Back at the Brink, Chrysler Finds Fewer Friends March 3, 2007
Back then, it was Lee Iacocca and the federal government bailing out Chrysler. Today the German owners must figure out how to fix the company. Correction Appended AUBURN HILLS, Mich. DAIMLERCHRYSLER always seems to outdo itself at the Detroit auto show, and this year was no exception. The company showcased celebrities like the chef Bobby Flay, and then generated a fresh round of buzz via an artificial ice rink (its surface carefully scuffed to keep visitors from slipping) that it built to show off its legendary Mercedes-Benz line.For DaimlerChrysler itself, however, the corporate mood was just as cold as the …
Around the Block: Planted Just Before the Frost November 25, 2006
The 2007 Chrysler Aspen is a perfectly nice vehicle with perfectly awful timing. It is big and thirsty, meant for a time when gas flowed like water. TESTED: Chrysler AspenWHAT IS IT? Full-size S.U.V.HOW MUCH? Base model $30,745. As tested $41,870 including a $5,415 quick-order package (with Hemi engine and popular features); $1,595 navigation system; $1,200 rear seat entertainment system; $875 leather trimmed seats; $745 shipping charge.WHAT DRIVES IT? Base engine is 4.7-liter V-8 (235 horsepower); upgraded engine is 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 (335 horsepower).IS IT SAFE? Chrysler says the Aspen has the “highest level of standard safety equipment” among full-size …
Maybach Introduces 62 S Model, The World’s Most Powerful Chauffer-Driven Saloon November 8, 2006
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
The new Maybach 62 S: The world’s most powerful chauffeur-driven saloon
- A new pinnacle in high-end luxury car production
- Generous spaciousness, unique comfort and superlative performance
- Dynamic exterior and interior touches
Stuttgart, Nov 06, 2006
Maybach, the luxury brand with an illustrious past, re-established just four years ago, is adding a fourth variant to its line-up in the shape of the newly developed 62 S model. The “S” stands for “Special” and draws attention to the fact that the Maybach engineers at the Sindelfingen-based Manufaktur workshops have incorporated a wealth …
Facing a Big Quarterly Loss, Chrysler Moves to Cut Costs October 20, 2006
Chrysler is pushing to cut at least $1,000 a vehicle from its costs in an effort to return to profitability as soon as possible. DETROIT, Oct. 19 - The Chrysler Group, facing a steep third-quarter loss, is pushing to cut at least $1,000 a vehicle from its costs in an effort to return to profitability as soon as possible, officials at the company said Thursday night. The program, called “Project Refocus,” comes as Chrysler is expected to post a $1.5 billion loss for the third quarter when it reports results next week, snapping a string of 12 profitable quarters. Chrysler, …
Green Tech: Hybrids With a Power Cord: Plug-In Vans Put to the Test September 29, 2006
The DaimlerChrysler Dodge Sprinter delivery van with plug-in-hybrid powertrains can drive 20 miles on batteries alone, powered by a 70-kilowatt electric motor. ARE there plug-in hybrid vehicles in America?s future? Such hybrids could travel 10 to 20 additional miles on battery power alone, but until recently automakers have said ? more or less unanimously ? that it was not practical to add a larger battery pack and plug-in chargers to hybrid vehicles because of the added weight, complexity and cost. The public is already confused about hybrids, they say, with many people still believing that these cars (whose batteries are …
New Details Of Next Smart ForTwo To Be Revealed At Paris Motor Show September 26, 2006
Comfort, agility, safety and ecology are particular strengths of the smart fortwo. They are best demonstrated in European cities such as Paris, Berlin or Rome - the environment that this car was developed for and where it has achieved cult status in a very short space of time.
The smart fortwo requires only half the road space of most other vehicles. The agile two-seater not only gets you around town more quickly; if everyone were to drive a smart fortwo, the line of cars waiting at the traffic lights would be only half as long, and the car parks would have …
A Reversal of Fortune at Chrysler, Too September 20, 2006
Chrysler said it would cut its production schedule for the rest of the year by 16 percent because of slumping sales as a result of high gas prices. DETROIT, Sept. 19 ? Maybe Chrysler is not so different after all. After Daimler-Benz merged with Chrysler in 1998, Chrysler vowed to break away from its troubled Detroit brethren and join ranks with the Japanese automakers. It designed innovative vehicles like the gutsy 300C sedan and the spunky PT Cruiser, gambling that an emphasis on bold design, better quality and German engineering would set it apart from the Big Two. “There …
DaimlerChrysler Celebrates New Plant Opening Beijing September 16, 2006
BeijingBenz-DaimlerChrysler Automotive Ltd. celebrated the opening of its new manufacturing facility, an event that was attended by government officials, executives, community officials and more than 1,000 employees of the joint venture and its two shareholders, DaimlerChrysler AG and Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. The hour-long ceremony included presentations of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the Chrysler 300C, both of which will be produced at the new plant.
According to Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management for DaimlerChrysler AG: “Almost a quarter of a century after DaimlerChrysler co-founded the first international automobile joint venture in China, the opening of the BBDC’s …
Reminiscing Over Ten Years Of The Mercedes SLK September 14, 2006
Believe it or not, it’s been ten years since the lovable little Mercedes SLK hit showrooms around the world, redefining the public’s perception of the brand with a bold and undeniably youthful new look.
Now, after a decade and some 460,000 units sold, the SLK-Class continues to remain a leader in its segment, evolving to contain the highest levels of technology, driving comfort and safety while still maintaining the spry spirit that’s made it successful for so long.
To celebrate the event, Mercedes today has published a press release taking a look …
Detroit Sees Cheap Gas as History August 29, 2006
The Chrysler Group said Monday that it expected gasoline prices to remain at $3 to $4 a gallon for the rest of this decade. TOLEDO, Ohio, Aug. 28 ? The Chrysler Group, which depends more heavily on sales of pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles than any other Detroit automaker, said Monday that it expected gasoline prices to remain at $3 to $4 a gallon for the rest of this decade. The comments by Thomas W. LaSorda, Chrysler?s chief executive, are the first time a Detroit automaker has issued a specific forecast on gas prices since they began climbing …
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