1968 Chrysler Imperial on 2040-cars

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Fiat Chrysler completes sale of Magneti Marelli

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles completed its sale of components maker Magneti Marelli to CK Holdings Co., Ltd., the holding company of Calsonic Kansei Corporation. The Japanese parts supplier paid $6.5 billion (5.8 billion euros), which is a bit less than the $7.1 billion deal that was initially announced in October of 2018. According to Reuters, the price was adjusted based on Magneti Marelli's estimated financial position as of the closing date. The influx of cash allowed FCA to offer a special cash distribution to its shareholders for the first time in a decade. At ˆ1.30 per share, the payout corresponds to a total distribution of approximately ˆ2 billion. The dividend will pay out on May 30. "FCA remains committed to Magneti Marelli, with the new company continuing as a key supplier," FCA CEO Mike Manley said in a statement. "This sale also recognizes the full strategic value of Magneti Marelli, improving our financial position, delivering value to our shareholders and allowing us to enhance our focus on our core product portfolio." Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat magneti marelli

The Chrysler Pacifica has clever 'Stow 'n Place' roof rack crossbars

While we focused yesterday on all the places you can store stuff (and especially bottles) inside the Toyota Sienna interior, today I thought I'd point out how another minivan makes it easier to store stuff up on the roof. The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica includes a clever integrated roof rack system dubbed "Stow 'N Place" that basically lets you store the cross bars on the van itself rather than somewhere in the garage. But wait, can't you always just leave crossbars on your car? Sure, if you want to live with extra wind noise and a fuel economy reduction. You see, the Pacifica stores them flush within a rail unit running length-wise with the roof. Basically, they're hidden away until you need them. The Subaru Outback has something similar to this, which we've previously reviewed. With its integrated crossbars, you just flip open a latch, fling the bar to the opposite side of the car and plug it in. Then repeat. It couldn't be simpler. Although the Chrysler system is more complicated, it does have a key advantage. Let's see how they work.  Chrysler tries to use chrome trim in order to create the visual illusion of raised roof rails from afar, but up close ... ... they clearly aren't. It's just a G.O.B.-grade illusion created by the chrome trim arching over black plastic trim.  You have to unscrew each end of the bars by turning these little pieces.  The bars are then completely detached from the van. You then have to articulate each of the bars so that they go from their straight, flush-mounted position to the necessary raised position. That's quite easy to do. Be careful, though as these suckers are sturdy metal. You don't want to drop one onto those fancy glass roof panels.  Subaru avoids all this and allows you to simply swing the bar across by utilizing a bulky rail housing that raises them up to the necessary height, but provides a visual that probably gives some car designers nightmares.   There are letters at each mounting point that align to those on a bar end. So, make sure to go A with A, D with D, etc.  However, you have two options for placing the C/D bar, meaning you're not stuck with a one-size-must-fit-all gap as with the Subaru. This is without question the advantage to Chrysler's approach here. So voila! What once didn't have crossbars now has them. It might not take seconds as with the Outback, but they're sure-as-hell quicker and easier to install than aftermarket crossbars.

180,000 new vehicles are sitting, derailed by lack of transport trains

If you're planning on buying a new car in the next month or so, you might want to pick from what's on the lot, because there could be a long wait for new vehicles from the factory. Locomotives continue to be in short supply in North America, and that's causing major delays for automakers trying to move assembled cars.
According to The Detroit News, there are about 180,000 new vehicles waiting to be transported by rail in North America at the moment. In a normal year, it would be about 69,000. The complications have been industry-wide. Toyota, General Motors, Honda and Ford all reported experiencing some delays, and Chrysler recently had hundreds of minivans sitting on the Detroit waterfront waiting to be shipped out.
The problem is twofold for automakers. First, the fracking boom in the Bakken oil field in the Plains and Canada is monopolizing many locomotives. Second, the long, harsh winter is still causing major delays in freight train travel. The bad weather forced trains to slow down and carry less weight, which caused a backup of goods to transport. The auto companies resorted to moving some vehicles by truck, which was a less efficient but necessary option.