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FCA's puzzling trademark spree includes Apache and Orange Peelz

Here's one for the Mystery Machine. As noted by the WagoneerFans forum and picked up by Motor1, Fiat Chrysler recently went on a one-day trademark application spree at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. On March 6, the automaker applied for the names Apache, Farout, Orange Peelz, Shocker, Tomahawk, and Top Dog. All have been requested for "Land vehicles, namely, passenger automobiles," and the best guess so far has them being applied to concepts during next month's Easter Jeep Safari, which, assuming it goes ahead, will happen April 4-20. As for historical ties, one name has a connection to Dodge, another was a codename for a Dodge engine, and one was used on a previous Easter Jeep Safari concept. Tomahawk rings the loudest bell, that name applied to the four-wheeled, Viper-engined concept motorcycle that Dodge rolled out at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show. The company supposedly sold nine examples of the "rolling sculpture" through Neiman Marcus over a four-year period. It doesn't appear FCA has used the name since, internally or otherwise. There is, however, a Cherokee tomahawk — not referring to a Jeep, but the light, short-handled ax used by the Native American Cherokee tribe. This one seems made for Safari use. Apache has a Dodge and a Jeep tie-in. At one time, Apache was the codename for the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 marketed as the 392 V8 on the Charger and Challenger R/T Scat Pack trims. That engine makes 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. But Jeep showed a Wrangler Apache concept (pictured) at the 2012 Easter Jeep Safari, built with a Mopar conversion kit for a 6.4-liter Hemi making 470 hp and 470 lb-ft. Mopar sold the V8 swap kits at least through 2016, but they appear to have fallen off the Mopar menu. At one time there were rumors of a supercharged Apache with more than 600 horsepower, and wouldn't that be a welcome surprise in Moab. The Farout could be a more or less extreme overlanding take on last year's Easter Jeep Safari Wayout concept, depending on whether one considers "way" or "far" more radical. The Shocker, Jeep might be disappointed to discover, already has an outside link in the Jeep Shocker stickers made for Wichita State fans who love America's 4x4. As for Orange Peelz, it's pretty close to Pedro's bicycling degreaser called Oranj Peelz, but a Jeep conception could be anything. Except maybe a paint color. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Suppliers love Toyota and Honda: Why that matters to you

You might think that a survey of automotive suppliers and their relationship with OEMs is the automotive equivalent of nerd prom. In some ways that's what the North American Automotive OEM-Supplier Working Relations Index (WRI) is. The study, the 17th annual conducted by Planning Perspectives Inc., is based on input from 652 salespeople from 108 Tier One suppliers, or, PPI points out, 40 of the top 50 automotive suppliers in North America. Suppliers to General Motors, Ford, FCA, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. But the results have consequences in terms of tens of millions of dollars for OEMs - and in the quality, technology, and cost of the next vehicle you buy. There are a couple of ways to look at the results of the WRI. One is, "So what else is new?" And the other is, "Damn! How did that happen?" The study looks at five relationship areas — OEM Supplier Relationship; OEM Communication; OEM Help; OEM Hindrance; Supplier Profit Opportunity — within six purchasing areas — Body-in-White; Chassis; Electrical/Electronics; Exterior; Interior; Powertrain. In the overall rankings, Toyota is on top for the 15 th time in 17 years, with a score of 328. Honda, the only company to best Toyota (in 2009 and 2010), comes in second, at 319. Those two companies, explains John Henke, president of PPI, have collaborative working arrangements with colleagues and suppliers alike built into the very fabric of their cultures. This, however, is not a situation where one can readily conclude it is about "Japanese companies," because the third company with headquarters on the island of Honshu, Nissan, came in dead last. This is the "How did that happen?" portion. The Nissan score of 203 puts it 125 points behind Toyota. There hasn't been a number that low since the then-Chrysler Corp. scored 187 in 2010, when the company was clawing its way out of the recession. Clearly, the suppliers don't feel particularly engaged by the buyers at Nissan. Henke explains that whether a company does well or not on the WRI is rather simple. All people do things based on what they're measured on. "If you're measured on taking 10% out of your annual buy, you immediately know how to do it. But if you're also measured on improving relations, suddenly there is a new dynamic as to what you can do to achieve both.

Ford tops GM in US vehicle sales in May, driven by fleets

DETROIT - Ford, bolstered by heavy sales to fleet customers, surpassed General Motors in US new vehicle sales in May, according to figures reported Thursday. Ford said May sales rose 2.2 percent from a year ago to 241,126 units. GM sales dropped 1.3 percent to 237,364. GM said it had been trimming sales of heavily discounted vehicles to car rental companies. Such fleet sales made up about 19 percent of its total sales in May. Ford's fleet sales rose 8.4 percent, representing more than 34 percent of total sales. The industry average is around 20 percent. Analysts had expected mixed results for the industry, with sales likely propped up by heavy discounts. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said May sales dipped 0.9 percent to 193,040. Toyota's US sales dropped 0.5 percent to 218,248. Nissan said US sales in May rose 3.0 percent, to 137,471. After demand fell in March and April, analysts estimated May sales at just over 1.5 million. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of sales in May was estimated at 16.8 million to 16.9 million vehicles, about the same as April. A year earlier, sales stood at 17.55 million vehicles. Early reports indicated that sales over the three-day Memorial Day weekend were helped by heavy discounts. "While demand for new vehicles is still relatively strong, it's a bit of smoke and mirrors," said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of industry analysis at Edmunds, the car shopping website. Manufacturers and dealers "really pushed the deals over the holiday weekend to prop up their May numbers," she said. "Incentives were up sharply, and it seems automakers are putting more cash on the hood to nudge car shoppers to buy versus lease." General Motors dealers were offering discounts of up to $12,000 on the full-size Chevrolet Silverado pickup, while some dealer discounts on Ford Motor Co's F-series pickups were more than $10,000 on 2017 models and more than $14,000 on leftover 2016 models. The 2017 model year started eight months ago. Reporting by Paul LienertRelated Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat Ford GM Nissan Toyota US