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FCA names Mike Manley head of Ram brand

Sergio Marchionne seems to revel in shifting the numerous portfolios of the senior executives who work under him. Case in point: the latest round of hat-swapping announced by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Several appointments have been made at the top levels of the group, chief among them a new head of the Ram truck brand. That role will now fall to Mike Manley, who will also retain his responsibilities for the Jeep brand and as COO for the Asia-Pacific region. With his hands busy enough as it is, we'd imagine that much of the day-to-day will fall to Robert Hegbloom. He had Manley's new job until now – but will still remain head of the Ram brand for North America, where the bulk of its business is conducted. Along with the shift in leadership for the Ram brand, FCA also named Reid Bigland as head of fleet operations for North America. Bigland is also responsible for sales in the same region, and for the Alfa Romeo brand here as well. The company also named Tim Kuniskis to the Group Executive Council, charged with overseeing all the passenger-car brands in North America – including Dodge, Chrysler, and Fiat. While it was at it, FCA also named Al Gardner as head of network development for North America, and Jason Stoicevich as Bigland's deputy for US fleet and small-business sales. All these appointments take effect immediately. FCA US ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP CHANGES October 5, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US today announced several leadership team moves in support of changes at the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) Group Executive Council (GEC) level. The moves were made to ensure proper representation of all of FCA's major brands on the GEC, the highest management level decision making body within the FCA organization. Earlier today, the following moves were announced at the GEC level. - Mike Manley is appointed Head of Ram Brand. Manley will retain his current GEC responsibilities as APAC Chief Operating Officer and Head of Jeep Brand. - Reid Bigland is appointed Head of NAFTA Fleet. Bigland will continue his current GEC responsibility for NAFTA Sales & Alfa Romeo. - Timothy Kuniskis becomes a member of the GEC and assumes responsibility for NAFTA Passenger Car Brands, consisting of Dodge and SRT, Chrysler and FIAT. In addition, the following appointments were made to the North American leadership team. - Robert Hegbloom continues as Head of Ram Brand for North America, now reporting to Manley.

Auto journo learns hard way that new vehicles burn differently than old ones

Terry Box, a writer for the Dallas Morning News, was tootling down the Dallas North Tollway in a Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn pickup after work and enjoying the ride. Box thought the $53,335, option-filled press loaner had been "flawless - very serious competition for anything built by Ford or Chevy." And then, for reasons that still aren't clear, something in the engine compartment caught fire and the Ram cremated itself on the shoulder of an off-ramp.
Box tells the story and it isn't an indictment of the truck, but a cautionary tale about how new vehicles don't burn like the old ones did - and why not to go back for your gym bag. It could also be a kind reminder about what kind of safety gear everyone should keep in their cars. Click the link to read the whole piece.

Chrysler's Woodward Dream Cruise festivities include Ram concept truck debut

The streets will be crowded next weekend along Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak, Michigan for the 19th Annual Woodward Dream Cruise. As part of the run-up to the festivities, Chrysler has announced that all of its brands - Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat, SRT and Mopar - will bring along their latest vehicles. Also included will be a collection of classic American cars and various activities for attendees at the official Chrysler location on the corner of Woodward and 13 Mile Road.
Special to this year, Ram brand director Bob Hegbloom and head of design John Dehner will unveil a Ram concept truck on Saturday. Chrysler will also bring Ryan Friedlinghaus of West Coast Customs fame along to show off a few custom Chrysler-made vehicles of his own. Fans of the brand on Facebook will get the chance to virtually customize a vehicle from the automaker's portfolio, with the winner getting their dream car built for them by Chrysler. Pretty cool stuff, no?
As in past years, Ford and General Motors will have an official presence at the event as well, and you can expect to see plenty of cars of all makes and models from all parts of the globe. The madness starts this Friday, August 16, from 4:30 PM to 10 PM, with the main event taking place on Saturday, from 9 AM to 9 PM. For more details on the show, including events and their times, check out the press release below.