"CHRYSLER Exits Road To Ruin & Returns To Thunder Road"

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"CHRYSLER EXITS ROAD TO RUIN & RETURNS TO THUNDER ROAD "

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The past always moves forward while looking back..

After reading the November 26, 2007 Issue of Forbe's Magazine titled "Chrysler's Last Stand" I recalled there was a time when America built the best cars. The era of the Muscle Cars such the Dodge Charger and Challenger were part of that category. 

Everybody has a car story to tell. The automobile is a part of American Culture. At the 1964 New York World's Fair Ford Motor Co. unveiled its new "Mustang" model. Jack Kerouwac's 1960's "On The Road" attitude was one of movement. If you ever watched such film's as "American Graffiti" or "The Hollywood Knights" you would know what I meant.

The relationship between Man and Machine goes further than that. The Post-World War II American Dream was alive with prosperity and productivity and what made it unique was the American Automobile Industry. Men such as Robert Moses first added to the mix by designing bridges, tunnels, and parkways in and around NYC and it's environs during the 20th century to accommodate America's affair with the automobile.

In the past Detroit fell to the British and Indian forces during the War of 1812 on August 16.

Today there is much talk that it is too little, too late for the Amercian Automoblie Industry to be saved. In my opinion the American Automobile Industry has always been challenged whether it was by Ralph Nader's 1965 book "Unsafe At Any Speed" or the 1971 Emissions Laws or the 1973 Oil Crisis the American Auto has always met it's challenges head on.

So much emphasis has been placed on the foreign auto maker that many Americans as well as foreigners have avoided the US car market. That is unfortunate for them. It they knew any better they would know that the opposite situation exists today.

The recent resurrection of  the Ford "Shelby" Mustang might lead one to believe that the cavalry has finally arrived unfortunately  the return of the Shelby has brought back to life the problematic Carroll Shelby himself. Mr. Shelby is no Junior Johnson. This recently described snake oil salesman who at the age of 85 has overstayed his welcome on planet earth. Besides severing his ties with Unique Performance, the bankrupt builder of the continued Shelby Mustang this old geezer has made the future of the Mustang just as dismal as the wild horses it was so-named after which once roamed the badlands and prairies of America. If Ford wants to do something right perhaps they should bring back a car everyone can AF-FORD like the 1912 Model-T accurately priced at $1,250.  Chevy on the other hand has released the fastest Corvette ever! The new ZR1 known as "America's Ferrari Killer" cruises at the 200 mph level. Even Cadilac has released the CTS-V at 550 horsepower canceling out the BMW M5. Yes, BMW, short for "Bavarian Motor Works" but known as the "Bob Marley Wagon" in Jamaica.  BMW, a car so over-rated and over-priced one would have to be totally stoned out of their minds to even suggest purchasing it. 

Aston Martin, the English company's new design studio in Gaydon England displayed a V-12 Vantage RS concept. A Vantage two seater equipped with a 550 hp engine. The name V-12 reminds me of the V-1 and V-2 rockets Germany launched against London during World War II. London, the capital of England, a european country which always involves America in some type of war and then makes it look like they are doing us a favor. Aston Martin finally did do us a favor by skipping the Detroit Auto Show this year.

THE RETURN OF THE BEAST

Chrysler has recently acted by soon releasing a new version of the Dodge Challenger, A Beast!  Some recall the film "The Vanishing Point" where It took a pair of bulldozers to stop Kowalski's 1970  Challenger.

ENTER THE JAPANESE

The Japanese flag, "The  hinomaru"-the rising sun, which was banned during the American occupation after World War II was voted upon by the Japanese upper house of Parliament to designate it as a legal symbol of the nation.

SPEED RACER IS A CARTOON

Japan has recently released it's fastest production vehicle The NISSON GT-R for around $70,000.  The Dodge Challenger will give you about the same amount of horsepower for less money.  And unlike certain Japanese companies like Mitsubishi who built the A6M Zero, a Japanese Fighter Plane which attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, The Challenger is an American Machine. 

What about a Mercedes Benz... What about it?  Hitler rode around in a Mercedes-Benz 770-K.

THE ALAMO FALLS AGAIN

How about another German car company. How about Volkswagen. Yes, Volkswagen. A nazi concept to build a "Wagon of the People", The Beetle or Bug, a German car built in Mexico. 

Does it come with a Zimmerman Telegraph? 

No, that was World War I.

IS IT A HEMI OR A 440 MAGNUM?

Unfortunately today the Dodge Charger by Chrysler is an insulting family four-door sedan disappointing many fans of the previous two-door Chargers. It is built on foreign territory at the Brampton Assembly Plant in Canada.

In October 2007, a new B-Body Charger based off the 1970 models was shown in a Mopar magazine. What this means yet, I just don't know. What I do know is that multiple law enforcement agencies to include New York's "Finest" have been stocking up on the four-door Dodge Charger for it's street fleet thus the purchasing power of the four door vehicle will presently hinder it's return to the original two door model for now. It's economics and sometimes we have to substitute. It is still one of the fastest most amazing four door vehicles at a bargain price. But don't you die-hard fans give up yet. When this mushroom cloud clears we could see the creation of  a Dodge Charger which would probably be illegal in 49 states.

There are many excuses and stories for one to speak of as far as the American Auto Industry is concerned but that's not what this is about. It's about driving a car. I don't worry about Mitt Romney no longer running for president. I don't worry about the U.S. President's new bill to curb the American Automobile Industry in a backwards direction now that things are starting to finally happen. Presidents come and go. OPEC Cartel Highwaymen can attempt to frighten away the Americans. That doesn't worry me. They can keep the Porsche and Rolls. The Dodge Challenger will eat them for breakfast. Sure it is nice to protect the environment but I will never purchase a car built in China and why should the US be the only country punishing it's citizens over environmental issues. Nature will decide when man has over stayed his welcome on planet earth not man nor governments.

THE PAST IS BETTER THAN THE FUTURE

One thing that should never be over-looked at Chrysler is that it builds "THE VIPER".  

The most powerful production car available is the Saleen S7 Twin Turbo priced at $598,950 with 775 Horsepower but the HENNESSEY VENOM 1000 TWIN TURBO "VIPER" beat it out at 1033 Horsepower and is the least priced at $190,445.

The "VIPER" also beat out the Heffner Lamborghini Gallardo 850TT 881 Horsepower $239,400, and the Lingenfelter Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Twin Turbo 1109 Horsepower $288,540.  The Viper was 2nd only to the Heffner Ford GT1000TT 1098 Horsepower $212,645 Unfortunately the $120,000 factory production version of the Ford GT will be laid to rest this year. Thus eliminating the factor which would have motivated Chrysler to finally create the ultimate Speed Demon "Boys Will Be Boys" Phantom X Vehicle. Herb Herbig, the creator of the original Viper and director of Chrysler's Street and Racing Technology would have seen to that.   

"THE RETURN OF THE HERO"  

"THEY SENT OUT THEIR BEST TO MEET HIM.  HE WENT OUT TO FACE THEM ALONE"

As far as I can tell Chrysler has weaved off the Road To Ruin.

There is no more room at the top.

Jim Press the upper echelon Vice-Chairman/President of Chrysler has returned to the USA to save this American Institution. Press left his position at the top of the Toyota/Lexus World where he spent 37 years. Toyota today ranks No. 2 in the automobile industry. There is no "Last Stand" at Chrysler as of yet. This isn't Little Big Horn and Jim Press is no General Custer.

Chrysler is prepared to face it's competitors foreign or domestic. They are not the only car company facing financial problems.

The past is returning to the future..

The Cars are arriving faster, better, safer, then before.

America is always waiting down the road....

It's up to you to start looking in your rear view mirror again.

It's important to remember the past. It usually leads to the future.

[Since this article was written The legendary Viper is now in danger.

The product planners/car enthusiasts at Dodge don't seem to want to live in a world without Vipers, so they have held back on officially announcing the vehicle's cancellation. Dodge has halted production of the Viper, and publicly attempted to sell the design rights to other automakers and parts suppliers who don't build whole cars. They're ridding themselves of the car without taking blame for killing it outright. The writing is on the wall for the Viper even though recently on the world's most demanding test track within the mountains outside Nürburg Germany known as the Nürburgring, a 12.9-mile circuit the lap, the record is held by a 2009 Viper ACR, which bested cars that cost five times as much.

Other updated news is that the Italian automaker Fiat plans to secure a sizable stake in Chrysler.

As for the Dodge Charger there is an All-Wheel Drive available for 2009!]