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Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Videos, Chrysler, Dodge, UAW/Unions
The 2013 Dodge Dart's trajectory towards dealer lots has officially begun. The first
Dart rolled of the line at Chrysler's
Belvidere Assembly yesterday, en route to a late June appearance at your local
Dodge showroom.
Belvidere's future was uncertain after the poor reception given its previous product line, the
Dodge Caliber and its
Jeep platform mates, the
Compass and
Patriot. The Dart launches with more promise than any product since the original
Neon, which began production at the Illinois plant in 1995.
While Belvidere has been open since 1965, it has had a long history of building inexpensive Mopar models since the Dodge Monaco and
Plymouth Fury went out of production in the late 1970s. Belvidere built Dodge Omnis and Plymouth Horizons through the 1980s, and the K-car-based
Chrysler New Yorker and Dodge Dynasty before retooling for the Neon.
Belvidere was also home to several of Chrysler's awesome budget performance models, the
Shelby GLHS, Neon ACR and Dodge
SRT4. Here's to hoping that it can soon add a hot-rodded Dart to that resume.
Scroll down to see video of the event and read the full press release.
Continue reading 2013 Dodge Dart production kicks off in Belvidere [w/video]
2013 Dodge Dart production kicks off in Belvidere [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 8th, 2012
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Although with each passing year automakers are finding new ways to stretch a maximum amount of life from each automotive redesign, there was once a time when a new model year likely meant a new car—at least for the companies that could afford it.
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May 5th, 2012
Although with each passing year automakers are finding new ways to stretch a maximum amount of life from each automotive redesign, there was once a time when a new model year likely meant a new car—at least for the companies that could afford it.
More »
May 5th, 2012
Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Celebrities, Specialty
Long before
Jay Leno became an international celebrity, he was spinning wrenches at a local car dealership. While there, he crossed paths with Paul Annunziata, a brilliant mechanic with a penchant for
Mopar muscle. While Leno was busy doing stand-up comedy and working his way toward network television, Annunziata was doing something
really interesting: building a street-legal pro-stock drag car out of a
1975 Duster. After winning $10,000 in the lottery, he started with a body-in-white chassis before snapping up a 426 Hemi V8 from a
Super Bee. Not satisfied with wedging an impossibly huge engine into the confines of the Duster's engine bay, Annunziata bolted on a massive Roots blower.
The rear of the body had to be tubbed to keep the tires under the factory sheetmetal, and the Duster also underwent extensive engine bay modification to house its new powerplant. Even so, everything on the machine is fully functional as it would have been from the factory.
Unfortunately, Annunziata was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Rather than sell his pride and joy, he offered it to Leno for free under the stipulation that he never sell the machine. Leno agreed, but only if he could actually pay Annunziata for his creation. The two compromised by setting up a scholarship for those who are interested in pursuing a four-year degree in auto mechanics or restoration. We call that a win on every front.
Scroll down to see Leno take the 1,000 horsepower Duster out for a run.
Continue reading Jay Leno has a very tender moment with a decidedly tough 1975 Plymouth Duster
Jay Leno has a very tender moment with a decidedly tough 1975 Plymouth Duster originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 May 2012 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 3rd, 2012
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Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Performance, Auctions, Etc., Dodge
Ever wish your 1971 Plymouth
Barracuda had just a wee bit more power and the ability to negotiate curves? Got an extra $180,000 laying around? That's what this
Vipercuda will cost you on eBay.
Don't think it's just an expensive engine transplant, though. Beneath that 40-year-old, long hood, short deck 'Cuda body is all snake. The
Viper's 450-hp engine, 18-inch front, 19-inch rear wheels, suspension and even the two-seat interior were modified, customized and rearrangeified to attractively fit into what was a four-seat '70s muscle car.
The transmission is a six-speed manual Tremec mated to a heavy duty 3.07 rear. Exhaust is a custom setup with dual pipes, glasspacks and resonators exiting the rear instead of the side. Dual Aldan coilovers assist the stock Viper suspension.
The hood is electrically operated to open and tilt forward for easy viewing of that massive V10. Topping off the package are the tastefully-done, flat black snakes on the rear quarter panels. It's an impressive build, to be sure, but is it worth its asking price?
eBay Find of the Day: ViperCuda combines classic muscle car with modern V10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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April 12th, 2012
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Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Chrysler
If there's one thing we've learned from the
Barrett-Jackson hype machine, it's that if you want to sell an old car for ungodly sums of money, it helps to
have a good yarn to tell about it. Which is why we're somewhat shocked to see this
Superbird fail to attract enough interest from bidders at the Atlantic City Classic Car Auction this past weekend.
The 1970
Plymouth Superbird you see above was formerly the property of the
Environmental Protection Agency, which used it in some seminal air pollution tests, racing the car down a runway against a jet to measure emissions. The story is a fascinating piece of history, in that this particular Superbird was a product of
NASCAR legend Ray Nichels, the chief race car builder for
Chrysler during the company's prolific late 1960's period.
Yet that wasn't enough to push bidding past $175,000, so the car will go home to its current owner, Brian Chaffee of E-Muscle in Middlefield, CT. Chaffee spent three and a half years restoring the unique muscle car after acquiring it in 2006, missing the tail end of the historic run-up in muscle car prices in the process.
While the collector market has corrected itself during the past few years of economic uncertainty, the
Hagerty Price Guide still lists #1 condition '70 Superbirds packing 440 power as $182,000 cars. So the top bid in Atlantic City was a few thousand light even for a car without such provenance.
EPA's classic 1970 Plymouth Superbird a no-sale in Atlantic City auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Mar 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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March 3rd, 2012
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