Chrysler Will Shut Down for 2 Weeks

(NEWSER) - The Obama administration foisted the Fiat alliance on Chrysler, brushing aside its concerns about Fiat’s financial health and unwillingness to share technology, the Wall Street Journal reports. E-mails filed during Chrysler’s bankruptcy proceedings show Fiat ignoring requests for documents, reluctant to ante up funds, and attempting to change contract terms late in the talks. Chrysler officials worried that they, and the government, might find themselves “in bed with a shady partner.” More»

Company hopes to help sales

(NEWSER) - In an effort to boost sales, bankrupt Chrysler is planning to send $1,000 coupons to all its current customers, the Wall Street Journal reports. The certificates, good toward the purchase of any new Chrysler vehicle, will be mailed in the next month or so with a letter from CEO Robert Nardelli. The company will distribute more than 9 million certificates. More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama said today that Chrysler’s impending bankruptcy is “not a sign of weakness but one more step” towards recovery, the Washington Post reports. The 1-to-2 month “surgical” bankruptcy—a time frame met with skepticism by experts—will give the automaker a “new lease on life,” Obama said. The president claimed that the filing and a partnership with Fiat would save “tens of thousands” of jobs. More»

(NEWSER) - The 1970s was "a decade of excess mediocrity in so many quarters it's hard to catalog it all," Tony Borroz writes in Wired. But you can start with the cars. Here follow five total flops.

• Ford Mustang Cobra II: "An over-glorified Pinto" that made a "mockery of the venerable Cobra name" and the car "that launched the pony car revolution."
• Mercury Bobcat: Basically a Pinto, but "by porking up the platform by that much, Mercury succeeded at making a bad car even worse."

Ford, Chrysler vehicles face off against three foreign competitors

(NEWSER) - Three Detroit-made vehicles are among six finalists for the 2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards, the Detroit News reports. The Ford Flex will compete with the Hyundai Genesis and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI for the year's best car, while the redesigned Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram pickups are up against the Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTEC SUV for best truck. The competitors were picked by a panel of US and Canadian automotive journalists. More»