a new channel of communication with consumers
• Electronic owner manuals: first to introduce traditional owner manuals in a DVD and brief user- guide format and first to offer complete vehicle-information kits in Spanish
• Wi-Fi: first to offer customers the ability to make their vehicle a wireless hot spot
• Wireless charging: first to introduce in-vehicle wireless charging for portable devices
• Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS): first to market with a new interactive vehicle tracking
device that sends owner a text when vehicle is driven too fast or too far based on pre-set
parameters
• 2011 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak: first to introduce a 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag-race
package car
• Brand-specific customer care telephone lines: first to offer Sunday service hours for customers
• WiTECH: first to support vehicle diagnosis and software updates leveraging off-the-shelf
personal computers and a dedicated wireless tool network

About the Mopar Brand
Mopar is Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. With the creation of the Chrysler Group and Fiat S.p.A partnership, Mopar is extending its global reach, integrating service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance dealer and customer support worldwide. Combined with Fiat S.p.A, Mopar’s global portfolio includes more than 500,000 parts and accessories that are distributed in more than 130 countries. Mopar is the source for all genuine parts and accessories for Chrysler Group and Fiat SpA brands.
Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler Group and Fiat SpA vehicles – a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at www.mopar.com.

More than 75 Years of Mopar
Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for antifreeze product in 1937. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s – the muscle-car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “special parts” for super-stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use. The brand has expanded to include technical service and customer support.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Automotive Addicts

Automobiles

2013 Dodge Dart Mopar ’13: Black and Blue and Mopar All Over [2013 Chicago Auto Show]

January 31, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Andrew Wendler

2013 <a class= Dodge Dart Mopar ’13” src=”http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/2013-Dodge-Dart-Mopar-13-placement-626×382.jpg” alt=”2013 Dodge Dart Mopar ’13” width=”626″ height=”382″ />

For the fourth time in the same number of years, the gang over at Mopar—Chrysler’s service, parts, and customer-care brand—have pulled a car from the Chrysler Group lineup and massaged it into a limited-edition vehicle to showcase some of their latest developments in technology and performance. Having already performed its magic on a trifecta of V-8–powered rear-wheel-drive models—Dodges Challenger and Charger, and the Chrysler 300—it seems fitting that for 2013, Mopar would turn its attention to one of the Group’s newest members, the Dodge Dart. READ MORE ››

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver

Automobiles

Official: Mopar '13 Dart will roll into Chicago next week

January 31, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By John Neff

Filed under: Aftermarket, Chicago Auto Show, Sedan, Performance, Dodge

We think this officially counts as a tradition. Every year going back to 2010, Mopar has rolled out a limited edition version of a popular product from the Chrysler Group portfolio. First it was the Mopar ’10 Challenger, then the Mopar ’11 Charger, then last year’s Mopar ’12 300, and this year it will be the Mopar ’13 Dart, which will make its official world debut next week at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show.

Limited in number to just 500 units, the Mopar ’13 Dart is no mere appearance package, though the demeanor of the Dart will be murdered out with a gloss black finish, gloss black 18-inch wheels, a set of Mopar blue stripes and a mean-looking Mopar ground effects kit. Likewise, the interior is touched up with leather seats (a blue one for the driver and black hides for the passengers), gloss black and black chrome trim, blue accent stitching, a sport pedal kit and other Mopar interior accessories.

Turning our attention back to the mechanical bits, the Mopar ’13 Dart comes with the car’s most powerful engine, a turbocharged 1.4-liter MultiAir four (shared with Fiat 500 Abarth) that’s paired with a manual transmission. Those big, black wheels get wrapped in low profile 225/40R18 performance tires, and keeping everything in check is an upgraded brake kit with slotted rotors. The steering has also been calibrated for performance, the suspension lowered seven millimeters, and the exhaust tuned for better engine breathing.

But no, dear customer, that’s not all. The Mopar ’13 Dart also gets Chrysler’s wireless smartphone charging technology, and those 500 lucky souls who bring one home will receive a “personalized owner kit” in a custom black case that includes a personalized plate with vehicle specs, a unique number ID for their car and a limited edition sketch of the car signed by its designer, among other tchotchkes. Production for the Mopar ’13 Dart will begin this spring at the company’s plant in Belvidere, IL.

Now we’re wondering what vehicle Mopar will lay its hands upon next year. Any guesses?

Mopar ’13 Dart will roll into Chicago next week originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chrysler earns $1.7B in 2012, revises product plans for US

Automobiles

Official: Chrysler earns $1.7B in 2012, revises product plans for US

January 30, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By John Neff

Filed under: Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Earnings/Financials, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Ram, SRT

Hot on the heels of Ford’s earnings announcement for the year that was, Chrysler today reported a 2012 net income of $1.7 billion, up substantially from the comparatively minuscule $183 million profit earned in 2011 when it repaid its US government loans.

Chrysler’s good year ended with an excellent fourth quarter that saw net income rise 68 percent from $225 million in 2011 to $378 million. Where are all those extra earnings coming from? Market share, which Chrysler saw increase to 11.4% last year on sales of 1.65 million vehicles. In fact, the Auburn Hills, MI-based automaker out-paced the industry’s market growth of 13 percent last year with sales up 21 percent for the year.

The company also revealed an updated product plan for its Chrysler Group and Fiat brands that looks all the way out to 2016. It’s an updated version of the plan introduced in 2009 shortly after Fiat took control of the American automaker, and includes such new additions as an Alfa Romeo model, likely the 4C, to be introduced in the US this year, as well five more Alfa models by 2016. Likewise, Fiat will be growing by an additional seven models in the coming few years.

As for the Chrysler Group‘s brands, many new models and refreshes are being delayed a year or two, including a Ram-badged version of the Fiat’s small commercial van, a small Fiat-built Jeep and the return of the seven-seat Grand Wagoneer. A number of vehicles from Dodge, however, are getting surprise refreshes this year and next, and the new Viper looks scheduled for an update in 2015.

Chrysler earns $1.7B in 2012, revises product plans for US originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chrysler Group earnings rise 68 percent on strong sales

January 30, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

Chrysler Group LLC reported a rise of 68 percent in fourth-quarter net income, to $378 million from $225 million a year ago, driven by higher vehicle sales in its home North American market.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox Business Headlines

News, Politics, Government

Alfa Romeo Will Be Back In U.S. Sooner Rather Than Later

January 21, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Dale Buss, Contributor In bringing Alfa Romeo back to the U.S. market this year, Fiat has three big goals for the move: broadening the car lineup of its joint stable with Chrysler Group; trying to re-establish an Alfa brand that long ago was tarnished in America; and boosting output at its home-market manufacturing operations in Italy.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Automobiles

Official: Cadillac ATS, Ram 1500 named 2013 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year

January 14, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Steven J. Ewing

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Sedan

As is tradition, the 2013 Detroit Auto Show kicks off with the announcement of the 2013 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the year awards. And without further ado, we present your winners: the Cadillac ATS and Ram 1500.

Runners-up for the award are the Ford Fusion and Honda Accord in the car category, and the Mazda CX-5 and Ford C-Max in the truck/utility class. The winners were determined by a non-profit, independent jury of 50 American and Canadian journalists, including some members of the Autoblog staff.

This is the first win for Cadillac as a Car of the Year, though the CTS was a finalist in 2008. General Motors brands have won the Car of the Year award five times. This win for the 2013 Ram 1500 marks the third truck win for the Chrysler Group. The Ram (well, Dodge Ram) first won the award in 1994.

Cadillac ATS, Ram 1500 named 2013 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Jan 2013 07:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.