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Question of the Day: Most heinous act of badge engineering?

Badge engineering, in which one company slaps its emblems on another company's product and sells it, has a long history in the automotive industry. When Sears wanted to sell cars, a deal was made with Kaiser-Frazer and the Sears Allstate was born. Iranians wanted new cars in the 1960s, and the Rootes Group was happy to offer Hillman Hunters for sale as Iran Khodro Paykans. Sometimes, though, certain badge-engineered vehicles made sense only in the 26th hour of negotiations between companies. The Suzuki Equator, say, which was a puzzling rebadge job of the Nissan Frontier. How did that happen? My personal favorite what-the-heck-were-they-thinking example of badge engineering is the 1971-1973 Plymouth Cricket. Chrysler Europe, through its ownership of the Rootes Group, was able to ship over Hillman Avanger subcompacts for sale in the US market. This would have made sense... if Chrysler hadn't already been selling rebadged Mitsubishi Colt Galants (as Dodge Colts) and Simca 1100s as (Simca 1204s) in its American showrooms. Few bought the Cricket, despite its cheery ad campaign. So, what's the badge-engineered car you find most confounding? Chrysler Dodge Automakers Mitsubishi Nissan Suzuki Automotive History question of the day badge engineering question

eBay Find of the Day: 1979 Chrysler ETV-1 electric car prototype

Electric cars may be reaching their time in the sun with successes like the Tesla Model S, but the basic concept goes back to practically beginning of motoring. EVs also saw a brief renaissance in the 1970s when automakers were trying find a way around rising fuel prices. This 1979 Chrysler ETV-1 concept for sale on eBay Motors is a great example from that era.
Built in 1979, designers hoped the ETV-1 would preview what an electric car would look like in 1985. The base price was slated to start at $6,400, or the rough equivalent of $20,536, which seems like an optimistic price. General Electric created the ETV-1's powertrain, and Chrysler was in charge of styling. At the time, the Department of Energy called it "the first advanced four-passenger subcompact experimental electric car."
While it seems ancient compared to today's EVs, the ETV-1 featured regenerative braking and a computer-controlled electric motor. Chrysler reported a 100-mile range at 45 miles per hour with two passengers in the car. The range fell to 75 miles with four passengers. Acceleration was not brisk with Chrysler claiming the run to 30 mph in 9 seconds. Power was stored in 18 lead-acid batteries, and a full charge took 10 hours from a home outlet.

26k Chrysler 200 models recalled over parking woes

Chrysler is recalling nearly 26,000 of its 2015 200 sedans after customers reported that cars aren't shifting into park. Only vehicles equipped with the 3.6-liter V6 are affected by the recall, which includes both front-drive and all-wheel-drive models (which could represent as much as 20 percent of the recalled vehicles). The roughly 26,000 vehicles were built between March 17, 2014 and September 20, 2014. As for where those vehicles can be found, 22,107 were sold in the United States. The remaining vehicles went to Canada and Mexico, with 3,600 in the former and 213 in the latter. Chrysler is blaming the recall on "inconsistent assembly procedures" at a supplier's factory, and will replace the transmissions of any vehicles affected by the defect. Owners of V6-powered 200s are being told to use their parking brake in addition to shifting into park. Although five incidents have been reported, FCA isn't aware of any injuries or accidents. Scroll down for the brief press release. Statement: Park Engagement February 26, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is launching a recall of certain model-year 2015 cars to resolve manufacturing issues that may prevent the vehicles from shifting into park. Inconsistent assembly procedures at a supplier's plant have been linked to five reports involving customers who could not shift their vehicles into park. Without park, a vehicle may be subject to inadvertent movement. FCA US is unaware of any related injuries or accidents. The campaign is limited to the Chrysler 200 equipped with a V-6 engine. There are an estimated 22,107 in the U.S.; 3,600 in Canada and 213 in Mexico. Customers will be advised when they may schedule service. FCA US dealers will inspect and, if required, replace transmissions at no charge. In the interim, customers who own models with V-6 engines are advised to activate the vehicle's parking brake before shutting off its engine, because the shifter may incorrectly indicate park is engaged. Customers with additional concerns may call 1-800-853-1403. Related Video: