http://www.thecarconnection.com/tips Sat, 05 Dec 2009 21:07:43 -0500 Tips and Advice -- find out how to maintain, service, insure, wash and wax, and change the oil in your car with tips from TheCarConnection.com. Lifestyle/Fashion http://static.thecarconnection.com/website/tcc-feed.jpg http://www.thecarconnection.com/tips http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039565_marchionne-weighs-the-future-of-chrysler-lancia-alfa-romeo http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039565_marchionne-weighs-the-future-of-chrysler-lancia-alfa-romeo Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:59:00 -0500 One month ago, a popular rumor suggested that Jeep would soon be the only Chrysler brand sold overseas. Now, a contradictory bit of gossip says that Chrysler/Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne may ditch the Lancia nameplate and sell those vehicles in Europe as Chryslers. There's also talk of potential integration between Chrysler and the ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038700_geely-intends-to-keep-volvo-production-in-europe-maybe http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038700_geely-intends-to-keep-volvo-production-in-europe-maybe Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:26:00 -0500 We've been keeping a close eye on the evolving Ford/Volvo/Geely saga. So far, the biggest point of contention in the brou-ha-ha has been Ford's concerns about intellectual property, which Geely might or might not respect after the ink dries. (China hasn't exactly been at the forefront of IP law.) However, there have also been unspoken worries ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038566_adwatch-alfa-romeo-mito-video-is-simple-clever-jeans-free http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038566_adwatch-alfa-romeo-mito-video-is-simple-clever-jeans-free Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:00 -0500 Last time we heard from Alfa Romeo, we wondered what new drugs had found their way to Europe. (Seriously, that genes/jeans campaign from London's Performance PR was terrible.) The latest ad for the Alfa Romeo MiTo comes from Milan's Fabbrica Virali agency, and it's equally bizarre -- but in a totally good way. The spot features Mozart's ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038079_carlos-ghosn-auto-sales-have-bottomed-nowhere-to-go-but-up http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038079_carlos-ghosn-auto-sales-have-bottomed-nowhere-to-go-but-up Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:41:00 -0500 Speaking at a World Economic Forum in New Delhi, Carlos Ghosn -- head of Nissan Motor Company and Renault SA -- had some interesting things to say about the global auto industry. Among the most notable and encouraging items, Ghosn believes that the international sales slump has ended and that the industry is beginning to rebound. He had ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037917_upcoming-concept-vehicle-will-define-the-new-saab http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037917_upcoming-concept-vehicle-will-define-the-new-saab Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:47:00 -0500 The good news for Saab keeps on rolling: last month, we mentioned that the company's sale to Koenigsegg was looking like a done deal (thanks to a €400 million loan from the European Investment Bank), and now comes word that Saab is developing a new, small concept vehicle to presage the company's future lineup. The concept vehicle is set to ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037708_rumor-jeep-to-be-the-only-chrysler-brand-sold-overseas http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037708_rumor-jeep-to-be-the-only-chrysler-brand-sold-overseas Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:33:00 -0500 Tomorrow marks the big unveiling of Chrysler's five-year recovery plan. There's been a lot of speculation about the company's new strategy, and now comes a bit more: sources familiar with the recovery document say that CEO Sergio Marchionne will scrap plans to sell most Chrysler brands outside North America. The sole exception? Jeep, which ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036546_first-drive-2010-volkswagen-polo http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036546_first-drive-2010-volkswagen-polo Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0400 Is it 1973 all over again? Volkswagen is amping up for a fuel-economy battle with Honda and Ford, right here in America, with a new hatchback. Only this time, some of the names have changed, and so have the rules. Come 2011 or so, it's the VW Polo readying for a fight with the Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta. The fuel economy sea-changes and ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036542_video-volkswagen-launches-the-fun-theory-campaign http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036542_video-volkswagen-launches-the-fun-theory-campaign Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:30:00 -0400 http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036219_wtf-foreign-ad-of-the-day-the-seat-ibiza http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036219_wtf-foreign-ad-of-the-day-the-seat-ibiza Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:31:00 -0400 We don't talk much about foreign-only models on TCC, but every so often, one of them catches our eye. Usually, that's because a variant is heading to America, or sometimes, it's because the car's ad campaign is so out there. We don't know what the Parisian agency known as Grey was thinking when they designed this muddy Photoshop disaster for ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035286_fiat-laying-the-groundwork-for-chryslers-european-future http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035286_fiat-laying-the-groundwork-for-chryslers-european-future Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:10:00 -0400 Fiat may have concerns about its new bride's housekeeping and checkbook-balancing skills, but it's making aggressive plans for Chrysler's future in Europe, and CEO Sergio Marchionne has announced that Euro-market Chryslers will soon be manufactured at an Italian facility Fiat acquired from Bertone. Chances are good that the vehicle produced ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034719_five-questions-ford-evp-mark-fields http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034719_five-questions-ford-evp-mark-fields Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:40:00 -0400 Ford is in by far the best shape of the Detroit Three right now. Their sales are up compared to GM and Toyota, and their 2009 Ford Focus and 2009 Ford Escape were two of the top-selling cars bought using Cash-for-Clunkers credits. TheCarConnection.com was lucky enough to attend a Ford social event in New York City last night, part of a ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034715_norwegian-electric-car-maker-think-newly-solvent-resumes-us-plans http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034715_norwegian-electric-car-maker-think-newly-solvent-resumes-us-plans Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:10:00 -0400 These days, you can't turn around without finding electric-car news and updates. The 2010 Tesla Roadster, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, and 2012 Nissan Leaf all sop up their share or more of ink and electrons. Now, add the Think City to that list. Think, the Norwegian electric-car company whose City is one of the few highway-capable electric ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1021392_gm-and-koenigsegg-group-sign-stock-purchase-agreement-for-saab-sale http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1021392_gm-and-koenigsegg-group-sign-stock-purchase-agreement-for-saab-sale Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:27:00 -0400 The bidding for GM's Saab division has finally reached a conclusion, with a Swedish consortium lead by supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg announced as the final buyer for the struggling automaker. General Motors has been looking for a buyer for Saab since late last year, as it tried to cut brands and steer clear of bankruptcy. As it filed ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034348_chevrolet-astro-cargo-van-owners-your-2010-ford-transit-connect-is-here http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034348_chevrolet-astro-cargo-van-owners-your-2010-ford-transit-connect-is-here Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:28:00 -0400 Over at our sister site GreenCarReports.com, we've been following the launch of the 2010 Ford Transit Connect van with keen interest. It's a vehicle that has very few direct competitors in the US, though in Europe, there are more than a dozen small urban delivery vans like it. Rated by the EPA at 22 miles per gallon city / 25 mpg highway, the ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1033892_bmw-re-launches-isetta-brand-with-new-marketing-campaign http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1033892_bmw-re-launches-isetta-brand-with-new-marketing-campaign Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:10:00 -0400