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Junkyard Gem: 2006 Chrysler 300C

During my wrecking-yard travels, I tend to focus on old, rare, and/or strangely badge-engineered vehicles when I decide what is worth documenting. Sometimes, though, a fairly mainstream vehicle from our current century catches my eye, and this 2006 Chrysler 300C in a Charlotte, North Carolina, junkyard is such a car. The current Chrysler Hemi engine family first appeared in 2003 Dodge trucks, and so the revival of the legendary Hemi name was still pretty new when the 300C went on sale. This car had 340 horsepower when new, which almost certainly meant more power at the wheels than the 426 Hemi cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s (the differences between gross and net horsepower ratings tend to result in inflated power numbers for cars of a half-century back). At considerably more than 2 tons, however, the 300C wasn't likely to humiliate a '70 Hemi 'Cuda in a drag race. This car appears to be in reasonably solid condition, so we can assume that something very expensive went wrong with the engine and/or transmission. That won't stop some eager junkyard shopper from grabbing the Hemi, though. The same junkyard had a 2001 Audi S8 when I stopped by, with 360 horsepower, but nobody will want that engine for their work truck. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. There's a lot of stuff in this ad that could be interpreted much differently in 2018, compared to 2006, starting with the Aung San Suu Kyi reference. Featured Gallery Junked 2006 Chrysler 300C Hemi View 15 Photos Auto News Chrysler Automotive History

Fiat Chrysler recalls 1.6M vehicles to fix Takata airbags

DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler is recalling more than 1.6 million vehicles worldwide to replace Takata front passenger airbag inflators that can be dangerous. Takata inflators can explode with too much force, hurling shrapnel into drivers and passengers. At least 23 people have died from the problem worldwide and hundreds injured. The recall covers the 2010 through 2016 Jeep Wrangler SUV, the 2010 Ram 3500 pickup and 4500/5500 Chassis Cab trucks, the 2010 and 2011 Dodge Dakota pickup, the 2010 through 2014 Dodge Challenger muscle car, the 2011 through 2015 Dodge Charger sedan, and the 2010 through 2015 Chrysler 300 sedan. It's part of the largest series of automotive recalls in U.S. history. About 10 million inflators are being recalled this year. Already Ford, Honda and Toyota have issued recalls in the latest round. Fiat Chrysler owners will be notified by letter and dealers will replace the inflators with safe ones. The company says it's not aware of any injuries in vehicles involved in this recall, but says it has plenty of replacement parts and is urging people to get the repairs done. "Recall service is free, we have replacement parts and dealers are ready to help," Mark Chernoby, FCA's head of safety for North America, said in a statement. The recall includes 1.4 million vehicles in the United States. Takata used the chemical ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate the airbags. But the chemical can deteriorate over time due to high humidity and cycles from hot temperatures to cold. The most dangerous inflators are in areas of the South along the Gulf of Mexico that have high humidity. The Fiat-Chrysler recall is part of a phased-in replacement of Takata inflators being managed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Owners can check to see if their vehicles have been recalled by going to airbagrecall.com and keying in license plate or vehicle identification numbers. More than three years after the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration took over management of recalls involving Takata inflators, one third of the recalled inflators have not been replaced, according to an annual report last year from the government and a court-appointed monitor. The report said 16.7 million faulty inflators out of 50 million under recall have yet to be fixed. Safety advocates say the completion rate should be far higher given the danger associated with the inflators.

FCA compromises with France, moving Renault merger bid forward

FRANKFURT/PARIS – Renault directors were preparing to review Fiat Chrysler's $35 billion merger offer on Tuesday, after the Italian-American carmaker resolved differences with the French government overnight, three sources said. The compromise on French government influence over a combined FCA-Renault may clear the way for Renault's board to approve a framework agreement beginning the long process of a full merger, unless new issues surface at the meeting. France, Renault's biggest shareholder with a 15% stake, had been pressing for its own guaranteed seat on the new board and an effective veto on CEO appointments. But after late-night talks with FCA Chairman John Elkann, the French government has accepted a compromise that would see it occupy one of four board seats allocated to Renault, balanced by four FCA appointees, the sources said. Renault would also cede one of its two seats on a four-member CEO nominations committee to the French state, they said. Renault, FCA and the French government all declined to comment on the discussions. The same evening that the compromise was was negotiated, activist hedge fund CIAM wrote to the board of Renault to say it "strongly opposed" a planned $35 billion merger with Fiat Chrysler. Calling the deal "opportunistic," the fund said the current deal terms strongly favored Fiat Chrysler and offered no control premium. (Reporting by Arno Schuetze and Laurence Frost; additional reporting by Giulio Piovaccari in Milan and Simon Jessop; editing by Jason Neely and Rachel Armstrong) Government/Legal Chrysler Fiat Mitsubishi Nissan Renault merger