Autoblog

Spy Shots: 2012 Dodge Durango/Magnum caught testing near Chrysler HQ

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Chrysler, Dodge

2012 Dodge Durango/Magnum spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery

Just as Chrysler puts the finishing touches on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, our spies have captured its platform mate, the 2012 Dodge Durango/Magnum (we still aren't sure what the final name will be), out testing near the company's Auburn Hills, Michigan headquarters. Not much has changed since the last time the new Dodge crossover was spied, but seeing the prototype running around near Chrysler HQ means that more of the swirly camouflage could be coming off in the next few months.

When the new Durango/Magnum officially launches next year, expect it to be available with Chrysler's new 3.6-liter V6 and possibly a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 (much like the new Jeep). The front end looks similar to that of the Ram pickup, and since the Ram brand has been spun off to house Dodge's truck offerings, don't be shocked if the new Durango falls under that umbrella. If development and testing continue at a steady pace, we'll likely get to see the finished product at either the 2010 Los Angeles or 2011 Detroit Auto Show.

Gallery: Spy Shots: 2012 Dodge Durango/Magnum

[Source: KGP Photography]

Spy Shots: 2012 Dodge Durango/Magnum caught testing near Chrysler HQ originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler wraps Auburn Hills HQ in honor of Truck of the Year award

Zach Bowman — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Truck, Marketing/Advertising, Work, Chrysler, Dodge

Chrysler has decided to celebrate the Dodge Ram winning the Motor Trend Truck of the Year award by barring employees at its Auburn Hills headquarters from seeing the sun for 120 days. The company has turned its HQ into one big billboard with a 14-story building wrap. The 140-foot tall, 120-foot wide graphic features a massive 2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty atop a pile of rocks.

The company says the wrap is part of a nationwide campaign to get the word out about the Ram's win, and that around 200,000 people will see the display every day as they travel along I-75. The install took a total of three days, and Chrysler says that the truck featured in the wrap is a 100 feet long and 41 feet tall. No word on whether or not those specs will line up with what we can expect from the 2015 pickup. Hit the jump for a look at the press release.

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Chrysler wraps Auburn Hills HQ in honor of Truck of the Year award

Chrysler wraps Auburn Hills HQ in honor of Truck of the Year award originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: Chrysler 'rejects' 789 dealers nationwide, works to pare network by 25% by June 9

Chris Paukert — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Chrysler, Earnings/Financials

Chrysler has just announced that it will 'reject' some 789 of its dealerships by June 9 as it works to downsize through Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring. That represents a 25% cut in its dealer networks, leaving 2,392 Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge dealers to carry on if the automaker is able to successfully emerge from bankruptcy with its new partner, Fiat.

Auburn Hills reiterated that it will be "business as usual" with its entire dealership body throughout its bankruptcy proceedings, with plans to honor warranty and incentive payments "during the period that rejected dealers remain active."

According to information obtained by Automotive News, individual dealers will learn whether they are rejected or accepted via UPS letters delivered this morning. At that point, dealer owners will have 23 business days for a 'court review' of their individual cases.

The same memo that disclosed the planned UPS letter disbursement also details that after the 789 dealers are rejected, 80% of its remaining dealers will carry all three of the company's brands (that figure presently stands at 62%). According to that communiqué, Chrysler does not expect for many of those dealers to close just because their franchise contracts are being rejected - about 345 of those rejected operations are paired with other competing brands, and according to Chrysler executive vice president of sales, Steven Landry, fully 83 percent of the disenfranchised dealers currently sell more used vehicles than they do new ones.

Thanks to the protections afforded under bankruptcy, Chrysler will not be legally required to buy back any vehicles, parts, or tooling from rejected dealers, but the automaker says it will work to pair the disenfranchised with remaining dealers who may be willing to buy those assets.

Chrysler vows to contact the more than 3.5 million customers who have purchased cars and trucks through the rejected dealers to give them additional information on how to get their vehicles serviced.

If you're wondering if your local Chrysler dealers are earmarked for closure, a complete PDF list is available by clicking here.

Official press release after the jump.

[Sources: Chrysler; Automotive News - subs. req.| Image: Scott Olson/Getty]

Continue reading BREAKING: Chrysler 'rejects' 789 dealers nationwide, works to pare network by 25% by June 9

BREAKING: Chrysler 'rejects' 789 dealers nationwide, works to pare network by 25% by June 9 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 May 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AP: Chrysler definitely filing for bankruptcy after debt talks "crumbled overnight"

Chris Paukert — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:59:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Chrysler, Earnings/Financials, Fiat

Building on speculation that first leaked yesterday is word this morning that a pair of Obama administration officials have told The Associated Press that Chrysler will indeed file for bankruptcy. The decision was apparently reached after debtor negotiations with hedge funds "crumbled overnight."

If the AP's sources are correct, we assume that the Chapter 11 announcement will be made quickly - likely later today. According to the report, President Obama is slated to talk about the auto industry at noon, at which point we wouldn't be surprised to hear him break the news.

A bankruptcy filing by the Pentastar is not expected to rule out a merger with Fiat, or indeed, trigger the shuttering of the company. Officials close to the proceedings have already gone on record saying that a deal with the Italian automaker could happen inside or outside of bankruptcy, and that arrangement could be finalized as early as today.

[Source: The Associated Press | Image: Andrew Cutraro/AFP/Getty ]

AP: Chrysler definitely filing for bankruptcy after debt talks "crumbled overnight" originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: UAW agrees to ban strikes?(!)

Chris Paukert — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Chrysler, UAW/Unions

According to a post on The Detroit Bureau, a key stipulation in the tentative contract reached between the United Auto Workers and Chrysler is that the union's right to strike will be all but eliminated for at least the next few years.

As quoted in the story, Harley Shaiken, a labor relations specialist at UC-Berkeley, notes that the so-called "no strike" portion of the agreement was arrived at "in the context that it will take anywhere from three to five years for this company to recover." According to TDB, the provisos of the bridge loan means that a strike would be viewed as a default on the agreement, including any local strikes.

The same contract apparently calls for binding arbitration (instead of strikes) on financial issues for any contract arrived at in 2011, and the same arrangement will be in effect in 2015 if Chrysler still owes money to the Treasury Department.

The contract goes in front of the UAW's 28,000+ members for a vote today. Click on the link below for more details.

[Source: The Detroit Bureau | Source Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty]

REPORT: UAW agrees to ban strikes?(!) originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Chrysler considering pulling out of Canada

Chris Paukert — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:56:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, Dodge, Earnings/Financials, UAW/Unions, Rumormill

According to The Canadian Press, Chrysler may elect to pull all manufacturing operations out of Canada if it cannot come to an agreement with the Canadian Auto Workers by month's end. The embattled automaker is looking negotiating with the CAW in part to reduce wages from an average of $76 to $57, and as part of a contingency plan/ bargaining chip, it is reportedly architecting a wholesale pullout from America's northern neighbors.

The pullout would jeopardize some 10,000 jobs at the company's two plants in Ontario and another facility in Toronto. It would also mean that production would have to shift (or end) for a number of key Chrysler products, including the company's minivans (and Volkswagen's Routan), as well as the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Challenger. The likely alternatives, say analysts, would be to push minivan production back to the St. Louis plant that produced them up until last year, and potentially move the LX-platform cars to facilities in Michigan or Mexico,

For its part, Chrysler is looking for more concessions from the CAW than was recently given to rival General Motors last week. That labor agreement reportedly cut labor costs by around $7 an hour - far short of what Chrysler says it needs to return to profitability. Part of those concessions could come in the form of benefit cuts, as in several areas CAW employees enjoy even better benefits than their UAW counterparts. According to The Canadian Press, CAW workers receive a maximum of six weeks paid vacation (versus five for UAW workers), as well as "substantially more break time per shift." Of course, the automaker's benefit costs are kept down because of Canada's socialized medicine.

If Chrysler does decide to pull its manufacturing base out of Canada, it could risk a countrywide consumer boycott, so watch for Auburn Hills to tread carefully as it negotiates with CAW officials. Either way, expect some sort of resolution by month's end, lest it risk passing deadlines for the further $2.3 billion in aid it expects. Top tip, LIP!

[Source: The Canadian Press via Wheels.ca | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty]

REPORT: Chrysler considering pulling out of Canada originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cerberus may cut 10% of its workforce

Chris Shunk — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Chrysler, Earnings/Financials

That Chrysler continues to struggle isn't exactly news. As a whole, the auto industry is tanking and cars just aren't moving off dealer lots. Chrysler initially responded by offering buyouts to its entire workforce, and 25% off all its salaried workers took the company up on the offer. Earlier this week, we learned that the ailing Auburn Hills empire will get cozy with Italian automaker Fiat. What we haven't heard as much about, however, is the health of Chrysler's parent company, Cerberus Capital Management.

Like many investment institutions, the three-headed dog is looking to save money, and some of that cash may come at the expense of its workforce. Cerberus has 275 workers around the globe, and up to 10% of those employees will likely face the axe. The private equity firm has struggled with Chrysler, GMAC and Chrysler Financial, but anyone watching the stock market knows the rest of the business world hasn't really fared much better. Blackstone, which also bid on Chrysler back in 2007, is cutting 5% of its workers, and the Carlyle group 10%. The Cerberus job cuts are only a fraction of the bloodletting Chrysler has had to endure over the past two years, but at least it shows that the Pentastar isn't the only one making the sacrifice.

[Source: Automotive News subs req'd]

Cerberus may cut 10% of its workforce originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Could Chrysler's "Project D" be a Nissan?

Dan Roth — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, Dodge, Nissan

Chrysler has been eerily silent about what, if anything, is in the works to replace the Avenger/Sebring twins, other than giving the replacement plan a cryptic "Project D" moniker. The pair are still relative newcomers to the scene, but the competition has delivered Chrysler's midsizers a sound drubbing both in the press and on the sales charts. The problem is that development costs money, something that's currently hard to come by. Thinking strategically, the unloved and outgunned Chryslers might seek solace by relocating to the Nissan Altima's platform. The Altima is one of the best - and best-selling - vehicles on the market. Put plainly, we would dive on an Altima's keys to avoid driving these Chryslers.

A relationship between Chrysler and Nissan already exists, with plans for Chrysler to port the Ram over for Nissan to rebadge as the next Titan, and a version of the Versa wearing Pentastar badging for the South American market is in the mix, so it's not like the two companies are strangers to each other. If Chrysler decides that it still wants its own platform, a partnership with another company to do the building might still be in the cards. Project D is about finding the most economic way to bring a competitive midsize sedan to market, including shrewd lash-ups.

According to Kicking Tires, Chrysler hopes to have a partner chosen by the end of the first half of 2009, with Nissan already being acknowledged as one of the possibilities.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Could Chrysler's "Project D" be a Nissan? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW says Adios! to Auburn Hills - move to D.C. confirmed

Chris Shunk — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 23:10:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Volkswagen

The workforce exodus in Southeast Michigan is slated to continue, as Volkswagen's North American headquarters is officially heading over to Washington D.C. VW currently employs 1,500 workers in Auburn Hills, just a stone's throw away from Chrysler's epicenter. The move to D.C. comes as VW has lost about $2 billion in North America in 2005 and 2006. Past headquarter moves, like Nissan's shift from California to Tennessee, have helped pare-down a company's white collar workforce, and VW feels its workforce is bloated and in need of fresh blood.

While it's unfortunate for Michigan to lose yet another large employer, the move promises to be a big win for the D.C. area. It'll be tough for VW to improve its bottom line, however, with the Euro worth so much more than the Dollar at the moment. Perhaps a view of the White House and Lincoln Memorial will motivate the new VW North America workforce to keep making great products, but with price tags that are a bit closer to the competition.

[Source: The Car Connection]

VW says Adios! to Auburn Hills - move to D.C. confirmed originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Sep 2007 23:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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