One of the big concerns for those of us observing the automotive market and community is the fate of Chrysler. Rob and I as well as many others have written on the subject of their potential impending doom, merge with Fiat, and resulting product line.

Sergio Marchionne finally revealed the product lines we can expect in the coming years, and in doing so confirmed some rumors, clarified others, and dispelled others. For those of you that didn’t catch the news, I will provide the highlights, from a smattering of news sources that I caught.

Marchionne has a lot to wrestle into submission at Chrysler, including ailing sales, debt to the government and others, a poor reputation for quality and fuel mileage, and an uninspiring product line. Since few of you have business degrees, and even fewer give a lug nut about the entire financial climate, I am going to provide a car guy’s lens on the new product overview.

Continue reading after the jump!

Continue reading "Word on Chrysler" »

Found this cool shot over at VWVortex, and he has more shots at Flickr. Looks like it was a great show. Anyone else go?

UK-based Automotive Traveler reader and aspiring automotive journalist Leigh Nethercot gives us an inside look at what it’s like to own Alfa Romeo’s recently introduced MiTo subcompact, which might be the first mainstream Alfa Romeo to reach our side of the pond since the 164 in 1995. Continue reading at Automotive Traveler

I chased this car down Aurora in Seattle yesterday. When I pulled up next to it, I asked the owner what it was and he said it was “an Alfa Romeo before the wreck.” Or anyway, I think that’s what he said. Anyone know this car?

Continue reading "What Is This?" »

My week was jam-packed with car stuff. Lets see, where do I begin? Saturday morning Ryan and I washed our cars and met up at Griot’s Garage Company in Fife, Washington for a tour of their facility. Just so happened that we rolled in during the “Italian Cars” group tour and spotted this ultra-hot Alfa Romeo. More…

Continue reading "What Did You Do This Weekend?" »

The new Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA is pretty cool, but I still prefer the original.

The 2009 concours season in California got off to a great start this past weekend in Palm Springs with the second annual Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance. Held at the O’Donnell Golf Club, the winner of the Best of Show trophy was a stunning 1961 Alfa Romeo SZ (Sprint Zagato) Coda-Trunka, which is Italian for “cut tail,” owned by Scott Gauthier.

It was also the west coast debut of the world’s first luxury plug-in hybrid car, the 2010 Fisker Karma which won the event’s People’s Choice Award. Seems like those living in the desert wish to burnish their green credentials.

I’ve pasted a few more pics after the jump, but complete coverage and a library of images of the winners are available at Automotive Traveler.

Continue reading "2009 Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance" »

I’m not talking about Lambos and Veyrons. I’m talking about cars you are actually planning (scheming?) to acquire in the vaguely foreseeable future—let’s say in the next six months to ten years. But let’s leave daily drivers out of this. Also, you don’t have to own all of them at the same time (though of course that would be nice). But if you’re like me, it’s probably gonna be tough to limit yourself to just one or two. Limiting yourself to five is work enough. So anyway, here’s my list.

1. 1968 or 1969 Plymouth Road Runner. Ideally I’d want a post car with a black bench seat interior (a 4 speed would be cool, too, but pricier and harder to find). I prefer the ‘68 cause it’s my birth year, but ’69s are a bit more plentiful and just as cool. Obviously I’m talking 383 cars cause the 440-6 cars and Hemi cars are WAY out of my league. Doesn’t mean I couldn’t get a crate Hemi or build a A12 clone later, though…

See my next four picks after the jump!

Continue reading "What Are Your Top 5 Semi-Realistic Dream Cars?" »

It’s official. Chrysler and Fiat have agreed to a world-wide alliance that will see Fiat taking a 35% stake in the Auburn Hills automaker in exchange for the technology and platforms to produce fuel efficient  B-, C-, and possibly D-segment cars that are currently absent from Chrysler’s domestic lineup. This product sharing alliance is two fold. According to a report in today’s Wall Street Journal, the agreement will provide for Chrysler-branded, Fiat-designed vehicles to be built in North American plants that Fiat will retool. But more importantly, and potentially exciting for CarDomain readers, it will allow Chrysler’s dealers to offer Fiat and Alfa Romeo vehicles as well.

Over at Automotive Traveler, we’ve been following the Chrysler saga for months. In fact, back on November 3, 2008, we speculated that instead of GM, a far better potential partner for Chrysler would be the Fiat Group citing Chrysler’s need for small cars and Fiat’s need for North American distribution for its products. We even went so far as predicting which Fiat and Alfa Romeo models were likely to be imported stateside.

Over the past two days, as this story was breaking, we revisited Fiat and Alfa Romeo’s UK websites. Building on our original predictions, and knowing that part of the agreement is that some Fiat models are likely to be built in North America, we have refined our analysis and have taken an even more educated guess as to which Fiat and Alfa Romeo models are likely to reach North America over the next 24 months. Our pick as likely the first? Alfa Romeo’s exciting, New Mini-sized Mito subcompact. You can read the rest of the story over at Automotive Traveler.

Back in October I showed you this red GTV, which swung by NorthWest Auto Salon while we were there checking out the matte black Ford GT. Well last week NorthWest Auto Salon was detailing this beautiful yellow car for the Group 2 guys. This is still my favorite Giugiaro design, and one of my all time favorite Alfas. More pics after the jump!

Continue reading "Another Beautiful Alfa Romeo GTV at Group 2 Motorsports" »

No really, it is. I guess someone thinks drunk sloths, women and ELO can sell cars. There is an actual Alfa in this ad.

It’s always heartbreaking when a young person dies during a tragic eating contest accident. But really, isn’t it actually more funny than it is heartbreaking? I mean, I can’t be the only one that the thinks the words "eating" and "contest" look hilarious next to each other. Well, at least Chen Chun-ing died doing something he loved, or at least biologically needed to do, albeit at a slower pace. Anyway, here’s the news:

• It has begun. As of today, Porsche owns 43% of Volkswagen, and Stuttgart isn’t even done yet. The company is planning to increase its ownership to a you-do-what-we-tell-you-to-do 75%, provided the bottom doesn’t fall out of the entire world economy. Detroit News
• The latest casualty of America’s economic woes is Alfa Romeo. Citing the current unpleasantness, the company has pushed back its return to our shores to 2011. Hopefully, we’ll be back on track by then. Motor Authority
• Here’s a headline that’s just too good to mess with: "Man Drives Drunk to Protest Drunk Driving Charge." Remember, if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you should do is stop digging. Reuters
• One of CarDomain’s advertisers—you know, the folks who provide the money to keep yours truly employed—wants your input. So if you love the blog and love CarDomain, or kind of like us, or even just love to hate us, we’d appreciate your opinion. Take this Survey
• According to Bob Lutz, the General’s board never talks about bankruptcy, which is comforting. But you know the other thing it never talks about? That elephant that always sits behind Mr. Lutz’s chair. Freep

On Wednesday while I was hanging around with the NorthWest Auto Salon guys and waiting for John to come back from his ride in the Ford GT, one of the Group 2 Motorsports guys dropped by with this gorgeous Alfa GTV. Man, I love these cars. More pics after the jump.

Continue reading "Group 2 Motorsports Drops by with an Alfa GTV" »

Last night, my best buddy threw a record release party for Tommy Dean, a singer-songwriter he’s recording. It was a good time, and while I was getting hammered, I met an ambassador for Maker’s Mark bourbon. Wow! I though I had the perfect job! Anyway, here’s the news:

• The General is looking to sell it’s Hummer brand, and it looks like it finally has a couple of potential buyers. Given the fuel economy of those behemoths, it’s not terribly surprising what area of the world the interest is coming from. Reuters
• Alfa might be coming back to the United States, but plans for the MG marque to return to American shores have been shelved. Apparently, the owners don’t think think bringing the new TF Roadster over here would be worth it. Automotive News
• General Motors is hitting the century mark, and it has compiled a list of the top ten cars it’s   released over that time. Like most of these lists, it’s designed more to inspire debate more than anything else. How else do you explain the absence of the Camaro? Motor Authority
• 75 million is a lot of money, but compared with the amount of dough Ford lost last year, it’s just a drop in the bucket. And since it’s being spent on changing one of the Blue Oval’s plants to make small cars, it’s probably a smart move. Freep

Is it just cause I picked a blue Ferrari, or are there a ton of Alfitsi on CarDomain? Did Ferrari perhaps make a slight goof with the new California? Or is the Alfa just way batter looking? Whatever the reason(s), the Alfa Romeo 8C absolutely murdered the Ferrari California in our latest Showroom Showdown. Truly, no contest.