Chrysler Teases 2011MY 300, 200 and Town & Country “S” Concepts at LX Spring Festival

Chrysler found the perfect opportunity to preview its upcoming range of ‘S’ models at the 6th Annual Spring Festival of LXs in Irvine, California this past weekend. The Detroit automaker showed off the “S” trimmed 2011MY 300 sedan, 200 Convertible and Town & Country in concept forms, though all three models are scheduled to enter production later this year starting with the 200 this spring.

According to Chrysler, the “S” treatment is a cosmetic package designed to appeal to younger customers that want something more “edgy” in terms of style. On the 300, this translates to a bespoke gunmetal finish, a new front grille, smoked headlamps and taillights, beefier alloy wheels in a unique design, a boot lid spoiler and if we’re not mistaken (since Chrysler has not released any official details), a lowered suspension. The interior also receives a makeover with red leather seats sporting the “S” logo and bespoke trim.

Chrysler has already confirmed the specs on the 200 Convertible ‘S’, which will be offered exclusively with a V6 engine. Unique styling features include as a special finish for the grille, dark headlamp surrounds, bespoke 18-inch aluminum wheels, black leather seats with suede inserts and a Boston Acoustics speaker system.

As for the refreshed Town & Country, the “S” trim adds new alloys, a mesh grille, silver accents on the body, and various interior upgrades including leather upholstery.

Source: Chrysler

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Chrysler Sues 'Pure Detroit' Clothing Retailer for Using its ‘Imported from Detroit’ Slogan

The Chrysler Group LLC is suing a three-store retailer called ‘Pure Detroit’, which sells locally inspired merchandise, for using the automaker’s "Imported from Detroit" slogan that premiered earlier this year in a Super Bowl commercial staring rapper Eminem.

According to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by the press, Chrysler argues that the local business began selling t-shirts with the ‘Imported from Detroit’ tag line shortly after the two-minute Super Bowl ad hit the air. The company added that it had applied to register ‘Imported from Detroit’ as a trademark for “various uses, including branded clothing”, on January 18, 2011.

"Upon seeing Chrysler's stunning ad, capped off by the powerful tagline, defendants immediately and opportunistically sought to usurp Chrysler's goodwill and exploit Chrysler's investment for themselves,” Chrysler said in the suit.

“They both copied Chrysler's tagline exactly and used it on some of the very goods for which Chrysler had filed a trademark application, clothing. Falsely promoting themselves as an 'exclusive' provider, and promoting their products by touting 'the tagline that is making headlines across America!', defendants have sold huge numbers of T-shirts.”

In a posting on the automaker’s official blog, Mike Driehorst, editorial director for online media for the Chrysler Group, said that the company had tried reasoning with Pure Detroit “to prevent the situation from going to court”.

“No one likes a legal solution to an issue,” said Driehorst. “It could look like David v Goliath in the Chrysler lawsuit against Pure Detroit. However, do know that we made repeated attempts to work out a non-legal solution with Pure Detroit.”

One of the solutions proposed by Chrysler was asking Pure Detroit to donate a portion of its proceeds to charity, something that the automaker does with earnings from its own ‘Imported from Detroit’ clothing collection.

Driehorst added that while Pure Detroit told Chrysler in a Feb. 24 email that it “is willing to agree to cease all sales,” and simultaneously removed the infringing merchandise from its website, the automaker discovered that “as of at least March 1, its IfD gear was still being sold at its retail locations”.

Sources: Chrysler , Detroit News

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Chrysler Launches New “Imported from Detroit” Merchandise – And no, They’re Not Made in China…

Chrysler has released a new dedicated lineup of clothes and apparels featuring the brand’s “Imported from Detroit” motto, which first appeared on the 200 Super Bowl commercial with Eminem. And yes, the possibility that the merchandise may not be made on this side of the world did cross our minds too, but Chrysler’s website put those dastardly doubts to rest stating that the clothes and apparels are all made in the USA.

The "Imported from Detroit" logo features the wings from the Chrysler emblem with the Detroit Fist in the center, which according to the company, symbolizes the automaker's comeback.

“The Chrysler brand, the company and its employees have adopted the principle that failure is not an option – this merchandise reflects that spirit and attitude. The entire company is proud that we are manufacturing and producing products that embody beauty and quality such as the 2011 Chrysler 200,” said Chrysler brand CEO Olivier Francois.

The "Imported from Detroit" collection includes T-shirts, hoodies, caps, ladies tank tops, infant clothes and bumper stickers. Prices range from $6 for the stickers to $55 for the full-zip style hoodie. The automaker said new designs and merchandise are to be added to the lineup throughout the year.

According to Chrysler, part of the proceeds will be donated to four Detroit-based charities: Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, Habitat for Humanity Detroit, The Marshall Mathers Foundation and Think Detroit PAL.

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Chrysler Wraps Auburn Hills HQ with New "Imported From Detroit" Tagline

The Chrysler Group is showcasing its new “Imported from Detroit” tagline for the 200 model series with a massive wrap covering almost the entire west side of the company’s 15-story headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Detroit automaker's new tagline made its debut in a two-minute advertising spot for the company's latest entry to the mid-size segment on Super Bowl Sunday.

“The 2011 Chrysler 200 is a vehicle designed with purpose, it has beautiful shapes and incorporates the utmost attention to detail,” said Olivier Francois, President and CEO of the Chrysler Brand, Chrysler Group LLC, and Lancia.

“This new mid-size sedan delivers on a promise to our customers to be the very best of American design combined with a value proposition that will exceed their expectations. The new tagline was created to convey the message that one does not have to cross an ocean to obtain luxury, its available right here,” Francois stated.

Francois last statement could be taken as a poke to European buyers who -figuratively speaking- will have to "cross an ocean to obtain luxury" given that the soon to be released Lancia Flavia is a re-badged 200 Imported from Detroit...

Building Wrap Facts [From Chrysler Press Release]

• The Chrysler 200 featured in the building wrap is 116 feet wide by 145 feet tall
  • Its grille is 51 feet wide
  • The badge on the Chrysler 200 grille is 31 feet in length
  • Headlight is 32 feet long
  • Its hood measures 44 feet in length and 85 feet in width
  • Its windshield is 66 feet wide and 20 feet long
  • The side-view mirrors are each 9 feet wide and 7 feet long
• The Chrysler brand logo is 98 feet wide
• The building wrap covers 14 stories of the Headquarters’ tower
• It took three days to place the wrap on the tower

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Did Fiat Simply Photoshop Lancia badges on the Chrysler 200 Convertible?

Maybe it's because I'm a suspicious person by nature, but upon seeing the pictures of the Lancia Flavia Concepts, the first thing I thought of doing was to head over to Chrysler and check out the gallery of photos of the 200. Now, even though there's a possibility I could be wrong, my gut instinct and experience tell me that the photo of the official Lancia Flavia Convertible Concept has been doctored, or to put it bluntly, the Fiat Group simply photoshoped the Italian firm's badges on an existing photo of the Chrysler 200 Convertible.

The Italians might have been able to get away with it if it weren't for a couple of obvious blunders, the most telling of which are the shadows on the left-hand corner of the front bumper and just above the lug nuts on the front alloy wheel. Feel free to check out the photos in high-res quality for yourselves right after the jump.

By John Halas

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Lancia Flavia Sedan and Convertible: Concept-Tagged Versions of Chrysler 200

Lancia is going to be quite busy at next month's Geneva Salon as the Italian brand deepens its ties with Chrysler by incorporating the latter's models into its range. Next up on our list after the new Lancia Thema, are the Flavia concept saloon and convertible models, which pay tribute not to their historic ancestor of the 1960s but to art of badge engineering. The two Flavia studies are based on the respective body styles of the Chrysler 200.

The Italian automaker said both configurations of Lancia Flavia Concept are characterized by their luxed-up interiors in terms of materials and equipment features. According to Lancia, "[the Flavia]embraces the stylistic features of the Italian manufacturer, giving a unique interpretation of the Chrysler 200 model which could be launched on European markets in record time." And by record time, Lancia means that production of its D-segment competitor could start in just 6 months.

If all goes well, the Flavia will most likely be offered in Europe with a choice of gasoline and diesel engines.

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Nielsen: Chevy's Miss Evelyn the Most Watched Ad Ever, but VW's Little Darth Varder was the Super Bowl Favorite

The numbers are in for last week's Super Bowl event and they show that the winner is General Motors with its Chevrolet’s spot, “Miss Evelyn’s Wild Ride”. According to Nielsen, an estimated 119,628,000 viewers watched two guys describing a woman’s wild ride in a silver Chevrolet Camaro making it the most-watched commercial ever. The previous record holder was a Doritos ad from 2010 with 116,231,920 viewers. GM's winning streak continued with the Chevy Cruze ad that came in second with 119.3 million views.

However, despite the record viewing number, Chevy's lovely ladies couldn't beat Volkswagen's little Darth Vader in the Passat ad for the most favorite commercial of the game with a Nieslen likability index of 186 (the average score for the Super Bowl ads is 100, meaning VW's Passat ad was almost twice as liked as the average commercial).

The German firm's second TV spot starring the Beetle was the 6th most favorite ad [146 score], while Chrysler's 200 with Eminem, 8th [138 score] and Audi's A8 10th [127 score]. You can watch the ads after the jump.

Source: Nielsen

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VIDEO: Chrysler's "Born of Fire" Super Bowl Ad Starring the New 200, Eminem and the City of Detroit

Chrysler, unlike other automakers that were teasing and showing off their Super Bowl ads well before Sunday's event, held back giving viewers their first taste of the brand's two-minute long commercial in the third quarter of the game. The new TV spot, called “Born of Fire," showcases the all-new 2011 Chrysler 200 and reveals the brand’s new tagline, “Imported from Detroit.”

The commercial, which features singer Eminem driving the 200 through Detroit, is as much about the brand and the revamped mid-size sedan as it is about Detroit and the town "that’s been to hell and back.” Overall, we'd say the ad conveys an honest and somewhat emotional message to consumers about the 200 as well as Chrysler in general.

“Super Bowl advertising is about making a statement and capturing the attention of the audience,” said Olivier Francois, President and CEO, Chrysler Brand and Lead Executive for Marketing, Chrysler Group LLC."‘Born of Fire’ is designed to generate conversation about the brand and the new 2011 Chrysler 200. The spot reflects where the brand is headed and pays tribute to our industrial roots.”

“The new tagline was created to convey the message that one does not have to cross an ocean to obtain luxury, it's available right here,” Francois added.

As touching as the Chrysler's new TV spot may be, we can't help but wonder if the rumors about a Lancia-badged version of the 200 turn out to be true, how will the Italians advertise the car in Europe?

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2011 Chrysler 200 Convertible to get its First Public Outing at the Chicago Auto Show

The new 200 Convertible will make its motorshow premiere at the upcoming 2011 Chicago Auto Show, which runs for the public from February 11 to 20, Chrysler confirmed today. Essentially a re-packaged, re-designed and partially re-engineered version of the drop-top Sebring, the 200 Convertible will soon go on sale in the States with a starting price of $27,195, and a choice of two powerplants, a 173HP 2.4-liter four-pot and a new 283HP 3.6-liter V6, both matched to a six-speed automatic transmission.

“The coming out of the stylish new 200 Convertible at the Chicago Auto Show completes the brand transformation in conjunction with the largest consumer auto show in the country,” said Olivier Francois, CEO — Chrysler Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “The 200 Convertible is the fourth new vehicle introduced in the last three months coming on the heels of the debuts of the new 2011 Chrysler 200 sedan and 2011 Town & Country minivan in Los Angeles and the introduction of the all-new flagship Chrysler 300 in Detroit. Starting in Chicago, the entire Chrysler product lineup is new for 2011.”

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