Get Ready For More Chrysler and Dodge Minivans

The Chrysler Group has recently announced that the all-new 2008 Chrysler Town & Country as well as the Dodge Grand Caravan minivans both introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit are going to be produced at the DaimlerChrysler’s Windsor Ontario Assembly Plant and St. Louis South Assembly Plant in Fenton, Mo.

The main objective of the Chrysler Group is to produce several vehicles under same roof and in the process save millions of investment dollars while hastening the availability of the vehicles to the market equipped with the same high quality Chrysler parts that meets the quality levels set by the automaker.

According to Frank Ewasyshyn, Executive Vice President, Manufacturing, Chrysler Group, "These are very important products for the Chrysler Group as we remain committed to the minivan market and maintain our leadership position. Our focus on flexible manufacturing and new investments, adding state-of-the art technology to plant operations, will help us ensure we can meet those demands and build almost anything, anywhere, with improving speed and quality."

Visiting DaimlerChrysler’s Windsor and St. Louis Assembly Plants

The Windsor Assembly plant is presently housing the production for Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans with the Stow ‘n Go® seating and storage system, together with the Chrysler Pacifica, has enough resources to accommodate the production of two different vehicle platforms. The Chrysler Group has invested $508 million to its Windsor Assembly to provide it with a state-of-the art paint facility which is capable of accommodating the dimensions of at least eleven different body styles. The Windsor Assembly plant is scheduled to operate on the first quarter of 2007. This plant was built in 1928 and at present considered to be one of Chrysler’s largest assembly plants with 4.01 million square feet. The plant is currently employing 4800 people.

The St. Louis South Assembly Plant is another big plant of Chrysler. The automaker invested $1 billion for this plant. Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan minivans (south), and Dodge Ram (1500 and 2500) Standard and Quad Cab Pickup (North) are the vehicles produced in this plant. The St. Louis Plant was constructed in 1959 and has a total area of 2.64 million square feet and the third assembly plant of Chrysler that implements a fully robotic body shop. This gives the St Louis plant the capability of manufacturing multiple types of vehicles on one line. Chrysler’s St. Louis Assembly plant has 3,200 employees presently.

Chrysler Group is expecting to make the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country available to US market in the fall of 2007.

By Correy Putton.

(Chrysler) Sebring Says Go For World Record

What has the all-new 2007 Chrysler Sebring got to do Guinness World Records? Well, not much. As of present. But soon, it will be taking its place in that world famous hall of fame and hall of outstanding records. Just a hint though: this does not entail a record on which vehicle has got the most number or the best performance parts in the auto industry.

Chrysler is planning on breaking the Guinness World Record on the largest number of people playing the popular game “Simon Says”. However, the company is going to do it their own way – Sebring style. This is in part of Chrysler’s attempt to market and popularize the new 2007 Chrysler Sebring which will be first making its appearance at the upcoming Chicago Auto Show.

To break the record, Chrysler is planning on having more than 1,200 consumers and customers take part in the game. The current record of the largest number of people playing “Simon Says” is 1,169 and Chrysler hopes to beat that record. The event is scheduled to happen on the 9th of February.

David Rooney, Chrysler’s director for marketing and global communications, is already doing his best so as to inform everybody about this record-breaking event and on this he replies, “The 2007 Chrysler Sebring brings higher levels of craftsmanship and technology to the mid-size car segment. We thought it would be fun to bring the original ‘Simon Says’ game to a new level by inviting consumers to join us in breaking the current world record, while also providing a unique way for consumers to interact with the Chrysler Sebring’s innovative features, including the new MyGig™ technology and heated/cooled cup holders.”

But if you do think that this is going to be a boring game, well you better think about it. Chrysler is surely bound to make it fun and the company is planning on giving the game a new twist to add to the excitement. And whoever wins the “Sebring Says” game would be winning and enjoying a lease on the 2007 Chrysler Sebring. And yes, the lease would be for twenty four months.

Interested? You can register at the www.ChryslerSebringSays.com. But you would be asked to answer the ground-breaking question: Why do you want to break a Guinness World Record? And make sure that you are already 18 years old or older and that you already have a driver’s license if you are really that interested in joining.

By Hannah Racey.