1976 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham on 2040-cars

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The current state of Chrysler: 10 questions with CEO Chris Fuell

In case you missed it, Chrysler is still a happening item. The V8-powered 300C was a hit when it was revealed last year, selling out in mere hours. The Pacifica minivan is a rocking family bus, and there are some concepts floating around, too. That said, it’s been a minute since we sat down with Chrysler to see whatÂ’s new.  CEO Christine Fuell — known as Chris — has been on the job since 2021. To get a sense of where she thinks the company is now and where itÂ’s headed, we sat down with Fuell at last week's Chicago Auto Show for a one-on-one chat. From jokes about a Pacifica Hellcat to where Chrysler stands on controversial post-purchase subscription services, we take a look at what Fuell and Chrysler are up to. Read on below for the Q&A. Autoblog: WhatÂ’s the future for the Pacifica name plate? Fuell: Pacifica's the hero of the brand, and as we look toward the future, we want to make sure that Chrysler is known not just as a minivan brand, but a brand that makes minivans. We created the segment nearly 40 years ago. Autoblog: Is more electrification a path that you see for a minivan in the future? Fuell: It certainly is a natural progression Â… migrating to full electrification in the minivan is just kind of the natural next step. We made a commitment to fully electrify the portfolio by 2028, and so, every new product that we launch between now and then will be exclusively a battery electric propulsion system. Autoblog: Everybody likes to joke about the Pacifica Hellcat, but with electrification Â… ? Fuell: You can put some interesting tuning experiences in a minivan. Not saying that we would, but itÂ’s possible. Autoblog: Concerning the Chrysler 300C that sold out instantly, does it give you any pause in that journey to electric in seeing how rabid people are about this really cool V8 sedan? Fuell: In terms of the popularity of a V8, when you're going down this path of clean mobility, it can create a bit of a dichotomy in terms of what the brand really stands for. But at the end of the day, the 300 was a very important product to the brand when it launched in 2005. It set a tremendous trend for not only design but attracted a lot of new customers to the brand that we hadn't seen before and, so we wanted to send it off in a real respectful celebration.

This 1958 Chrysler Imperial Ultra 7 Pointer 1 is Japan's Batmobile

It might be sacrilegious to admit among some auto enthusiasts, but there's more to driving than performance and speed. Sometimes it can be a matter of love, as it is for Yasushi Shiroi, who has spent the last 21 years building a faithful replica of a car from a '60s Japanese sci-fi show.
Shiroi's car is the star of the latest video from The Aficionauto and it's truly a labor of love. This machine, which is sort of like a Japanese Batmobile, is based on a 1958 Chrysler Imperial and is designed to recreate a car called the Pointer 1 from the series Ultra 7. The latter was apparently hugely popular when it ran in Japan in 1967 and 1968, and told the story a seven-member team that fought off aliens attacking Earth. While the car in the series never actually ran, Shiroi wanted one that would.
The Pointer 1 has been in constant development since Shiroi has owned it. All of the body modifications have been done in steel, but mechanically, it remains something of a mess. This replica might be slow - and to many people, ugly - but it has brought its owner about as much happiness as a car can, and that's something worth celebrating. Scroll down to check it out.

Fiat Chrysler's Q3 profit boosted by strong North American earnings

MILAN, Italy — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) reported a 17 percent jump in third-quarter adjusted operating profit on Tuesday, helped by a strong performance in its key North American market and improving operations in Europe and Latin America. The world's seventh-largest carmaker still makes the lion's share of its profits in North America, so improving, or at least maintaining, its margins there is a key focus. The carmaker reported an 8 percent adjusted operating profit margin in the region, up from 7.6 percent a year ago, despite a drop in sales and shipments. "FCA's profitability in North America remained strong in the quarter despite a weakening market there," a Milan-based analyst said. FCA's profitability compares with an 8.3 percent North America margin reached in the quarter by bigger U.S. rival GM , showing CEO Sergio Marchionne making progress towards his goal of closing the margin gap with GM and the company's other U.S. rival, Ford, by 2018. The company's confirmation of its full-year outlook also pushed shares higher, a trader added. The stock was up 2.8 percent by 1129 GMT, outperforming a 1 percent rise in the European auto index. FCA has been retooling some U.S. factories to boost output of sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) and trucks while ending production of some unprofitable sedans to strengthen profitability as the U.S. car market comes off its peak. The company said a drop in North America shipments due to lower fleet sales and discontinued models was partially offset by higher deliveries of Ram trucks and two models from the Alfa Romeo stable: the Stelvio sport utility vehicle and Giulia sedan. Profitability also improved in Europe, helped by sales of the Stelvio and the new Jeep Compass, and Latin America, while margins at Maserati remained strong at 13.8 percent due to strong demand for its first SUV, the Levante. In a later conference call, investors are looking for hints on the new strategy to 2022 which the company promised to unveil early next year. Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said earlier this year that FCA would streamline its portfolio and that components businesses, including Magneti Marelli, would be separated from the group, possibly via a spin-off. While FCA confirmed its targets this year, doubts remain about its exposure to a weakening U.S. market, recall costs and potential fines over emissions after it was targeted by European and U.S.