2013 Chrysler 200 Touring on 2040-cars

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Fiat shareholders green-light Chrysler merger, end of an Italian era

Fiat has just taken a major step away from its Italian heritage, as shareholders officially approved the company's merger with Chrysler. That move will lead to the formation of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, a Dutch company based in Great Britain and listed on the New York Stock Exchange, according to Automotive News Europe.
The company captured the two-thirds majority at a special shareholders meeting, although there are still a few situations that could defeat the movement. According to ANE, roughly eight percent of shareholders opposed the merger, which is a group large enough to defeat the plan, should they all exercise their exit rights outlined in the merger conditions.
Meanwhile, Fiat Chairman John Elkann (pictured above, right, with CEO Sergio Marchionne and Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo), the great-great-grandson of Fiat founder Giovanni Agnelli, reaffirmed his family's commitment to the company beyond the merger. Exor, the Agnelli family's holding company, still maintains a 30-percent stake in Fiat.

Buy Ford and GM stock and make 5%

Want to make a five-percent return when 10-year treasuries are paying around two percent? Ford (F) and General Motors (GM) have solid balance sheets, strong cash flow, solid earnings, and growing markets. By all accounts, they are smart investments. But the market is down on these stocks. Why? Some of the stupid excuses include: They are cyclical companies The Detroit 3 have lost 3.5 million in sales since 2000 The world economy is shaky GM recently filed for bankruptcy Their markets have peaked They haven't changed their ways Let's take these criticisms one by one: They Are Cyclical Companies Yes, they are cyclical. Every company is cyclical. Every industry is cyclical. Some more than others, but not every company is immune from swings in the market. Banks used to be 'non-cyclical' leader, not anymore. Airline stocks are just as cyclical as auto stocks, yet they are trading at multiples greater than the auto industry. Why? And what accounts for the irrational stock price for Tesla (TSLA)? At least Ford (F) and General Motors (GM) make money and have positive cash flows. In fact, both companies have a net positive cash position. They have more cash on hand than liabilities. Auto sales in the United States hit a record 17.5 million vehicles in 2015. During the Great Recession, Ford (F) and General Motors (GM) cut their break even points to 10 million vehicles per year. Anything above an annual U.S. volume of 10 million vehicles is profit. And what a profit they make. Sales of Ford's F-150 continues to be the best-selling vehicle in the United States for over 30 years. Detroit 3 Have Lost 3.5 million in Sales Since 2000 Automotive News reports General Motors (GM), Ford (F) and Chrysler (FCA) have lost a combined 3.5 million vehicles sales since 2000. So how can they be making more money? Two big reasons – Fleet Sales and the UAW. Fleet Sales The Detroit 3 used to own car rental companies to keep their factories running. Ford owned Hertz (HTZ), General Motors owned all of National Car Rental and 29 percent of Avis, and Chrysler, the forerunner to Fiat Chrysler (FCA), used to own Thrifty Car Rental and Dollar Rent-A-Car. The Detroit 3 owned these rental companies to have a place to sell their bad product and keep their factories running. These were low margin sales, and in many cases, were money losers for the Detroit 3. They no longer own auto rental companies.

2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Long-Term Update | Nokian winter tires in a winter wonderland

Winter is technically over now, but the cold and snow are maintaining their grip here in Michigan. While much of the country is bouncing right along into a warm spring, we're happy to still be wearing our Nokian Hakkapeliitta winter tires on our long-term Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. You can't count out another massive blizzard even into late April here. That said, we're hoping the worst is over, so it's time to take stock of how the winter tires performed on the front-wheel-drive minivan. Nokian produced the first winter tire ever in 1934, so one could say that they've had awhile to figure this out. The tire model we were provided for our van is the Hakkapeliitta R3 SUV. The Pacifica is obviously no SUV, but at almost 5,000 pounds it's perfect for this flavor of tire. Nokian says they're designed for high performance SUVs and are made with Aramid sidewalls to resist punctures or cuts. Chrysler fits the Pacifica Hybrid with all-season tires from the factory, but we were determined to make it a proper seven passenger sleigh. We got a fair amount of snow this year in Michigan, but I encountered the worst conditions on a road trip to Buffalo, N.Y. I was actually sort of hoping a lake-effect blizzard might present itself as a challenge, and my snow prayers were answered with authority. Inches of snow don't usually pile up on highways here easily with the amount of plows and salt typically employed, but it did in this storm. The Pacifica hardly flinched from the deep tracks of powder on the road. Near-whiteout conditions forced slow driving, but the Pacifica never felt like it was going to slip and slide out of its lane as I tracked around highway bends with increasing speed. Braking was impressive, as the tires managed to find grip in the snow that all-season tires just can't match. Thankfully, I never needed 100 percent lock in any emergency situations, but I tried it out in some empty parking lots to see how well it does at hauling everything to a stop. The Nokians performed admirably here, too. With ABS firing away, the winter rubber finds grip in places all-seasons would just slide on by. Starting wasn't much of an issue, either. We tested the tires in anything from dustings to snow that was about six inches deep and largely untouched by other vehicles. The front tires would scrabble for grip initially with greater throttle inputs in the deep stuff, but they'd hook and pull the van forward with authority after a quick second.