Fiat’s acquisition of historic car styling/coach-building Italian company Bertone this week fits in with an ongoing discussion at the automaker about whether to keep the Chrysler brand going.

Fiat is the controlling stake-holder in Chrysler following the automaker’s Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is also the CEO of Chrysler LLC.

During Fiat’s due-diligence in making the overture to takeover Chrysler, there was a definite bias on the part of the Italians, say sources familiar with the process, to phase out Chrysler and concentrate the U.S. operation on Dodge, Jeep and eventually Fiat. Now, say sources, the continuation of Chrysler as a brand is still an open question.

Bertone now is expected to take part in the development and styling of some of Chrysler’s models, including ideas about future Chrysler brand models.

Bertone is noted for production of models such as the Fiat’s X1/9, Alfa Romeo Giulietta and 850 Spider.

For some, the Bertone involvement with Chrysler design—indeed Fiat’s 20% ownership of Chrysler—conjures up a far less successful Chrysler partnership with the Italians. Back in 1984, Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca cut a deal with Maserati to build an Italianesque version of a Chrysler K-car, called Chrysler TC “By Maserati.”

Only 7,300 TCs had been made (by hand in Milan, Italy) when the program was cancelled in 1991.

The 1989 TC used, based on the Dodge Daytona, was powered by a turbocharged 2.2 litre inline four cylinder engine. It was later replaced by a Mitsubishi-sourced 3.0 L V6 engine for the 1990 and 1991 model years. The manual version came with a Getrag manual transmission and 16-valve Cosworth head version of the 2.2 liter. It was quite a global car for the times.

The TC featured a detachable hard top with opera windows and a manually operated cloth convertible top, which came in both tan and black.

Unfortunately, the car had so many delays and so many mechanical problems that it was, early on, deemed a bust. Chrysler was discounting prices nearly $15,000 toward the end to get rid of them.
Needless to say, there are much higher hopes for Fiat’s stewardship of Chrysler, as well as Bertone’s influence in future designs.

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When the government’s cash for clunkers program kicked off in late July, the early word was that it was helping foreign carmakers more than giving a sales boost to Detroit. That stands to reason. Japanese and Korean carmakers have a better image when it comes to selling efficient cars. So one would think that the foreign makes would get a bigger piece of the 184,304 cars sold through the program using the government’s $775.2 million as of today.

But as it turns out, that wasn’t the case. The percentage of consumers buying cars using clunker cash pretty closely matched their market share for the year. About 45% of the buyers chose an American car or truck. Detroit’s market share year-to-date is 44%. General Motors got 18.7 % of the buyers, and its market share is 19.5% this year. Ford, which reportedly got a massive windfall of buyers through the clunker program, got 16% of the buyers, up just half a percentage point over its year-to-date share. Ford did well, but its big victory is a big exaggerated. Chrysler got 10.6% of the buyers, one point more than its share. But the company offered aggressive deals on top of the clunker cash to woo consumers.

Toyota has loved the program, getting 17.9% of buyers. That’s up over its 16.3% year-to-date share. Hyundai also had quite a bonanza. But it was quite the foreign-car selling spree that some suggested. Here’s every company’s share of clunker sales to date:

General Motors 18.7%
Toyota 17.9%
Ford 16.0%
Honda 11.6%
Chrysler 10.6%
Nissan 7.0%
Hyundai 6.6%
Kia 3.8%
Mazda 2.3%
Subaru 2.2%
Volkswagen 1.9%
Suzuki 0.4%
MINI 0.3%
Mitsubishi 0.3%
Smart 0.2%
Volvo 0.1%
All Other 0.1%

See. It tracked with the car market pretty closely.

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Senators Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Olympia Snow (R-Me) have backed off objections they had over the Cash for Clunkers bill. The two Senators had pushed for a rewrite of the legislation to drive the sale of more fuel efficient vehicles than what the current law called for.

But, upon seeing the top ten list of cars bought under the program, the two are willing to support an extension of the law and fund it with an additional $2 billion. The bill had been funded with $1 billion, but that has been exhausted.

The top ten vehicles purchased so far under the program:

1. Ford Focus (pictured above)
2. Honda Civic
3. Toyota Corolla
4. Toyota Prius
5. Ford Escape
6. Toyota Camry
7. Dodge Caliber
8. Hyundai Elantra
9. Honda Fit
10. Chevy Cobalt

The Senate is being asked to pass a bill this week before they recess that would grant the program another $2 billion. The House passed its version last week. The program gives consumers either $3,500 or $4,500 if they surrender an old “clunker” that gets less than 18 mpg and buy a new car that gets better fuel economy. The rules and parameters of the program can be found at www.cars.gov.

The Senators had beefed that the law as written was too favorable toward people buying new pickups and SUVs instead of smaller, more gas thrifty cars. The list of new cars purchased, though, shows that consumers were more interested in getting the maximum benefit from the program, as well as bracing for higher gas prices. “People seem to be using the program to take out an insurance policy for when gas prices go back up to $4.00 per gallon,” said Ford senior sales analyst George Pipas.

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Ford Motor Co. on Monday will post a single-digit sales gain over the same month a year ago, the first monthly sales gain the automaker has posted since 2007.

Company officials said Sunday they attributed the sales gain to the Federal Cash for Clunkers program, as well as a feeling among a growing number of consumers that the worst of the Recession is behind them.

All automakers will post July sales on Monday.

The Cash for Clunkers program, signed into law in late June, allowed dealers in July to give consumers with old vehicles not worth much in a trade an additional $3,500 or $4,500 above their own incentives courtesy of the U.S. taxpayer. The program, modeled after similar programs in Europe, is part of the economic stimulus.

Under the program, a buyer who trades a vehicle that gets 18 mpg or less for a car with a mileage improvement of more than four miles per gallon but less than 10 were eligible for $3,500; a buyer whose new vehicle was rated 10 miles per gallon or better than the old one was eligible for $4,500; an old pickup truck could be swapped for a new one with just a 2 mpg improvement for $3,500. If the pickup or SUV being bought is 5MPG more, the benefit is $4,500. Heavu Duty trucks and some commercial vehicles have different rules. The trade in vehicles have been old with high-mileage because there is no other trade-in value on the car, unless automakers and dealers add to the government rebates (which most have).

The Clunkers program is estimated to have been a part of more than 200,000 sales in July. It proved so popular that the House of Representatives scrambles Friday to pass a bill authorizing an additional $2 billion. The first $1 billion was exhausted on Friday after just a week of the government processing applications. The U.S. Senate will take up the vote thos week. President Obama has said he will sign the bill.

Though the bill was written to give preference to people trading in old pickup trucks and full-sized SUVs for new ones, the results favored cars. The top vehicle traded in under the Clunkers program was the Ford Explorer SUV, most of them from the 1990s when Ford was selling around 400,000 a year. The top vehicle purchased under the program was the Ford Focus. There were no pickups in the top ten vehicles purchased under Clunkers. And there was only one SUV, the Ford Escape crossover, which is offered in a hybrid version.

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If you do not want to contribute to the environmental pollution and degradation and feel guilty for using your polluting vehicle, some new options have popped up for you. Hybrid cars have become a popular and alternate option to common vehicles. Hybrid cars are known for their environment friendly operation and minimum use of natural resources i.e. gasoline.

There is a huge variety of hybrid cars available in the UK market. The actual number of these cars would be at least in dozens as every company is trying to catch up with the popularity of hybrid vehicles. Lexus is among those companies who first ventured into this business and have carved a strong niche for themselves. Luxury sedans of Lexus, branded under Lexus LS 600h sell like hot items due to their excellent driving record and less emissions.

If you have decided to buy a Lexus LS 600h for yourself then you will first need to inspect the vehicle. A test drive is the best way to do that. This way, you can understand the vehicle on a personal level and can test all the devices, speed and performance of the car. Test-driving a Lexus LS 600h requires some smart approach from your side.

You can look into the braking power and transmission system of the car. Try applying quick brakes in a succession and changing gears rapidly to understand the dynamics of the car. Also, try to look into the steering wheel and its attitude. LS 600h cars have a firm, but comfortable steering wheel that is very easy to navigate. Additionally, the automatic transmission means that you will have minimum hassle in driving the vehicle.

Another thing to look for in a test drive is the fuel economy. These cars are equipped with advanced fuel trackers that help you in getting information about the total amount of fuel used and remaining. Additionally, the emission factor is also displayed on special monitors. These monitors are updated as you drive through and give you exact details of the gases emitted from your car.

As you will be driving a hybrid vehicle, it would be a best idea to switch quickly to electric mode. After all, hybrid cars are meant to be driven on electric driver-motors in most cases. These electric motors have specially designed batteries that are strong enough to last for 300,000 miles or more.

You can test the power of these batteries by taking a longer test drive and fully utilising the electric system to find more about the vehicle. You can check the speed, acceleration, brakes, and transmission system while on the electric mode.

1. You should not panic or return the car quickly. Test drives are meant to be the actual litmus test before buying a vehicle. Take some time to examine every aspect of these cars so that you can understand their specifications. Lexus LS 600h will most probably past all these tests as they are built near to perfection.

Danny Green is a car dealer. Now buy Luxury Convertible with huge discounts.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/test-driving-a-lexus-ls-600h-1059244.html

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Do you own a jeep? Then, you know how tough it’s to maintain your jeep seats. Being the open vehicle and their diverse use, the seats of your jeep are vulnerable to varieties of abuses and hazards. However, there are certain jeep seat covers that provide complete protection against such abuses and keep your seats comfortable and appealing.

Markets are full with varieties of seat covers. While some are reliable, others are not that effective. Therefore, for a typical jeep owner it’s not an easy task to select the best jeep seat cover that can offer reliable protection against varieties of hazards.

The multipurpose vehicles are used in many different activities. These are used in farming, safari, construction and many other activities besides transportation. Are you concerned about the protection of your jeep seats? Get custom-made seat covers that are especially prepared for your jeeps.

When it comes to protect your original upholstery against varieties of internal and external elements that damage your jeep seats, it’s necessary that you cover your original upholstery with an effective seat covers. Thanks to the some manufacturers of repute, you have an excellent opportunity to choose the best seat covers from that wide range of options available. Among others, some of the best custom-tailored jeep seat covers are Neoprene seat covers, Velour seat covers, Genuine Leather seat covers, Tweed seat covers, and Leatherette seat covers etc.

Custom-tailored seat covers available in several color options. You can select the best color and patterns of your choice and taste. With custom fitting and complete covering, exceptional breathability, water resistance, great UV protection, and strength, the custom made jeep seat covers provide optimum protection and greater appeal inside your vehicle.

So, get the custom-fit jeep seat covers, protect your original upholstery, and get enhanced look and feel inside your jeep, that is at affordable cost.

Rachel Kadin is passionate about jeeps. Whether it is Neoprene seat covers, Ballistic seat covers, Tweed seat covers or Poly Cotton seat covers, he writes extensively on Jeep seat covers and other auto accessories.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/custom-jeep-seat-covers-the-quality-protection-at-affordable-rates-1059035.html

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Are you concerned that you’ll not be able to update your old clunker of a car or truck because you might not have the credit scores? Did you know that some of the better used car dealerships in the Georgia area provide some amazing bad credit auto financing?

photo credit: TheTruthAbout…

When the time comes to get yourself a new previously owned car, you’ll be glad that the used cars Georgia offers are both higher quality than the national average, and many of these dealerships are providing much more than just a car lot.

With the technology and data reporting available in todays world, you should demand that any place you’re considering buying a used car from has used vehicle history reports. Services like Carfax and Experian are now letting used vehicle buyers truly get under the hood of a vehicle. This is great news for those consumers that may not be able to determine whether a car has had damage repairs.

After being able to buy the best quality vehicles with confidence, you’ll next want to be able to do all your financing on the spot. You decided to buy the car from them, why not ensure your dealership has some of the best financing options as well? In the Georgia area, this can make buying your next car or truck a true pleasure.

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Motorcycles have come a long way from the early designs in the 1800s to the different types available in the market today. This article takes a look at the history of these machines to see how much they have changed throughout the years. The early motorcycles were essentially motorized versions of the safety bike, a bicycle which has wheels of the same size.

Several inventors tried their hands on creating their version of the motorized safety bike but none would be as significant as the one invented by German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in 1885. Their bicycle was powered by a petroleum-fed engine. Later designs by other inventors chose to use the internal combustion engine which was a relatively new invention at the time.

But not all early motorcycles were run by fossil-fuel-powered engines. In 1867, an American inventor Sylvester Howard Roper created a steam-driven engine. Another was by a Frenchman, Louis-Guillaume Perreaux created a motorcycle based on the same concept in 1868. By the early 20th century, the race was on for the production of motorcycles. Different companies included motorcycles into their line of products such as Triumph which originally produced bicycles.

Several companies were also created that specialized in motorcycle production such as Harley-Davidson and the Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company. The use of motorcycles gained even more popularity after WWII when veteran soldiers rode these vehicles to give them the sense of adventure they felt during the war. In the 1950s to the 1960s, a new player came into the market. Japanese motorcycles went in and later on dominated the world of motorcycles. Japanese brands still have a large share in today’s motorcycle production, but American and European brands like Harley-Davidson and Ducati maintain a high degree of loyalty among its users.

Motorcycling Gear and Accessories : Motorcycles are unlike any other type of vehicle because of their design. They typically have two inline wheels which make them inherently unstable. Aside from that, each type of motorcycle aims to tackle a particular need or situation. Because of that, there are several accessories that protect the rider and address the demands of his/her bike. Below is a list of some of them.

1. Crash helmet : this is by far the most important accessory that any motorcyclist should have. Since the bike is unstable, there are more chances of a fatal crash than any other type of vehicle. For example, there are no airbags to cushion the impact, not even a seat belt. A crash helmet is the one which absorbs the impact to the head in case of an accident. Riding without it could have fatal consequences.

2. Gloves : are essential to any rider. For one, they help keep off cold from the hands when driving in colder climates. Also, they are tough enough to protect hands from abrasion in the event of a crash. And there are specialized varieties that are designed to be weatherproof.

3. Boots : more than just adding to a rider’s cool factor, a pair of motorcycling boots protects the feet of the rider in the event of a crash. That is why the boots should be tough enough to protect the feet from abrasion and impact.

4. Clothing : motorcycle clothing of old used to be made of tough leather which does well in protecting the rider from abrasion during a crash. But more and more riders now choose clothing that is made of synthetic materials since they are breathable and addresses some safety issues associated with riding motorcycles.

About the Author

For more on motorcycles, news and accessories visit :
motor cycle news

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There are many little-known resources for finding pre-owned motorcycles for sale. If you have decided to start your search for the perfect bike, there will be many factors to consider. If you want something very specific, you may be better off hiring a broker to help you track down and acquire that special motorcycle. If you are not as picky or find yourself on a budget, you may find the following list of resources very helpful in finding a suitable bike at a great price.

Police Auctions

Motorcycles, dirt bikes and scooters that have been seized at crime scenes or confiscated for other official reasons usually become government property that is then sold to the public at auction. Most of the time you don’t hear about these auctions because they generally have very little publicity. Many municipalities have information about police auctions on their Web sites. They may post auction dates or even list individual property for sale. If your local government’s Web site doesn’t have this information posted, you can call the Sherriff’s office or highway patrol to inquire about auctions. Make sure to ask about special requirements and other information you may need to purchase a motorcycle at auction.

Ebay

When using Ebay Motors or other popular auction Web sites to search for a used motorcycle, keep in mind that the bikes you come across can be located anywhere in the world. Of course, there are search parameters you can determine to ensure that the results delivered are all within a certain number of miles from your home. You can decide how far you are willing to drive to pick up your motorcycle and search Ebay for bikes within that distance.

If you are into restoring vintage bikes or customizing Harley Davidson motorcycles, you may be willing to pay for shipping costs provided you find a great deal. If this is the case, Ebay and other auction sites are great places to find what you are looking for.

Online Classifieds

Because posting ads on online classifieds sites is free or very cheap, the best deals can generally be found here. One of the benefits of using online classifieds to find your motorcycle is that you can search locally or regionally. Depending on which site you use, you can search the top two or three larger cities that are closest to you. Again, this will depend somewhat on how far you are willing to travel to check, test drive and ultimately pick up your used motorcycle.

Another benefit of online classifieds is that you can post a listing yourself. For little to no money, you can actually place an online classified ad stating exactly what you are looking for in terms of a used motorcycle. Responses will typically come in the way of emails or telephone calls from prospective sellers who may have a used motorcycle that you may be interested in. Consider this “putting out your feelers,” and do it regardless of what other (more aggressive) search methods you employ.

Yard/Garage Sales

Looking for a used motorcycle by visiting yard sales or garage sales in your local area can be fun, but very time consuming. Unless you live in an area where there are very many motorcycles, you may spend a long time looking at yard sales. On the other hand, if you have already placed an online classified ad, are searching Ebay daily, and also happen to visit yard sales in your neighborhood on the weekends, then you’re only helping to increase your chances of finding a truly great deal on the motorcycle of your dreams.

Also keep in mind that by visiting yard sales, you may come across an opportunity to buy a bike that the seller hadn’t yet considered selling. Many people invest in motorcycles on a whim, without truly weighing out all the pros and cons. Having a motorcycle takes a lot of time and money, and many people end up dropping the hobby. If you visit a yard sale and notice a motorcycle parked in the garage, looking like it’s just gathering dust, it doesn’t hurt to ask about it. You may stumble across a great deal!

Used Bike Lots

Used bike lots are a great place to see many used motorcycles in one place. As with cars, you must realize that buying from a dealership will generally be more expensive than buying your motorcycle from a private seller. On the other hand, buying your motorcycle from a bike dealership will give you the opportunity to purchase a warranty.

If there isn’t a used motorcycle dealership near the town or city where you live, you may need to travel a bit to get to one. This might be well worth it if you’d like to choose from a large selection, be able to test drive your new bike, and deal with an established business.

Motorcycle Message Boards

Motorcycle message boards are a great forum for finding information on where to get certain bikes or bike parts. The motorcycle enthusiasts that frequent these message boards can be novices or very knowledgeable, but they share your passion. Posters may have great ideas about where you can find a great deal on a used bike, they may actually know of a motorcycle for sale that is a great deal, or, they may even have a motorcycle for sale that you might be interested in.

Newspaper

Your local newspaper is a great place to search for motorcycles for sale right in your area. The motorcycles advertised in the newspaper classifieds may be listed by dealerships or private sellers. The benefit is that every motorcycle listed here will be close to your geographical location.

Shopping for a Deal

No matter where you decide to start your search for a used motorcycle you will increase your chances of finding what you want if you employ two or three of the methods. Make sure to do your homework by having an idea of what you want and what to look for. Also, make sure that you test drive the motorcycle and feel comfortable with the price and deal.

About the Author

To find the best deals on used motorcycles, motorcycle parts and motorcycle gear, visit CycleLeeg, a popular online used motorcycles for sale website.

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