The Jefferson North Assembly Plant is already one of the auto makers’ busiest lines, with two shifts going at full capacity. In 2012, 1100 jobs will be created as part of an expansion, in order to tackle high demand for Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango.

These 1100 new workers join 150 jobs created by Chrysler’s Conner Avenue Plant.

“Our future, like the history of our brands, is interwoven with the City of Detroit,” said Chrysler Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne.

“Detroit long has been home to renowned innovators and craftsmen. So it is in the Motor City, home of our industrial heritage and a resilient people, that we are entrusting the manufacture not only of the ultimate American sports car, the SRT Viper, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee – the most awarded SUV ever – but also a diesel version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee for North American markets.”

Source: Torque News

Being an American auto worker is a rare career path in today’s world. In Detroit, it can be even harder. Chrysler has spent decades utilizing Detroit’s two-tiered payment system. New employees make much less ($14 – $16/nr) than their counterparts who have been employed longer. With UAW arguments and poor economic growth year-to-year, there’s little to no chance of a wage increase.

Chrysler Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is looking to change that.

Marchionne says he’d rather “have all his workers on the same pay scale,” hinting at changes when the maker’s contract expires in 2015. It has plenty in the auto industry curious about what the exec has in store.

“This economic disparity between people on the (production) line is not something that can go on indefinitely,” Marchionne told reporters during a recent conference call.

The UAW wants to eliminate the two-tier structure, which has divided union members and almost caused the rejection of this year’s contracts with Chrysler, as well as the other two American car companies.

Source: MSNBC

“I don’t think there’s a 100 percent guarantee of the fact that there is an IPO,” said Marchionne at a recent event in Windsor, Ontario.

It increasingly appears that Marchionne is more interested in complete ownership of Chrysler by Fiat Group rather than just having a controlling stake. “Fiat is effectively in a position to buy the whole company,” says Max Warburton, a senior analyst at Bernstein Research in London. “The previous assumption was that Chrysler would make an IPO, but this now looks unlikely and a full takeover by Fiat Auto seems more probable.”

For the record, by the end of 2011 Fiat will have a 57% share of Chrysler.

Source: wcf

Six years ahead of schedule, Chrysler has repaid all of their government loans. By making a $7.6 billion payment to U.S. and Canadian governments, Chrysler has ended the saga of their bankruptcy. To date, the company has forked over a total of $10.3 billion to cover the loans and interest that were incurred as part of the process to save them from collapse.

According to Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, “Less than two years ago, we made a commitment to repay the U.S. and Canadian taxpayers in full and today we made good on that promise. The loans gave us a rare second chance to demonstrate what the people of this company can deliver and we owe a debt of gratitude to those whose intervention allowed Chrysler Group to re-establish itself as a strong and viable carmaker.”

While it is important to note that Chrysler has repaid the government loans, the company isn’t debt free. In essence, Chrysler refinanced their debt through the private sector for a lower interest rate and less government oversight. This may seem like a sleight of hand, but Chrysler estimates the move will save them $350 million a year in interest.

Source: WCF

There are those in the auto trade from Trenton, NJ to Memphis, TN looking for work. Better head to Michigan, as Chrysler will be taking on around 3000 more employees in the coming months.

Chrysler Group LLC will add production shifts at plants in Michigan and Illinois, thanks to an increase in sales of some of its most popular vehicles. According to the UAW (United Auto Workers), “The three additional shifts, each accounting for about 1,000 jobs, would be at plants in Detroit and Sterling Heights, Michigan, and Belvidere, Illinois.” The Michigan and Illinois plants already each have two shifts employing 7,000 hourly workers.

“There have been indications that they would love to put on a third shift, but it’s all tied to volume and the demand,” General Holiefield, the UAW vice president in charge of Chrysler, said yesterday.

CEO Sergio Marchionne “boosted Chrysler’s global sales 18% through April and posted a first-quarter net profit of $116 million, its first since emerging from bankruptcy in 2009. He’s seeking to refinance U.S. and Canadian government debt this quarter, allowing Fiat SpA (F) to increase its ownership stake to 46% from 30%,” according to Bloomberg News.

Source: Bloomberg

Sure, it’s easy to blame technology for much of today’s hassles. Even our expert Social Media team who manages our Twitter account (@automopedia if you feel like following) have made a mistake now and again. But none as bad as Scott Bartosiewicz, the former New Media Strategies employee who dropped the f-bomb using Chrysler’s Twitter account. Scott has stated it was an accident, claiming his Tweetdeck application, which was not supposed to be connected to his work account, sent the foul-mouthed tweet to all Chrysler Twitter followers.

According to Jalopnik, He’s [Bartosiewicz] even hired an attorney, Michael Dezsi, who says Scott has a case. “A simple web search shows a number of other users have encountered the same issues,” Dezsi said.

Radio station WXYZ, which conducted a follow up interview, contacted Tweetdeck via email and a company executive told them they are looking into the issue.

Chrysler looks to be taking a hint from Ford, who saw moderate success with their Transit Connect European-style van, which has almost as much cargo room as the old style Econolines.

Ram van gets a beefier load floor, 1800-lb cargo payload and 3600 lb towing capacity. Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) measures in at 8750 lbs. Chrysler’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 can be found under the hood, producing 283 horsepower and 260 lb. ft. of torque.

This van is also green – with a driver-selectable “fuel economizer mode” that adjusts the automatic gear box’s shift map.

Photo: Jalopnik

“The pricing is the pricing. The younger generation doesn’t haggle. They don’t feel comfortable with it. They hate the experience,” said Laura Soave, head of the Fiat brand in North America.

“Dealers have been given advertising standards that include prohibitions on promoting vehicles for less than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price,” Soave said. The company limited its number of US Fiat franchises, in hopes to minimize competition.

Chrysler will introduce the 500 to a waiting US market at the same time it prepares a newly redesigned Chrysler 300 flagship sedan. These are among 16 models Chrysler has redesigned in the past year.

The 500 and redesigned 300 “really represent that this company is coming together,” said Rebecca Lindland, an industry analyst with IHS Automotive.

“Early next month, Chrysler is bringing together about 300 people from the 130 U.S. Fiat dealerships for special training in handling customers and selling the car which can be configured in 500,000 ways,” Soave said. Dealers “need to be able to take the customers and show them how to accessorize the vehicle,” she said.

Sales “consultants” will take a non-traditional role, which includes being the customer’s contact point for vehicle service, Soave added.

Source: Auto News

For exteriors, the Fiat 500 includes: chrome touches on side mirrors, fuel door and exhaust tips. You can add a window-mount rack on the rear, snowboard rack and double blue striped decals all over.

As for interiors, Fiat’s 500 adds door sills with ’500′ logos, leather finish and carbon fiber-esque hand brake and shift knobs. Another tuned 500 comes in all black along with glossy black wheels. Delicious!

Source – WCF

Dealerships that accept the invitation will attend the Fiat Experience on August 30 in Detroit. At that time, Chrysler will detail its plans for the Fiat dealership network and ask interested dealers to submit proposals by September 22. Dealers will be chosen in October 2010.

“The requirements for Fiat are straightforward: separate sales and display at launch, transitioning to a full dealership facility as the volume grows,” said Chrysler Vice President of Dealership Network Development Peter Grady. In addition to selling Fiat vehicles, dealerships may get the opportunity to sell Alfa Romeos, as the brand is scheduled to return to the U.S. in 2012.

No firm details have been set about expanding the Fiat network to include Alfa Romeos, but Chrysler spokesman Ralph Kisiel commented that the Fiat network “might be expanded as more new products are added to the lineup.”

Want to know if your local dealership is going to supply the country with Fiat 500′s? Contact the ones near you off our Find A Chrysler Dealer page.