chrysler

SURGICAL MARKETING STRIKES

Automakers grow adept at targeting ads to Internet surfers

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
The digital age has spawned effective ways for auto marketers to swipe customers from competitors. By monitoring the online shopping habits of millions of consumers, marketers can place online ads in front of shoppers quickly and precisely.... Read More »

 

N.J. store sues Chrysler over termination

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
A Chrysler Group dealership in central New Jersey has filed a lawsuit to stop the automaker from terminating the dealership's franchises.... Read More »

 

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

Lights, camera -- uh, boss, we have a little problem here . . .

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
I love wordplay, so when photos arrived of the big blue Pacific crashing against a floundering Ram heavy-duty pickup during a beach photo shoot gone wrong, my mind just raced Larry P. Vellequette covers Chrysler Group for Automotive News.... Read More »

 

Chrysler recalls 469,000 SUVs worldwide over gearshift issue

12:52 pm U.S. ET | May 11, 2013
Chrysler Group is recalling about 469,000 SUVs worldwide to update software after some vehicles' circuit boards were found to be transmitting signals that trigger inadvertent gearshifts to neutral, the automaker said Saturday.... Read More »

 

Fiat dealers anxious for broader product lineup

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 11, 2013
Some of the 204 Fiat dealers in the United States are struggling to turn a profit selling several versions of the Fiat 500 subcompact and some dealers said they anxiously await more details from Chrysler and its Italian parent, Fiat S.p.A., on plans to expand products beyond what has been already announced.... Read More »

 

N.J. dealership sues Chrysler to prevent franchise terminations

12:03 pm U.S. ET | May 10, 2013
A Chrysler Group dealership in central New Jersey has filed a lawsuit to halt the automaker's efforts to terminate the dealership's franchises for failing to improve to factory standards.... Read More »

 

U.S. regulators close inquiries into Ford, Chrysler vehicles

12:18 pm U.S. ET | May 8, 2013
Federal safety regulators closed two separate probes into vehicles made by Ford and Chrysler after the two automakers conducted safety recalls this year to fix glitches in some models.... Read More »

 

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

Ram photo shoot goes horribly, horribly wrong

12:00 pm U.S. ET | May 7, 2013
I love puns, so when photos arrived of the big blue Pacific crashing against a floundering Ram heavy-duty pickup during a beach-photo-shoot-gone-wrong, my mind just raced.... Read More »

 

BEST PRACTICES

Custom 'werks' loads up Jeeps -- and revenue

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
The staff at Fields Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram noticed that many of the Jeeps they sold looked different when their owners came in for an oil change or other service appointment. The vehicles might have new tires, flashier wheels or modifications such as suspension lift kits. Seeing this sparked a big idea to increase revenue, set the dealership apart from competitors and help local charities in the process.... Read More »

 

Costly launches trim Chrysler's 1st-qtr. profit

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Chrysler Group and Fiat Group eked out small profits in the first quarter. Chrysler was hurt by expensive vehicle launches, while Fiat was contending with Europe's nasty recession.... Read More »

 

Chrysler: No minority buying, no bids

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Chrysler Group is serious about spending more with minority-owned suppliers and has penalized four Tier 1s that aren't following its lead. The four lost the ability, at least temporarily, to bid on future contracts.... Read More »

 

FINAL ASSEMBLY

In Lutz's view, Eaton did a bang-up job at Chrysler

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Former Chrysler CEO Bob Eaton is commonly said to have finished his career in disgrace. But in his new book, Icons and Idiots: Straight Talk on Leadership, former Chrysler and General Motors exec Bob Lutz leaves Eaton out of the "idiot" category.... Read More »

 

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

Fiat ad or (Arianna, Pitbull) music video?

7:42 am U.S. ET | May 4, 2013
I present to you Fiat's latest video in North America, "Sexy People." Some things just need to speak for themselves. I am left without words.... Read More »

 

APRIL U.S. AUTO SALES

Ford, Nissan lead gains as trucks, new models propel sales up 9%

8:00 am U.S. ET | May 1, 2013
Rising demand for Detroit 3 pickups helped lift U.S. auto sales 9 percent last month, while surprising declines at Toyota and Volkswagen took some steam out of the market's steady recovery. The seasonally adjusted annual sales rate came in at 14.9 million, marking the first time since October that the SAAR failed to top 15 million.... Read More »

 

Pickups help Detroit 3 gain ground in Canada

2:00 pm U.S. ET | May 1, 2013
Canadian sales rose for the three Detroit automakers, led by strong sales for pickup trucks. Ford was the top-seller in Canada in April as sales rose 16 percent to 27,907 vehicles. Chrysler was second, at 25,745 vehicles, up 5 percent, barely edging out GM's 25,071 vehicles, up 19 percent.... Read More »

 

Detroit 3 climb with pickups; industry recovery slips

5:33 pm U.S. ET | May 1, 2013
Booming pickup sales drove Detroit automakers to double-digit gains and the U.S. auto market 9 percent higher in April. While that percentage gain was the second-highest of the year, the results marked a setback for the industry's recovery. The seasonally adjusted annual sales rate came in at 14.9 million, below estimates in the 15.2 million range. It was the first time since October that the SAAR dropped below 15 million.... Read More »

 

Chrysler up 11% on pickup, SUV sales

11:57 am U.S. ET | May 1, 2013
Chrysler Group rode strong sales of pickups and SUVs to an 11 percent sales increase in April, its 37th consecutive month of higher year-over-year sales.... Read More »

 

APRIL U.S. AUTO SALES

Detroit 3 gain Q1 market share for first time since 1993

10:20 am U.S. ET | April 30, 2013
For the first time in two decades, GM, Ford and Chrysler pulled off a sweep in the first three months of a year in the United States, with all three gaining market share in 2013's first quarter. The momentum likely built in April versus Toyota and Honda, according to a survey of analysts by Bloomberg News.... Read More »

 

Chrysler's outlook raised to positive from stable by S&P

6:39 pm U.S. ET | April 30, 2013
Chrysler Group may get an upgrade in its credit rating in the next 12 months, said Standard and Poor's, which raised Chrysler's outlook Tuesday to "positive" from "stable." S&P changed its outlook on the company to positive even after Chrysler posted a 65-percent drop in first quarter profit.... Read More »

 

A rich harvest for 'Farmer' ads

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013
Chrysler Group's chief marketing officer says the automaker's "Farmer" campaign launched during the 2013 Super Bowl is boosting Ram consideration among prospective pickup buyers.... Read More »

 

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

Chrysler hopes many hats make broad experience

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013
The top-level management changes at Chrysler Group this month may be rooted in the cultivated tension of a criss-crossed management structure that has high-level executives wearing many hats. But the changes at the top of four of the automaker's brands also ensure that Chrysler's next leader knows the business inside and out Larry P. Vellequette covers Chrysler Group for Automotive News.... Read More »

 

Fiat first-quarter profit falls on Chrysler earnings drop

April 29, 2013 14:41 CET
Fiat Group confirmed its 2013 financial targets despite lower first-quarter profits at Chrysler and continued losses in Europe.... Read More »

 

Chrysler profit tumbles on costs of product launches

8:41 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013
Chrysler Group said net income fell to $166 million in the first quarter as costs of two large product launches crimped the automaker's seventh consecutive quarterly profit.... Read More »

 

West is best for growth in China sales, output

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013
Automakers, urged on by China's national and local governments, are eager to expand in the markets of central and western China. Future growth will be in the hinterland, auto executives interviewed during this month's Shanghai auto show agreed.... Read More »

 

Chrysler Capital's first job: Leasing

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013
Chrysler Group expects more consumer auto leases next month when the newly formed Chrysler Capital begins operations as the automaker's preferred lender in the United States.... Read More »