2007 Dodge Nitro Slt Sport Utility 4-door 3.7l 4x4 on 2040-cars

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China's Geely says it has no plan to buy Fiat Chrysler — as FCA stock leaps

HONG KONG — Chinese carmaker Geely Automobile denied media speculation on Wednesday that it planned to make a takeover bid for Fiat Chryslerk Automobiles (FCA), the world's seventh-largest automaker. Geely was one of several Chinese carmakers cited in by Automotive News, which said representatives of "a well-known Chinese automaker" had made an offer this month for FCA, which has a market value of almost $20 billion. "We don't have such a plan at the moment," Geely executive director Gui Shengyue told reporters at an earnings briefing, when asked if Geely was interested in Fiat. He said a foreign acquisition would be complicated, but he did not elaborate. "But for other (Chinese) brands, it could be a fast track for their development," Gui added. However, a source close to the matter said FCA and Geely Automobile's parent firm, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, had held initial talks late last year, without disclosing their nature. The source confirmed Geely was no longer interested in FCA, noting that the parent company had only three months ago announced its first push into Southeast Asia with the purchase of 49.9 percent of struggling Malaysian carmaker Proton, a deal that also included a stake in Lotus. Geel's denial failed to dent FCA's stock. The price of its Milan-based shares has jumped more than 10 percent to a 19-year high since Automotive News first reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources, that FCA had rejected the Chinese offer as too low. FCA stock on the New York Stock Exchange rose sharply on Monday from $11.60 to $12.38 and on Wednesday was trading at $12.84. FCA declined to comment on Wednesday. FCA Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne has repeatedly called for mergers as a way of sharing the costs of making cleaner, more advanced cars, but he has repeatedly failed to find a partner and retreated from his search for in April, saying FCA would stick to its business plan. He has also spoken of spinning the successful Jeep and Ram divisions off from FCA. Europe's largest carmaker, Volkswagen, and General Motors have both said they are not interested in talks with FCA. On Wednesday, Geely Automobile reported a doubling of first-half profit, above expectations, as cars designed with Sweden's Volvo won over domestic consumers. Volvo is a unit of the Zhejiang Geely group, and has recently announced it will share its technology with Geely.

Help find Kenny Wayne Shepherd's stolen 1972 Dodge Charger

Judging by his collection of cars, blues musician Kenny Wayne Shepherd (shown above, at left, with fellow musician George Thorogood) is an enthusiast of classic Dodge muscle cars, so it's no surprise that he is an active member of Mopar-related online communities. When his 1972 Dodge Charger turned up missing from an LA-area warehouse last Wednesday, Shepherd took to the forums of Moparts.org in an attempt to get the word out in hopes of recovering his custom classic.
The Charger was stolen along with four other vehicles, and Hot Rod reports that two women have been taken into custody since - but still no word on the car. With its blacked-out appearance (including custom Foose wheels), this car is definitely hard to miss, but Shepherd also said that the car might be even more distinguishable now due to some body damage that may have occurred as it was being driven from the warehouse lot. Shepherd's website has a full gallery of images for this '72 Charger, which also has a modern 392-cubic-inch V8 under the hood and a six-speed gearbox pulled from a Viper.
If you're in the LA area and happen to see this car, Shepherd asks that you call the LAPD West Valley Division at 818-374-7611. Here's to hoping this one-of-a-kind Charger turns up unscathed.

2014 Dodge Durango teaser reveals new 'racetrack' taillights

Not wanting to let Jeep get all of the SUV attention for the 2014 model year, Dodge is unveiling a refreshed version of its Durango at the New York Auto Show. Teased in this image, all we can really tell about the 2014 Dodge Durango is that it will be getting Dodge's "racetrack" taillights similar to the Charger and Dart.
The chrome or painted strip currently between the Durango's Zorro taillamps have been removed to allow for a full-width LED array with "DODGE" lettering displayed more prominently above the license plate pocket. Parent company Chrysler also promises that the updated Durango will add "several new class-exclusive features," but stops short of saying what those are. Earlier reports suggest that among the changes, buyers will be able to look forward to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, which ought to improve the three-row SUV's fuel efficiency.