Dodge May Sell Rebadged Alfas in the US while Europe Could get Dodge Models as Alfas

In an interview in New York on Wednesday, Fiat S.p.A. and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed that one of the first priorities of the partnership is to decide how to handle the Dodge and Alfa Romeo brands, which he sees as American and European counterparts. It sounds crazy but one of the scenarios being examined by Marchionne is the possibility to sell Alfa Romeo models under the Dodge brand in the U.S. and Dodge cars as Alfa Romeos in Europe.

According to the CEO, the two brands share a common identity and therefore should work closer in the near future.

"The level of competition between these two brands is tremendous because they are both going after the same customer," said Marchionne. "Dodge is the American muscle car, while Alfa Romeo is the European muscle car. How we dovetail these two brands is very important."

While we're having a hard time trying to find any current Dodge model that could fit in Alfa's European range - especially if you take into consideration the different needs of buyers on the other side of the Atlantic, we could see several Alfa models including the MiTo making it to the States with the Dodge logo.

But wouldn't such a move dilute Alfa's premium image? Unless that is, Fiat is considering to abandon its plans to re-introduce the Italian firm to American buyers.

In any case, Marchionne said that he wants to make a final decision on the future of the two brands by the end of the July, so it won't be long before we learn more details.

Via: Bloomberg

Chrysler to Reopen Seven More Assembly Plants by end of June

About a week after emerging from bankruptcy protection and finalizing a deal with the Fiat Group, Chrysler Group LLC confirmed today that in addition to the reopening of the Dodge Viper's Conner Avenue factory in Detroit on Monday, the firm plans to resume production of vehicles at seven more assembly plants in North America by the end of June. According to Chrysler, two factories are in Michigan, one is in Missouri and one in Ohio, while the automaker will also restart production at its assembly plants in Windsor and Brampton, Canada and in Toluca, Mexico.

"A restart of production at other Chrysler Group assembly plants will be announced at a later date," the company said in a statement. Chrysler had shut down all of its North American operations for a period of two months when it entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May, 2009.

• Plants That Will Reopen by June 29:
  
• Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (Sterling Heights, Mich.) – Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger
  
• Warren Truck Assembly Plant (Warren, Mich) – Dodge Ram and Dodge Dakota
  
• St. Louis North Assembly Plant(Fenton, Mo) – Dodge Ram
  
• Toledo Supplier Park (Toledo, Ohio) – Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
  
• Brampton Assembly Plant (Brampton, Ontario) – Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Challenger
  
• Windsor Assembly Plant (Windsor, Ontario, Canada ) – Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan
  
• Toluca Assembly Plant (Toluca, Mexico) – Dodge Journey and Chrysler PT Cruiser
  

Chrysler Resumes Production with the Dodge Viper at Detroit Plant

Having emerged from bankruptcy protection on June 9, the newly formed Chrysler Group LLC restarted production at one of its Detroit assembly plants on Monday, June 15. The first factory to reopen after the company shut down for a period of almost two months, is the Conner Avenue assembly plant in Detroit that builds the Dodge Viper sports car. Even though Chrysler did not state why it chose the Conner plant to reopen for business, we assume that its small size (it employs 115 people) had something to do with the automaker's decision.

Chrysler, which is now controlled by Italy's Fiat S.p.A, had previously attempted to sell off its Dodge Viper business unit but the firm did not receive any bids that met its initial requirements.

As for the rest of Chrysler's North American plants, for the time being, they will remain closed. "At this time, we cannot give exact timing in regards to the start of production at our other manufacturing facilities," Chrysler Group said in a statement.

Via: CNN

Analyst Forecasts New Chrysler and Fiat Models Until 2012 Including Jeep based Alfa GTX SUV

Research firm IHS Global Insight (GI) has released a new analysis forecasting a variety of Chrysler and Fiat Group models to be built in North America between 2011 and 2012. Before we say anything else, we'd advise to pay attention to the words 'analysis' and 'forecast'. That said, don't take everything you read as a fact. The report begins with the Alfa Romeo 169, a BMW 5-Series rival that is said to be built at Chrysler's Ontario factory in Canada with the first models rolling off the assembly line as early as November 2011.

The analyst predicts that the 169 will be based on Chrysler's LX platform which underpins the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger models. While it makes sense for the Italians to use the LX platform, unless Fiat is planning to simply re-skin / re-mask the next-generation Chrysler 300 into an Alfa, in which case, we're talking about a mistake from Fiat's behalf, saying that that the Alfa Romeo 169 will be ready to enter production in about two years time, is quite optimistic. Plus, as you can see in one of Fiat's previous product plans, Alfa was supposedly scheduling to introduce a self-developed 169 in 2009 - what happened to that?

Talking about the LX platform, the forecaster said that due to the bankruptcy of Chrysler LLC and the plant closures, the start of production of the new 2011 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 have been delayed to November 2010 and January 2011 respectively.

Continuing with the North American-built Fiat models, Global Insight said that the highly successful in Europe, 500 mini, will be made in Toluca, Mexico with U.S. sales starting in July 2011.

The MINI-rivaling 500 will be the only Fiat-badged model to be sold in the States. Since the 500 is based on Fiat's 169 platform, the Toluca plant will also produce the Jeep Panda 4x4, again from July 2011. We're guessing that the Jeep variant will most likely be a remasked version of the European market Panda 4x4.

Next up we have an array of models based on the Fiat Group's C-EVO platform that underpins C-segment cars like the Lancia Delta and Fiat Bravo. The report says that the C-EVO will be used on the next-generation Dodge Journey crossover, Dodge Caliber crossover and Chrysler Sebring sedan. Production is slated to begin for the Journey and Caliber in July 2012 at the Belvidere Assembly Plant, and for the Sebring, in June 2011 at the Toluca assembly plant.

In addition to the above models, the C-EVO platform is also reported to form the base for an Alfa Romeo compact SUV (no date) and weirdly enough, for the successor of the Jeep Liberty (July 2012) with both SUVs said to be produced at the Toledo plant in Ohio.

But the report gets even better as it is predicted that Fiat will produce a larger Alfa Romeo SUV model called the GTX at Chrysler's Jefferson North Assembly Plant beginning in July 2011. The GTX is said to be based on Jeep's WL platform that underpins the 2011 Grand Cherokee. However, bear in mind that the Grand Cherokee's WL platform is derived from Mercedes-Benz (it was developed during Daimler's reign over the company) so we're not entirely sure if Fiat has the rights to use the platform for one of its own models.

The paper ends with two subcompact hatches, the Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo MiTo that will share the same hardware- aka Fiat's 199 B-segment platform. Both cars are reported to be built for the American market at Chrysler's Belvidere assembly plant in Illinois with production slated to begin in March 2011 for the Hornet and July 2011 for the MiTo.

Call us skeptics, but if you want our opinion, we find the forecast extremely optimistic in the sense that Fiat will not only have to develop, design, engineer and test a whole bunch of new cars but also revamp Chrysler's North American factories to build the vehicles and all this in just two years from now.

Will Fiat S.p.A. Save the Chrysler Group? Me Thinks Not...

In an announcement Wednesday morning, Fiat S.p.A finalized its purchase / alliance with the Chrysler Group after the U.S. Supreme Court got out of the way of the deal thus opening a new page in Chrysler's history. While there's no way of accurately predicting what the future holds for the alliance, I must say that for numerous reasons that you can read about after the jump, I am not at all convinced that Fiat will save the 'new' Chrysler Group LLC. Maybe Fiat will rape benefit from Chrysler's assets and presence in North America, but that's another story entirely.

First of all let's take a closer look at Fiat S.p.A. The Italian group's automobile portfolio includes three-and-a-half mainstream brands: Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Fiat and its recently revived Abarth marque which is something like BMW's 'M' division. The group also controls the Ferrari and Maserati sports car brands as well as Iveco and Fiat Professional that builds light commercial vehicles.

In the past two decades, Fiat's automobile division has proven successful in building two types of vehicles: city cars like the Panda mini and (Grande) Punto supermini and exotic sports cars such as the Ferrari F430 and Maserati GTs.

Sure the Italians have come up with some really great designs and ideas, but with a few exceptions and for a great number of reasons, Fiat and its Alfa Romeo and Lancia brands have yet to create a model that will dominate or even compete head on with the top-sellers in any other category - at least in Europe.

Speaking about Lancia and Alfa Romeo, while Fiat Group's CEO Sergio Marchionne is 'playing big' with Chrysler LLC, the two historic Italian firms desperately need to update/refresh their model portfolio. We've heard talk about a variety of new models including SUVs, compact MPVs, coupes, sport sedans with RWD - you name it. But sketches and grapevine stories aside, it's just talk until now.

Lancia, which has lost its identity ever since Fiat decided to turn the firm into a faux luxury carmaker for chicks and chick-like hairdressers with a low budget, has been left with an aging Ypsilon that is aimed squarely at women, a remasked version of Fiat's Idea small MPV called Musa and the weirdly positioned Delta that is a C-segment hatch trying to allure D-segment buyers. There's also the PSA Peugeot-Citroen co-developed Phedra minivan but we doubt anyone cares. No sports car, no five-door supermini, no three-door Delta, no sedan...

Alfa Romeo is in a somewhat better position in terms of its car lineup. Aside from the new MiTo hatch, there's also the relatively fresh 159 Sedan and Sport Wagon, the Brera Coupe and Spider, and the 8C Competizione 'halo' supercar. What about Alfa's Golf-sized hatch? Well, it's called 147 and it has been in production since 2000 so it's no match for the modern C-segment hatches. Up until 2007, Alfa also offered the BMW 5-Series rivaling 166 but it went down the same way that the Lancia Thesis did.

Surprisingly, Lancia sold more cars in Europe than Alfa Romeo did in the first four months of 2009 (Lancia: 38,617 units, Alfa: 36,761 units). But either way, those numbers are very low. Just to get an idea, during the same sale period in Europe, MINI sold 38,879 units, Volvo 65,345 units and Skoda 155,864 (the Fiat brand delivered 352,234 cars).

But the lack of models or ones that aren't successful/competitive, isn't the only problem that Fiat faces in Europe. In a recent study performed by J.D. Power, Fiat scored in the bottom quarter of more than 20 brands in vehicle quality and reliability in key European markets. "Fiat is below average in each of three markets that we measure -- Germany, France and the U.K. -- particularly in terms of vehicle quality and reliability," said Dave Sargent, vice president of automotive research at J.D. Power.

What I'm trying to say here is that the Fiat Group is not as successful and problem-free as many have portrayed the company to be. I've been hearing many voices around the net (mainly from sites in the U.S.) saying that Fiat will develop an array of sub- and compact models for Chrysler and Dodge based on its cars.

Maybe I'm missing something here, maybe I'm completely wrong, but if it's so easy and Fiat does have the funds, then could someone please explain to me why has it taken so long for Fiat to introduce core models like the Alfa 147 and Lancia Ypsilon replacements, or why is the company absent from important segments like compact MPVs and SUVs?

Furthermore, as much as many would like to see American consumers abandoning larger vehicles (cars and trucks), this won't happen anytime soon. Maybe they'll downsize, but don't expect to see cars like the Panda or the Ford Fiesta coming anywhere close to the top spots in the sales chart. So while Fiat is really good in creating city cars, in order to succeed in the U.S., the company will need to focus on compact and mid-size sedans such as the Honda Civic and Accord as well as (like it or not) trucks and SUVs of various sizes.

And let's say for the sake of conversation, that Fiat will find the funds and the way to create or share front-wheel drive platforms for compact and mid-size models with Chrysler and its brands. What will happen with the American carmaker's larger models including trucks, SUVs and rear-wheel drive cars like the Chrysler 300?

Unlike Chrysler's previous owner, Daimler, Fiat does not have a (mainstream) rear-wheel drive platform nor any SUV models (or experience for that matter). As you may already know, the Chrysler Group's 300 sedan, Dodge Challenger and even the new Jeep Grand Cherokee use a fair amount of Mercedes hardware beneath the sheetmetal. Maybe Chrysler's acquisition could justify the costs of developing a rear-wheel drive platform that could be used on Alfa Romeo models also. Maybe Fiat could inject some cash into Jeep and use the platforms and AWD systems to develop its own range of SUVs.

Too many maybes, too many questions, very few answers. If you've had the patience to reach the end of this lengthy post, I'd really like to hear your opinion on the matter. - John

VIDEO: Giga Replica of 1950's Dodge Power Wagon, 64 Times the Original Size!

So what do you do when you have a ton of oil money, plenty of imagination and a passion for anything on four-wheels? Well, for starters, you go and buy any type of car your heart desires. Been their, done that. So what's next? The answer to that question for Seikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan from the United Arab Emirates who is also known as the 'Rainbow Sheikh', due to the fact that he once bought a fleet of Mercedes-Benz in every color of the rainbow, was to build a colossal working replica of a 1950's Dodge Power Wagon.

Created in the mid 1990s, this replica is an astonishing 64 times the original size and weighs in at about 50 tons! It is said to be the largest car/truck in the world. It's so big that it houses four large, air conditioned bedrooms, a living room and bathrooms. In fact it even has a 'terrace' in the pick-up bed! Although it was not designed to hit the road (apparently...) it does come with a 300HP GM diesel engine that helps it move around on its own. The video is from Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld television series that aired on BBC back in the mid 1990s.

Hat tip to Alex!

May the (U.S. Air) Force Be With You: Dodge Challenger Vapor and Ford Mustang X-1 Concepts

The U.S. Air Force has spent taxpayer money collaborated with Galpin Auto Sports, which is widely known through its involvement in MTV's Pimp My Ride show, to create customized versions of the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger pony cars. Why, do we hear you ask? Well, the Air Force needed something a bit more spectacular than your typical TV ads to draw the attention of new recruits. The result is the air-force-inspired white Ford Mustang 'X-1' and black Dodge Challenger 'VAPOR' that will travel across the country this year.

The 'X-1' Mustang features a 'jet cockpit that includes a single-driver ejection seat placed centrally, short shifter, flight stick, and a high-tech instrumentation panel. On the outside, the heavily modded 'Stang gets a wide bodykit, dark alloy wheels and a pair of Lambo-style scissor doors. Power is provided by a custom 4.6 liter V8 engine with 500HP, courtesy of Ford Racing.

The more radical looking Dodge Challenger 'Vapor' continues the air-force theme with a 'Stealth' bodykit, carbon fiber exterior trim, a custom stealth exhaust mode that gives the driver the option to run the vehicle in complete silence, one-off carbon-fiber wheels, radar-absorbing paint, proximity sensors, and a 360-degree camera with a quarter-mile range.

Like its Ford counterpart, the Vapor's interior comes with aircraft style controls plus a passenger side steering wheel, GPS tracking, night and thermal vision via a film on the front windshield, and what Galpin calls, as the "most technologically-advanced computer system with remote control UAV-type access from anywhere in the world utilizing the internet."

Source: U.S. Air Force

Dodge Challenger Vapor

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Ford Mustang X-1

VIDEO: Dodge Boys Racing Hot Charger Bus Commercials

Dodge's motorsport division has launched a new series of online ads featuring the company's 'big-bad' NASCAR bus that will be making an 88-stop tour across the country to promote the Dodge product lineup. Nicely done commercials, too bad that Chrysler's PR department (ha, that's a good one...) hasn't taken the time to promote the ads as we stumbled upon them by chance, but we guess we'll get the word around...

Chrysler LLC Shutting Down 789 Dealerships Across the U.S. by June 9

The latest development in Chrysler's ongoing saga is the elimination of approximately a quarter of its 3,181 U.S. dealerships by early next month. In a motion filed with the U.S. bankruptcy court, the American automaker said that it would shut down 789 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealerships that represent around 14 percent of the firm's sales volume in the U.S. by June 9. Chrysler supports that the company's goal with this move is to create a stronger and more profitable dealer network.

"It is with a deep sense of sadness that we must take steps to end some of our Sales and Service Dealer Agreements," said Steven Landry, Executive Vice President, North American Sales and Marketing, Global Service and Parts. "The decision, though difficult, was based on a data-driven matrix that assessed a number of key metrics."

"The review was an objective and rigorous process that was both thoughtful and thorough. We plan to work to have an orderly transition. These are extraordinary times, and they call for an extraordinary response. It is important to our dealers and to our customers that these steps be completed quickly and seamlessly as we transition to a new Chrysler," Landry added.