New pickup, Durango back on track (corrected and updated)

uaw promise

Stellantis today committed to building a midsized pickup at Belvidere Assembly again, overriding Carlos Tavares’ decision to renege on the union contract at two factories by dropping both the pickup and the next-generation Dodge Durango. The move will result in the re-hire of 1,500 workers and having a pickup in a key segment. Originally the … Read more

Chrysler’s usual outside savior

Walter P. Chrysler

Traditionally, Chrysler Corporation, Maxwell Motors, and the other incarnations that are part of Stellantis today have had a surefire way to save the company: bringing in a savior from the outside. Before a single decade was up, Maxwell Motors was saved by Walter Flanders, who bought the company and brought it back to life. Then … Read more

Ram 1500 Classic end confirmed

Tavares at Warren with Ragalyi, Resha

Ram has confirmed that the Ram 1500 Classic will drop out of production later this year, moving the plant from two general assembly shifts to one. However, some operations in the plant will remain on two shifts to support the Jeep Wagoneer family, which is continuing at the plant. The 1500 Classic has supplied the … Read more

Now live: Former Chrysler engineer’s tale of quality in the 1980s

lap of america - cudapete

A  former Chrysler engineer has posted a five-part series on different aspects of Chrysler’s quality program of the 1980s—the parts he was personally involved in. Each part is around five minutes long, and feature the supporting Chrysler instructional materials. These are the videos, in order: 1: Introduction: building up quality to meet or beat the … Read more

Dodge Hornet R/T Review: The Perfect Small Hybrid for the Daily Commute

Dodge Hornet R/T

Dodge is marketing the new Hornet R/T plug-in hybrid electric crossover as something that is a blast to drive, and it is a ton of fun to drive (as that segment goes). However, that ad campaign doesn’t really address the fact that it is a fantastic daily commuter vehicle – with all of the latest … Read more

Evolution of the Modern Dodge Charger LX/LD – My First and Last SRT Hemi Test Cars

Dodge Charger SRT - 2010 to 2023

Over the course of the past 15 years, I have been fortunate to have tested every trim level of the modern Dodge Charger. Growing up a Dodge drag racer and diehard fan of the brand, the most exciting aspect of writing new vehicle reviews was that I might get to drive the latest and greatest … Read more