Brand New 10 Passenger Chrysler 300 Limousine For Sale #1212 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

What's the right car for the 'Planes, Trains, and Automobiles' remake?

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches so, too, does the season in which many Americans will rewatch that holiday classic, "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles." The Steve Martin and John Candy movie is a staple of holiday-season viewing. Soon, however, it will be joined by a new version. Paramount Pictures is doing a remake of "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles," starring Will Smith and Kevin Hart. In the 1987 original, Martin and Candy rent a pea-soup green Chrysler LeBaron Town&Country convertible (well, sort of), which suffers a series of mishaps including catching fire yet still chugs along. It was a star turn for the wood-sided K-car droptop (though not the last), and that got us thinking: What should the Smith and Hart duo get stuck with at Marathon Rent-A-Car? Of course, it needs to be a convertible. Among the widely used rental-car convertibles, a Ford Mustang or a Chevy Camaro would be too sporty and cool. This trip is supposed to be miserable. A Buick Cascada or a Beetle convertible would be more appropriate. Of the two, a Beetle is probably better from a comedy standpoint.  But there is another car that stands out as the clear winner: the Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible. Granted, the PT convertible went out of production in 2008, making it a bit old for a current rental lot — but not too old. And the PT Cruiser was even offered with a Woodie package, providing even greater alignment with the LeBaron of old. However, the Woodie package was only offered from 2002–2004, so it predated the convertible by one model year. We think that in this case, the filmmakers should put aside strict historical accuracy and apply the faux-wood appliques to the PT convertible for maximum continuity with the original movie. Besides, the original car wasn't technically a Chrysler LeBaron: it had a different name and badging, plus a non-factory color. It wasn't too different from the Wagon Queen Family Truckster from "Vacation" in that regard. So, what do you think? Is it time for the PT Cruiser to join the great pantheon of movie road-trip cars? Or would something else make for a better movie motors classic?

Man escapes attempted carjacking and catches the incident on his dashcam

(Warning: video contains strong language. Viewer discretion is advised.) A quick-thinking driver avoided a potentially dangerous situation this week in New Mexico when he evaded and attempted car jacking. On the evening of December 6, an unnamed man accompanied a friend to a market near the intersection of Central and San Mateo in Albuquerque. After he saw his friend safely away in her car, he got back into his and pulled out of the parking lot. Almost immediately, as shown in dashcam footage uploaded to Youtube, a red Chrysler 300 began following him. When the driver pulled up to a stop sign around the block from the market, the Chrysler zipped around and pulled in front of him, blocking his forward progress. Figuring he was about to be carjacked, the driver threw the car into reverse and backed quickly away from the Chrysler. The Chrysler followed, and a chase ensured. With the Chrysler close on his tail, the unnamed driver fled through the nearly empty streets. At one point he cut through a gas station when the Chrysler tried to block him at another intersection. As they drove through the city the Chrysler continually tried to stop the fleeing driver, but he successfully evaded every time. The driver called 911 and reported his predicament. Eventually, both vehciles pulled up at a stop light right next to an Albuquerque Police cruiser. The driver laid on the horn to get the cop's attention, then jumped out to tell the cop what was going on. The Chrysler then made a run for it with the cop in hot pursuit. Unfortunately, the red Chrysler evaded the APD and the car's license plate was obscured so the APD was unable to identify the vehicle or its occupants. Thankfully no one was hurt during the chase, and the driver was able to get home safe and sound. Carjacking is a serious crime. The driver in this video did everything right, except maybe delay calling the police a little too long. The crime is so prevalent that the US Department of Justice has tips for avoiding carjacking. They suggest drivers avoiding stopping when signaled by other drivers or assisting during an accident. Calling the authorities should be your first step if you're every followed or harassed while driving. Head to the nearest police station if you can't get a hold of a cop in time. Related Video: News Source: YouTube Auto News Weird Car News Chrysler Police/Emergency police chase carjacking albuquerque

November U.S. new car sales mixed as automakers deepen discounts

DETROIT — Major automakers posted mixed U.S. November new vehicle sales on Friday and predicted a competitive December as they rushed to sell vehicles and boost their numbers before 2017 ends. Automakers are trying to sell down 2017 model-year vehicles, offering high discounts to consumers as the year-end nears. In 2016, the industry reported record annual sales of 17.55 million units. According to consultancies J.D. Power and LMC, discounts have been above 10 percent of the average transaction price for 16 of the past 17 months, a level experts say is unhealthy and unsustainable. The November sales results come as the National Automobile Dealers Association said on Friday it expects new vehicle sales to decline to 16.7 million units in 2018, after dropping to 17.1 million for the full year in 2017. If that forecast comes true, the race to move new vehicles off dealers' lots will only intensify next year. Brandon Mason, a director at PwC's automotive practice, said a worrying trend for the industry was a rising number of subprime loans. He said subprime levels are at just over 20 percent of originations, against more than 30 percent prior to the Great Recession, but recent increases remain a concern. "That's a bit of a red flag," Mason said. "It's something to keep an eye on as we move into 2018." November results by automaker: General Motors: Sales fell 2.9 percent, with sales to consumers flat against the same month in 2016. Much of the decrease was driven by lower fleet sales. GM said strong SUV and crossover sales pushed its average transaction price for the month above $37,000 for the first time. The level of unsold cars, which has been a concern for analysts and the industry, rose slightly to 83 days' supply, from 80 days at the end of October. "More vehicles are sold in December than any other month, and we are very well positioned because we have momentum in so many segments, but especially in crossovers," said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of sales operations. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: Fleet sales are low-margin, and FCA in particular has targeted a significant reduction in this type of sale in 2017. It posted a 4 percent overall decrease in sales for November, but fleet sales were down 25 percent while sales to consumers were up 2 percent on the year. Ford: The No. 2 U.S. automaker reported a 6.7 percent increase for the month, with fleet sales up nearly 26 percent and retail sales 1.3 percent higher than in November 2016.