When NASCAR officially told manufacturers they could no longer directly support racers, a prohibition that was only lightly observed by GM and Ford, Chrysler sought a new series to test their mettle and gain publicity. They chose the new Daytona Continental road race, and built up a 1965 Plymouth Belvedere with the 426 Hemi dual-carb … Read more
In the 1960s and 1970s, people who wanted to race their Plymouth, Dodge, and Chrysler cars could buy the parts Chrysler Corporation supplied to professional racers—through the aptly named Direct Connection, Mopar’s way to directly connect Joe Sixpack to race-equipment engineers. Chrysler started taking racing seriously a little late, but then 1962 Max Wedge engine … Read more
Jeep just released the official list prices for the 2022 Grand Cherokee line. These are very likely the prices people will pay, at least until the new-car shortage eases up. There are two surprises…
The Jeep Wagoneer swept its categories in the Texas Truck Rodeo, winning the top prize (SUV of Texas) as well as the Full-Size Luxury SUV and Full-Size SUV categories. Perennial winner Ram 1500 took Full-Size Pickup Truck, while Ram 2500 Power Wagon walked off with Heavy Duty Pickup Truck. The Ram TRX nabbed both Luxury … Read more
The rumors are true: Stellantis is offering buyouts to a large number of salaried employees in the United States. The deal is being offered to employees who are eligible for pensions; they must be at least 55 years old, with 30 years of experience at the companies, for 58 years old with ten years of … Read more
Stellantis has finalized its purchase of First Investors Financial Services Group and renamed it to Stellantis Financial Services US Corporation. The move provides Stellantis with a foundation for a full-service captive finance arm, which historically has been more profitable than actually making cars. David ZatzDavid Zatz started what was to become the world’s biggest Mopar … Read more
The old Grand Cherokee “WK2” will live on, at least in Canada, according to Mopar Insiders; it appears in the jeep.ca Build and Price system, and dealers told the site that it would indeed continue. The models will be Laredo, Altitude, Limited, and Limited X; the Laredo starts at C$50,445 (Canadian dollars). The reason is … Read more
A new Mopar rewards program provides “miles” rewards based on how much you drive—and how much you walk or bike…
Yesterday, Ford announced that its revenue had fallen by just 5%, while its third-quarter profit fell 24%, to $1.8 billion. Ford also restored the dividend it had suspended due to COVID, and announced that its full year profits would be much higher than expected—$10.5 to $11 billion. How did Stellantis, parent company of the former … Read more
Stellantis is planning to end up with just four platforms: Small, Medium, Large, and Frame. But what’s the timing, and where are they coming from? First, the timing: Carlos Tavares is engaged in a ten year plan, at this point. By 2030, little will remain of the current platforms. For the moment, anything that was … Read more
2021 and 2022 Ram pickups and chassis cabs powered by Cummins diesel engines are being recalled because the intake heater grid relay on some trucks may overheat and cause a fire. To date, there has been no injuries or crashes. Ram has advised owners to avoid parking their trucks indoors, despite the very low risk … Read more
For the 2022 model year, police buyers can get a choice of pursuit-rated Chargers and Durangos, or opt for a special service Ram. So far there are no pursuit rated Rams, though Ford has a pursuit-rated F-150—a vehicle with a low top speed and brakes that a civilian car would be ashamed of. The Durango … Read more
The Windsor Assembly Plant, sole maker of Chrysler minivans, is cutting its second shift on April 17, 2022. Due mainly to parts shortages, the plant has been idle for some time this year. Most observers expected the plant to be making one of three alternative cars as well as the minivans by now—a production version … Read more
According to Automotive News, Stellantis is hedging its LG bets by forming an alliance with fellow South Korean battery-maker Samsung SDI; both will make batteries for North American Stellantis vehicles. Samsung SDI makes EV batteries in South Korea, Hungary, and China; it counts BMW and Ford as clients. The plant location is still under review, … Read more
LG, whose batteries are perhaps best known for causing a $2 billion GM recall, is Stellantis’ joint venture partner for a North American battery plant. The well-publicized LG gaffe may have helped Stellantis negotiators quite a bit. The new plant is to start pumping out car batteries in early 2024, with an annual capacity of … Read more
Whether due to market forces or shortages, Jeep Cherokee production has been down quite a bit, and Stellantis has apparently decided that the second shift is not coming back. The company recently sent around 1,100 letters to employees at the Belvidere plant, offering relocation at other facilities, including Toledo, according to local station WREX. Employees … Read more