News archive

July 2016

Mopar Express Lane service reaches 1,000 store milestone

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(July 7, 2016) BRADLEY, Ill. — Mopar Express Lane, the quick, convenient, no-appointment-needed service offered at many FCA US dealerships, is celebrating a major milestone: the opening of the 1,000th Mopar Express Lane store in the United States.

“Reaching our 1,000th operational Mopar Express Lane location reinforces the commitment of our brand and our dealerships to providing a top-notch customer experience,” said Pietro Gorlier, head of Parts and Service for Mopar.

Day 14 on Route 66 — The town where wild burros run the place

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By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman
MotorwayAmerica

(July 7, 2016) The winding road through the Black Mountains to the old mining town of Oatman, Ariz., is the most spectacular on the entire stretch of Route 66, a winding and somewhat treacherous stretch of highway through beautiful mountain scenery. The road — unpaved for many years — proved daunting to many travelers in the '20s and '30s.

Honda debuts new Hispanic marketing campaign for 2017 Ridgeline

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(July 6, 2016) TORRANCE, Calif. — Honda is launching a new integrated Hispanic marketing campaign for the redesigned 2017 Ridgeline pickup truck, which went on sale in late June. The multi-platform campaign appeals to the brand's expanding market of Hispanic customers and will launch with the Ridgeline's official sponsorship of the Univision Deportes' broadcast of "Campeón de Campeones," the emblematic Mexican soccer championship match between the winners of the two most recent Liga MX seasons, taking place on July 10 in Los Angeles.

Mercedes half-year results: Double-digit growth and one million cars sold

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(July 6, 2016) Mercedes-Benz delivered more than one million cars to its customers worldwide in the first six months of 2016, an increase of 12.1 percent over 2015, more than ever before in half a year. In the core regions of Europe, Asia-Pacific and NAFTA, new records were set in June and in the first six months.

In China, the biggest single market, sales by Mercedes-Benz increased by more than 30% in the first half of the year. The SUVs from Mercedes-Benz continued along their successful path and accounted for one third of worldwide unit sales in June.

Days 12 and 13 on Route 66 — An Arizona adventure on the old road

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By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman
MotorwayAmerica

(July 6, 2016) We have discovered that Arizona has perhaps the richest Route 66 history of any of the eight states it crosses. Going across the northern portion of the state, Holbrook, Winslow, Williams, Flagstaff and Kingman are all loaded with gift shops, period eating places and motels, old and in many cases deteriorating car displays mostly from the '50s, and the longest stretch of uninterrupted road on original Route 66 between Chicago and Santa Monica — 158 miles.

Route 66 crew arrives in Williams, Ariz.

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(July 5, 2016) The MotorwayAmerica road crew continues its trek from Chicago to Santa Monica on Route 66. The crew took a brief detour north of the old highway to visit the Grand Canyon on Monday, landing in Williams, Ariz., late in the afternoon.

From Williams the crew, made up of MotorwayAmerica editors Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman and their wives, Luci and Trudye, will make its way down the Mother Road from Williams to Kingman. If all goes well, they will be in Santa Monica at the end of the road on Friday.

First all-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider arrives in U.S.

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(July 5, 2016) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Last sold in the United States more than 30 years ago, the iconic Fiat 124 Spider is back. The first shipments of the all-new 2017 roadster have arrived at the Port of Baltimore and the Port of San Diego, and will be available at Fiat studios in North America this month.

Day 11 on Route 66 — Cameron Trading Post and a fabulous sunset

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By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman
MotorwayAmerica

(July 4, 2016) CAMERON, Ariz. — The Route 66 road crew took a break from traveling the old highway and headed north from Flagstaff Sunday morning toward the Grand Canyon, something we are sure hundreds of thousands of people traveling the Mother Road from the late 1920s to the early 1970s did. How can you bypass one of Mother Nature's top world attractions?

Day 10 on Route 66 — Petrified trees, a grand old hotel, a neat little diner

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By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman
MotorwayAmerica

(July 3, 2016) WINSLOW, Ariz. — La Posada was once a grand hotel serving high-end cliental arriving in Winslow, Ariz., on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway lines. The train depot was finished in 1929 and the hotel — owned and operated by famous hotel magnate Fred Harvey — was completed in 1930, one of the last of a series of hotel-depot complexes built across the Southwestern U.S. in a collaboration between Harvey and the railroad company.

Jeep, Ram fuel FCA's best June sales in 11 years

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(July 4, 2016) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has reported U.S. sales of 197,073 units, a 7 percent increase compared with sales in June 2015 (185,035 units), and the group’s best June sales in 11 years.

The Jeep, Dodge and Ram Truck brands each posted year-over-year sales gains in June compared with the same month a year ago. The Jeep brand’s 17 percent increase was the brand’s best June sales ever, while Ram achieved its best June sales in a decade.