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Chrysler Temporarily Closing 4 Plants

DETROIT -- Chrysler LLC plans temporarily to close four assembly plants and to shut down one shift at another due to the bankruptcy filing of one of its plastic parts suppliers, the automaker said Monday, according to the Associated Press.

About 10,500 Chrysler employees will be affected by the plant closures and shift shutdown, spokesman Kevin Frazier said.

Chrysler said the plants are in Sterling Heights; Newark, Del.; Toledo, Ohio, and the Belvidere plant in Rockford, Ill.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 4:18 PM to Chrysler | Permalink | Comments 0

The Morgan Plus 8 is a classic

In the contemporary landscape of architecture, someone like Richard Sammons doesn’t get lionized by the fledgling and impressionable (and constantly blogging) designerati. That might be because his firm, Fairfax & Sammons, which he owns with his wife, Anne Fairfax, specializes in traditional architecture.

So it doesn’t require a giant leap of the imagination to see how Mr. Sammons could be taken by the classic allure of a Morgan Plus 8, according to The New York Times.

Although he bought his car new in 2003, the elegant little roadster looks like something one would have found bumbling across the British lowlands 60 years ago, perhaps with a picnic basket in the trunk.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:27 PM to Collecting | Permalink | Comments 0

Chicago auto show: Trucks, trucks and more trucks

The Chicago auto show has a reputation as a truck show, and it won't give much ground on that this year. General Motors, especially, is rolling out an intriguing array of trucks not seen at the Detroit show last month — or anywhere else, according to USA Today.

Other automakers have a variety of models top show, including sleek coupes and updated sedans. Dodge is unveiling the production version of the Challenger at the show.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:16 PM to GM , Shows | Permalink | Comments 0

Automakers Take Shine to Dull Finishes

DETROIT -- You can get a matte finish on your photos or your cell phone, so why not on your car? Dull was the new shiny at last month's North American Auto Show in Detroit, where at least eight cars from General Motors Corp., Volkswagen AG's Lamborghini and Audi divisions, and others sported a gleam-free matte finish, according to the Associated Press.

Matte finish has been appearing on show cars for several years, usually as an accent color to highlight a specific feature such as fender flares. But the all-over matte finish, a trend that began with customizers, is going mainstream. Karen Surcina, color technology and marketing manager of Dupont Automotive, said buyers should expect to see matte finishes on specialty or limited-run vehicles in the next two or three years.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:09 PM to Design | Permalink | Comments 0

GM Unveils Hybrid Pickups

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. will introduce a new hybrid full-size pickup and a concept hybrid truck this week at the Chicago Auto Show, betting that pickup drivers have been itching to jump on the hybrid bandwagon, according to the Associated Press.

GM says the 2009 GMC Sierra hybrid gets a 25 percent improvement in fuel economy without compromising performance, while its GMC Denali XT concept - a low-slung, muscular utility vehicle - gets 50 percent better fuel economy than a comparable small pickup.

The Sierra is the next large GM vehicle to get the company's new two-mode hybrid system, which has also been introduced on the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon sport utility vehicles and the Chevrolet Silverado pickup. The SUVs are expected to go on sale early this year, while the Silverado and Sierra are scheduled to hit the market at the end of 2008.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:51 AM to Alternative fuels , GM | Permalink | Comments 0