Chrysler LLC reported total June 2008 U.S. sales of 117,457 units, which is 36 percent below the same period last year. Total June sales reflect a continued contraction of the market, especially of pickup trucks and SUVs, continued reductions in fleet sales and increases in Chrysler’s newest highly fuel-efficient vehicles. All sales figures are reported as unadjusted. “The June results reflect the industrywide impact of U.S. consumer confidence being at its lowest point since 1992,” Vice Chairman and President Jim Press said. “But Chrysler is fighting back and making progress by continuing to invest in our products and aligning our volume with the market." Chrysler’s Let’s Refuel America $2.99 Gas Guarantee Plus Cash program has been extended through July 31. The program continues to help improve showroom traffic and drive sales of the company’s most fuel-efficient vehicles. For July, the program will offer the unique opportunity for customers to lock in their gas prices at $2.99 for three years and get cash back (on the majority of vehicles). The other two incentive choices offered are cash back alone or 0 percent APR financing. Since the program began in May, the vehicles in Chrysler’s lineup with the highest gas program take rate were the Chrysler Sebring Sedan, Dodge Journey, Dodge Caliber and Dodge Avenger. “During difficult periods like this, it is critical that we continue to evolve our products to meet our customers’ needs and as a result, be a stronger company when the economy recovers," Press said. "Examples of this evolution are our six vehicles that get 28 miles per gallon and the 2009 Dodge Ram and 2009 Chrysler Aspen/Dodge Durango Hybrids with improved fuel economy, innovative storage, and industry-leading Internet connectivity options.”

Automobile.com recently published a review of the 2008 Jeep® Commander. Here is an excerpt: "Europe has the Land Rover LR3 and Japan has its Toyota Land Cruiser. When it comes to international fame, these are the vehicles designed to take men and women to the farthest, most remote corners of the earth. Environmentalists may hate them, but these are the vehicles of choice for those who want to see the world in person rather than merely gawk at photos in a National Geographic. And while it hasn't yet achieved the notoriety of its peers, Jeep's Commander deserves to be ranked up there at the top, as America's go-to seven-seat off-road expert. The Commander is anything but your typical large sport-utility vehicle, because of what it can do. Everything it possesses is for a functional purpose. Its live rear axle gives it the necessary articulation for traction off-road, while its burly HEMI® V-8 produces gobs and gobs of torque. When equipped with 4WD, it is mated to a proven transfer case and gearbox setup and has the means to back up its image. The Commander is Jeep Classic to the extreme. It's squared off, rugged and purposeful. I think it's cool in a functional sort of way. I especially like the metal cross bars spanning the roof rack and the chrome-plated grab handles that allow you to hoist yourself up to reach whatever is up there. The chromed allen-head screws that attach the fender flares to the body are proof of the vehicle's rugged nature, suggesting that they can be replaced should they get scraped, dinged or torn off when out on the trail. A sense of adventure is really what separates the Commander from other large American SUVs, something which is instilled in it from its Jeep DNA. Grab your Tilley hat and go for an adventure. Big SUVs aren't generally fun, but this one is."

June auto sales plunged, according to reports from the nation's major automakers, as Americans shunned pickups and SUVs in the face of record gas prices. General Motors Corp. reported that its U.S. sales fell 18 percent in June versus a year ago. Still, the results were better than forecasts of an overall 25 percent decline in sales. And it was good enough for GM to hang onto the title of the No. 1 automaker in terms of U.S. sales. Toyota Motor Corp. reported a 21 percent drop in U.S. sales in June from a year ago, far worse than the forecast from Edmunds.com of only a 12 percent drop in sales. It was the biggest year-over-year decline in U.S. sales in 10 years for Toyota. Ford Motor Co., the No. 3 automaker in terms of U.S. sales, posted a 28 percent decline in sales—steeper than Edmunds.com's forecasts of a 25 percent drop. Even crossovers, a sign of strength in the light truck segment until recently, saw sales off 18 percent from a year earlier, as buyers went searching for more fuel efficient vehicles in the face of record $4 gas prices. Ford has announced plans to cut back production of its light trucks, and an increase in production of cars. But it hasn't been able to respond to the sudden increase in demand for cars. "Clearly, the rapid rise in gasoline prices, and the resulting shift toward fuel efficient vehicles, has been challenging," Jim Farley, Ford group vice president, said. Honda Motor bucked the industry trend, as its U.S. sales edged up 1.1 percent in the month. But that was a bit weaker than the 4 percent rise forecast by Edmunds.

Chrysler LLC Vice Chairman and President Jim Press said on Tuesday the automaker is exceeding all of its financial targets set by private equity owner Cerberus Capital Management despite sharply lower sales this year. Press told analysts and reporters on a conference call that Chrysler has been successful in maintaining its cash position and that reductions in fixed costs have been "way above" its initial plan. (Reuters)

Effective July 1, Karen Selkirk was appointed Senior Manager—Electrical. In this position, Selkirk will be responsible for directing the team of supplier quality specialists dedicated to improving all aspects of quality for current production electrical components. Most recently she served as Production Manager at the Toledo Machining Plant.

The National Safety Council honored the Memphis (Tenn.) Parts Distribution Center with an award for accomplishing 1 million consecutive work hours without incurring an occupational injury or illness that resulted in an employee missing days at work. The record, which was begun Aug. 1, 2001, was reached on March 1, 2008, and continues to grow. Vice Chairman and President Jim Press, and Simon Boag, President—Mopar®, Global Service and Parts, traveled to Memphis and were joined by John Stallings, Assistant Director, UAW/National Training Center (NTC), and Glen Conley, executive director for the National Safety Council Mid-South Region, to present the award to the plant in a ceremony held June 30. Accepting the award on behalf of the PDC and its employees were Kevin Vaughan, Manager—Memphis PDC, and Butch Williams, President—UAW Local 1086. The PDC also received the following awards: the National Safety Council Perfect Record Award; National Safety Council Safety Leadership Award; National Safety Council Occupational Excellence Achievement Award; and UAW/Chrysler NTC’s Lowest Lost Work Day Incident Award.

The marketing launch of the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 is now 90 days away. Did you know that the new Ram has the first-in-segment Sirius Backseat TV™?

The fever seems to be building for the 2009 Dodge Challenger. Chrysler is providing free access to an eight-page brochure on the ''09 Challenger; it can be downloaded from the official Web site. In the meantime, an enterprising member of the Flickr community has uploaded all 28 pages of another 2009 Challenger brochure that isn't supposed to be officially released until August. The new brochures flesh out some of the details—color, trim, wheels and the like—on the expanded Challenger lineup for 2009, including a hot B5 blue paint scheme, the new Challenger R/T Classic Edition and even an R/T Track Pack. Also available this fall is a new entry-level Challenger SE, priced from $21,995. What this means to you: We don't have to tell you that the official brochures are certain to become collector's items in short order. (edmunds.com)

According to Motor Trend magazine, "To say the Dodge Challenger stands out in London is a bit like saying Heidi Klum is not unattractive" As writers from Motor Trend magazine rumbled up the fashionable Kings Road, past the chi-chi boutiques and the registry office where Mick Jagger once got married, the locals in their Astons and Bentleys let their cool slip and simply stared at 425 horsepower of in-your-face American muscle. So what are they doing in London with a new Dodge Challenger? They are getting ready for the ultimate Challenger road trip. Today they are off to Paris on the first leg of a 2,600-mile journey that will see the big Dodge coupe tackle some of the continent's greatest roads, from flat-out autobahn to writhing Alpine passes to famous racetracks where hard-muscled legends once diced with death. Tune into www.motortrend.com (Internet access required) or watch The Scoop for updates on the journey. (motortrend.com)

Ford Motor Co. said it named Ken Czubay, president of Southeast Toyota Distributors LLC, to lead its U.S. sales and marketing. Czubay will take over the position effective July 16 and report to group vice president for marketing Jim Farley, the company said today. Czubay previously worked for Ford from 1970 to 1983 and currently also is head of the largest-volume Toyota Motor Corp. Lexus brand dealership. (Bloomberg)

Today, in front of 4,000 soldiers, Army Spc. Michael Gallagher took possession of his new vehicle, an all-new, custom-painted 2008 Jeep® Liberty. The vehicle was provided to him by Chrysler LLC in partnership with Operation Gratitude. The vehicle includes a custom-painted mural that honors five fallen soldiers in Gallagher’s unit. The presentation continues Chrysler LLC’s support of the military through its “Honoring Those Who Serve” initiative, and relationships with organizations like Operation Gratitude. Frank Fountain, Senior Vice President—External Affairs and Public Policy, along with Carolyn Blashek, founder and president of Operation Gratitude, delivered the vehicle. Following the vehicle presentation, Spc. Gallagher joined the soldiers from 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, for a redeployment ceremony marking the brigade’s return from their Iraq deployment. “Our armed forces are making incredible sacrifices every day to protect our freedom and way of life,” Fountain said. “Providing Spc. Gallagher with an all-new Jeep Liberty vehicle is the least we could do to thank him for his courage and service to our country.”

The Women’s Forum has partnered with Dearborn Heights, Mich.-based Vista Maria to aid their mission of providing children and adolescents a safe, nurturing and family-centered environment so they can reach their full potential. Vista Maria provides care and treatment to more than 1,000 girls each year who have suffered abuse, neglect and other issues. To help support this organization, collection boxes will be placed in the Headquarters and Design Court employee entrances of the Auburn Hills Complex, at the Quality Engineering Center, Mopar® Headquarters and Hamlin Road Center from Friday, June 27 to July 3. Some items on the wish list include shampoo and conditioners; deodorant; toothbrushes and toothpaste; brushes and combs; soap (Dove, as many girls have allergies); lotion; hair gel (both Caucasian and African American); lip balm; slippers and shower shoes; socks; new underwear (sizes 5-13); and bras and sports bras (size 32-44). For more information about Vista Maria, contact them at (313) 271-3050 or visit www.vistamaria.org.

Honda Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Corp. increased June U.S. sales amid an industry decline, leading Asia-based automakers to outsell General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC for a second straight month. Demand for fuel-efficient cars boosted sales for Honda and Seoul-based Hyundai about 1 percent each from a year earlier while the U.S. total fell 18 percent. Honda, the second-largest Japanese automaker, sold 142,539 cars and light trucks in the U.S. last month, an increase of 1.1 percent. Honda for a second consecutive month outsold Chrysler to rank fourth in U.S. sales volume. It trails Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Chrysler by just 69,468 units in the first half. Hyundai sold 50,033 vehicles in June, a 1.3 percent increase from a year earlier. The gain came from Accent and Elantra small cars and midsize Sonata sedans, its most fuel-efficient models, the Seoul-based automaker said in a statement. (Bloomberg)

Facilities Management will be installing an underground valve on the fire loop main line adjacent to the Process node at the Chrysler Technology Center. The work is scheduled to begin June 24 and be completed by July 3, weather permitting. The work will involve the replacement of concrete road and soil adjacent to the node. Traffic along executive drive will remain open to light vehicle traffic. However, this traffic will be rerouted through the adjacent Deck 7 during this time. Larger vehicles, such as sprinter vans and vehicles taller than 7 foot 6 inches, will not be permitted in this area until construction has been completed.

Aramark has announced the following food services schedule will be available during the July shutdown:
- Main (Tech) Cafe: 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Both sundry stores: 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Vending and office coffee services
During this period, the following points of service will be closed:
- Satellite Dining: July 2 through July 18
- HQ Dining: July 7 through July 18
- Java City HQ and Tech Plaza: July 7 through July 18