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Mopar's 80 years told through vintage ads

It's more than just car parts. Mopar started in 1937 an antifreeze brand, and 80 years later Fiat Chrysler's now-iconic aftermarket division is known for everything from muscle cars to smart phone apps. This is reflected in its advertisements over the years, which show off the brand's capabilities at different moments. Rediscovered from deep in Mopar's archives as it kicks off a year-long celebration of its history, the ads are snapshots of the former Chrysler Corp. and the mood of America at those times. A colorful, free-spirited 1972 ad hawks T-shirts. A plainer 1964 spot shows off Mopar's expansive portfolio with the tagline, "sorry, we ran out of space!" There were too many parts to show them all. Another 1960s ad explains Mopar's new wire and cable products in what was likely a magazine spread or multi-column newspaper entry. Going back farther, an ad from the 1940s touts radios through wind-in-your-hair exuberance, while a later placement shows a Ward Cleaver-type waxing his hardtop. Slightly more recently in 1989, Mopar used its muscle-car heritage to encourage restoration and customization just as nostalgia for that era was growing. "The Mopar brand holds an unparalleled place in the automotive world, possessing name recognition, scope of service, and passionate enthusiasts unmatched by any other service and parts organization in the industry," Pietro Gorlier, Mopar's global chief, said in a statement. While those advertisements highlight its earlier days, Mopar is using its 80th year to look forward, noting its modern service offerings, competition in motorsports, and special edition models, like a custom Ram Rebel. These ventures have advanced the Mopar's scope and elevated its awareness with consumers, who often don't know what brand of aftermarket products their car uses. Yes, Mopar still wants to sell as many car parts as possible, but as these ads show, it's always been more than that. Related Video: Featured Gallery Vintage Mopar Ads Marketing/Advertising Chrysler Fiat Automotive History

Marchionne: Midsize pickup still not in the cards; Ram 1500, Jeep Wrangler could use aluminum

During the Fiat-Chrysler briefings on Tuesday, Reid Bigland, head of Ram Trucks, outlined the new product plans for his brand, including confirmation that an all-new light-duty Ram 1500 will launch in 2017. From there, discussions spun off in two directions, with the main questions being: will Ram build a midsize pickup? And, following Ford's move to extensively use aluminum in its new 2015 F-150, will Chrysler be using this weight-saving material for the next round of its fullsize truck, as well?
"I think there is room for a Ram 1000," Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne (pictured above) told members of the media, saying this is a conversation the automaker has been having internally for several years now. "We've tried this ... we've actually taken it to clinics," Marchionne stated, adding that the "response has been lukewarm."
"I have better use of aluminum in this house than a pickup truck." - Sergio Marchionne

Bailout dealership cuts did their job as profits surge

Almost five years after US taxpayers bailed out General Motors and Chrysler, a large majority of their slimmed-down dealership networks are posting soaring profits, Bloomberg reports, and contributing to the US auto industry on track this year to deliver 15.4 million vehicles, the most since 16.15 million were delivered in 2007.
Consider another important figure: Bloomberg says that more than 90 percent of GM dealerships are profitable, compared to about half of them in 2008 and 2009. At the start of 2013, GM had 4,355 US dealerships and Chrysler had about 2,600. Compare that with just a few years ago, when GM had 6,246 dealers in 2008, while Chrysler had 3,200 in 2009.
As part of their bankruptcy restructuring, both GM and Chrysler decided that their retail networks contained far too many dealerships and insisted that they be slimmed down. The resultant dealership terminations followed by a rebounding auto market - in part due to better new GM and Chrysler vehicles - have increased the number of sales per dealership to record levels. Many dealers are taking advantage of increasing profits and investing in facility renovations and updates, such as Chrysler dealership owner David Kelleher. He's spending $2 million to expand his store.