July was another strong month for the rebounding automaker. Chrysler enjoyed strong sales through the month with Jeep having one of its strongest months ever.
July was a strong month for the industry as a whole. At the current sales rate the industry is enjoying, it will be the best year since 2006 according to Bloomberg News.
“The on-again, off-again relationship is back on and the love affair goes on,” Jeff Schuster, an analyst with LMC is quoted as saying. “It shows consumers are feeling good about the position of the economy. Combine that with some new products and relatively low fuel prices and the magic takes over.
Jeep was not the only member of the Chrysler family to enjoy July’s sales. The Town and Country’s sales were up by 41 percent with the best July the minivan has had since 2006.
Many factors go into what could cause such a successfully month. The ones that Bloomberg credits the most is there being more available credit options for subprime borrowers along with lower interest rates.
Fred Diaz, Nissan’s senior VP of North American sales sees another good reason why auto sales are up. “The reason I say that is the pent-up demand and the age of the average vehicle on the road today is still over 11 years old. That’s going to keep us primed for moderate, steady or slow growth.
If you are interested in learning more about Chrysler products, including the Town and Country, contact us at Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge. You can also go online to view our inventory of new and used vehicles. Be sure to like us on Facebook and to follow us on Twitter to see more auto news and our special monthly offers.
Cue the dramatic music because the auto spies have discovered an uncovered 2015 Chrysler 200.
As much as I want to believe we have spies working all hours of the day to uncover the secrets at Chrysler, these shots come courtesy of Autonews.com. The photos they obtained appear to be from a photo shoot for a marketing campaign for the update to the Chrysler 200.
The news of the update has been spread around already but this is the first real look at one. All that’s been known up to this point is that the 200 would be borrowing from other Chrysler brethren such as the Dodge Dart and Jeep Cherokee’s CUSW platform as well as the new nine-speed transmission.
The 2015 Chrysler 200 will not be skimping out on any features. The latest technologies that Chrysler has come up with in such as gas-saving will be implemented on the 200. Chrysler is pushing the 200 to be a major competitor in the market and is hoping that this update will make it stand out. Keep your eyes peeled for more information as it becomes available on the update to the Chrysler 200.
For more information on the current Chrysler 200 or any of Chrysler’s other vehicles, contact us at Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge. We have a large stock of new and used vehicles to choose from as well as competitive financing to help you get in the vehicle you need. Be sure to like us on Facebook and to follow us on Twitter for more special offers.
Over the weekend, Forbes published an article titled “Chrysler Is Proving Right To Ditch ‘Imported From Detroit’” which made the argument that Chrysler’s series of commercials with Clint Eastwood were a misfire. The article was positive about the 2011 Chrysler Super Bowl ad with Eminem which kicked off the “Imported From Detroit” campaign, but writer Dale Buss claims the campaign “jumped the shark” with the 2012 Super Bowl ad.
Here is the original ad and the transcript of Eastwood’s speech.
It’s halftime. Both teams are in the locker room discussing what they can do to win this game in the second half. It’s halftime in America, too. People are out of work and hurting and they’re all wondering what they’re going to do to make a comeback, and we’re all scared because this isn’t a game. The people of Detroit know a little something about this. They almost lost everything, but we all pulled together. Now Motor City is fighting again. I’ve seen a lot of tough eras, a lot of downturns in my life, times when we didn’t understand each other. It seems that we’ve lost our heart at times. The fog of division, discord, and blame made it hard to see what lies ahead. But after those trials, we all rallied around what was right and acted as one because that’s what we do. We find a way through tough times, and if we can’t find a way, then we make one. All that matters now is what’s ahead. How do we come from behind? How do we come together, and how do we win? Detroit is showing us it can be done, and what’s true about them is true about all of us. This country can’t be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up again, and when we do, the world’s going to hear the roar of our engines. Yeah, it’s halftime, America, and our second half is about to begin.
According to Buss, the “Halftime in America” ad doesn’t work because Chrysler was not a “credible underdog” since Chrysler sales improved in 2011. Besides that, he claims that “the object of [Eastwood’s] anger wasn’t clear” and pointed to 30 Rock‘s recent spoof of the ad as proof that the campaign was laughably bad.
Here is why Buss is wrong.
2011 was a great year for Chrysler. No one is denying that. Everyone at Chrysler is thrilled, but they know that their work is not done. The point of “Halftime in America” is not to paint Chrysler as the perpetual underdog. To continue the sports analogy, Chrysler is not an automotive Charlie Brown trying to kick a football that keeps getting pulled away at the last minute. They scored touchdown after touchdown in 2011, but in 2012, they are going to face new challenges. Just yesterday, the Wall Street Journal highlighted the Japanese auto industry’s recovery from last year’s natural disasters and predicted that this year is going to be highly competitive between U.S., German, South Korean, and Japanese auto makers.
“Halftime in America” is an ad with a two main messages. First, the ad was meant to inspire Americans who are still struggling. Eastwood speech was meant for people who are out of work and can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. Americans can look at the comeback that Chrysler made in 2011 and be inspired by that. Some people wrongly interpreted this part of the ad as Chrysler and Eastwood endorsing President Obama. I’m still baffled as to where people got this idea, but for the record, Eastwood is very openly conservative and claims the only time he voted Democrat was for Gray Davis in the California governor race. He didn’t see the ad as politically motivated but as a “message about job growth and the spirit of America.”
Secondly, the ad sends the message that Chrysler isn’t getting lazy or complacent just because they had a good year. As Eastwood says in the ad, “Motor City is fighting again.” The game isn’t over; it’s just begun. Eastwood’s monologue is meant to be fighting words, but they aren’t out of anger at Chrysler’s competitors. Instead, they are meant to convey a message to Chrysler’s loyal customers, saying, “We are back, and we aren’t going anywhere.”
It is too bad that Buss has such a jaded view towards “Halftime in America” and towards Chrysler. His whole attitude can be summed up in this assessment of Chrysler: “…a hoary automotive brand from Flyover Country.” People like Buss will scoff at Chrysler as cars from Flyover Country, and in the same breath, they will say Chrysler is “no longer a credible underdog.”
This is exactly why Chrysler keeps working and fighting. The second half has begun. Chrysler sees the challenges ahead, and to the people like Buss who remain unconvinced, Chrysler is ready to prove them wrong.
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