1971 Fiat 500 F, Very Hard To Find, Great Driver, Fresh Paint, Ready For Fun! on 2040-cars

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Proposed deal averts strike between FCA and UAW

With the deadline rapidly approaching for a strike, FCA US and the United Auto Workers were able to hammer out a potential agreement late last night to avoid picket lines, at least for now. While the UAW said in a statement that it "secured significant gains," the actual contents of the deal haven't been published yet. Before going public, the offer still needs the consent of the UAW National Chrysler Committee, and that body has a meeting on 11:00 AM Eastern on Friday, October 9, to make a decision. If the Chrysler committee signs off on the deal, it would then go to the union's 40,000 FCA US workers for a vote, according to The Detroit News. "We have made real gains and I look forward to a full discussion of the terms with our membership," President Dennis Williams said in the UAW's statement. FCA US isn't providing any answers about the proposed contract either. In a release about the negotiations, the automaker said: "FCA US confirms that it has reached a new tentative agreement with the UAW. Because the agreement is subject to UAW member ratification, the Company cannot discuss the specifics of the agreement pending a vote by UAW members." The original tentative contract with FCA US promised raises and the creation of a healthcare co-op. However, 65 percent of union members rejected the deal, The Detroit News reports. Workers didn't like that the offer kept a two-tier wage system between veterans and more recent employees. The details of the health plan also weren't explained well, and there wasn't much info on possible production changes. UAW-FCA NATIONAL BARGAINING COMMITTEE VOTES ON PROPOSED TENTATIVE AGREEMENT Featured / News / October 8, 2015 UAW National Chrysler Council Leaders to Convene for Vote on Friday, Oct. 9 — Terms to be announced following Friday vote Detroit, Mich. – After a lengthy bargaining process, the UAW FCA National Bargaining Committee has secured significant gains in a proposed Tentative Agreement with FCA US announced today. The bargaining committee unanimously voted to send the proposed Tentative Agreement to local union leaders who make up the union's UAW National Chrysler Council. The UAW Chrysler Council will meet in Detroit at 11 am on Friday to discuss and vote on the agreement. "We heard from our members, and went back to FCA to strengthen their contract," said UAW President Dennis Williams.

Abarth 695 Tributo 131 Rally celebrates Fiat's rally history

Fiat's hugely entertaining 500 Abarth left the American market after the 2019 model year, but the plucky hot hatch is alive and well across the pond. It recently spawned a limited-edition model named 695 Tributo 131 Rally that honors Fiat's past successes on the rallying scene. It's all in the name: the Tributo 131 Rally is a tribute to the 131 Abarth, which won the World Rally Championship (WRC) in 1977, 1978 and 1980, and which was driven by highly-respected pilots like Walter Rohrl. The coupe was loosely related to the regular-production 131, which was briefly sold as the Brava in the United States. It's one of the most emblematic rally cars, and it raced for the last time 40 years ago. Although it's not as absurdly eye-catching as some of Abarth's previous limited-edition model, the 695 Tributo 131 Rally is easy to spot in a parking lot. It gets Blue Rally paint, Scorpion Black accents, an adjustable rear spoiler and 17-inch wheels. You should be able to hear it, too, thanks to a Record Monza Sovrapposto exhaust system. The 131's boxy silhouette appears on the decals added to both doors. The black and white treatment continues inside, where Abarth also added Sabelt sport seats, Alcantara upholstery on the dashboard, carbon fiber accents on the steering wheel and an aluminum-look shift knob for the six-speed manual transmission. The 131-shaped logo is found on the front seatbacks and on the passenger-side of the dashboard. Abarth notes that this is its first car with so-called Easter eggs. Power comes from a 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It's the same basic engine that powered the 500 Abarth when it was sold here, but in this application its output has increased to 180 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. Hitting 60 mph from a stop takes 6.7 seconds according to the firm, and the hatchback keeps accelerating until it reaches 140 mph. If you're more into winding roads, Abarth added Koni FSD shock absorbers on both axles for sharp handling. A braking system provided by Brembo keeps the power in check. Just 695 units of the Abarth 695 Tributo 131 Rally will be available worldwide, and it goes without saying that none will make the trip to the United States. Pricing in the United Kingdom starts at GBP32,325, a figure that represents about $39,900 at the current conversion rate. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

More Ram trucks recalled over tailgate issue

Almost a year ago Fiat Chrysler recalled roughly 1.6 million Ram trucks over an issue with the locking power tailgate. The actuator limiter tab for the power locking mechanism could fracture, which would permit the actuator's lock-rod control to move beyond its limits. That would pull the locking rods open, thereby allowing the tailgate to open at any time. The 2018 recall covered Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickups from the 2015 to 2017 model years, with the five-foot-seven and six-foot-four beds and the power locking tailgate option. Trucks with eight-foot beds, and those with manual-locking tailgates, were excluded. The trucks with eight-foot beds have been added to the recall as of earlier this month, putting 410,351 more trucks in the pool. According to Consumer Reports, Ram redesigned the locking assembly on the other two shorter bed sizes for trucks built after August 2, 2017, which was the end of the 2017 model year. But the eight-foot long-bed trucks didn't get the redesigned part until April 2, 2018 for some reason, making all eight-foot-bed pickups from the 2015 model year to April 1, 2018 part of the recall equation. FCA says it's not aware of any accidents or injuries because of the issue. The company plans to notify owners on June 28. The paperwork filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doesn't advise owners to stop driving the trucks, but nor does it instruct owners on how to address the problem in the meantime. Sounds like bungee cords might be the go. The fix is estimated to take 30 minutes at the dealer and entails removing the tailgate cover and installing a stop block to prevent the locking actuator's pivot arm from traveling too far. FCA says it will reimburse owners for any other repairs made to address the problem. Meanwhile, owners can contact Fiat Chrysler Automobiles customer service at 800-853-1403, and refer to FCA's number for this recall, V44. The NHTSA campaign number is 19V-347. Last year's recall comes under FCA number U74, and NHTSA campaign number 18V-486. Ram's not alone on this field. The NHTSA continues to investigate the 2017 Ford Super Duty pickups for a similar issue.