The Toledo Blade is ran a story yesterday about supply vs. demand in regards to the Jeep Wrangler.  Due to a 7 week shutdown on plants that produce the iconic vehicle, dealers are having a difficult time keeping up with customer requests.

“Jerry Snodgrass probably could sell a dozen Jeep Wranglers today – that is, if he had any to sell. But the general manager of Baumann Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Fremont is in the same predicament as many other Jeep dealers nationwide. That is, plenty of demand for the Toledo-built Wranglers but few, if any, to sell following the seven-week shutdown of vehicle production by Chrysler Group LLC. “I am completely out of Wranglers. I’ve got a salesman looking up at me right now asking me, ‘When are we going to get more Wranglers?’•” Mr. Snodgrass said yesterday. The company announced yesterday, as other automakers revealed their June vehicle sales figures, that last month it sold 4,810 Wranglers, down 28 percent from the same month last year. But sales may have slumped because dealers ran out of Wranglers. Chrysler had just a 38-day supply of Wranglers as of June 1, compared with a typical industry average of 60 days or more. Sales of the Toledo-built Jeep Liberty, by contrast, were 3,815 units last month, off 24 percent from a year ago but with a more plentiful 65-day inventory supply. For the first half of the year, Wrangler sales are up 5 percent from a year ago, while Liberty sales are down 42 percent.”

Full article here.

Time for Chrysler to crank up production and get the people their Jeeps.  Let’s face it, Jeep is the strongest of the Chrysler line-up and will continue to do well as the economy climes slowly out of the recession.
Check out our all new Jeep Wrangler Wheels section for awesome Mopar and Rugged Ridge Wheels.

Straight off of the PRNewsWire:

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 4 /PRNewswire/ — With summer just around the corner, AutoWeek magazine named the 2009 Jeep Wrangler as one of its top 10 Coolest Summer Cars for 2009.

Read the full article here.

We have only one correction for them.  A Jeep Wrangler is THE Coolest Summer Car.  End of list.  -JW

Cullman Alabama   May 28-30   Cullman, AL

Canyon de Chelly  June 4-6  Chinle, AZ

Ultimate Adventure   June 13-21   Murphy, NC

Drummond Island   June 18-20  Drummond Island, MI

Penn’s Woods   June 18-20   Bradford, PA

Showshoe Mountain  July 9-11    Snowshoe, WV

Killington   July 16-18   Killington, VT

Northwoods – Mole Lake   July 23-25   Crandon, WI

Rubicon Trail  August 13-16   The Rubicon Trail, CA

Big Horn Mountains   August 20-22   Dayton, WY

Mark A. SmithRubicon Trail Adventure (2-3 day)  August 27-29/27-30  The Rubicon Trail, CA

Texas Spur Fall   September 10-12   Llano, TX

Ouray   September 17-19   Ouray, CO

Catskill Mountains   September 24-26   Monticello, NY

Black Hills   September 24-26  Deadwood, SD

Maine Mountains   October 1-3   Bethel, ME

French Lick   October 8-10   French Lick, IN

Appalachian   October 8-10   Murphy, NC

Borrego Springs   October 15-17   Borrego Springs, CA

Gateway to the Cumberlands   October 15-17   Williamsburg, KY

Moab   October 22-24   Moab, UT

Ouachita   October  22-24   Hot Springs, AR

For more information on this year’s Jeep Jamborees click here.

There’s not a lot of fun Jeep news out there right now, but the crew over at  JP Magazine does a great job of finding interesting Jeep news & tidbits even during tough times.  Here is a link to their Jeep News for June 2009 which includes all kinds of cool Jeep stuff to check out, including this awesome list of fun Jeep events for this Summer:

May 22-25, Hi Desert Round-Up, Barstow, CA, cal4wheel.com

June 6, Grand Mesa Jeep Club OffRoad Show & Swap Meet, Mesa County Fairgrounds, Grand Junction, CO, gmjc.org

June 17-21, W.E. Rock Western U.S. Rock Crawling Nationals Reno Rocks 4×4.com, Sands Regency, Reno, NV, renorocks4×4.com

June 18-21, Jeepster Jam hosted by JCCA, Toad Ranch, Oak Ridge, TN, jeepstercommandoclub.com

June 19-21, Big Bear Forest Fest, Snow Valley Ski area, Running Springs, CA, ie4w.com

June 26-28, Gen-Right Jeepfest #2, Gorman, CA, genright.com

June 26-28, 8th Annual Meet and Greet hosted by Alaska Extreme Fourwheelers, 0-Alaska State Fairgrounds, meetandgreetalaska.com–

August 8-9, 4th Annual Bad Azz Truck Expo, Ionia Fairgrounds, Ionia MI, badazztruckexpo.com

August 14-16, Trailfest 2009 hosted by EC4WDA Northeast, based at the Holiday Inn, Holyoke, MA, trailfest.hv4w.org

They’re constatntly updating their news and lists, so be sure to check them out: www.JPmagazine.com .

PickupTrucks.com and Automobile Magazine bring us more on the Jeep J8:

Back in February, we’d gotten word that if the Fiat deal with Chrysler went through we’d be seeing a mini Jeep off-roader.  Our friends over at Auto Spies have revealed the 2011 Jeep Phoenix 4×4, “a remarkable 1.3 litre, 5 door, four wheel drive mini-Jeep that is going to take the North American market by storm, while still getting almost 59 mpg!  Based on the Fiat Panda cross 4×4, the Jeep Phoenix is simply rebadged, but completely suited to North American offroad conditions.  It is also an exceptional city car that gets far higher mpg than any hybrid on the market, including the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius.  And all that with a convential gasoline engine with no hybrid technology anywhere!”

3 litre, 5 door, four wheel drive mini-Jeep that is going to take the North American market by storm, while still getting almost 59 mpg!Based on the Fiat Panda

Cross 4×4, the Jeep Phoenix is simply rebadged, but completely suited to North American offroad conditions. It is also an exceptional city car that gets far higher mpg than any hybrid on the market, including the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius. And all that with a conventional gasoline engine with no hybrid technology anywhere!

Freep.com is reporting:

“President Barack Obama said today that Chrysler LLC will file a historic bankruptcy shortly, backed by up to $3.5 billion in new government aid designed to allow a Chrysler-Fiat partnership to emerge from court in 30 to 60 days…

‘The necessary steps have been taken to give one of America’s most storied companies a new lease on life,’ Obama said…

The administration portrays its “surgical” bankruptcy of one of Detroit’s major automakers as just a legal chore, rather than the threat to Chrysler’s existence and the entire U.S. auto industry that Chrysler itself had described less than three months ago. Administration officials said Chrysler would operate as usual during bankruptcy, and that no additional job cuts were anticipated as of now.”

For further details and the full article click here.

At the end of last week, things were looking pretty bleak for the survival of Chrysler.  Now a ray of hope shines as the large auto company faces the zero hour.  This afternoon, CNN is reporting that Chrysler’s debt deal with major banks has been reached.

“The major banks that loaned Chrysler LLC about $7 billion have agreed to significantly reduce that debt, according to the Treasury Department, a move that could save the struggling automaker from having to file for bankruptcy later this week.

“The agreement from Chrysler’s principal banks is an exceptional accomplishment in line with the President’s firm commitment that all stakeholders sacrifice to make this deal succeed,” said an administration official Tuesday.”

Chrysler still needs to complete it’s alliance with Fiat and have it’s agreement with the UAW pass an official vote before Thursday’s deadline.  The debt reduction was generally thought of as the largest and most difficult step in the process, so there is still is hope for the auto manufacturer.

While the Government imposed April 30th deadline approaches for Chrysler, Marketwatch speculates that they could be filing for Chapter 11 even sooner.

“Ailing car maker Chrysler is close to filing for protection from creditors as soon as next week under Chapter 11 of U.S. Bankruptcy laws… The move will come whether or not it reaches a buyout deal with Fiat SpA, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the companies.”

Chrysler issued this response:

(from the Chrysler Media Site)

“On March 30, the Administration recognized the viability of Chrysler LLC and its products, in combination with a Fiat alliance.
Chrysler has consistently said that its viability will be enhanced through an alliance with Fiat, as it represents a change in the Company’s business model that expands its global competitiveness.
As we move forward in this process, we believe it’s important to keep all options open. Chrysler will continue to work through the end of the month, based on the direction given by the Presidential Auto Task Force, to secure the support of the necessary stakeholders and reach a successful conclusion that the Administration and U.S. Treasury deems appropriate.”

We’re not sure how this will play out, but we have no doubt that Jeep will soldier on regardless!

Last we knew, the German Jeep Expedition from Paris to NY (the long way) had gotten slowed to halt by this year’s particularly ferocious Siberian Winter.  Now it looks like, by the time they reach it, they will be unable to cross the frozen Bering Straight between Russia and Alaska.  From Off-Road.com:

“Off-Road.com picked up the Paris-New York Expedition in late February when they had just reached Russia. We were anticipating that the team would be crossing into Alaska in early April. On paper it looked good, but as the days progressed and Mother Nature took her toll—the journey proved to be much more challenging than imagined. Our dreams to greet the team in Alaska soon slipped through the sands of time. Due to extreme snowstorms and numerous mechanical failures in Siberia, the team was delayed over one month. This decreased the chances of them crossing the frozen Bering Strait and the western coast of Alaska during winter. The team will now have to wait until fall/ winter 2009/2010 to pick up in Egvekinot, Russia where the team made its last stop.”

Hats off to Matthias Jeschke and the crew from Extrem Events for chasing down such a great adventure in an age where there isn’t much of that kind of thing left.  (Not to mention in a Jeep).   Good on ‘ya boys.

Click here to read the entire article and view some awesome pictures and video clips.

Just in from the Associated Press:

MILAN (AP) — Automaker Fiat Group SpA will walk away from a deal to take a 20-percent stake in Chrysler LLC if the U.S. automaker’s unions don’t agree to major cost cuts, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said in an interview published Wednesday.

Fiat and Chrysler are up against an April 30 deadline for Fiat to take a stake in the failing U.S. automaker in exchange for small car technology, but Chrysler first needs concessions from creditors and unions to ink the Fiat deal. If the Fiat alliance isn’t finalized by then, the U.S. government has threatened not to provide any more aid and let Chrysler be sold off in pieces.

“Absolutely we are prepared to walk. There is no doubt in my mind,” he said. “We cannot commit to this organization unless we see light at the end of the tunnel,” Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said in an interview published in the Toronto Globe and Mail.

A Fiat spokesman confirmed Marchionne’s statements. Marchionne was attending a shareholders meeting of the Swiss bank UBS in Zurich on Wednesday.

Marchionne said there is a 50 percent chance the deal will fail because of lack of progress in labor negotiations in both the United States and Canada.

Read the full article here.

The ever-knowledgeable and hooked up crew over at Jalopnik have access to some advance sketches and information on the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.

“The biggest news we’ve received is the high-po Jeep will receive the 6.4-liter 392 HEMI V8 with anywhere between 505-525 tire burning horsepower and roughly 510 ft-lbs of torque, all driven through a revised AWD system…

the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 will be a subtle beast with lowered, sportier suspension, beefy SRT 5-spoke wheels, larger diameter rotors with grippy multi-piston calipers, revised front and rear fascias, a functional cold air induction cowl hood and a larger spoiler out back. “

Click here to see the sketches.

It’s an interesting concept, but we’re unsure if they can pull it off under the current economic conditions.  Keep your fingers crossed!

For your Jeep Grand Cherokee Accessories needs, visit our website www.JeepWorld.com

Kimberly S. Johnson & Bree Fowler of the AP report:

“Auburn Hills-based Chrysler LLC sold 101,001 vehicles, marking its first month since September that it sold more than 100,000.

“Breaking the 100,000 number was really important to us,” said Chrysler Vice Chairman Jim Press. “We asked dealers to rally behind that.”

The Jeep Wrangler was one of the few Chrysler models that saw sales increase, by 16 percent. Chrysler said it applied more incentives to the Wrangler, but a new four-door model appeared to be driving sales.”

To read the entire article, click here.

In one of the ultimate tests for a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, German Adventurer Matthias Jeschke and his team are attempting to travel from Paris to New York  “the long way” (headed East).  The ToledoBlade.com is reporting that the expedition is down to only one Jeep which is now partially disabled while attempted to cross Siberia during a fiercer than “normal”  Winter.  Jeschke made history is 2007 by driving a Jeep Wrangler to a world record altitude of 21,837 on a volcano in Chili.  Jeschke is a true modern day Jeep adventurer.  Here’s to hoping that he and his team come out safely and are able to complete their quest.

To read the full article at the Toledo Blade click here.

This post is brought to you by JeepWorld.com, home of all your Jeep Wrangler Accessories needs.

We’ve been trying to keep you all informed as possible on the upcoming 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee.  Here’s another great tidbit from Autoweek.com.

“Anyway, what does catch our eye is the way the roofline takes a dive as it heads toward the back of the vehicle–a sign that the new Grand Cherokee will adopt a bit more of an aerodynamic look. The new Grand Cherokee rides on a new platform–shared with the Mercedes-Benz M class–that was developed with Daimler before the companies divorced last year.”

To see the Spy Pic for yourself, click here.

For all your Jeep Grand Cherokee Accessories needs, visit us online at: www.JeepWorld.com

Scott Burgess, the Auto Reviewer for The Detroit News recently gave the 2009 Jeep Patriot rave reviews stating that,“it puts the first draft to shame.”

It’s quite capable. My test vehicle, the high-end Limited, was powered on the 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine. It pounds out a respectable 172 horsepower and 165-pound-feet of torque. (That’s an upgrade over the base 158 horsepower, 141-pound-feet torque 2-liter engine.)

To read the full review, click here.

For all you Jeep Patriot Accessories needs, like floor mats, seat covers, or air deflectors come visit us on the web at www.JeepWorld.com, your online Jeep Accessories specialists.

Back in September 2008, Chrysler announced the developement of the Jeep Wrangler EV.  Auto123.com has recently reviewed the vehicle and brings us some further information on it.

“The five-passenger Wrangler Unlimited EV is powered by a 200 kW (268 hp) electric motor that sources its energy from advanced lithium-ion batteries. This combination delivers a 0-100 km/h time of about nine seconds and a reduced top speed of 145 km/h. More significantly however, the Wrangler Unlimited EV can run 64 km solely on electric power before continuing on for an estimated 580 km on a relatively small tank of gas.

Outside of the high-tech drivetrain, the Wrangler Unlimited EV has a basic chassis with solid front and rear axles. This Jeep has a go-anywhere feel to it with high 44.4 and 40.5 degree angles of approach and departure, respectively. Given high levels of torque from the electric motors (and adding in all-wheel-drive), this zero-emission-capable Jeep may be the best yet for being one with nature.”

The author also takes a moment to remind us that the transition from gasoline to electricity will not be a smooth one, but highlights the importance of heading in the right direction.

“From an energy standpoint, even if the Wrangler Unlimited EV became available tomorrow at your local dealership, it will still have its draw-backs; it will still use gasoline, and, if plugged in, may rely on non-renewable, unclean energy sources. Furthermore, the technology’s reliability and recyclability stand in question. Regardless, the ENVI products represent a major stepping stone towards where consumer motoring should be.”

Click here to read the entire article at Auto123.com.

]]> http://jeepworld.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/automakers-pile-on-incentives-to-fight-poor-sales/ Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:34:35 +0000 jeepworld http://jeepworld.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/automakers-pile-on-incentives-to-fight-poor-sales/

With the continuing recession, automakers are pulling out all the stops to clear out their inventories.  Chrysler in particular is now offering an average of $5,566 in incentives per new vehicle.

Read the full article at USA Today.com.

It also appears Chrysler is now leaning hard on it’s dealers to purchase more units even though the average Chrysler vehicle is now sitting on the lot for a whopping  130 days.  In the meantime, Chrysler’s overall sales dropped -54.8% during the January sales period.

]]> http://jeepworld.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/chinese-automakers-to-buy-chrysler-gm/ Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:24:08 +0000 jeepworld http://jeepworld.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/chinese-automakers-to-buy-chrysler-gm/

This one shocked even me this morning:

“Chinese carmakers SAIC and Dongfeng have plans to acquire GM and Chrysler, China’s 21st Century Business Herald reports. LINK A National Enquirer the paper is not. It is one of China’s leading business newspapers, with a daily readership over three million]. This newspaper cites a senior official of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology– the state regulator of China’s auto industry– who dropped the hint that “the auto manufacturing giants in China, such as Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) and Dongfeng Motor Corporation, have the capability and intention to buy some assets of the two crisis-plagued American automakers.” These hints are very often followed with quick action in the Middle Kingdom. The hints were dropped just a few days after the same Chinese government gave its auto makers the go-ahead to invest abroad. And why would they do that? “

Full Article Here from The Canadian National

After analyzing Chrysler’s viability plan, Car & Driver was able to extract a few juicey Jeep tidbits.  We now know of the plans for the 2010 Grand Cherokee, but they are now also speculating on a mini Jeep off-road vehicle.

“A-segment Jeep: This one is a bit of a surprise, but we believe Chrysler will make a mini off-roader based on the four-wheel-drive Fiat Panda Cross sold in Europe. Jeep fans should expect to see this little guy in 2011.”

There is currently no official word on this from Chrysler, so as for now we’ll just have to wait and see what the future holds.

Read the full article from Car & Driver here.

Fiat Panda Cross

Ford is fending for itself without a bailout from Washington, but GM and Chrysler have filed their restructuring proposals with the government in order to receive additional billions to keep them solvent. On Tuesday, GM received the final $4 billion on a $13.4 billion federal commitment. Chrysler, also getting $4 billion, has requested an additional $3 billion. The money is conditioned on GM and Chrysler coming up with comprehensive restructuring plans that will prove to the government that they have made “aggressive” progress since they pleaded with lawmakers last December for financial aid. Members of Congress told the company CEOs that everyone had to make sacrifices, including management, unions, suppliers, investors and bondholders.

Here’s a better idea: Let them die a slow death, with the emphasis on slow. Tell workers (management always seems to land on its feet) that they have a fixed amount of time to look for new jobs. Government will help them with training and education, but government cannot prop up companies that no longer make products people want to buy in large enough numbers for them to remain profitable.

There are many reasons the car companies are in trouble, all of which have been reported in the major media, but that is the past and it is way too late in the game to do much about guaranteed pensions and health care that ended up crippling GM, even after the company successfully negotiated with United Auto Workers members to decrease retirement benefits – which, honestly, is a little like quitting smoking after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

To read the rest of this opinion piece, click on this link to the Baltimore Sun.

A while back, Leftlanenews.com brought us the 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee Spy pics, now Car & Driver has the inside track on the new 2010 Grand Cherokee reveal:

If the rendering is to be believed, the next Grand Cherokee will sport a flatter face with Jeep’s seven-slat grille gaining wider chrome bars. The headlight clusters shrink to create a look that’s much more modern and aggressive than the old quad bug-eye design. The lower intake moves to the bottom of the smoother front fascia, further reducing the visual chunkiness of its predecessor. The squared-off fender flares of the old GC become more subtle, and smaller door handles add to a sleeker overall shape. The glass portion of the rear liftgate appears to be more upright.

The Jeep looks as if it will carry its newfound exterior refinement to the inside. A simple-looking gauge cluster and center stack will greet the driver. Wrap-around wood trim lines the dash and doors, and we expect higher-quality and softer materials to be found throughout the cabin. Given the three-row Commander’s impending demise, we wouldn’t be shocked if the new Cherokee were to grow to allow for an optional third row of seats.

For the full article click here.

Chrysler has announced today that they will be forming an alliance with Italian Automaker Fiat.  From the Chrysler Web Blog:

The alliance, to be a key element of Chrysler’s viability plan, would provide Chrysler with access to competitive, fuel-efficient vehicle platforms, powertrain, and components to be produced at Chrysler manufacturing sites. Fiat would also provide distribution capabilities in key growth markets, as well as substantial cost savings opportunities. In addition, Fiat would provide management services supporting Chrysler’s submission of a viability plan to the U.S. Treasury as required. Fiat has been very successful in executing its own restructuring over the past several years. The alliance would also allow Fiat Group and Chrysler to take advantage of each other’s distribution networks and to optimize fully their respective manufacturing footprint and global supplier base.

As a consideration for Fiat Group’s contribution to the alliance of strategic assets, to include: product and platform sharing, including city and compact segment vehicles, to expand Chrysler’s current product portfolio; technology sharing, including fuel efficient and environmentally friendly powertrain technologies; and access to additional markets, including distribution for Chrysler vehicles in markets outside of North America, Fiat would receive an initial 35 percent equity interest in Chrysler. The alliance does not contemplate that Fiat would make a cash investment in Chrysler or commit to funding Chrysler in the future.

35% is a pretty big chunk and this is only an “initial investment”.  We’ll see how this progresses from here.

More on the subject at MSNBC.com.

For more on Jeep, Jeep Parts, and Jeep Accessories click here.

Amid renewed rumors of Chrysler potentially shopping the Jeep Brand to Renault, Chrysler Vice Chairman and President Tom LaSorda has publicly denied any possible sale.

From the Chrysler Media Site:

Chrysler Vice Chairman and President Tom LaSorda on Wednesday strongly denied reports and rumors that the company is in discussions to sell its Jeep brand, any manufacturing plants or the tooling for an existing vehicle.

LaSorda also addressed rumors regarding deals with specific companies, such as Magna International Inc. or the automotive partners Nissan and Renault.

According to the Detroit Free Press, merger talks with GM are off.  Federal loans have them continuing operations, for now.

Chrysler LLC Chief Executive Officer Bob Nardelli said the automaker is not looking for a buyer or a merger partner, and the company is working on getting another $3 billion in loans from the federal government.

The additional loans would be part of the $7 billion that Chrysler told Congress it needs to keep itself in business through 2012.

When asked if the company is looking for an acquisition or a merger, Nardelli said, “We don’t think we need that. There are no merger discussions on the table.”…

…Nardelli stressed that the automaker is looking for alliances, similar to its deal with Volkswagen to build minivans for the German automaker and with Nissan to build a pickup. Nissan plans to build a small car for Chrysler.

“We’re looking for global partnerships where we share to win,” he said.

That’s despite skepticism throughout the industry that Chrysler needs a buyer or merger partner to make it through the year and ultimately to produce the lineup of electric-drive concepts the company featured at the North American International Auto Show on Sunday.

Read the article in it’s entirety here.