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Ron Burgundy calls Durango a 'terrible car,' yet his ads help sales climb by 59% [w/videos]

Ron Burgundy was put on this planet to do one thing: to read the news. If that ever falls through, though, the womanizing, scotch-drinking anchorman could have a great career just as a Dodge salesman. Bloomberg points out that sales of the 2014 Dodge Durango have rocketed up 59 percent in the first month of Chrysler's funny new ad campaign (which began in early October). But then again, the entire year has been strong for the big SUV, with year-over-year sales increases in the double and even triple digit percentages - including an increase of 117 percent in August.
Of course, the Durango has also received a wealth of new content and a freshened look for 2014 in addition to the Burgundy campaign, and that has to be helping close sales, too. Whether or not the spots themselves are leading to more sales may be a moot point, since they are definitely getting plenty of attention. Almost two months into the marketing tie-up between Dodge and the movie Anchorman 2, Dodge's YouTube videos have received well over seven million views. More than just YouTube shorts and television commercials, the Durango has even received late-night attention, including when Will Ferrell showed up in character as Ron Burgundy on Conan earlier this week.
In the interview, he calls the Durango a "terrible car" that "cracked in half," a joke that probably had Dodge ad execs squirming uncomfortably in their Barcaloungers. Scroll down to watch the Conan interview as well as some of our favorite Burgundy-pitched Durango ads. And there's still plenty of time to "touch" Ron to win a new Durango.

Dodge Hellcats getting price hike

Dodge plans twice as many Hellcats on the road for the 2016 model year, they are going to be a bit more expensive when buyers sign on the dotted line. According to CarsDirect and confirmed to Autoblog by Dodge, 2016 Challenger SRT Hellcat costs $65,190, an increase of $4,200 over 2015. That figure includes $995 for destination and $1,700 for the Gas Guzzler charge. The latest Charger SRT Hellcat retails for $68,640, a $3,650 increase. Other SRT trims of the muscle cars also see a price hike. The 2016 Challenger SRT 392 is $51,190, after destination and a $1,000 guzzler charger – a $3,500 increase. The Charger SRT 392 also jumps $3,000, to $51,990. Even at 2015's prices, Dodge was having problems keeping up with demand for the Hellcat, and the higher price isn't likely to change that. And before you think the company is going plum crazy, the 2016 models of all four muscle cars come standard with Laguna leather seats and navigation. According to company spokesperson Dan Reid to Autoblog, both items had a "very high customer take rate," and the previously optional features are valued at $2,490. Dodge previously announced a discount for those who had a sold 2015 Hellcat order canceled in the switch to 2016. Those amount to $5,000 on the Challenger and $4,000 Charger, which seems like a sweet deal for those customers. Related Video:

Marchionne may stay with FCA until 2020

We might get to see Sergio Marchionne and his vast array of sweaters in the auto industry for even longer than expected. The FCA CEO suggested last year that he would retire from the automaker when its current five-year plan was complete in 2018. Now, he has tentatively extended that point out to at least 2020. "I can do this for another five years if you push me, right? Beyond that, I ain't gonna do it, and I don't want to," he said to Automotive News. That would give Marchionne a 16-year career at the top from joining Fiat in 2004 to possibly leaving FCA in 2020. Although, take the CEO's statement with a grain of salt because he has made multiple statements about the timing for his retirement. In 2012, Marchionne said he would only remain in charge until 2015, which is, well, now. Those five years might also go quite quickly because Marchionne is a busy guy with the Ferrari IPO, the attempted merger with General Motors, implementing FCA's five-year plan, and many other projects. He's already considering the next CEO, though. "My purpose in life is to find the Kuniskises of the world, the Manleys, the Biglands, the Palmers," Marchionne said to Automotive News, referencing the heads at Dodge, Jeep, FCA North America, and the company's chief financial officer, respectively. "I told them, 'One of you is going to do what I do one day. I don't know who that is, but one of you is going to do it.'" News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Paul Sancya / AP Photo Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep Sergio Marchionne FCA fca us Mike Manley reid bigland tim kuniskis