Some Jeeps To Be Built In Italy
According to the Automobile Magazine Blog Chrysler has plans to build some of it’s Jeeps in Italy. According to the blog the Jeep being built in Italy will replace the Compass. When where and how many, we don’t know. Assumption is around 150,000 units. This is second hand info though, so we’ll see.
Follow A Chrysler Factory Line Worker Through His Day
Very interesting video produced by CNN Money that follows a Chrysler factory line worker through his day.
Chrysler Expected To Earn $200-$500 Million In Net Income This Year
Although Chrysler just announced a loss of $199 Million in the 4th quarter they are expected to show net income profits around $200 Million – $500 Million this year. Remember Chrysler has invested heavily in New or Upgraded Vehicles for 2011. Consumer interest in the new vehicles is high. Expect sales to reflect this in the coming months. Chrysler has made operational profit that has beat internal expectations.
Houston Marathon Winners
If you would like to view the winners of the Houston Marathon head on over to their homepage. http://www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com/index.cfm
Chrysler Q4 Results Come Out Today
Chrysler will be releasing it’s Q4 results today. Investment banks and potential shareholders will expect to see a positive net income even after paying interest on government loans. So expectations are high. Chrysler has recently released a slew of new or refreshed vehicles so that should be taken into consideration. Chrysler has seen operating profits increase substantially over the last quarter.
Chrysler CEO Makes Time For Smallest Issues
According to the Wall Street Journal Chryslers new CEO sweats the details. Apparently Marchionne learning about a possible defect in the Dodge Charger door handle, stayed on engineers until the issue was fixed. He personally monitored the issue, receiving email updates every couple hours until the issue was fixed.
Chrysler Shows Off Ram Plug-In Hybrid Electric Truck
We told you this was coming in an earlier post we did the week. Now it’s official. Don’t expect to see this truck in your neighborhood driveway in the near future. Apparently Chrysler will hit fleet operators first. The truck will apparently be able to drive up to 20 miles on electricity only, after that the gas engine takes over. According to Chrysler they believe trucks are much better suited as hybrids simply because there naturally much better at hauling battery packs around. Chrysler currently doesn’t offer a consumer hybrid. They have introduced fuel saving technologies, and are competitive with the mpg’s but no hybrids. And yes, I grabbed this latest update from Engadget.
Quick Final Take-Houston Auto Show
Primary take is, America’s Back! Walking from manufacturer to manufacturer I would say that overall the American vehicles pulled the largest crowds. VW and Audi seemed to attract the most onlookers for the imports. On the American side Ford, Chrysler, and Chevy pulled about the same number of onlookers. Attendees appeared to be very interested in interior electronics focusing primarily on the updated Nav/Radio/Info-Systems (with their honking massive displays). I thought I would see a bigger push with hybrid or electric vehicles. I mean they were present, but they just seemed to blended in with their gas loving cousins. Maybe the newness of hybrids/electrics has worn off. The exception would be the Volt, that drew pretty decent crowds.
If I may be a curmudgeon for just a bit. In general, the models on display were very vanilla. EXCEPTION! Chrysler vehicles including Fiat WERE VERY DISTINCTIVE. I’ll come back to them. With other vehicles, Very few stood out. In many cases, if it wasn’t for the manufacturers being sectioned off, it would probably take me a second to realize I’m looking at a different Make. This was especially true with the Japanese makes, except for Scion. The American manufacturers were more distinctive, but there was some vanilla present with them as well. Nothing really came across as daring, or risk taking. Maybe the economic conditions of the past few years has forced manufacturers to be a little more conservative.
The Chrysler section had probably the most distinctive offerings. From a design standpoint Chrysler products simply did a better job. Their vehicles were fresh and daring. They really pulled the crowds. Jeep was hot! You couldn’t get people off the Challenger. The FIAT floor was one of the most congested areas. People were all over the two FIATs, they were like nervous ants. I’m not saying this because I run the Helfman Blog, I’m saying this because it’s true. Yes Ford and Chevy drew big crowds, but for me, in the end Chrysler simply had the best product offerings.
Overall the show was well put together. I was impressed by the fit and finish of all the American brands. The foreign automakers offered some good product, but it simply seemed like more of the same, and didn’t excite. I hope that we see more innovation from manufacturers next year(Chrysler Innovating Now!). But I guess this depends on how well sales do this year. Automakers will probably wait until their flush with cash before we see some risk taking again. Till Next Year.
Helfman Cars
Damon
Short Video – FIAT “Sport”
Short video of FIAT “Sport”. There was a lot of buzz in the FIAT area. Thats a good thing.
Wow! That’s Yellow
This little hard top Wrangle caught my eye. Wonder why.Yellow,Yellow,Yellow,Yellow,Yellow,Yellow,Yellow,yelloooooooooooooooow.
Longhorn – Don’t Touch, Don’t Even Get Close
I know the truck is 50K but come-on, let a guy get close enough to see the goods. The new Longhorn edition truck is the cream of the crop when it comes to trucks. The vehicle is full of detail, beautiful stitching abounds, everything is leather, or incorporates Chrysler new “Soft-Touch” interior philosophy, badging throughout, and saddle-bags behind the seat, specially crafted floor-mats, and the list goes on and on. Unfortunately the vehicle was kept away from greasy fingers and this meant that my looking angles were somewhat at an upward angle. The truck was on a raised platform, partitioned off, and guarded by a friendly floor staffer. Fortunately Helfman has one in stock that I can probably sit in, but then again, if I damage something I really don’t have the money to pay for repairs, so.. I guess I’ll just admire from afar.
HelfmanCars Take On The New FIAT.
Most people will be eager to compare the FIAT 500 to the Mini Cooper, and to be honest that’s exactly what I was going to do until I realized that these are two totally different vehicles. First off the 500 has a starting price of 15,500. I believe the Cooper starts at around $19,000. Secondly, the interiors are quite different. The 500 has a distinct modern italian design, smooth knobs,gauges, white accents, very much Italian. The Mini has very hard start and stops to it’s design, gauges protrude from the center console,dash,and cluster. It’s very how can I put it WWII Fighter Plane Cockpitish (if that’s a word). These cars appeal to two different people. The more fashionable person will go with the FIAT, while the Mini will attract a more nostalgic individual longing to capture a bit of English heritage. Neither bad just different. The representative on the show floor was quick to note that the FIAT competition in their eyes was something more akin to the Smart Car. But thats sort of Apple and Oranges as well. The smart car has nowhere near the beauty of the FIAT. Oh, and if you don’t know this, the 500 takes regular unleaded, and the Smart required premium. I’m not sure if I’m making any point, so I’ll move on.
In a nutshell the FIAT is a lovely car. I love the subtle curving design inside and out. The color choice are beautifully made. I especially love the Lounge. It’s very elegant. The pearl white paint matches the two tone white and red interior perfectly. The car is small, but the inside feels roomy, not cramped. The build quality appears to be excellent. No creaking or loose interior or exterior pieces.
One more thing. The vehicle comes standard with 6 airbags, and has done quite well on crash tests. How well, I don’t know. The rep. just told me “very good”.
Helfman should have a car available for display within the next few weeks. I’m pretty excited about it. I’ll let you know how it drives.
Another Video Of The FIAT 500 Lounge
Here’s another video of the Lounge. This is the high-end version of the three FIAT models that will be released in the coming months. You have the Sport, the Pop, and the Lounge.
First Stop FIAT…Pictures coming shortly
Pictures are coming shortly. Quick lowdown on the FIAT models. Just finished speaking to the reps here. FIAT will launch with three versions, Pop, Lounge, and Sport. $15,500 will be the starting base price. According to the representative they will be pushing accessories heavily. I asked him about the concept of FIAT having a no-haggle policy and he commented that this would be up to the dealer. So that nails that down. The best news I received from the FIAT rep is the fact that we may see vehicles arriving within the next few weeks. Let me get some pictures uploaded. Keep checking back.
Heading To Auto Show – Check Back For Updates
About to arrive at the auto show. Excited to take a look at the FIAT500.We’ll try to get some video and photos out to everyone. Hopefully we can score an interview or two.
(Video) Car And Driver – 2011 Chrysler 300
This is a video introduction to the 2011 Chrysler 300 by Car and Driver at the Detroit Auto Show.
8 Speed Transmission On Some New Chrsyler Products
Chrysler is said to be launching a new 8 speed transmission later this year most likely on the 2012 Charger and Chrysler 300. The transmission is label “ZF” and will improve low-end response and fuel economy.
EPA Gives Fuel Economy Ratings To FIAT 500
The five-speed manual version of the 2012 FIAT 500 is set to arrive with fuel economy ratings of 30mpg city and 38mpg highway, combining for an average of 33mpg.
The 6 speed automatic version of the 2012 FIAT 500 will arrive with 34mpg highway and 27mpg for the city, combining for 30 mpg’s.
FIAT SAYS “NO HAGGLING”
(The following information has been pulled from an article by Torque News and cannot be confirmed.)Chrysler Grooup LLC is asking dealers to avoid haggling when it comes to the FIAT 500. The price on the window sticker, is the price you pay. According to FIAT the 500 has a young demographic, and they simply don’t want to haggle price. Apparently young buyers just don’t feel comfortable with the haggling experience. Chrysler hopes that by offering a set price younger drivers will be more willing to make a purchase. The FIAT 500 is Chryslers launch vehicle in North America. Helfman FIAT is set to open it’s doors the first half of this year.
Remember things can change so Chryslers pricing ideas may be revised before vehicles hit showrooms.
Tops In Safety:2011 Charger & 300
Both the 2011 Chrysler 300 and the 2011 Dodge Charger were named Top Safety Picks for 2011 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. These vehicles received good ratings in four categories; front, side, rollover, and rear crashes. With these vehicles Chrysler now has 7 vehicles that are Top Picks for 2011.
Helfman Cars 
