Chrysler (Page 36)

2010 was a tumultuous year for Chrysler as the luxury brand of the Chrysler Group saw the majority of its lineup removed, with the Town & Country and Chrysler 300 being the only vehicles to survive from the 2010 model year and the new Chrysler 200 joining as the third vehicle in the brand as it replaces the Sebring.

General Electric (NYSE: GE), a major contributor to technology and financing that affects the auto industry, broke out to the upside on a surprise Q4 earnings report.

Last year marked the first time in years that the Fiat brand showed a vehicle at the Detroit Auto Show but 2011 marked the Detroit debut of the new Fiat 500 as a production model.

The Washington DC Auto Show opens next weekend and on the eve of the show’s public opening, Keith Crane and the Automotive News will recognize Mr. Carroll Shelby with their 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award at a charity dinner in Mr. Shelby’s honor.

Chrysler’s Ram brand (formerly Dodge trucks) is the most consistent of the companies under the automakers umbrella and at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, Ram showed off their luxury side with the new Laramie Longhorn alongside their sporty side – the Mopar Ram Runner.

Like Bob Lutz, when Chrysler’s CEO Sergio Marchionne appears to speak, a crowd appears and people listen. This time he appeared with the EPA in Ann Arbor to announce a cooperative arrangement to adapt hydraulic hybrid technology for mini-vans.

Since the 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 first hit the news, people have been speculating just how much power the new 392 cubic inch Hemi makes and for the second time in less than a month, Dodge is offering up more positive results of a new dyno test.

No brand had more to show off at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show than Dodge, with nearly every model being vastly improved compared to what was shown at the 2010 show, including the gorgeous redesigned 2011 Charger and the all-new 2011 Durango.

Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne had a great deal to say at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show about future products and included in that information was the upcoming Chrysler 300 Hybrid, expected to hit the market in 2013.

Independent lab tests confirm the Scuderi™ Air-Hybrid Engine consumes up to 36 percent less fuel than a conventional engine. Beyond 2016 Federal Fuel Economy mandates, the gains will likely enable the technology to now challenge more expensive electric hybrids shown at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show.

Once again, the 2011 North American International Auto Show Charity Preview black tie gala continues to be one of the top single-night fundraising events in the nation.