Autoblog

Daily Show takes a long, hard look at the Detroit-Canada bridge fiasco

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Videos, Canada, Humor

You mean to tell me that one man owns the busiest international border crossing in the entire United States? One that carries about 25 percent of all trade between the US and Canada? Ha! With apologies to George C. Parker, if you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you.

Wait. This is for real, as in, a real bridge? Apparently so. The Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit, Michigan with Windsor, Ontario, Canada is in fact owned by a billionaire Grosse Pointe, Michigan resident named Manuel "Matty" Moroun. Moroun is none too pleased with the prospect of a new bridge, proposed years ago and backed by the US and Canadian governments, competing with his own. The billionaire went so far as to fund a multi-million-dollar campaign seeking to create a constitutional amendment that would require a statewide vote to fund such a project. The proposition was voted down, meaning the bridge project could proceed.

We haven't yet explained the best part: Canada plans to pay for the entire bridge. That's right. The Canadian government has agreed to pay for the construction of the bridge, the land in Michigan that would need to be acquired and the construction of necessary on-ramps to Detroit's I-75 highway. Which would leave Michigan and its residents with, well, absolutely zero financial obligation.

Here's where we point out that a huge amount of automotive trade is carried over the Ambassador bridge. In fact, according to the New International Trade Crossing website, Chrysler has estimated that "delays at the Detroit-Windsor crossing adds more than $600 to the average car manufactured in the Michigan-Ontario region."

Leave it up to The Daily Show to turn such an oddly controversial topic into a hilarious video segment. We suggest you check it out below, and pay special attention to the parody of Chrysler's well-known "Born in Detroit" marketing campaign.

Continue reading Daily Show takes a long, hard look at the Detroit-Canada bridge fiasco

Daily Show takes a long, hard look at the Detroit-Canada bridge fiasco originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Jan 2013 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen Routan production halted, could lead to vehicle's demise

Jeffrey N. Ross — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 14:31:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Plants/Manufacturing, Volkswagen

The Volkswagen Routan has quietly been out of production since July, but with a new three-row crossover on the way and a recent back-and-forth spat between Volkswagen executives and Sergio Marchionne of Fiat, it's probable that the 2012 model year could be the last for this minivan. The current agreement for Chrysler to build the Routan in Windsor, Ontario lasts through 2014, but Automotive News is reporting that VW might be looking to renegotiate the deal early next year.

Aside from any of the political issues going on between the two automakers, the truth of the matter is that the Routan just isn't selling well. So far this year, VW has sold just 9,923 units of the badge-engineered minivan, down 17 percent from last year. Almost all of the other entrants in the segment have enjoyed double-digit sales increases this year including the Chrysler trio of vans (Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country and Ram C/V), Honda Odyssey and Nissan Quest. Overall, the Grand Caravan remains the top-selling minivan through November with 127,308 units sold, and Chrysler as a whole continues to dominate the segment it created with total minivan sales of 236,195 across its Dodge, Chrysler and Ram brands.

To make matters even worse for the Routan, the minivan market is about to add another (admittedly left-field) competitor into the mix when Ford returns to the segment with the long-wheelbase 2014 Transit Connect.

Volkswagen Routan production halted, could lead to vehicle's demise originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Dec 2012 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Ram Cargo Van starts rolling in Windsor

Noah Joseph — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Plants/Manufacturing, Work, Canada, Ram

Call it a Caravan, call it a Voyager, call it whatever you want - just don't call it a Dodge. Because while it may look exactly like a Dodge, it's actually a Ram. And as the suits in Auburn Hills will point out, the Ram truck brand is no longer under Dodge's purview.

What it's actually called is the Ram C/V, which doesn't stand for Commercial Vehicle but for Cargo Van. It's the panel-wagon version of the Dodge Grand Caravan, and it's just entered production in Windsor, Ontario.

The Class 1 commercial vehicle offers 1,800 pounds of cargo capacity and 3,600 pounds of towing capability for a Gross Combined Weight Rating of 8,750 pounds, all the while delivering up to 25 miles per gallon on the highway. It also gets a heavy-duty radiator and transmission oil cooler over the family-hauling version. It's ready to order now from your local Ram dealership.

Continue reading 2012 Ram Cargo Van starts rolling in Windsor

2012 Ram Cargo Van starts rolling in Windsor originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Supplier strike may lead to shutdown of Chrysler's minivan line

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, UAW/Unions, Canada

2011 Chrysler Town & Country - Click above for high-res image gallery

Integram Seating is a parts supplier for Chrysler. The factory workers there produce seats, which are then sent to the Pentastar's Windsor Assembly plant to be installed in the brand's Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan people movers. The popular family vehicles are set to get an update for 2011, but according to CBS News, their assembly may be put on hold because 700 workers at Ingram Seating have overwhelmingly voted in favor of a strike. If Integram's employees walk and Chrysler doesn't have seats to put into its vehicles, production will almost certainly be halted. the supplier's union, Canadian Auto Workers Local 4-44, says the majority vote is intended to send a message to the company.

Workers at Integram Seating have not had a pay raise in four years and the average wage there is about $24.32 per hour. The strike will occur if no labor contract has been worked out by November 7, the expiration date for the current agreement.

Gallery: 2011 Chrysler Town & Country

[Source: CBC News]

Report: Supplier strike may lead to shutdown of Chrysler's minivan line originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler to restart seven North American plants by end of month

Chris Paukert — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler

Hot on the heels of news that the Dodge Viper's Conner Avenue facility would be the first Chrysler plant to fire up after the company's bankruptcy proceedings/Fiat tie-up comes official word that the automaker will resume production at seven plants the week of June 29. In addition, Chrysler will bring the supporting powertrain and stamping plants online that supply the assembly factories listed below with parts.

According to Ed Garsten, Chrysler's manager of electronic media communications, the following assembly plants will resume production as part of a "phased production ramp-up" -

Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (Sterling Heights, MI) - Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger
Warren Truck Assembly Plant (Warren, MI) - Dodge Ram and Dodge Dakota
St. Louis North Assembly Plant (Fenton, MO) - Dodge Ram
Toledo Supplier Park (Toledo, OH) - Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
Brampton Assembly Plant (Brampton, Ontario, Canada) - 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

Despite the start-ups, all Chrysler plants will again idle for two weeks in the second half of July as part of a previously scheduled summer break.

Source: Chrysler | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty]

Chrysler to restart seven North American plants by end of month originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grand Caravan to Grande Punto: Chrysler plants could be retooled to produce Fiats

Noah Joseph — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, Fiat

Any pending arrangement between Chrysler LLC and Fiat SpA could see a huge reshuffle of Chrysler's manufacturing facilities all across North America to make way for joint production of a new generation of vehicles to be sold with Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Fiat and Alfa Romeo badges. Included among the possible sites for retooling are those in Windsor, Ontario, Canada; Toluca, Mexico; and Belvidere, Illinois.

The Windsor plant is where Chrysler currently builds its minivans, the Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan and the star-crossed Volkswagen Routan. Windsor also happens to be where Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne went to university, but there's talk of shifting minivan production away from Ontario, possibly down to Toledo, Ohio, in order to make way for local production of the Alfa MiTo and a future small Chrysler to be based on the next Fiat Grande Punto. Toluco, where the Dodge Journey and soon-to-be-discontinued Chrysler PT Cruiser are currently produced, could be retooled to build the Fiat 500 and a new Jeep based on the next Fiat Panda Cross. Finally, while Belvidere currently assembles the Jeep Compass, Patriot and Dodge Caliber, the Illinois plant could end up assembling Fiat-based replacements for those vehicles, plus a jointly developed next-gen Jeep Liberty and Alfa crossover, in addition to the replacements for the Chrysler Sebring/Dodge Avenger and Alfa 147 and 159.

Retooling the plants, however, could cost as much as half a billion dollars each. Of course, this plan is all part and parcel of the larger Fiat/Chrysler tie-in currently under negotiation, and would require greater concessions from union leaders - especially the Canadian Auto Workers who have reportedly been hesitant to budge from their position. Should the two automakers come to an agreement, however, the Federal government could consider additional loans, in part to help finance the retooling.

[Source: Automotive News - subs. req'd]

Grand Caravan to Grande Punto: Chrysler plants could be retooled to produce Fiats originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Goodbye, Routan? VW minivan reportedly not long for this world

Noah Joseph — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:22:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Volkswagen, Earnings/Financials

Volkswagen Routan - Click above for high-res gallery

That the Volkswagen Routan has been a dismal failure is probably one of the worst kept secrets in the industry, but until now, few have taken stock of just how poorly the badge-engineered minivan was selling.

The idea was fairly straightforward, if a tad ill-conceived: take a Dodge Caravan, slap on a fresh face and a VW badge and give it an unpronounceable name. The minivan is built alongside its Chrysler and Dodge counterparts at Chrysler's Windsor, Ontario, plant... or at least it was until Wolfsburg asked Auburn Hills to stop production. Apparently, not a single Routan has rolled off the assembly line since last December, and there are no immediate plans to resume production.

Nor should they, necessarily: Of the 22,037 Routans produced between its introduction in September and the cessation of production just a few months later, only 5,582 (less than a quarter of those made) have actually been sold. With that much back-stock, Volkswagen Group of America has been offering some attractive incentives, and dealers are likely super-motivated to sell, but the Routan's retail price is still a couple grand higher than a Dodge Caravan's, part of which goes towards recouping Brooke Shields' paycheck for that ridiculous advertising campaign. And with no sign of the remaining Routans' value going anywhere but down, there's little motivation for VW (to ask Chrysler) to resume production, much less green-light its replacement.

If there's a bright spot here, it's that the Routan actually isn't a bad minivan, particularly now that good deals are available. It's been said that it is the best-driving Chrysler minivan (with the best interior of the bunch), and that's probably true - even if the name, marketing and idea that this is a proper VW has never managed to resonate with consumers.

Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Volkswagen Routan

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Goodbye, Routan? VW minivan reportedly not long for this world originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Routan Bust? VW asks Chrysler to stop building minivans for February

Chris Paukert — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Minivan/Van, Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Marketing/Advertising, Volkswagen, Celebrities

Evidently, early consumer feedback suggests that Fahrvergnügen is not spelled "R-o-u-t-a-n." Volkswagen has reportedly asked Chrysler Canada to temporarily halt production for the month of February on its new ported-over minivan.

Initial Routan sales have been slow, with the Windsor Star reporting that around 29,000 units have been shipped to dealers, but only a few thousand have actually been sold. The production stoppage should help stem the supply overage somewhat, but all signs point to the Routan having a rough road ahead - and not just because of the increasingly dire economic climate. VW's Brooke Shields "Routan Boom" ad campaign appears to have drawn more quizzical looks and outright scorn than potential buyers, and critics are questioning how well the vehicle lines up with VW's brand image.

If nothing else, the Routan clearly has the finest interior of any model in the Chrysler minivan family and a quick spin by this author suggests that it's the best driving, too. Still, those positive aspects don't appear to be enough to guarantee homes for the 300 or so Routans leaving the plant each day.

[Windsor Star via Kicking Tires]

Routan Bust? VW asks Chrysler to stop building minivans for February originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Explosion and fire at Chrysler's Windsor assembly plant

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:53:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler

Around 12:30PM EST today, Chrysler's Windsor assembly plant in Canada, which produces an assortment of the automaker's minivans, caught fire after a reported explosion. Eyewitness reports claim that the explosion was followed by large plumes of black smoke emanating from the northwest corner of the center. Fire crews have cordoned off part of the plant around Drouillard Road and all of the employees have been evacuated. We'll update this post with more information as it becomes available, so stay tuned. Thanks for the tip, Alan.

UPDATE 4:40 PM EST: Workers were allowed back into the plant after the fire was extinguished. Apparently a vehicle on the repair line caught fire, but workers were able to control the blaze. No injuries reported at this time. [Source: MLive]

[Source: Canada.com, Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty]

Explosion and fire at Chrysler's Windsor assembly plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CAW Union head Buzz Hargrove threatens to take GM down in '08 if...

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 08:36:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Ford, GM, UAW/Unions

Things are not looking good for American automakers' plants in Windsor, Ontario. Canadian Auto Workers Union head Buzz Hargrove was upset when Ford shut down a plant in Windsor a while back, and now he's directing his frustration towards General Motors. Recently, St. Catherines, also in Canada and represented by the CAW, was awarded a new contract to build transmissions for GM. St. Catherines had never had a contract to build transmissions for GM before, and the CAW was expecting the Windsor plant to get that contract. The Windsor plant now has no product to build and nothing in the pipeline, and Hargrove is threatening more than just a strike: a total take-down of General Motors. The union would like to see a new product there, not something that will take another plant down in lieu of Windsor. Read more about that here. We'll give you a few choice phrases from Hargrove and Chris Buckley, president of Local 222, after the jump. They sound pretty serious about this, as you'll read.

[Source: The Windsor Star via Autospies]

Continue reading CAW Union head Buzz Hargrove threatens to take GM down in '08 if...

CAW Union head Buzz Hargrove threatens to take GM down in '08 if... originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Jun 2007 08:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canadian Auto workers protest job losses

Dan Roth — Tue, 29 May 2007 10:02:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, Daimler, Ford, GM, UAW/Unions

Canadian auto outposts Windsor and Essex counties in Ontario have lost thousands of jobs in the recent past. Out of concern for the future of not only their jobs, but their communities and standard of living, nearly 40,000 people took part in a rally organized by the Canadian Auto Workers Union on Sunday, May 27th. The CAW claims that every single manufacturing job supports 12 non-autobuilding jobs, and with the big goings on down south with the sale of Chrysler and Ford's Way Forward, the union is understandably concerned. The rally, part of the CAW's wider "Manufacturing Matters" initiative, was held at Ford's Windsor, Ontario test track, and was intended to demonstrate the gravity of Canada's loss of manufacturing jobs. There will be pain associated with the domestic automakers scramble to stay alive, and part of that has taken the form of shipping jobs elsewhere. It's not just the car assembly plants, it's the multitudes of smaller suppliers that build the subassemblies and components the autoworkers actually assemble. It's happening in the US, as well, and it's tough to realize that in the jaws of the vice are families that have little recourse. Click the pic above for a slideshow of the Windsor rally with audio.

Thanks for the tip, Peter!

[Source: Autonorth]

Canadian Auto workers protest job losses originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 May 2007 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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