Auto News 5

Back from two weeks’ ‘holiday at home’ (not entirely my first choice; do not mention the words ‘Iceland’ or ‘volcano’) to a mixed week for the auto biz. It’s nice to see a bit of uptick, at last, in the components sector with Magna back in the black in the first quarter on the back of increased OEM production in the USA (especially) and Europe and increased complete vehicle sales as new contracts like the Peugeot RCZ kicked in to replace the Chrysler minivan assembly withdrawn back to the US from the plant in Austria some time ago. Full story…

About 250 rejected Chrysler Group dealerships in arbitration will get access to their Chrysler performance scores -- and those of their competitors -- under a decision by a federal bankruptcy judge this week. U.S. Full story...

Two of the three Florida arbitration decisions this week hinged on whether the arbitrator thought that the rejected Chrysler Group dealership had a dual franchise that undercut its Chrysler sales. Full story...

When Chrysler resumed production after World War II, its station wagons initially came from Plymouth. Full story...

Chrysler Group has imported the manager of a Fiat factory in Sicily to run two Jeep assembly plants in Toledo. Full story...

The 1998 combination of Daimler-Benz AG and Chrysler Corp., touted as an effort to create a common, cost-efficient global automaker, eventually was left a shambles. Now Daimler is trying again. Full story...

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said the restructuring of Chrysler Group is showing and#8220;positive results.and#8221; and#8220;In terms of the market share numbers coming out of the U.S., it's a slow, gradual process, a re-making exercise. Full story...

Dieter Zetsche says he has learned from Daimler AG's failed merger with Chrysler and will make a linkup with Renault-Nissan pay off by focusing on cost savings and car development projects rather than control. Full story...

Italian auto parts supplier Sogefi aims to return to profit in 2010 by selling more components in the United States to Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC. Sogefi will probably more than double U.S. Full story...

Chrysler Group has imported the manager of a Fiat factory in Sicily to run two Jeep assembly plants in Toledo, Ohio, the Toledo Blade reported. Full story...

General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group should be able to attract sufficient private investment and return to profitability, U.S. Treasury officials said. A Government Accountability Office report said uncertainty about the long-term viability of U.S. Full story...

Nissan North America outsold Chrysler Group for the second time this year, another sign of shifting positions in the U.S. industry. Nissan's sales rose 43 percent to 95,468 in March. Full story...

The Fiat-Chrysler alliance is holding in-depth talks with its Russian partner, Sollers, to build Jeeps in Russia. Full story...

Chrysler Group’s letter of intent to 50 closed dealerships it wants to reinstate is filled with conditions that are raising concern from a number of dealers, including at least one who has decided against signing. Full story…

Chrysler Group chief executive Sergio Marchionne has reiterated the automaker "intends to break even" on an operating basis this year and will hit its target of selling 1.1m new vehicles in the US. Full story...

Chrysler Group will begin building the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee--the first salvo in an effort to restore a product-starved lineup--on May 3, CEO Sergio Marchionne said Tuesday. Full story...

One of the most sinister snakes to slither out of the Dodge Viper plant in Detroit rolled off the assembly line on Tuesday as Chrysler simultaneously marks the final year of production for the current generation of its iconic supercar and launches a... Full story...

Chrysler Group will begin building the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee -- the first salvo in an effort to restore a product-starved lineup -- on May 3, CEO Sergio Marchionne said today. Sales of the redesigned Grand Cherokee will begin in July. Full story...

Chrysler Group is on track to break even on an operating basis in 2010 and currently holds more than $5 billion in cash, CEO Sergio Marchionne said. Full story...

Mopar is channeling live, mobile TV into Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge and Ram vehicles. The company will showcase its new technology at the 2010 New York International Auto Show. Full story...