Chrysler sailed through quarter two posting a profit of $436 million!

Chrysler has posted a net profit of $436 million in the second fiscal quarter of 2012. The amount represents a big jump compared to the $370 million loss it posted for the same time period a year ago. The automaker had to pay of $551 in U.S. government loans in that quarter.

Revenue for Chrysler Group rose 23 percent during the second quarter – up to $16.8 million – while worldwide sales rose 20 percent to 582,000 units. Chrysler had $12.1 billion in cash on its books by the end of Q2, up from $11.3 billion at the end of June.

In addition to not having to pay any loans this quarter, the automaker has benefited from a strong portfolio of new and reworked vehicles, resulting in increased demand. Chrysler sold 1.23 million vehicles in the first half the first six months of 2012, which puts it on track to exceed its self-set goal of 2.4 million vehicles sold for this year.

The strong-selling Ram pickup line and the newly arriving Dodge Dart compact sedan should help the Auburn Hills-based automaker as it looks to surge in the second half of 2012, as well.

 

Courtesy of autoblog.com

Check out this great deal on a 2006 Jeep Commander!

Visit our website for more details. 

Dodge has a tradition of service

Did you know that Dodges were the first automobiles to officially serve in the United States military?

Early in 1916, General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing ordered six Dodges for his Mexican expeditionary force, soon expanding the order to 150 units. Pershing’s Dodges quickly gained a reputation for extreme ruggedness and reliability, rare qualities in cars of that era. Pershing considered his Dodges unstoppable.

On May 14, 1916, one of Pershing’s lieutenants, George S. Patton, discovered the hideout of Julio Cárdenas, a top associate of Mexican guerilla general Pancho Villa. With 15 men and three Dodge touring cars, Patton raided the compound and defeated Cárdenas and his men.

Military experts regard the raid as the first mechanized cavalry attack in history, while Patton went on to fame as “Old Blood and Guts,” America’s fiercest (and most controversial) general of World War II.

When Pershing was called to Europe to serve in the American Expeditionary Forces in the first World War, he took his beloved Dodges with him.  Eddie Rickenbacker, at that time a well-known racing car driver, served as Pershing’s personal chauffeur. Rickenbacker would later become an ace pilot in WWI, a hero in both WWI and WWII, and the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

 

Courtesy of redlinedodge.com

The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Altitude Edition has an urban look to it

Time for a service visit? Make an appointment online today!

Scheduling routine maintenance is no more than a few clicks away.  Follow the link to schedule your next service appointment. 

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The 2013 Viper GTS-R is hitting the track for the first time in August

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Since its formal introduction at the New York International Auto Show in April, the 2013 SRT Viper GTS-R has been stealing hearts and turning heads wherever it’s been on display. And now, Street and Racing Technology (SRT) Motorsports officials have announced the SRT Viper GTS-R will make its first on-track race appearance Aug. 4 at the Mid-Ohio (Lexington, Ohio) Sports Car Course.

“We’re thrilled to return to the world-class competition in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) with our flagship American supercar,” said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO – SRT Brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC. “The new SRT Viper GTS-R represents a rebirth for us on the race track. Now the time has finally come to go head-to-head with the best sports car teams from around the world.”

Two identical SRT Viper GTS-R cars will compete in the production-based GT class in the series against the Aston Martin Vantage, BMW M3 GT, Corvette C6.R, Ferrari F458 Italia, Lotus Evora and Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. The GT class cars share many styling similarities to their showroom brands and produce between 450-500 horsepower with top speeds of up to 180 mph.

“The decision to make our debut at Mid-Ohio is a result of the progress made with our testing program,” said Gary Johnson, Road Racing Manager – SRT Motorsports. “Each test has met and more often exceeded our expectations, so we’ll see how things go at Mid-Ohio and then make a decision about the rest of the 2012 season.”

Following the limited schedule this season in ALMS, the SRT Motorsports team will compete full time in the series in 2013.

 

courtesy of blogs.chryslerllc.com

Tip of the Day: Follow the speed limit

Speeding is a very expensive way to drive. Driving above the speed limit may get you where you want to go in less time, but it also means more trips to the gas pump.  The faster you drive, the bigger the fuel-economy hit on your car. Driving 75 mph instead of 65 mph will lower your car's fuel economy by 10 percent. Driving 70 mph instead of 55 mph will lower your car's fuel economy by 17 percent.  Obeying the speed limit is the safest and cheapest way to drive.

 

 

Courtesy of bankrate.com

Getting the job done in style, the 2013 RAM 1500

Chrysler and John Varvatos teamed up to support Stuart House

Dodge Grand Caravan is leading sales in the minivan segment for the first half of 2012

A big part of Chrysler Group's heritage is our pioneering development and leadership in minivans. Heck, as we all know, Chrysler had the foresight to create the minivan category, and we've continually raised the standard with minivan firsts.

While only three automakers really compete in the minivan segment, it's been a tightly contested race for the top brand spot in recent years. (Of course, if you remove the brand break down, Chrysler Group always is the hands-down, minivan leader.) As the second half of 2012 is underway, let's take a look at the latest sales leaders in the minivan segment, through the end of June: 

1. Dodge Grand Caravan: 68,964
2. Honda Odyssey: 61,756
3. Toyota Sienna: 58,985
4. Chrysler Town & Country: 57,851

While the Grand Caravan has a comfy 7,000+ minivan lead, the next three spots are separated by fewer than 4,000 minivans.

In looking at sales month by month, the Grand Caravan has dominated so far, and has been America's best-selling minivan four out of the six months in 2012. While our T&C got off to a slow start in January, it's been pretty consistent since February, with sales generally near or above 10,000. 

With Grand Caravan's lead being fewer than a month's worth of sales, it's still any automaker's race. That is especially so as the Japanese automakers have begun to get back up to speed after still recovering from last year's tragic earthquake and tsunami.

So if you're in the market for a minivan, lend a hand and explore the Dodge Grand Caravan and the Chrysler Town & Country lineups. We need your support to keep the momentum going for our minivans.

 

Courtesy of blogs.chryslergroupllc.com

The Dodge Dart is here! Have you driven one yet?

Visit our website to learn more

 

Tip of the day: Go easy during the break-in period

You’ve bought your dream car and now you want to make it last at long as possible in top condition. Here are some things to remember as you pull it out of the dealer’s lot:

• During the break-in period, typically the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km), keep your speed under 55 mph (88 kpm) or to the speed recommended by your car’s manufacturer.
• Avoid heavy loads on the drive train, such as towing trailers, and loading the roof rack or trunk with heavy construction materials.
• Do not allow your new car to idle for long periods — this is good advice for the life of your car, but especially during breakin. The oil pressure generated by doing so may not be sending oil to every part of your engine.
• Use only light to medium acceleration, keeping the engine rpms below 3,000 for the first few hours of driving.

 

courtesy of rd.com

Dodge is looking to fill a niche in the market for small pickups.

"There is a vacuum left in the small pickup category," says Jesse Toprak, vice president of market intelligence for TrueCar.com in a new Detroit Free Press report. And as we all know, the automotive industry abhors a vacuum.

Joe Veltri, VP of product planning for Chrysler, sees that vacuum as a potential for profits.

 "Based on our data, young males still aspire to own a pickup," Veltri says in the story. "Historically, if you go back to the '80s, the compact or midsize pickup segment was bigger than the full-size segment."

So why are small trucks no longer popular? Veltri and others argue that as the sticker price of smaller pickups got bigger, larger pickups began to look more affordable. Why buy a small pickup for $20k when a full-size truck is only a couple thousand more? We might add: Why by a small pickup when they've gotten so large that they're not much easier to drive or park than their full-size contemporaries?

Veltri says nothing has been finalized, but the company has been talking about a new small pickup for ages now. In fact, way back in 2002, they rolled out the blazing yellow Dodge M80 concept shown above. We loved it then, we like it now. A little bit retro, a whole lotta masculine. Build it on a unibody platform for better fuel economy, price it well below the full-size Ram and, bingo, vacuum filled.

News stories the past few years have suggested that Chrysler has been  investigating a unibody pickup as a replacement for its now-deceased Dakota midsize truck for several now, but we haven't heard much about the possibility since CEO Sergio Marchionne admitted in January that there's a "Better than 50-percent chance" that the next Dakota will rely on unibody construction.

 

courtesy of autoblog.com

The Dodge Dart knows where you want to go, even before you do.

Tip of the Day: Check your tires for uneven wear

If you’ve maintained tire inflation properly, uneven wear may indicate the need for a wheel realignment. It can also mean improperly operating brakes or shocks, a bent wheel, internal tire damage, or worn bushings.

 

 

courtesy of rd.com