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Reinvented Dodge Dart to join compact car race
TOM KRISHER, AP Auto Writer
Updated 01:52 p.m., Monday, January 9, 2012


DETROIT (AP) If the new Dodge Dart sells anything like the original, Chrysler will have the small-car hit it needs.

 The reinvented compact, unveiled at the Detroit auto show Monday, is nothing like its predecessor from the 1960s and '70s. But Chrysler is counting on the Dart, and its zippy name, to help it 
sell more small cars and continue its recent revival.

Instead of the somewhat boxy lines of the original, the new Dart has the sleek stance of a modern muscle car, with a short hood, long roof and slightly flared fenders. And it's based on the frame and suspension of a crisp-handling Alfa Romeo hatchback brought over by Chrysler's Italian owner, Fiat SpA.

The Dart also is a crucial test of the Chrysler-Fiat alliance, one aimed at saving millions of dollars by reusing Fiat frames, engines and technology, yet giving them an American style with more space for people and gear. The Dart is the first Chrysler designed jointly by the companies.

Chrysler, which ran out of cash and had to be bailed out by the government in 2009, saw sales jump 26 percent last year, and it's poised to turn its first annual profit since 1997.

Now the automaker needs a breakt
hrough in the growing small-car market, where it hasn't had success since the bug-eyed Dodge Neon in the mid-1990s. After nearly failing, Chrysler also realizes it must end its dependence on inefficient SUVs and pickups.

Since the Neon, few have considered Chrysler compacts, keeping 
the company out of a market that has grown to about 15 percent of U.S. auto sales.

Forty years ago, it was a different story. Back then, Dodge Darts were everywhere. Middle-class Americans bought nearly 3.3 million between 1960 and 1976, when Chrysler offered versions for every lifestyle.

: the stripped-down commuter car, convertibles, the family station wagon, and street racers like the Dart Swinger, which came with a racing stripe, hood scoops and a 340-cubic-inch V-8 engine. Sales peaked in 1974 at more than
340,000 when gasoline was a little over 50 cents per gallon and President Richard Nixon resigned during the Watergate scandal.

Chrysler would kill for those sales today. Its current small-car offering, the Caliber, sold only 35,000 last year, a fraction of the class-leading Toyota Corolla at 240,000. The Caliber is noisy, slow and its looks can't compete with rivals like the Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Chevrolet Cruze.
That's bad for long-term growth. Compacts are the cars that young, first-time buyers go for, and many stick with a brand as they age.

"Let's face it, the Caliber is not really able to go ... toe-to-toe with ... competitive compact cars," says Reid Bigland, CEO of the Dodge brand and Chrysler Group LLC's sales chief. "That's about to change."
Some versions of the Dart will get 40 miles per gallon on the highway. Its starting price is $15,995, at least $500 below its closest competitors, the Ford Focus
 and Chevrolet Cruze. The Focus starts at $16,500, while the Cruze base price is $16,720. The Toyota Corolla, the sales leader in compacts, starts at $15,900.

The lower base price could give the Dart a foothold in a market it hasn't competed in for more than 15 years, attracting buyers who might not put Dodge 
on their shopping list.  CEO Sergio Marchionne says Chrysler won't make much money on the base-priced Dart. But the lower price could help the company sell more features and raise the price."I'd be lying to you if I told you I was making money with a car that's that capable at that price," he said. "You start shopping there, and by the time I finish, maybe you came up (in price)," he said.

In building the new Dart, Chrysler added room to the Giulietta, a sleek, five-door hatchback sold in Europe by Fiat-owned Alfa Romeo. Engineers widened it 3 inches and stretched the distance between the front and back wheels by 4 inches. Chrysler claims that the Dart has the most shoulder and hip room in its class, and that it has more rear-seat legroom than the midsize Hyundai Sonata.






   

      



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Chrysler quietly launches 700C concept
Posted on January 9th, 2012  by DaveAdmin


Chrysler has quietly launched a new concept minivan, the Chrysler 700C, at the Detroit Auto Show. For photography, see our new Chrysler 700C concept car page.
 
The new van may be exploring future directions for a Chrysler minivan or crossover, along with other concepts. It has a much more sculptured look than current vans.


Chrysler sales shoot up 37% (26% for 2011)

Posted on January 4th, 2012 by DaveAdmin

Chrysler retail sales shot up 45% in December, for the best month's retail sales in four years and the best total sales since May 2008. Chrysler's US sales rose 26% in 2011 versus 2010, the best percentage sales gain of any full-line maker, gaining 1.3 points of market share.

December U.S. sales were 138,019, 37% higher than in December 2010 (100,702 units).

For the year, Chrysler Group sales totaled 1.37 million units, up 26% over 2010. Every brand posted solid sales gains during 2011.

December marked Chrysler Group's 21st-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains and seventh-consecutive month of sales increases of at least 20 percent.

Jeep, Dodge, and Ram Truck each logged double-digit percentage sales gains in December, while FIAT posted a 44% increase compared with November.

Chrysler Group finished the month with a 64-day supply of inventory (326,087 units). U.S. industry sales figures for December are projected at an estimated 14 million SAAR.

Chrysler Brand: The Chrysler brand's 83% increase, driven by surging sales of the Chrysler 300 and Chrysler 200 sedans, was the largest percentage sales gain of all the Chrysler Group brands. Sales of the 200 were up a robust 661% in December, compared with sales of its predecessor the same month a year ago, while the 300 turned in a 242% sales gain.

Jeep®: Sales were up 41% in December, its 20th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. The 2012 Jeep Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, and Compass all contributed. The Compass' 1,035% sales gain was the largest of any Chrysler Group model in December. Wrangler set a new sales record for the month of December; the model's seventh-consecutive monthly sales record this year. Grand Cherokee sales were up 36%, its best sales month since December 2005.

Dodge cars: Dodge posted a 28% sales increase in December. The 2012 Dodge Charger, America's first domestic sport sedan to feature an eight-speed automatic transmission delivering a best-in-class 31 mpg highway led the brand with a 227% sales increase. Avenger and Journey each had double digit sales increases.

Ram: the heavy-volume brand posted a 10% sales increase in December with pickup sales rising 12%, based on rises in both light and heavy duty trucks.  Ram pickup logged a solid 23% sales increase for the year.

Year to date, one can easily see that Chrysler 200 was a hit, more than doubling sales of the Sebring; its brand-mate, the Avenger, identically priced, did not do quite as well, though it gained 26% over 2010. The big 300 and Charger actually lost ground despite attractive redesigns and superior powertrains (the eight-speed automatic), perhaps due to reduced rebates and economy issues (Challenger rose 7% but did not make up for the shortfall in 300/Charger). The small car triplets, Compass/Patriot/Caliber, did better, with Compass trebling its sales, Patriot scoring a 41% boost, and only Caliber suffering.  Journey rose a bit with the redesign, which probably had more impact on Fiat's ability to sell it as the Freemont in other markets.

The important minivan segment did not fare well, with the high-priced Town & Country logging fewer than 100,000 sales and the Caravan posting 110,000 ? staying roughly even in sales from 2010 as competitors continued to establish themselves as equals or leaders.

Even more important, Ram pickups, the volume leader, gained sales sharply, rising 23% for the year to over 240,000 sales. Wrangler continues to be the new star, with 122,000 sales, neatly beating any Chrysler vehicle other than Ram and Grand Cherokee. The original Grand Cherokee may have easily beaten the 2011?s sales every single year, 1993-1998, but 127,744 luxury-vehicle sales must have done wonders for Chrysler's bottom line. The similar Durango chipped in with over 50,000 sales ? add the two up and you nearly reach the Grand Cherokee's glory days.

Liberty sales rose a bit, to 66,684 for the year, one third better than in 2010, but still nowhere near where it used to be or needs to be; Liberty is reportedly being replaced in the next calendar year. And, finally, Fiat 500 logged in with a bit under 20,000 sales, and a December number which would make estimates of 24,000 sales for 2012 seem like a reasonable starting point.

Of some note, the entire turnaround through December 2011 was accomplished without any Fiat technology (unless one counts the Fiat 500 itself).



The Batmobile


On November 26th & 27th, Bob Dullan had his locally built, Super Hero Bat Tumbler brought to Harold Zeigler Grandville for all to see.  It had so many admirers that we are bringing it back due to popular demand.  Many people took pictures which are on our Facebook  page for your viewing. 


Read the following below to learn a little background on the how the vehicle was built, tools used and time to complete this special project:

**This was a personal project I started roughly five years ago in my home garage.
Armed with a chop saw, a reciprocating saw, a drill press, and a Lincoln Electric
power Mig welder, My experience in mold-making, and prop-making, 
in a two-car garage, with no heat, bad lighting, and no air cond.
And no prior car experience.


The entire car was built by me in my home garage. 
Every item on this car was scratch built, and nothing
was farmed out to an outside source. Only items not built
by me are the obvious - tires, rims, rear axel, etc. All of
the chassis was scratch built, including the triangulated 4-link
rear suspension, and the front suspension.
This car is not for sale.

 




On Saturday September 25th, we sponsored the John Walsh DNA Life Print Event.  There were over 200 kids that attended who got their finger print and picture taken.  The program was set up by John Walsh for parents to help find a lost/abducted child in the event it ever happened.  We had subs from Jimmy John's, which they donated, water bottles, animal crackers, a movie for entertainment and each kid left with a balloon.  
                                                              

    

We gave lots of balloons away that day



 

 Our youngest to get printed was 7 weeks old




 
State fans that stopped on their way to the game


Thank you to all who helped out and participated. 
It was a huge success!

September 23rd, 2010 by Bill Cawthon 

When it came to "Car of the Year" awards, the editors of Esquire had quite a list. When it came to SUVs, though, there was only one: the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee that the magazine called the "Best Domestic Comeback of the Year." 

According to the editors, "The Cherokee is blessed with bank-vault rigidity, sharp road manners, and an unapologetically luxurious interior. The previous Grand Cherokee's poor-riding live rear axle is gone, swapped for a multilink setup that feels more uptown than up-country, and an all-new 290-hp 23-mpg V-6 is standard equipment. (Don't worry, you can still get a Hemi. Everyone wants a Hemi.) 

"In spite of years of lame-duck products, Jeep has always retained
its charm, which is a testament to how far heritage and emotion can take
you. The Grand Cherokee is a welcome sight, the kind of SUV that the brand, and America, deserve." 


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2010 FIFTH THIRD BALLPARK CHALLENGER EVENT FOR CUSTOMERS


Challenger owners took over the lot at Harold Zeigler of Grandville on May 15th for a mini car show. Customers who purchased their Challengers from Harold Zeigler of Grandville were invited to attend a special customer appreciation day geared toward the sports car.Challenger owners from all walks of life had the opportunity to check out the upgrades and new designs other owners incorporated into their rides.

After meeting at the dealership and enjoying an afternoon of live entertainment from local band "Group Therapy" the caravan of Dodge Challengers took to the road. The convoy of 20 Dodge Challengerssnaked down the expressway to Fifth Third Ballpark for an evening of baseball fun with the West Michigan Whitecaps.

Stay tuned! for information on our next customer appreciate day. In late July Harold Zeigler of Grandville will be hosting "Mopars in the Red Barns" at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, MI.




               

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