Tag Archives: cars

Great Gatsby Brings Back the Classics

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gatsby carRetro is the “in-thing” this week with the release of the new adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic jazz-age novel, The Great Gatsby.

One of the most notorious and fondly remembered portions of the novels is the vivid descriptions of the title character Gatsby’s car. The car is a “rich cream color bright with nickel, swollen here and there in its monstrous length with triumphant hat boxes and supper-boxes and tool-boxes, and terraced with a labyrinth of windshields that mirrored a dozen suns.”

The car is written about in full detail but is still missing an important feature for car-lovers. Fitzgerald in all his imagery never reveals a specific auto-maker behind Gatsby’s one-of-a-kind ride.

The 1974 film staring Roberto Redford used a 1928 Rolls Royce Phantom 1 Ascot Tourer to bring the infamous car to life. In the new Baz Luhrmann interpretation, it’s a 1929 Duesenberg.

1933-Chrysler-Royal-8-Convertible-Coupe

They certainly show how far car design has come; how much tastes have changed over the generations. Take a look at a real classic, the 1933 Chrysler Royal 8 Convertible Coupe and compare it to, say, today’s 300 Sedan.

As The Great Gastby gets released nation-wide today, what are some of the best oldies that come off the top of your head for the jazz age?

For the current Chrysler products, check out Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge. The dealership is located in the Queens area and operates with top-quality customer service that works with you in either finding the new or pre-owned vehicle that suits your life-style or fixing any issues you have with your current vehicle.  Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to us on YouTube for more Jeep news and monthly parts and service specials.

Author Claims Chrysler Minivan Defined Generation

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Americans love their minivans. Families, soccer moms, car pool dads, there is practically a whole sub-culture revolving around the minivan, and according to a new book, the mini-van helped “define the lifestyle of a generation.”

Pulitzer-prize winner Paul Ingrassia’s new book “Engines of Change” highlights fifteen influential vehicles in American history, and amongst the Ford Motel T and the Chevrolet Corvette is the Chrysler minivan. It might seem like a less sexy choice, and auto enthusiasts rarely drool over a minivan. Still, Ingrassia points out that there were 210,000 minivans sold in the first full year of production, and their popularity would “signal a shift in America’s love affair with the automobile from sleek cars to tall and burly trucks.” Ingrassia also argues that the minivan both represented and even encouraged a lifestyle shift from “painting the town” to “painting the nursery.”

We couldn’t agree more with the Chrysler minivan’s inclusion in Ingrassia’s book, and we hope that the success of “Engines of Change” will bring attention to this sometimes under-appreciated vehicle. You can check out Chrysler’s full line-up as well as new and used Chrysler Town & Country minivans online here. To get the latest news and deals from Chrysler, you can like Bayside on Facebook and follow Bayside on Twitter.

Chrysler CEO Collects No Salary, Stock Options Despite Profitable Year

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In a rare moment of class in the business world, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne chose not collect a salary or bonus in 2011 and did not benefit from stock option rewards.

Marchionne is still getting paid for being the CEO of Fiat SpA. He will also be receiving 361,446 shares of Chrysler once Chrysler has repaid the loans it owes the government, so he isn’t exactly suffering. Even so, 2011 was a fantastic year for Chrysler with $183 million in earnings. It was also the first time in 14 years that the company returned a profit, and Machinonne had every right to see some of that money go into his pocket. Most CEOs would have snatched up a nice hefty bonus, whether their company performed that well or not.

The fact that Marchionne turned down a salary, bonus, and any stock option rewards says so much about his character and the company’s direction under his guidance. He is putting aside his self-interests and putting the company and Chrysler employees first, and it is tough to argue with the results of his work. If 2011 was any indication, Chrysler is definitely on the right track with Marchionne.

You can test drive a Chrysler today at the Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge and keep up with the latest news from Chrysler by following Bayside on Facebook and Twitter.