Chrysler Lancer Reviews

Now for something completely different; a German Mercedes sportscar with an American body, a low price tag and styling that looks like nothing else on the road.

Powerhouse Museum to host Auto Obsession exhibition

Craig Duff takes a look at the unsung heroes in each segment.

Exhibition celebrates special concept cars that introduced stunning design and amazing innovation.

The site of a former Bunnings store in Hoppers Crossing is being redeveloped into a multi-franchise car dealership. The facility, at 163-179 Old Geelong Rd, will become the new home of Werribee Hyundai and Werribee Chrysler Jeep Dodge Alfa Fiat.Bunnings relocated to a bigger site last year. Wilmac Properties is developing the 26,000sq m site which is expected to be completed between June and September. Hopper Motor Group chief executive Paul Hopper said the existing building would be converted into an automotive service, car storage and car washing facilities over two levels.Two new showrooms will be built in front of it with 250 new and used cars on display, he said. Once completed it will generate about 200 ongoing jobs. 'The project represents one of the most substantial private investments in the area in recent years," he said. 

Many still believe it's also the case with cars - drive from the rear and change direction through the front, weighed down by the power plant.

It's 50 years ago, on April Fools' Day, that Chrysler in the USA gathered the media to see its new sporty, compact two door hardtop, the 1964 Plymouth Valiant Barracuda. Based on the plain, simple Valiant, the Barracuda featured the largest rear window ever used on a production vehicle at the time and a fold-down rear seat, which added immensely to the car's versatility.Two weeks later Ford released the Mustang and for a long time the Barracuda lived in the shadow of its rival. The reason is as simple as it was visible. Chrysler cut costs in the styling area and did not differentiate the Barracuda too greatly from the Valiant. Ford however, took a bigger risk and radically reshaped the Falcon into the Mustang. They reaped the reward with 400,000 sales in the first 12 months. The Barracuda managed 90,000.The Barracuda name came from John "Dick" Samsen, one of the principal stylists of the car. Chrysler executives originally wanted to call it the Panda, but Samsen and his mates believed a stronger name was needed and kicked up a fuss.The rear window glass was a technological triumph for it suppler Pittsburgh Plate and Glass (PPG). It was the largest piece of glass used on a car at the time, and Samsen says they had a lot of trouble with it. PPG was not able to hold the shape in production and it had more of a bubble shape than was originally intended, according to Samsen. The glass in the advertisements and brochures were photoshopped to look smoother.Chrysler learnt its lesson with the 1964 Barracuda. The second generation version looked very little like the Valiant and the third generation, made from 1970 to 1974, was a standalone model. Production ended on 1st April, exactly a decade since the start.These days the 1964 Barracuda has a strong following among collectors and the fabulous one-piece wrap-over rear glass, which defines the aggressive fast-back roofline, attracts loads of lookers at car shows. No longer is it in the shadow of the Mustang. The first generation Barracuda's are relatively rare in Australia. Good ones fetch up to $25,000.The 1971 Barracuda's, with the massive 7 litre Hemi V8, have now become one of the world's most collectible cars. Only 108 coupes and 11 convertibles left the factory with the big Hemi engine that year. A restored convertible recently fetched $1,300,000 at auction and an unrestored coupe went for $600,000. That's a big shadow to cast!David Burrell is the editor of www.retroautos.com.au 

Fiat-Chrysler is the latest carmaker to reveal its 2013 SEMA concepts, ahead of the Las Vegas aftermarket expo’s official opening next week. The Italian/US partnership will unveil no less than 20 Mopar-equipped concepts from its suite of brands, matching the efforts of fellow US giants Ford and General Motors.Five of these concepts have been teased this week, representing the Jeep, Ram Trucks, Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat brands.Jeep has created the 2014 Cherokee-based Trail Carver, which features a unique decal package and roof basket, mud-terrain tyres, and orange-coloured tow hooks. The interior is covered in Katzkin Amaretto leather, and includes several Mopar optional accessories such as a wireless phone charger.

Chrysler majority owner Fiat has announced that the US cluster of car brands will not launch a public stock offering this year. In a statement yesterday, Fiat said Chrysler's board has decided an initial public offering would be "not practicable" this year.Instead, Chrysler Group LLC will keep working towards an IPO in the first quarter of next year. Fiat holds 58.5 per cent of Chrysler's shares, with the rest owned by a United Auto Workers union trust fund. The IPO would consist of the trust's shares.The CEO of both car groups, Sergio Marchionne, is keen to avoid an IPO and have Fiat buy the trust's shares so the two companies can be fully combined, allowing him to spend Chrysler money on Fiat operations."I'm not selling anything and nor do I think we need to do so," Marchionne said in October. However he filed the paperwork for an IPO as he and the trust have been in conflict over the price for a sale of the trust's share to Fiat, with no agreement reached.Last month, UBS AG set the value of the trust's stake at $US5.6 billion ($A6.1 billion). Fiat has gone to court seeking a judgement on the price, but the trial date is set for next September.While Fiat stepped in as a perceived 'saviour' to shore up the struggling Chrysler by buying into it two years ago, Chrysler's profits have been propping up Fiat on the balance sheet during 2013 as the Italian carmaker struggles in the European economic slump.Chrysler earned $US464 million last quarter on US sales of the Ram pickup and Jeep Grand Cherokee, its ninth-straight profitable quarter. The results boosted Fiat, which earned $US260 million in the third quarter. Without Chrysler's contribution, Fiat would have lost $US340 million.

The all-new Chrysler 200 is unveiled at the Detroit motor show with plenty of technology and quality, as well as impressive promises. But only for the USA.Just like the smaller Dodge Dart - and despite an ongoing series of promises from Chrysler headquarters that stretches back to the 1900s - the 200 has not received the crucial right-hand drive development work needed to bring it to Australia.Chrysler has invested the extra to get right-side steering into the latest Jeep Cherokee but, even though the 200 shares the same basic building blocks from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, it has missed the boat.“I want to send the 200 to Australia, but …,” the president of Chrysler Brand, Alistair Gardner, tells Carsguide. “I need a good business case. We don’t have that. Can we do it? Yes. Have we done it? No.”He makes no apology for the decision and says it comes down to dollars and sense, because medium-class cars are not popular enough in Australia and other right-hand drive countries including Britain and India.But Chrysler is bullish about the chances of the 200 in North America. “Make no mistake, this is our new flagship. It will re-define the brand. From bumper to bumper, the new 200 had to be flawless,” says Gardner.Development of the car cost an estimated $800 million and Chrylser has spend another $1 billion on a factory at Sterling Heights to build it, including more than 1000 new robots. The Chrysler 200 is fitted with the same 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 used in the Grand Cherokee in Australia, as well as a nine-speed automatic with a Jaguar-style rotary shifter, and an available four-wheel drive system. There are 60 safety and security features up to automatic emergency braking.The body shape cuts through the air with a 0.27 drag co-efficient and the overall look is a total reverse from the angular gangsta style of the 300C. Quality is claimed to be up another level from the Grand Cherokee that re-set the bar for Chrysler products.“It had to have an emotional design impact. Call it a wow factor,” says Gardner. To put the Chrysler 200 right into perspective, particularly against Australian medium cars including the Toyota Camry that starts at $30,490, the base price for the 200 is $21,700.