Ram 1500 Leads the Large Trucks Sales Surge

Sales have always been the focus of anyone talking about the auto industry for the past ever long. It's the Cinderella story of an industry that seemed down for the count and rescued at the last moment by the government. People have been wondering if it was worth the price to bring the companies back and so far, according to the sales, it seems like it's been a good decision.

A clear sign of the success of the recent upsurge in sales of the auto industry is trucks sales. Analysts believe that this month will be the best month for sales in the US since December of 2007. Leading the sales charge is large truck sales, they are the fast-growing segment in the industry.

In particular, the Ram 1500 is at the top, so much so that these same analysts predict that the 1500, along with its competition, could hit the two million mark this year. Growth for the segment is at a rate of 21 percent, which is bigger than the rest of the industry. Ram is actually the fastest growing truck brand in the US. Makes sense why they just introduced a diesel engine for the upcoming 2014 model.

For a full line-up of Ram trucks, even the commercial brand, shop online at Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge.  We operate in the Queens area with top-quality customer service.  Contact us today!    Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more news and monthly offers.

Chrysler Beats Tesla to Repaying Back Loans

There's a bit of a feud happening between Tesla and Chrysler. It's not about the future of electric cars, but rather who paid off their loan first.

When Tesla repaid their DoE loan, they made sure to let the public know that they were the only American car company to have repaid the government. Chrysler wasn't too happy to hear this.

The reason why is because on May 24^th, 2011 Chrysler Group LLC repaid in full an with interest their loan. Not only that, but the repayment was six years ahead of the due date.

It's just Chrysler trying to remind people that its been very responsible in paying back what it was owed.  Thanks to having the American people help during a time of crisis, the company was able to surge back with good fortune.

Interested in shopping for a new or pre-owned vehicle?  Check out our full inventory online at Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge.  We operate in the Queens area with top-quality customer service.  Contact us today!    Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more news and monthly offers.

Chrysler Sales Strong in March Thanks to Strong Truck Demand

There comes a time every month to wonder if Chrysler still has it in them to enjoy another good month of sales. It got to the point where instead of wondering how well the company had done, it was now a question of when the floor would drop out. Well, looks like March is not that month.

Thanks to a big demand for trucks, Chrysler had a great March. In fact, the US auto sales had their highest monthly total since August 2007.

Now, March tends to be a pretty good month for the auto industry. This is because people are starting to get their tax refunds back and use the extra money as a down payment. Also, the Japanese fiscal year ends in March and they tend to give out some great deals to end on a high note.

March also had many factors as to why people would be out and buying. Many businesses simply needed to replace aging models as they head into the spring time. Americans seeking unemployment fell to a five-year low in March. Not only that, but interest rates are still low while home values are starting to rise.

All of these went into making sure that Chrysler keeps their smile for the month of March.  If you're in the market for a truck, need something to shuttle the family back and forth, or a means to get to work, stop by Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge in the Queens area.  We offer top-notch customer service.  We love to say yes!  Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter to view our monthly service and parts specials.

Chrysler Keeps Drivers Connected

Chrysler is working to keep you connected even when you’re on the road.  Cnet.com revealed that the auto company is teaming up with Sprint to bring the new UConnect Access system to two of the hottest cars of the year, the 2013 Ram 1500 and the SRT Viper. 

Uconnect in its current form brings drivers a host of features already.  Hands-free phone, navigation system, digital audio, and it’s all tied into a single touchscreen interface.  UConnect Access is the next step in the evolution of the system.

So what’s new?  You can now operate the rear view mirror frame with just the press of a button.  Get into an emergency and you’re just another press away from assistance.  You can even synch up your smartphone with your car via an app that will let you unlock the doors or even start up the engine.  Don’t get too worried about focusing on your phone too much when driving.  Seriously, seems like we’re not far away from driving around using our phones as remotes. 

UConnect Access will read out your text messages out loud.  You can respond back by just voicing out your text, causing me to wonder why you haven’t just called the person, but oh well.  It’s a great way to work against distracted texting drivers; I can’t help but think of the hilarity possible in some awkward texts.  Last thing I need to do while driving my parents to the store is explaining the context behind the things my friends send me.

How does Sprint fit into this?  The service they are launching will be called Velocity.  It is described as a “end to end solution” and is going to offer the companies like Chrysler “a data connection, human-machine interface expertise for in-car electronics, and telematics services.”

Velocity works on Sprint’s 3G network.  The phone company is already looking into implementing the service on an international scale.  To achieve that goal, the car makers will need to start putting cell radios in the cars so it works across borders in other countries.

Check out the new and pre-owned inventory online at Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge.  Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for special offers and deals at the dealership!

John Varvatos' Chrysler 300 Comes to Life on Sidewalk!

Fashion Week seems like an odd time to have car news come out, but Chrysler has figured out a way to take advantage of one of the biggest events of the year to claim the headlines. The reason why is because they tapped infamous fashion designer John Varvatos to create a Chrysler 300 unlike any other. In order to get the word out about this special edition Chrysler, the company went an extra step and took to the streets to advertise, literally on the sidewalk.

A sidewalk in New York now has a 3-D image of John Varvatos' Chrysler 300. It's currently located outside of his Soho neighborhood studio in Manhattan. The image was brought to life by Tracy Lee Stum, a 3-D chalk artist and one of the world's foremost interactive 3-D street painters. She's renowned for her amazing work and has plenty of awards and commissions to prove her popularity.

The picture itself has already gained plenty of infamy with people stopping by to gaze and play around on it. Take a look at the creation process for yourself in a wonderful time-lapse video that was made to accompany the project.

Go online to Bayside Chrysler JeepDodge to see our new and pre-owned inventory. Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more news and deals!

Chrysler CEO Predicts 2012 Profits Will Surpass $3 Billion

2012 is a little over halfway done, and looking at the numbers, it is expected that Chrysler will post $3 billion in profits this year.

Auto sales overall have been exceptionally strong this year, particularly the past few months, and Chrysler has produced 928,748 trucks, SUVs, and mini-vans, as well as 298,472 cars. Plants have had to work harder to keep up with demand. Four of their plants did not have their typical two-week shutdowns, and other plants shortened their shutdowns from two weeks to one week. In a recent interview, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne was very optimistic, saying, “ The objective of $3 billion is close at hand. We could overshoot it.”

What has been driving demand for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and Ram vehicles? Well, besides the overall increase in auto sales, there has been a lot of attention on Chrysler lately. The Dodge Dart is already a runaway hit, and their line-up has been getting stellar reviews from critics and drivers alike. Now more than ever, any driver can find what they are looking for in the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and Ram line-up, whether if they are looking for American-made luxury, a rough-and-tumble truck, or a reliable family car.

Have you seen the new Chrysler line-up yet? You can check them out online and view Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge's online quality used car inventory as well by clicking here. Also, keep up with the latest news from Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and Ram by liking Bayside on Facebook, following Bayside on Twitter, and subscribing to Bayside on YouTube.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

New Chrysler LLC Board of Directors Appointees Bring Fresh Perspective

Some recent changes to the Chrysler Group board of directors earlier this month had people talking with the board's newest members include a United Auto Workers strategist and the president of Brown University.

Erickson N. Perkins and Ruth J. Simmons were appointed to the board of directors as former Michigan Governor James Blanchard stepped down. Prior to being appointed, Perkins was part of the UAW's negotiations team during the 2011 contract negotiations, and Simmons was president at Brown Universtiy and Smith College and a variety of other administrative roles at Princeton University, California State University, and the University of New Orleans.

Together, Perkins and Simmons bring something different and fresh to the Chrysler Group board of directors. Aside from Ronald L. Thompson, Simmons is the only member of the board with substantial background working in academics, and having worked side-by-side with auto unions, Perkins will bring a unique perspective to the table. Looking over their impressive resumes, it isn't hard to see why Chrysler appointed them to the board of directors.

Click here to view Chrysler Group LLC's current board of directors and read biographies for each member. Also, check out the full line-up of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and Ram vehicles online here, and keep up with the latest news from Chrysler Group by liking Bayside on Facebook, following Bayside on Twitter, and subscribing to Bayside on YouTube.