In an interview with Automotive News at the Detroit Auto Show, Sergio Marchionne, Chrysler's CEO, said the following when asked about rejuvenating Chrysler's brands:
"The trick of running a car company is being able to manage the reality of both -- allowing these guys out here [his brand managers] to have the freedom to be absolutely freaky and different, to hang a truck upside down in a show, and yet run the industrial machine as smoothly as a Swiss chocolate factory."
It's amazing how well the combination of Speaker Pelosi, Fiat President Marchionne and the rear of a 599XX brought out everyone's collective wit. There were many uproariously funny entries this week. The win goes to you, deserveliberty, for your amusing read on the politics of the automotive industry.
Here are the honorable mentions, all of which made us laugh.
This baby has a parachute in the trunk, it'll bail itself out! (sherief)
"The Italian Stallion... the car, not me" (e90_m3)
We're working on one made out of recycled Styrofoam; it runs on cow flatulence and won't exceed 45 mph! (roadburner)
Mrs. Pelosi, all this could be yours IF you play THE PRICE IS RIGHT! (vt8919)
And this is the new all electric family sedan by Chrysler. It gets a million miles to the gallon and will be sold next year for only $15,000. (dougtheeng)
Meet my invisible friend, who will help Chrysler turn a profit in 2010. Why yes, he is Jay Leno and he did come out of a bottle of motor oil. (greenpony)
"And this, Miss Speaker, represents our latest hybrid model. It runs on the hopes and dreams of its owner and emits only puppies." (eidolways)
We brought only the rear of this car here the front is still reviewed by the members of your congress. (f1ndler)
I'm sorry, but women in pantsuits can not get any closer than this to any Ferrari, otherwise all the sexy is drained from the vehicle. (ergsum)
There is candy in the trunk. Why don't you go have a look? (dougtheeng)
Thanks for playing, everyone. See you next week!
Fiat-Chrysler President Sergio Marchionne gave U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-California) the insider tour of the Chrysler/Dodge/Fiat/Ferrari/re-badged Lancia/Jeep stand in Detroit. And when they got to the Ferrari 599XX unofficially on exhibit at the show, Rep. Pelosi got positively giddy... what can Mr. Marchionne have said to her?
Welcome to the Straightline weekly caption contest. Now it's your turn to show off your wit.
Afterward, take your sense of humor over to the Long-Term Road Test blog and enter the weekly caption contest there.
When they laid out their future product plan in a 12-hour press conference in Detroit two months ago, Chrysler-Fiat officials said the alliance would start selling a diesel Jeep Wrangler with an auto start/stop feature in the fourth quarter of 2010. Little did we know they were talking about Europe. Not the U.S. At a press conference in Detroit. Oh, right. Of course not. We should have known.
Kudos to the Toledo Blade (and Autoblog) for getting the clarification on this detail from Michael Manley, president of the Jeep brand.
As compensation, the Wrangler will possibly, apparently get a version of the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 later this summer.
Toledo Blade via Autoblog
The Chrysler-Fiat alliance did not bother to bring the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee to the Detroit auto show, even though the redesigned SUV is scheduled to go on sale in the second quarter of this year. There is, however, a working electrified model of the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that's slated to go in the Grand Cherokee.
Except it wasn't working when we went by. So several members of the support staff were wrenching on it.
They did manage to get it going again before we left, so there's a quick and dirty video of that after the jump.
Continue reading Chrysler 3.6L Pentastar V6: Fix It Again, Tony?.
We noticed a crowd forming around the Chrysler-Lancia hatchback when she came out.
As we walked around the unassuming brown hatchback, we noticed the Brembo labels on the brake calipers. It's an odd bit of name-branding on an otherwise de-branded Lancia Delta hatchback.
Just because we like our surreal extra weird, we rolled back over to the Chrysler/Fiat/Ferrari/re-badged Lancia/Jeep stand here at the show to find one Ms.Nancy Pelosi of Washington, D.C. spending some quality time with Sergio Marchionne in an electric Fiat 500.
Later, Serg showed her his Ferrari.
#NAIAS Apparently, getting dumped by a German company, gutted by a private equity firm and being given away to a foreign concern has a way of making strange bedfellows. Pictured here is the Ferrari 599XX/Dodge Challenger section of the Chrysler stand at Detroit. 
Incidentally, that 599XX is the only Ferrari at Detroit, where the company insists it has no presence. What you can't see is that behind this black Challenger is a Plum Crazy one with white stripes.
We saw our friendly local Ferrari PR guy relaxing in the nearby lounge. "Hey, how are you?" He said, "I am not really here."
OK.
We've been hearing that Chrysler will adopt Fiat's Multiair family of engines, and last night the alliance release specs on some of the engines. Multiair is to Fiat what VTEC is to Honda, so all the engines should have variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust side.
First up are the two 1.4-liter engines, which are slated for use in the too-adorable-for-words Fiat 500 that we've been promised. The normally aspirated version will be rated at 100 horsepower at 6,750 rpm and 95 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 -- a typical subcompact meal ticket.
However, the turbocharged version veers into Mini Cooper S territory with its projected 170 hp at 6,750 and 170 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm.
Multiair technology has also been added to Chrysler's existing 2.4-liter engine (the one whose architecture was originally developed with Hyundai and Mitsubishi). In today's Dodge Avenger, the 2.4-liter is rated at 173 hp and 166 lb-ft. But with the addition of Multiair, Chrysler says it will develop 190 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque.
Chrysler also announced that Fiat's dual-clutch automated manual transmission will make its debut in the next generation of D-segment cars.
We're not sure we dig the idea of a contrasting T/A hood scoop or a "Go-Wing" deck spoiler, but getting a Dodge Challenger with a T-grip shifter cap for the automatic transmission does strike as kind of cool. All these items are part of a couple new appearance groups for 2010 Challenger SE and R/T models.
The exterior touches also include strobe stripes down the side of the Challenger, plus the 20-inch "heritage" wheels shown here. All together, these items cost $1,995. More reasonable is the interior package ($945), which also bundles metal-trimmed pedals and door sill guards, along with a full car cover.
Continue reading New Appearance Package for Dodge Challenger Includes T-Grip Shifter.
Here's a new TV commercial for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and uh, Ram that starts airing today. Rose Bowl viewers will be the first to see it. There are some cool old vehicles in this ad, but just one new one, the 2010 Chrysler 300.
The 300 is definitely one of the better-looking, better-driving models in the current line, but this commercial lacks specificity and focus. It's part of a new "Coming Home" ad campaign borne out of corporate, and dealers', concern that "consumers do not realize that Chrysler Group has emerged from bankruptcy and is now a different company with a new alliance partner and a healthy product plan."
The ad agency, Fallon, is obviously trying to appeal to the emotions here, but we contend that what "consumers" would really like to see from Chrysler-Fiat are some of those healthy new products that have been promised.
This might be our favorite unintended consequence of Fiat's "mentorship" of Chrysler: Instead of occupying its usual spot in luxury row, Ferrari will have its booth smack between Dodge and Jeep at this month's Detroit Auto Show. Oh, yes, and Maserati will be there, too.
That's just how it goes when you're part of the Fiat Group. Evidently, it's hoped you'll come for the Italian sports cars and stay for the, um, Plum Crazy Challenger and whatever the latest going-away-special Viper is. And if you're aching to see another electric car, well, get yourself over to the Fiat 500 EV exhibit.
Toyota recalled nearly 4.9 million vehicles in 2009 -- the most of any automaker in the U.S., the Detroit Free Press reports. This is the first time Toyota has ever led in annual recalls, and of course this milestone is the result of the floor mat debacle during which 4.3 million vehicles were recalled.
Free Press writers crunched the numbers on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Web site. Ford came up second with 4.5 million recalled vehicles -- most of them covered by recalls for cruise control switches that can catch fire, a chronic defect in older Fords.
Next up was GM was 2.2 million recalled vehicles, followed by Hyundai with just over 1 million and Nissan with 700,000+. Chrysler rounded out the top five with 590,000.
You can see the full list in the Free Press article.
This semi-regular column is written (in his own blood) by an automotive sage and noted malcontent, known as The Mechanic. Mercilessly beaten as a child with rolled-up back issues of old car magazines, our free-spoken hero developed a unique "for your own good" take on cars and the auto industry, along with an unfortunate habit of setting himself ablaze. Later, after a distinguished career as an automotive journalist and magazine editor, he cast off the reins of his musty oppressors, carved out his superego with a plastic spork and became The Mechanic.
As 2009 hits the Great Dumpster of Memory, I've decided to binge on the wife's hard egg nog, reflect on what I've learned over the last 12 months and tell you what it all means for our future. Your future. Now self-reflection doesn't come easily to me, so when I do reflect I don't get nostalgic or weepy. I usually just get pissed off all over again.
Not that 2010 isn't going to be a great year. It is. But it ain't all going to be beers on the beach either. In fact, the auto industry has a critical 365 days ahead of it. It's sink or swim time for everybody.
Anyway, here's what I see clogging our automotive sewer line over the next 12 months. Happy New Year.
Continue reading The Mechanic's Fearless Forecast for 2010.
Chrysler just unveiled a new brand logo in at its big product press conference in November, but a press release issued today by NAIAS, the Detroit Auto Show organizers, that is, indicates Chrysler and Fiat will reveal a new company logo at the show next month.
Among the other breaking news in the press release: "Multiple automakers are planning to once again debut vehicles at the show."
Hear that, folks? Not just one automaker. Multiple automakers. Now you'll just have to go Detroit. We're sure Northwest still has a seat for you by the lavatory.
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