BLOG: Larry P. Vellequette
Would Wrangler design tweaks rile the Jeep faithful?
Posted 3:06 pm U.S. ET, May 21
Though I am no Martin Luther, I’d like to nail a note on the door of the Church of the Most Holy Jeep Wrangler.
The design orthodoxy of the Wrangler -- the gospel of Jeep, as it were -- needs a tweak or two before the 71-year-old vehicle’s next makeover.
Now, before the Jeep faithful charge me with ...
Continue reading "Would Wrangler design tweaks rile the Jeep faithful?" » May 21, 2012 3:06 pm U.S. ET
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Fiat Strada could find a niche in U.S.
Posted 12:38 pm U.S. ET, May 16DETROIT -- Maybe I'm crazy for even thinking it, but if I could bring one Fiat-based vehicle to the United States that's not yet here, I wouldn't hesitate in my choice:
The Fiat Strada.
I've never driven a Strada and never seen one in person, but the photos I've seen of the Brazilian-built runabout intrigue me. ...
Continue reading "Fiat Strada could find a niche in U.S." » May 16, 2012 12:38 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Don't write off the Dodge Grand Caravan just yet
Posted 4:51 pm U.S. ET, May 8Mark Twain once famously said: "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
According to Chrysler Group, so too have the reports of the death of the Dodge Grand Caravan minivan.
A Bloomberg story last week, which appeared Saturday on autonews.com, quoted a source from Polk who said that 2012 would b ...
Continue reading "Don't write off the Dodge Grand Caravan just yet" » May 8, 2012 4:51 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Like Betty White, 2 Chrysler nameplates win new fans
Posted 2:52 pm U.S. ET, May 4Chrysler Group's two mid-sized sedans have become automotive versions of Betty White, picking up new fans deep into their lives.
The 90-year-old White, an award-winning comedienne and accomplished actress since the 1950s, has gathered a new generation of fans over the last two years. Her latest sitcom, "Hot in Cleveland," is a hit for Viacom and it ...
Continue reading "Like Betty White, 2 Chrysler nameplates win new fans" » May 4, 2012 2:52 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Chrysler's tough-guy ad scores parody gold
Posted 12:41 pm U.S. ET, April 20When does a company know when an advertising campaign has slipped into the sweet spot of popular culture? When it's parodied -- over and over again.
On Thursday night, "30 Rock," NBC's critically acclaimed comedy starring Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, took its swing at Chrysler's "Halftime in America" Super Bowl spot.
Continue reading "Chrysler's tough-guy ad scores parody gold" » Apr 20, 2012 12:41 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Piecing together the next Liberty -- one clue at a time
Posted 2:07 pm U.S. ET, April 4DETROIT -- The late, great Johnny Cash once sang about how he had built a car “one piece at a time.” That song has been playing in my head for several months as I try to assemble a mental picture of the vehicle that will replace the Jeep Liberty.
It has been an intriguing deductive exercise, like playing an automotive version of the boa ...
Continue reading "Piecing together the next Liberty -- one clue at a time" » Apr 4, 2012 2:07 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Was 'Cuda lurking in the '60 Minutes' piece on Chrysler?
Posted 1:55 pm U.S. ET, March 26DETROIT -- Chrysler Group took a star turn in the mainstay of broadcast news Sunday with a lengthy appearance on CBS's "60 Minutes." The piece told a good story and had some intriguing images of Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne as he goes about his multicontinental nonstop work life, even if it broke no new ground.
But the largely puff piece's o ...
Continue reading "Was 'Cuda lurking in the '60 Minutes' piece on Chrysler?" » Mar 26, 2012 1:55 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Oh, baby! Fiat nurtures continuity, looks forward to fresh start this spring
Posted 3:23 pm U.S. ET, March 23He might have been seduced by performance, but the bespectacled, latte-sipping actor from Fiat's Super Bowl commercial, "Seduction," seems to have settled down with a less breathtaking model.
In the new TV commercial, "Baby," for the Fiat 500, the actor driving the car, Matthew Rocheleau, is the pedestrian who was seduced in the brand's Super Bowl ...
Continue reading "Oh, baby! Fiat nurtures continuity, looks forward to fresh start this spring" » Mar 23, 2012 3:23 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Chrysler workers will vote on changes to alternative shifts
Posted 3:50 pm U.S. ET, March 7The line employees at Chrysler Group’s engine plant in Trenton, Mich., will vote this Sunday to modify what has been a controversial and dangerous experiment in expanding productivity.
It’s called “3/2/120,” and as it had been implemented, it had employees working three 10-hour days on, and then two days off – with eve ...
Continue reading "Chrysler workers will vote on changes to alternative shifts" » Mar 7, 2012 3:50 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Dodge lets consumers build their own Darts online, but there's a catch
Posted 4:57 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 24DETROIT -- Dodge is offering an online tool to enable consumers to build their own 2013 Dodge Dart.
But the tool comes with an important caveat: Pricing and features for the customizable Dart "are for survey purposes only and are subject to change."
Continue reading "Dodge lets consumers build their own Darts online, but there's a catch" » Feb 24, 2012 4:57 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Why you still see the Dodge name in a Ram
Posted 4:17 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 24DETROIT -- It's been almost two-and-a-half years since Chrysler Group's controversial decision to split off its Ram truck brand from Dodge in October 2009.
The two brands now have different executives, different marketing teams, different messaging, different signage, different everything.
But while it might ha ...
Continue reading "Why you still see the Dodge name in a Ram" » Feb 24, 2012 4:17 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
