http://www.allpar.com/noos/allpar.rss Allpar's Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth news, covering cars, trucks, minivans, corporate changes, and some rumors and Allpar site news. http://www.allpar.com/news/?action=fullnews&id=973 Chrysler is challenging its dealers to come up with new TV spots. A new competition running through September 21, 2007 will be used to identify the best dealer-produced, 30-second commercial highlighting Chrysler's Lifetime Powertrain Warranty.The company calls it a grassroots initiative and hopes to draw on dealers’ creativity and knowledge of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles."Along with our dealer partners, this is a great opportunity to raise awareness about the new 'best-in-industry' Lifetime Powertrain Warranty for our customers," said Darryl Jackson, VP of U.S. Sales.Commercials will be judged not just on their originality, content and positioning but their effectiveness in capturing viewers' attention and communicating the benefits and uniqueness of new warranty. http://www.allpar.com/news/?action=fullnews&id=972 A faulty engine part forced Chrysler to shut down production and send workers home at plants in Michigan, Delaware and Missouri on Thursday. An unidentified outside supplier provided the part which is used in 4.7-liter V-8 engines built in Chrysler’s Mack Avenue complex in Detroit. These engines are installed in Dodge Ram pickups and three SUV models, the Chrysler Aspen, Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokees.The announcement of the shutdown comes just one day after CEO Bob Nardelli spoke to top Chrysler executives about the need for an increased focus on quality.For more details, see the Full Story... http://www.allpar.com/news/?action=fullnews&id=971 On Thursday, Aug 30, Jeep will offer an exclusive download of McGraw's song, "Louisiana," on the brand's site at www.jeep.com\campjeep for free to the first 10,000 downloads. After that, the song will continue to stream on the site. McGraw, who is from Start, La., has only performed the song once - during his 2006 TV special "Reflected" recorded at his home outside of Nashville, Tenn. The song, a tribute to McGraw's roots, has never been released. http://www.allpar.com/news/?action=fullnews&id=970 Allpar.com, the largest web site specializing in Chrysler vehicles (based on number of static pages), has opened a new Spanish-language Chrysler-oriented site. Though initially this site is limited in scope, it is growing rapidly and Allpar plans to eventually cover every major Chrysler Corporation vehicle sold in South America, Mexico, and Spain. http://www.allpar.com/news/?action=fullnews&id=969 Edmunds.com predicts Chrysler will post August sales of 163,000 light vehicles. That would be a drop of 9.2% compared to August 2006, but an 18.1% improvement over last month’s disappointing results. Chrysler’s predicted market share is 11.5%, down from 12.1% last year but well ahead of the 10.6% share of the abysmal July market and enough to keep it ahead of Honda in the rankings.Total new vehicle sales are expected to come in around 1.42 million units, a shortfall of 4.5% from August 2006 and an 8.7% gain over July 2007. "Early in August, sales were dismal. To generate showroom traffic, most automakers introduced incentives programs midway through the month," observed Jesse Toprak, Executive Director of Industry Analysis for Edmunds.com. "That effort was relatively successful, but the uncertainty in the housing market is likely to continue suppressing consumer demand for new vehicles for some time." Once again, the domestic brands are predicted to be in the minority, with Chrysler, Ford and GM sharing a 49.6% piece of the pie. That would be slightly larger than their 49.4% slice in July but significantly lower than the 53.5% portion they claimed in August of last year.For more, see the Full Story... http://www.allpar.com/news/?action=fullnews&id=968 The Company Formerly Known As DaimlerChrysler plans to hang on to its 19.9% stake in the new Chrysler LLC."We have no intention whatsoever of divesting this stake," CEO Dieter Zetsche said during a Wednesday teleconference discussing second-quarter financials. He said the newly-divorced German automaker has two reasons for retaining a stake in Chrysler: first, to express confidence in the new privately owned automaker and, second, to maintain continuing joint projects.Best of all, he noted, is that Chrysler’s unsettling ups and downs, that often alarmed investors, no longer threaten the bottom line in Stuttgart. http://www.allpar.com/news/?action=fullnews&id=967 Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli said Wednesday the company must focus on improving the quality of its vehicles. Speaking to a group of 300 senior Chrysler executives, Nardelli delivered what was described as a rousing speech designed to ensure Chrysler’s top managers “were on the same page,” as one source described it.Nardelli also outlined other areas needing improvement as Chrysler implements its three-year recovery plan.Both Nardelli and Chrysler president Tom LaSorda gave presentations on the plan, called Recovery and Transformation. They also discussed possibly accelerating the company's restructuring goals, something most industry observers have been expecting since Cerberus surprised the industry by naming Nardelli to the top spot at Chrysler.Nardelli's emphasis on quality is likely to be repeated when he addresses the Automotive Press Association for the first time on September 7.For more, see the Full Story... http://www.allpar.com/news/?action=fullnews&id=966 Chrysler wants to spin off Mopar, its legendary aftermarket specialty auto parts unit.According to an article in the Wall Street Journal online edition, Chrysler has made the divestiture of Mopar and Chrysler Transport, its internal logistics operation, part of its proposal to the UAW. The two companies employ nearly 1,300 people.Chrysler, like Ford and GM, is looking to shedding non-core assets in an effort to reduce costs and direct employee headcount. As such divestitures have often had disastrous results for the affected employees, it’s likely Chrysler’s proposal will face significant resistance from the union. http://www.allpar.com/news/?action=fullnews&id=965 Chrysler named Andreas Schell, 38, to take charge of the automaker's restructuring plan. This is the latest management change since Chrysler was sold to Cerberus. Schell, who has been with Chrysler since 2002, will occupy a new executive position handling the day-to-day responsibilities of the three-year plan. He will report to Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli and President Tom LaSorda.Schell was previously senior manager of the office of the chairman and had worked with LaSorda on the turnaround prior to his promotion. http://www.allpar.com/news/?action=fullnews&id=964 If the back-to-school supply list for your student includes a new set of wheels, the Jeep Patriot Sport is among the top ten new vehicles recommended by the editors at kbb.com, Kelley Blue Book’s online service.Kelley Blue Book has provided buyers and sellers with the new and used vehicle information since 1926. The company's top-rated Web site, kbb.com, is rated the No. 1 automotive information site by Nielsen//NetRatings and the most visited auto site by J.D. Power and Associates eight years in a row.The editors at kbb.com say Jeep’s newest vehicle is “(B)oth a perfectly sensible commuter car and a terrific camping companion, offering a unique balance of economy, comfort and capability.” With a manual transmission, the Patriot Sport stickers at $16,035, about the same price you can expect to pay.For more details, including the complete list, see the Full Story http://www.allpar.com/news/?action=fullnews&id=963 Getting a jump on the American events, Dodge will display its new Journey crossover at the upcoming Internationale Automobil-Austellung (International Automobile Show) in Frankfurt, Germany.The Journey is another milestone on Chrysler’s quest to establish Dodge as a global brand. While it will be sold first in the U.S. in early 2008, it will be available in Europe and Asia by the end of next year. All Journeys will be built in Toluca, Mexico.The Journey shares its D-segment platform with the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger but has a wheelbase that is 4.9 inches longer than the sedans. It’s also 1.7 inches longer and significantly taller allow more headroom for passengers in the 5+2 seating option’s third row. The Journey will come in SE, SXT and R/T versions and will offer three powertrains. A diesel will be an additional option outside of North America. R/T models will also offer optional all-wheel-drive.Pricing has not been announced but is expected to start around $25,000 to be competitive with other vehicles in the segment.For more details and photos, click here. http://www.allpar.com/news/?action=fullnews&id=962 Area Chrysler and Dodge dealers today surrounded the family of Tramaine Gibson as they received the first all-new 2008 Dodge Caravan in metro Chicago. The new van was donated by Chrysler LLC and the Chicago Dodge Dealer Ad Association.Tramaine Gibson was working as a teller at Illinois Service Federal Savings and Loan when he was killed during a robbery on May 22. He was also a student at Westwood College majoring in criminal justice. He is survived by a wife and two small children. Federal agents have charged three Chicago-area men in connection with the robbery.Chrysler learned about the Gibsons through When Daddy Goes To Heaven, a local non-profit organization that sponsors families who have lost a parent, providing assistance to the surviving family members.