2001 Chrysler Sebring Convertible Lxi - 69k Miles - No Accident - ! No Reserve ! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Chrysler files for IPO

Chrysler has had a lot of owners over the past few years alone, from Daimler to Cerberus to Fiat and the federal government. But it could be poised to gain some more before long. Like, a lot more.
The automaker has just announced that it has filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to issue an Initial Public Offering of common stocks. Chrysler hasn't revealed how many shares will be offered and at what price, however the shares in question will not come out of Fiat's approximate 60% majority shareholding but instead out of the 40% minority stock held by the UAW's VEBA retiree healthcare trust. Reports suggest that the IPO, which is being handled by JP Morgan, could encompass approximately 16% of Chrysler stock, initially valued at approximately $100 million.
Lest you think this is all part of Sergio Marchionne's grand plan to consolidate Chrysler and Fiat, the two auto groups over which he presides, think again. The filing, which still needs to be approved by the SEC, comes at the insistence of the UAW. Negotiations between Marchionne's management team and the union over Fiat's acquisition of the VEBA shares have stalled. If they manage to come to an agreement, however, the IPO would likely be taken off the table. So don't go calling your broker just yet, but you can analyze the official announcement below.

Chrysler 100 hatchback caught cruising around Santa Monica

A coming hatchback said to be called the Chrysler 100 has been caught on video traipsing around Santa Monica by Autoblog reader Zach Dillman. Still wearing the scrapyard assemblage of Alfa Romeo Giulietta body panels as it was when spy photographers began capturing it last summer, its arrival date is still a question mark: some outlets have reported that it will go on sale this year, others have said it won't be in showrooms until 2016.
In fact, quite a few questions remain. Based on Fiat's Compact US Wide (CUSW) platform that supports the Dodge Dart and expected to be about the same size, the 100 is thought to be a small premium hatchback that will be priced above the Dart and below the Chrysler 200, with the idea that it can challenge the Ford Focus and Hyunda Elantra at the value end and the Buick Verano and Acura ILX at the premium end. Word is that there will be no sedan version.
It looks like there'll be plenty of gewgaws inside, with buttons for Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning and a button to toggle the traction control.

Fiat Chrysler quietly sends Pentastar logo out to pasture

Logos come and go, and in the case of the famed Chrysler Pentastar, it's on its way back out. The well-known five-sided emblem, which sits prominently atop the massive Chrysler Technical Center complex in Auburn Hills, MI, is officially going to be phased out now that the company has united with Fiat and formed the new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
As a nearly 50-year-old icon, though, the fate of the Pentastar has been deeply intertwined with Chrysler's history. Hemmings has an excellent recap of that history, from its development in 1962 by a Chrysler ad agency through to its temporary discontinuation during the disastrous marriage between the American company and Daimler-Benz, and then on to its revival during the time the automaker regained its independence.
If you've been a fan of Chrysler and its brands over the years, you're going to want to give this piece a read. Head over and take a look.