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Mopar teases three concepts for SEMA

Chrysler first used the Mopar name in the 1920s, someone getting the idea to combine the words "motor" and "parts" for a service with that specialty. The automaker trademarked the name in 1937, first applying it to a line of antifreeze sold in cans. This makes 2022 the 85th anniversary of the division that now covers everything from service and parts to additional performance and customer care. We already heard the house of the round red M is going to SEMA with "a different flavor" of the battery-electric Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept that will begin to demonstrate future EV tuning possibilities. Thanks to a trio of concept sketches, we know Mopar's 15,345-square-foot booth will house a couple of Ram concepts and a fantastical Jeep to boot. We know next to nothing about them. The Jeep can be identified as an EV thanks to its Surge name, the circuit board motif on the sketch, and the EV badge behind the front wheel. The rig in the sketch appears to have no doors, and there's some structure ahead of the cabin that looks like a spare wheel, making us wonder at first if we were looking toward the front or the back. The door shutline and curve of the fender clarify the direction. We'll find out in a couple of weeks if Jeep plans on showing off tuning options for its electric wares same as Dodge. Mopar's press release on the show started with claiming it is "Charged Up" for SEMA. We're guessing that after Jeep's electric charge, Ram's talking about a super charge, one of the concepts being what appears to be a TRX in dayglo colors. The second Ram seems less rowdy, painted in a tri-tone 1970's style with a pinstripe and all, and fitted with what looks like a topper extending below the bed rails. The outdoor and overlanding life hasn't abated any since Ram showed its Rebel OTG Concept at the 2019 SEMA Show, so this could be another entirely fanciful take on overlanding. It's also possible that after Ram filed a patent application to trademark a vehicle built similarly to the Rebel OTG, we could see a bugout truck closer to production possibility.    The Stellantis brands could bask in more attention this year, with Ford, GM, Honda, and Hyundai all having pulled out. We'll find out what Dodge, Jeep, and Ram are all charged up about when SEMA happens from November 1-4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. 

What will Detroit do with the abandoned AMC headquarters?

As with so many other industrial and residential properties in Detroit, the former headquarters for the American Motors Corporation is having a hard time finding a reputable buyer. In October the Wayne County Treasurer held a tax foreclosure auction of 25,000 properties that included the AMC building, the starting bid being $500. Nicholas Casab won the building for $500, but the county voided the sale when Casab didn't pay the $232,000 in back property taxes. Detroit authorities haven't commented on the failed sale, but the city has until January 4 to decide if it wants to keep the building. If it doesn't want to hold onto it, the 1.5-million-square-foot property on 57 acres might be ceded to the Wayne County Land Bank Corporation. No matter who holds the deed come January 5, all anyone really wants is for someone to take possession of the building who will actually turn it into something useful and viable. The property opened in 1927 as a factory for the Kelvinator Corporation. Over the following decades, Kelvinator merged with the Nash Motor Company, and that merged entity merged with Hudson Motor Car Co, becoming American Motors. Chrysler took over the building in 1987 when it bought AMC, then shuttered it in 2009. The complex has produced refrigerators, Sikorsky helicopters, Jeeps, AMCs, and was used as an engineering center for Jeeps and other Chrysler products. Having been through several hands in the past six years, it is cited as part of the cycle of abandonment plaguing Detroit. Related Video: News Source: Detroit Free Press Government/Legal Chrysler Jeep Auctions Detroit amc

Chrysler recalling 31k SUVs and vans

Chrysler is issuing recalls covering roughly 31,700 vehicles worldwide due to two separate problems. In both cases the company believes that most of the affected vehicles are either still on, or in transit to, dealer lots.
One recall covers roughly 10,700 Dodge Durango, Jeep Cherokee, Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee SRT models from the 2014 model year built between January 16 and April 17, 2014. The SUVs need a software update for the cruise control. It's possible that when the cruise is on and the driver presses on the throttle, the acceleration could last a second after the pedal is released or two seconds for the SRT. Afterward, they return to the speed originally set by the driver.
Chrysler says it isn't aware of any accidents, injuries or even reported incidents of this happening in the real world. Also, in all cases, if the driver presses on the brake, the cruise shuts off. The automaker believes that there are about 6,100 affected SUVs in the US, 950 in Canada, 425 in Mexico and 3,200 outside of North America. The software upgrade will be ready shortly, the company says.