Chrysler's fin-tailed line of autos last week took top honors in all four price classes of the 1957 Mobilgas Economy Run, making the company^ first in the competition's history to sweep the field.At the end of the four-day, 1,568-mile course from Los Angeles to Sun Valley the trophy-for the best gas mileage among 23 competing cars went to Chrysler's Imperial Crown, which averaged 64.5153 ton-miles per gallon, computed by multiplying the car's weight by mileage, dividing by gas consumed. Driver of the winning car:Mel Alsbury Jr., ...

Ford, GM, Chrysler to update Midwest factories, add jobs Growing again after years of downsizing, General Motors and Chrysler announced more plans Thursday to renovate plants and restore Rust Belt jobs to build a new generation of cars. And Ford Motor earlier this week announced plans for investment and new jobs at four plants in a bet that the slow recovery eventually will mean more demand for cars. The plans show that Detroit's Big Three are slowly getting back on their feet after ...

For many years, Ford Motor Co. was considered the sickest of Detroit's car manufacturers. But conventional wisdom was stood on its head last fall when Ford parted company with General Motors Corp. and Chrysler Group LLC by forgoing federal help during the most perilous times for automakers. By the end of that crisis, GM and Chrysler had received a total of $64 billion, while Ford got nothing — though like other automakers, it is receiving federal aid to develop green technologies. ...

General Motors' foreshortened bankruptcy, which was finished with the emergence last week of a "new" GM, owes a thank you to the Chrysler Group for blazing a short, quick path through the courts. Now GM's recovery will rest on its ability to hold onto customers or win over new ones. That's no small task as GM has been forced to skimp on cash for engineering during its year-long financial crisis. Even so, GM is off to a ...

A U.S. federal judge in the GM bankruptcy case late Sunday approved the sale of the troubled automaker's assets to a "new GM," court documents showed. Judge Robert Gerber, in giving his approval, said it "is the only available means to preserve the continuation of GM's business." Lawyers wrapped up their closing arguments in the bankruptcy case Thursday, giving Gerber the long holiday weekend to make his decision. Hanging over the case was a July 10 deadline imposed by the ...

The reorganized Chrysler Group LLC postponed the annual press preview of new cars at its proving ground near Chelsea, Mich. — all part of the production stoppage while the company waited out bankruptcy proceedings. But even during that downtime, Chrysler's American engineers and designers were busily exchanging notes with their counterparts at Fiat, just as they have been doing for the past six months. What will come of all this cross-fertilization With the Supreme Court blessing of the deal that released Chrysler from bankruptcy, ...

GM stock has been delisted, dumped from the Dow, and is pretty much worthless. But with government backing, as they say, even pigs can fly. Indeed, just days after filing for bankruptcy, General Motors Corp. is already plotting a path beyond Chapter 11, including the sale of stranded assets and even an offering of new stock. The principle shareholders of any new GM—the U.S. Treasury, Canada's federal government and the United Auto Workers—are keenly interested in getting GM stock back into circulation. "There ...

The clock is ticking for Ray O'Bryhim: he has less than a week to sell his last 40 cars. His ads for Pohanka Chrysler-Dodge scream, "Everything must go, regardless of profit!" On June 9, his franchise to sell new Chryslers and Dodges will be terminated, along with those of almost 800 other Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep dealers nationwide. This comes as a result of Chrysler's announcement last month that they would shrink their dealer base in the United States. O'Bryhim cannot legally ...

Chrysler and General Motors announced this week that they would shrink their dealer base in the U.S. Chrysler will close 789 dealers, leaving them with approximately 2400 stores in the U.S. General Motors announced the closing of 1,100 dealers and hopes to be at a size of 3,600 dealers at the end of 2010. While Chrysler dealers will be "forced out" by June 9, GM is positioning for a smoother closing of its stores, with each shutting down ...

The health care of thousands of retired auto workers is about to change: On Friday the membership of the United Auto Workers overwhelmingly approved a restructuring plan with GM, according to UAW president Ron Gettelfinger. The plan gives the union's health care vehicle some promissory notes plus a 17.5% stake in GM and warrants to purchase another 2.5%. Assuming the deals survive bankruptcy court, and experts expect it will, the change marks a new direction in health care ...