Chrysler (Page 29)

Late last night, Fiat SpA reportedly came to an agreement with United State Department of Treasury to purchase the final 6.6% of the Chrysler Group held by the US government along with the feds remaining options in Chrysler for a total price of $560 million.

When this GM president was kicked out of office, he bought the Jefferey car plant in Wisconsin, changed the car to his name and merged with Kelvinator refrigerators.

May 2011 was not a month of great sales as nearly every major automotive group showed a decline compared to May of 2010 but the Chrysler Group was among those showing growth – making them the only American manufacturer to show positive growth in May.

Twenty five years ago, you could waltz into a Jeep dealership and drive off in what would today be known as a Jeep Wrangler pickup. For years Jeep fans have been asking for another but Chrysler has been quiet save for a few concepts and some promises.

The numbers from the major players in the rear wheel drive performance segment and even though numbers are down across the board, for the fifth straight month the Chevrolet Camaro has posted a comfortable lead in the segment over the Ford Mustang, the Dodge Challenger and the Nissan 370Z.

The Obama Administration reported Chrysler has repaid all of its loans, and General Motors has paid back approximately half.

President Obama will be in Toledo for about five hours on Friday to meet auto workers and to talk about the importance of keeping the auto industry strong. His itinerary includes a 1:05 p.m. tour of the Chrysler Group LLC’s Toledo Supplier Park and an opportunity to talk with the people who assemble the Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation into problems with the Jeep Wrangler that could cause the driver’s side airbag not to open in the event of a collision.

As a result of the “bailout loans” of 2008 and a variety of previous dealings, the Canadian government was left with a 1.7% stake in the Chrysler Group after the Fiat-run Chrysler paid off the balance of those loans but depending on how much Fiat pays for the last chunk of Chrysler owned by the US government, the Canadian government may be willing to sell their final 1.7% to Fiat.

When Fiat SpA paid off $7.6 billion dollars in debt to the US and Canadian governments this week, they effectively raised their ownership of the Chrysler Group to 46%, leaving the US government to own 6.6% while the Canadians now hold 1.7%; but according to a statement filed to the US Treasury department Fiat plans to purchase the 6.6% held by the US government before the end of 2011.

While the 2011 Dodge Avenger Heat features a revised interior and a subtly altered exterior, the biggest news for the new midsized Dodge sedan is the improved suspension system and the new premium engine option.

Active duty military personnel and members of the reserves will get a break through the Nissan Vehicle Purchase Program, the Japanese manufacturer announced just in time for the Memorial Day holiday, which honors those men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defending our freedom.

Chrysler announced over a year ago that they were working with the Department of Energy to put together a demonstration fleet of plug-in electric hybrid Ram 1500 pickups and yesterday, the Ram brand delivered the first 10 PHEV Ram 1500s to the municipal services group of Yuma Arizona.

I recently had the pleasure of spending a week behind the wheel of the 2011 Dodge Avenger Heat, which included a nice long road trip to the Mecum Indy Spring Classic along with the duties of daily driving tasks – all of which clearly displayed the improvements made to the Avenger compared to the previous model year.

Chrysler’s Mopar division has announced the MoVenture - a cross-country road rally and scavenger hunt pitting 10 teams of hardcore Mopar enthusiasts head to head as the groups race from Detroit to Golden Colorado in 2011 and 2012 Chrysler vehicles.

The Kurt Busch Foundation has announced a raffle with an incredible grand prize – a customized 2011 Dodge Charger R/T featuring upgrades and styling based on Kurt Busch’s #22 Penske Charger race car and the Mopar Redline Charger that debuted at the 2010 SEMA Show.

The 1974 Jensen Interceptor III offered British design and styling with the heart and soul of a classic American muscle car thanks to the Chrysler 440 4-barrel under the hood – and one of these rare Chrysler-powered luxury drop-tops made an appearance at the 2011 Mecum Spring Classic in Indianapolis.