2014 Ram 1500 Longhorn on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Chrysler uses Super Bowl spots to honor troops, farmers

How do you follow up such revered and successful ads as Chrysler's last two Super Bowl commercials? Imported from Detroit and Halftime in America should be given credit for giving the automaker's public perception a complete overhaul after its rescue from the brink with taxpayer money. What next, then?
We just found out during Super Bowl XLVII. This year Chrysler went with two commercials, one for Jeep and the other Ram. The two-minute-long Jeep commercial, called Whole Again, is narrated by Oprah Winfrey and presented as an open letter to the service men and women of America, simply expressing admiration for what they do - poignant message coming from a company whose history is so entwined with that of the military's.
The Ram commercial, called Farmer, honors the agricultural backbone of this country. Its soundtrack is a speech entitled "So God Made a Farmer" given by the famous radio broadcaster Paul Harvey, which plays over a slideshow of original photography commissioned by Ram. The images, of course, focus on farming and the people who do it for a living, and there's a few Ram trucks in there, as well.

Ram 1500 Classic loses regular-cab short-box configuration

Mopar Insiders had a look at Ram's fleet information for the coming model year and discovered an omission: No regular cab with the six-foot four-inch short box for 2023. The fifth-gen pickup has never offered that configuration, but Ram has maintained the fourth-gen Ram Classic as a stubby for the past four model years and up to now on the entry-level Tradesman and the Express trims. According to the paperwork, the regular cab with the eight-foot long box survives into next year. If this comes to pass for 2023, it will lift the price of a two-wheel drive Ram Classic Tradesman a "whopping" $300, from $32,130 after the $1,895 destination fee to $32,430. The Express MSRP jumps by a genuinely large amount, because the option above the regular-cab short-box is a Quad Cab short-box. The Express goes from starting at $33,630 to $40,990.  Pruning the model would also leave Ford and Chevrolet as the only pickup makers in this market that sell a full-size truck with two doors, one row of seats, and one diminutive bed. Ford makes that setup available on the F-150 in XL and XLT forms, Chevy does so only with the Work Truck.  Unlike the other makers, however, Ram stashed an Easter egg in some of the 1500 Classic builds. There are 13 low-volume colors available for $450 apiece, compared to the $100 or $200 up-charges for standard monotone exterior colors. Anyone who wants a shorty in hues like Light Green (pictured), National Safety Yellow, School Bus Yellow, or Republic Blue should get on it. MI says the Ram will start production of the 2023 1500 Classic on January 3, 2023.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Stellantis mega-merger gets approval from FCA, PSA shareholders

MILAN — Shareholders of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Peugeot decisively voted Monday to merge the U.S.-Italian and French carmakers to create worldÂ’s 4th-largest auto company. Addressing separate meetings, both PSA Peugeot CEO Carlos Tavares and Fiat Chrysler Chairman John Elkann spoke of the “historic” importance of the vote, which combines legacy car companies that helped write the industrial histories of the United States, France and Italy. Before the merger is finalized, shares in the new company, to be called Stellantis, must the launched. It will be traded in Milan, New York and Paris. The marriage of PSA Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is built on the promise of cost-savings in the capital-hungry industry, but what remains to be seen is if it will be able to preserve jobs and heritage brands in a global market still suffering from the pandemic. The deal will create the worldÂ’s fourth-largest carmaker, with the capacity to produce 8.7 million cars a year, behind Volkswagen, Toyota and Renault-Nissan, and create 5 billion euros in annual synergies.  “We are fully aware of the fact that together we will be stronger than individually,'' PSA CEO Carlos Tavares told a virtual gathering of eligible shareholders. “The two companies are in good health. These two companies have strong positions in their markets.” The new company will put together under one roof French mass-market carmakers Peugeot and Citroen, top-selling Jeep and Italian luxury and sports brands Maserati and Alfa Romeo - pooling companies that have helped define the industry in the United States, France and Italy. While the tie-up is billed as a merger of equals, the power advantage goes to PSA, with Tavares running Stellantis and holding the tie-breaking vote on the 11-seat board. Tavares is set to take full control of the company early this year, possibly by the end of January. Fiat Chrysler chairman John Elkann, heir to the Fiat-founding Agnelli family and Fiat ChryslerÂ’s biggest shareholder, will be the Stellantis chairman. Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley will head North American operations, which is key to Tavares' long-time goal of getting a U.S. foothold for the French carmaker he has run since 2014, and the clear money-maker for Fiat Chrysler. Such a deal was long wanted by Fiat ChryslerÂ’s long-time CEO Sergio Marchionne, who had predicted the necessity of consolidation in the industry. He was unable to find a deal before his sudden death in July 2018.