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Chrysler LH Platform
The LH platform served as the basis for the Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Chrysler 300M, Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision, and the final Chrysler New Yorker. A Plymouth to be called the "Accolade" was planned, but never saw production. The platform pioneered Chrysler's " cab-forward" design; featured on some Chrysler, Dodge, and Eagle cars in the 1990s and early 2000s. Development As the 1990s dawned, Chrysler faced a renewed round of financial troubles. The US economy slipped into a recession following the 1987 Black Monday stock market crash and the Savings and Loan Crisis, but the company's main problems were due to a lack of engineering innovation and careless spending during the years of prosperity in the 1980s. Most of Chrysler's lineup was based on the proven, but dated K-car platform, plus debt accumulated from expensive purchases including Italian automaker Lamborghini along with American Motors, and critics routinely criticized their inability to produce cars that wer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dodge Intrepid 1994
Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above Plymouth. Founded as the Dodge Brothers Company machine shop by brothers Horace Elgin Dodge and John Francis Dodge in the early 1900s, Dodge was originally a supplier of parts and assemblies to Detroit-based automakers like Ford. They began building complete automobiles under the "Dodge Brothers" brand in 1914, predating the founding of Chrysler Corporation. The factory located in Hamtramck, Michigan was the Dodge main factory from 1910 until it closed in January 1980. John Dodge died from the Spanish flu in January 1920, having lungs weakened by tuberculosis 20 years earlier. Horace died in December of the same year, perhaps weakened by the Spanish flu, though the cause of death was cirrhosis of the liver. Their company was sold by their ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert James Eaton
Robert James "Bob" Eaton (born 13 February 1940) is an American businessman, who was Chairman and former CEO of Chrysler Corporation. Early life Eaton was born in Buena Vista, Colorado and grew up in Arkansas City, Kansas. He graduated with a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Kansas in 1963. He was in the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Career Upon graduation he joined General Motors and in 1973 he was made chief engineer of GM's new front wheel drive X-body cars. In 1982 he was promoted to vice-president of advanced engineering before being named president of GM Europe in 1988. It was here that Chrysler Corporation CEO Lee Iacocca found Eaton and hired him to be his successor as CEO. This was controversial at the time, because Bob Lutz was the expected successor to the CEO position, and Iacocca later indicated that he indeed felt that Lutz would have been the better choice as his successor. Eaton was the Chairman and CEO of Chrysler from 1993 until 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chrysler JA Platform
The JA platform was Chrysler's smaller complement to the LH cars which were larger than the Ks, and a direct size replacement for the last extended K cars, the Acclaim and Spirit. It was a mid-size front-wheel drive automobile platform that was the basis for the ''Cloud Cars'' - the Chrysler Cirrus/Dodge Stratus/Plymouth Breeze starting in 1994. Like the LH, it was a cab forward design. While this platform was numerically successful, the highest volume for family cars competing against cars like the Taurus, Accord, or Camry would move to the LH platform cars, which were often classified as full-size. 1995 The first JA cars were the 1995 Chrysler Cirrus and Dodge Stratus. These were available with either a 2.0 L 16-valve SOHC, 2.4 L 16-valve DOHC, or a Mitsubishi-designed 2.5 L 24-valve SOHC V6 engine. The Plymouth Breeze was introduced in late 1995 with most of the same options available to the other two models (minus the V6 engine). The JA Platform was prod ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chrysler Neon
The Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth Neon is a front-engine, front-wheel drive compact car that was introduced in January 1994 for model year 1995 by Chrysler's Dodge and Plymouth automobile, Plymouth divisions in two- and four-door bodystyles over two generations. Marketed in Europe, Mexico, Canada, Japan, Egypt, Australia, South Africa and South America as a Chrysler, the Neon was offered in multiple versions and configurations over its production life, which ended after the 2005 model year. The Neon nameplate was subsequently resurrected in 2016 for the Dodge Neon, a Rebadging, rebadged variant of Fiat Tipo (2015), Fiat Tipo sedan for the Mexico, Mexican market. 1991 concept car The Neon nameplate first appeared as a concept car in 1991 under the Dodge brand. Although radically styled and clearly not production-ready featuring sliding suicide doors, the Neon concept resembled the future production vehicle. The Neon concept was designed by Chrysler designers who had joined the com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chrysler LX Platform
The LX platform is Chrysler's full-size rear wheel drive automobile platform introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year. The LX was developed in North America to supersede the previous Chrysler LH platform, which had been designed to allow it to be easily upgraded to rear and all-wheel drive. The LD Charger, 300 and LA Challenger cars are built at Brampton Assembly in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. The European variant and all RHD models were built in Graz, Austria by Magna Steyr from June 2005 until 2010, where they carried the platform designation of LE. LX Vehicles using the LX platform include: * 2005–2010 Chrysler 300 sedan, station wagon (LE Only) * 2005–2008 Dodge Magnum station wagon * 2006–2010 Dodge Charger sedan Concept vehicles using this platform include: * Chrysler Nassau sedan * Chrysler Airflite sedan LC The LC platform is a shortened LX platform designed for the Challenger. Vehicles using the LC/LA platform include: * 2008–2014, LC * 2015–Prese ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rear-wheel Drive
Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the rear wheels only. Until the late 20th century, rear-wheel drive was the most common configuration for cars. Most rear-wheel drive vehicles feature a longitudinally-mounted engine at the front of the car. Layout The most common layout for a rear-wheel drive car is with the engine and transmission at the front of the car, mounted longitudinally. Other layouts of rear-wheel drive cars include front-mid engine, rear-mid engine, and rear-engine. Some manufacturers, such as Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Porsche (944, 924, 928) and Chevrolet (C5, C6, and C7 Corvettes), place the engine at the front of the car and the transmission at the rear of the car, in order to provide a more balanced weight distribution. This configuration is often referred to as a transaxle since the transmission and axle are one unit. History 1890s to 1960s Many of the cars built in the 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produced over 35 million vehicles, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory alone. During its time as a division of General Motors, Oldsmobile slotted into the middle of GM's five (passenger car) divisions (above Chevrolet and Pontiac, but below Buick and Cadillac), and was noted for several groundbreaking technologies and designs. Oldsmobile's sales peaked at over one million annually from 1983 to 1986, but by the 1990s the division faced growing competition from premium import brands, and sales steadily declined. When it shut down in 2004, Oldsmobile was the oldest surviving American automobile marque, and one of the oldest in the world, after Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Renault, Fiat, Opel, Autocar and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buick
Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General Motors in 1908. Before the establishment of General Motors, GM founder William C. Durant had served as Buick's general manager and major investor. In the North American market, Buick is a premium automobile brand, selling luxury vehicles positioned above GM's mainstream brands, while priced below the flagship luxury Cadillac division. Buick's current target demographic according to '' The Detroit News'' is "a successful executive with family." After securing its market position in the late 1930s, when junior companion brand Marquette and Cadillac junior brand LaSalle were discontinued, Buick was positioned as an upscale luxury car below the Cadillac. During this same time period, many manufacturers were introducing V8 engines in their ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lamborghini Portofino
The Lamborghini Portofino is a concept car developed for Lamborghini by Kevin Verduyn, one of Chrysler's chief designers. Introduced at the 1987 Frankfurt Auto Show, it was a fully functional, four-door, four-seat sport sedan. Design In 1986, Kevin Verduyn designed a concept car model for Chrysler called the Navajo. The concept never went beyond the clay model stage, but when Chrysler acquired Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. in 1987, the design was resurrected and with some fairly minor tweaks, turned into the Portofino. The Portofino was built by Coggiola of Turin, Italy on a lengthened Jalpa chassis, giving the car a mid-engine rear-wheel drive layout. It also made use of the Jalpa's 3.5 L V8 water-cooled engine and 5-speed manual transmission. The engine could rev to 7,000 rpm, with 64.6 bhp/liter. The most interesting feature of the Portofino was the dual scissor doors, enclosing a pillarless passenger compartment. The front doors pivoted forward and upward, as in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
François Castaing
François J. Castaing (born 18 March 1945 in Marseille) is an automotive executive with Renault, American Motors, and Chrysler. He is an engineering graduate from École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers in Paris, and worked in Europe for Gordini and Renault before being named vice president for Product Engineering and Development at American Motors Corporation (AMC). With Gordini and Renault Castaing started his career in motorsports with Gordini in 1968 by working on engines for the 24 Hours of Le Mans races. After Gordini had been taken over by Renault, he advanced to the position of Renault Sport Technical Director. His record of accomplishment with Renault included stints as a member of a racing-engine development team and as director of racing programs. He had joined AMC from Renault, which owned 46% of the company. He and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan in 1980. With AMC and Chrysler Castaing was responsible for product engineering and development at AMC. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oldsmobile Toronado
The Oldsmobile Toronado is a personal luxury car manufactured and marketed by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors from 1966 to 1992 over four generations. The Toronado was noted for its transaxle version of GM's Turbo-Hydramatic transmission, making it the first U.S.-produced front-wheel drive automobile since the demise of the Cord 810/812 in 1937. Sharing the GM E platform introduced by the rear-wheel drive Buick Riviera in 1963 and adopted for the front-wheel drive 1967 Cadillac Eldorado, the three models shared the E platform for most of the Toronado's 26-year history. The name "Toronado" had no prior meaning and was originally selected for a 1963 Chevrolet show car. First generation (1966–1970) The Toronado began as a design painting by Oldsmobile stylist David North in 1962. His "Flame Red Car" was a compact sports/personal car never intended for production. A few weeks after the design was finished, however, Oldsmobile division was informed it would be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bob Lutz (businessman)
Robert Anthony Lutz (born February 12, 1932) is a Swiss American automotive executive. He served as a top leader of all of the United States Big Three automobile manufacturers, having been in succession executive vice president (and board member) of Ford Motor Company, president and then vice chairman (and board member) of Chrysler Corporation, and vice chairman of General Motors. Early life Lutz was born in Zürich, Switzerland, the son of Margaret and Robert Harry Lutz. His father was a vice chairman of Credit Suisse. Lutz left Switzerland at the age of seven and spent time in Scarsdale, New York, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1943, and returned to Switzerland in 1947 to attend school in Lausanne. He is fluent in English, Swiss German, German, French and has a modest fluency in Italian. Lutz received a bachelor's degree in production management in 1961, followed by an MBA with a concentration in marketing with highest honors in 1962, both from the University of Californ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
