1971 Plymouth ViperCuda Packs a Venomous V10 Punch Under its Hood

One of the great things about classic American pony and muscles cars is their simplicity, which pretty much allows you do anything your mind sets out to do, with the only restrictions usually being the amount of time and cash you are willing to spend.

Found for sale on eBay, is this 1971 Plymouth ViperCuda, which as the name suggests, is powered by a V10 engine sourced from the modern day Dodge Viper. But there's more than meets the eye to this creation that started life as a four-seater 1971 Plymouth Barracuda Convertible with a 318 cu.in. (5.2-liter V8) engine.

The comprehensive conversion was performed by Time Machines from Hudson, Florida, which begun by acquiring the intact chassis and V10 engine from a wrecked 2001 Viper with 23,000-miles on the odo.

After stripping the Barracuda's body from the original chassis, they then fabricated a hybrid platform incorporating most parts of the Viper's chassis components including the fully independent suspension.

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Report Says U.S. Automobile Sector Contributed $135 Billion in Taxes in 2010

It’s no secret that the motor vehicle sector is the largest manufacturing industry in the United States, but how big is it in terms of state and federal tax revenues?

This is a question the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), a nonprofit research organization based in Michigan, set to find out on behalf of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which funded the study.

The report concluded that in 2010, the production, sales and service, and use of the automobile in the United States was responsible for generating at least $91.5 billion in state government tax revenue (13 percent of the total) and at least $43 billion to federal government tax revenues.

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A Chrysler Group 1967 Imperial Crown Coupe Looking for a New Home on eBay

Once upon a time, the Chrysler Corporation had a luxury marque amongst its ranks called Imperial, which was basically created to compete against GM's Cadillac and Ford's Lincoln brands.

To be more precise, what started out as Chrysler's top of the line model in 1926 was turned into a separate brand from 1955 to 1975, and again for a brief period from 1990 to 1993.

Some of you may also remember the Chrysler Group's more recent attempt to resurrect the Imperial nameplate with a luxury sedan concept at the 2006 North American Auto Show in Detroit.

While surfing around on eBay, a 1967 Imperial Crown Coupe caught our attention. This example was designed under the supervision of Elwood Engel, Chrysler Corporation's design chief from 1961 until 1974. Engel was also responsible for the styling of the iconic, fourth generation 1961 Lincoln Continental.

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Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge Models Recalled Over Two Separate Issues

The Chrysler Group has issued two separate recalls for some of its 2012 models. The first one affects 1,689 Jeep Patriot and Compass crossovers built from December 17, 2011, through January 2, 2012, because of a potential problem with the fuel tank assembly's roll-over valve. Read more »

Chrysler Introduces Industry-First In-Vehicle Wireless Charging Pad

The idea of wireless charging smaller or in some cases, even larger devices is nothing new, but the Chrysler Group wants to be the first to offer such a system on cars through its Mopar division.

General Motors had presented a wireless cell phone mat on a Chevrolet Volt at last year's CES in Las Vegas with the intent to begin offering the system on numerous Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac products from the second half of 2012.

However, the Chrysler Group seems bent to be the first to provide an in-vehicle wireless charging pad as it will make the technology available on the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart that arrives in showrooms in the second quarter of this year.

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Chrysler to Celebrate Return to China with 300C and Jeep Wrangler Concepts at the Beijing Auto Show

One of the main goals for the Fiat-Chrysler Alliance is to increase its presence in the hugely important Chinese market. And today, the alliance is making another step in this direction by announcing the return of the Chrysler Group return to China at the 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition on April 23, 2012.

The celebrate the occasion, the Detroit-based automaker will present two special edition models at the Beijing motor show.

These include a Chrysler 300C design concept created specifically with Chinese elements in mind and a Jeep Wrangler study inspired by the Year of the Dragon, which the company says, "showcases the opportunity for special editions that might be available for Chinese customers in the near future".

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The Chrysler Group Takes Over the Fiat Group's Australian Operations

Fiat may have been the one to buy a controlling stake in Chrysler, but it's the American arm of the company that it destined to take over the distribution of Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Fiat Professional vehicles in Australia.

In a similar move, Chrysler had taken over distribution responsibilities for Fiat cars and light commercial vehicles in Russia back in February.

In Australia, the Fiat group's distribution rights will be transferred to Chrysler on May 1. Under the new deal, the Italian group's 17 passenger dealerships and 22 commercial vehicle outlets across the country, will report directly to the Melbourne-based Chrysler Australia group.

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Chrysler and Pure Detroit Agree to Settle “Imported from Detroit” Merchandise War

The “Imported from Detroit” tagline used by Chrysler to launch its redesigned models last year has made many a headline; not always in the way intended, though.

Its award-winning 2011 Super Bowl commercial was copied by Audi in a German ad for its A6 Avant leading to a legal dispute with Eminem, while the Pentastar brand was also embroiled in a legal battle with a clothing company.

Chrysler sued Motown-based clothing retailer PureDetroit in March 2011 for copyright infringement as it started selling merchandise with the “Imported from Detroit” logo right after the Super Bowl ad aired.

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New Dodge Durango Ready to Serve Police and Fire Fighting Agencies

The Chrysler Group has presented its answer to the respective SUV proposals from General Motors and Ford Motor Co. for use by police, fire and general fleet customers in the form of the new Durango Special Service model.

The Durango, which follows the introduction of the Dodge Charger Pursuit and more recently, the Ram 1500 Crew Cab 4x4 Special Service models, is available for order now with first deliveries expected to begin in the second quarter of the year.

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Fiat Management to Meet with Italian Prime Minister to Discuss its Future

It’s no secret that Fiat is in dire straits right now. Its CEO, Sergio Marchionne, is counting on increased productivity and U.S. sales, but he’s also prepared to close down two Italian plants if push comes to shove.

According to Reuters, Marchionne and Fiat Chairman (and Gianni Agnelli grandson) John Elkann will meet with the Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and, subsequently, with Labor and Industry Ministers, Elsa Fornero and Corrado Passera, today to discuss the group’s plans concerning its local operations.

Monti is no stranger to Fiat as he has is a friend of the Agnelli family and was on the company’s board from 1988 until 1993. However, it's the first time that he will meet with its management as a Prime Minister.

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Chrysler to Offer a Smaller Displacement Version of its Pentastar V6 According to Sources

Two separate sources, a union official and a company insider, have told Automotive News that Chrysler will soon present a smaller displacement version of its 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 gasoline engine.

Bruce Baumhower, president of UAW (United Auto Workers) Local 12 in Toledo, Ohio, where the Liberty replacement (called Cherokee in markets outside the U.S.) will be assembled, told the news site that the SUV would be offered with a new V6 with a capacity of 3.2-liters.

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One-Off 2012 Chrysler 300S Customized by John Varvatos goes up for Auction

One of the stars in Chrysler's 'Imported from Detroit' campaign has rejoined forces with the Detroit automaker, albeit for a different cause.

John Varvatos, the Detroit born, high-fashion menswear designer, teamed up with Chrysler to create a one-off version of the 2012 300S that was announced at the John Varvatos ninth annual Stuart House Benefit that supports children and which took place this past Sunday on March 11 in Los Angeles.

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Next Generation 2014 Chrysler 200 Sedan Conceptualized

It may feature a different name and fancier looks, but pay close enough attention and it’s not hard to see that the current Chrysler 200 is a heavily facelifted Sebring.

That doesn’t come as a surprise as the Detroit automaker wanted to buy some time before it develops an all new replacement based on the CUSW platform used on the Dodge Dart, which has been jointly-developed with Fiat.

Chrysler has already admitted that the 200's successor will arrive in the market within the next year or so, but we still don't know what it will look like.

Lawrence Technological University design student Colin Bonathan, whom we came to know through his Chrysler Review Coupe and Lincoln Continental studies, attempts to shed some light on a possible design direction for the next 200 mid-size sedan.

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10 Ways to Market Like a Super Bowl Ad Agency

Finally, this year’s Super Bowl game was more exciting than the commercials. Although 60% of Americans state they would rather take a bathroom break during the game than watch the ads, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent every year. Fortunately, the ads now live on the Internet well past their 30 seconds of fame.
This year, large corporations spent upwards of $3.5M for 30 seconds of  commercial time. This translates into roughly a cost of 3 cents to reach every viewer! In fact, in the last 10 years, Anheuser Busch has spent the most–$239M–for Super Bowl ads. Unfortunately, except for their "Weego" commerical, it seems that their ad agency’s creative department took this year off.
Small business owners don’t have millions to spend on Super Bowl commercials. Nonetheless, it's fun (and sometimes useful) to look at successful themes and tactics that Superbowl marketing campaigns used this year. Here are 10 ways you can mimic the top spenders:

1. Invoke nostalgia. Many commercials leaned heavy into the familiar trusted themes from the past. While it did seem strange that a Korean car company, Hyundai used the theme from the movie Rocky in its kick off ad, it was very effective (my son was whistling the tune well into the first quarter).  Honda showed Matthew Broderick skipping work for a "feel good" return to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Career Builder  played the theme from “The Odd Couple” in their ad. Retailer HH Gregg used the Beatles' iconic song “Help”.
   
2. Show a social conscience. First watch the Groupon Super Bowl ad from 2011 and don’t do that. Bud Light scored big by using the “Weego” rescue dog for a cute ad with a reminder at the end to help this cause.
   
3. Talk about your customers’ dreams. Many commercials tapped into what their customers dreamed about. Toyota Camry showed viewers the way they would reinvent things (Rain making us thinner or a DMV that actually gives good customer service.)  American Family Insurance predictably talked about "going to get your dream".
   
4. Tap into the American spirit of rebuilding. Bud Light told viewers that “Good things come to those who wait…good thing that those people don’t work here.” Best Buy featured people that are amazing innovators. Clint Eastwood narrated a Chrysler commercial reminding the audience that the worst of the recession is over. He reminded viewers that “it's halftime in America.” Eastwood continues that “this country can’t be knocked out with one punch and when we come back, they will hear the roar of our engines again...” Look for a politician to use this at one of their rallies.
   
5. Use current events. Maybe the Mayans were right about the end of the world in 2012.  Chrysler used this theme for their Silverado to the tune of Barry Manilow’s “Looks Like We Made It”. They included the iconic Twinkie that is rumored to last forever. In an election year, Pepsi’s "King’s Court Commercial" promised “Pepsi for All!” This may also ring true with the "Occupy" movement.
   
6. Don’t use the same theme forever. Go Daddy’s sexy ads  stopped being intriguing this year and the Coca- Cola commercials with the polar bears were mostly uninspiring.
   
7. Partner up (or better yet, relate your product to beer!) This year, GE partnered with Budweiser for an unusual mix. When people think about GE they typically don’t think about beer. It may not be a match, but the audience did take notice.
   
8. Use surprise slapstick. Stonyfield’s Oikos yogurt featured John Stamos getting head butted by an actress. It may not have worked if he headbutted her.
   
9. Continue online. Use social media tags in conjunction with advertising. Companies such as Audi (#SoLongVampires) and Bud Light (#MakeItPlatinum) were trending on Twitter. A few minutes after the Fiat Abarth commercial ad aired, I received an email from the company as reinforcement to watch the ad again and enter a new contest. Chevy featured its new car, the Sonic with its www.letsdothis.com campaign.
   
10.  Use Vampires. When all else fails, feature vampires in advertising like Audi. This is a safe bet since every hit movie or television show last year seemed to include them.
    

What were your favorite Super Bowl commercials? What can small business owners learn from big corporate ad agencies about marketing?
Image credit: Thinkstock