Jeep Sales Posts Best First Quarter in Years

Jeep CherokeeAs the first quarter of 2014 wraps up, Jeep is posting record sales for the month of March and setting up the brand for its strongest sales in recent years.

In March, the Jeep brand posted a 41 percent sales increase compared to March in 2013, selling a reported 5,081 units. The sales numbers for the first quarter of 2014 came out to 12,800 units sold by the Jeep Brand, the best first quarter ever recorded by Jeep brand.

Sales for the Jeep brand were propelled by the Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, and Wrangler, the brand’s top three vehicles. The Jeep Wrangler alone had an 11 percent sales increase compared to March 2013.

The full 2014 Jeep brand line-up is available for viewing on Bayside’s online showroom, so go to www.baysidechryslerjeepdodge.net for an up-close look at the Cherokee, Compass, Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, and Wrangler Unlimited. You can also connect with Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Chrysler Hires 1,000 New Employees for Jeep Wrangler, Cherokee Demand

Jeep Cherokee

Demand for the Jeep Wrangler and new Jeep Cherokee has been pushing employees at the Jeep plant in Toledo to work longer weeks, and rather than burn out their good full-time employees, Jeep has decided to hire as many as 1,000 new part-time employees at the plant.

This year, Chrysler has already hired 380 temporary part-time employees, but 50 of those employees have been upgraded to full-time status. To keep up with the production needs, however, the Toledo branch needs to bring on even more part-time help. Once these part-time employees are hired, many of the full-time employees who have been working 60-hour weeks will be able to work less, take more time off, and avoid burn-out.

Part-time hires at the Toledo plant will get up to 30 hours a week and will be paid $15.78 per hour plus some benefits including health insurance.

Toledo plant manager Chuck Padden praised his employees’ collective work ethic, saying, “Our people have been working a tremendous amount of hours. To get them more time off is important to us, to make sure they’re refreshed, and can work safely.”

Check out the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Cherokee online to see the Toledo plant’s hard work, and for Bayside’s full new and used inventory, visit Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge online at www.baysidechryslerjeepdodge.net. You can also connect with Bayside on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Jeep Four-Wheel-Drive Innovation Wins Walter P. Chrysler Technology Award

Walter P Chrysler Technology AwardEarlier this week, the Walter P. Chrysler Technology Award was given to engineers Don Schmanski, Mike Nemeth, Joe Kubina, and Pete Jarzyna for their critical work on the 2014 Jeep Cherokee.

The team was being honored for their work on U.S. Patent No. 8172712, the four-wheel-drive system available in the 2014 Jeep Cherokee. Thanks to this innovation, the 2014 Jeep Cherokee has crawl ratios up to 56:1, and the fuel economy has been improved by 2.5 percent.

Their patent was chosen out of 44 patented technologies developed at Chrysler Group in the past year, beating out U.S. Patent No. 8182016, a new seat assembly allowing forward or rear-facing seating positions, and U.S. Patent 8096044, an apparatus for setting the door and quarter-glass in a convertible vehicle body prior to assembling the convertible top.

Schmanski, Nemeth, Kubina, and Jarzyna have received commemorative medallions honoring their achievement, and the entire team’s names will be etched on a trophy which is on display at Chrysler Group headquarters.

For more information on the Jeep Cherokee and other Jeep vehicles, contact us at Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge.  Check out our new and used line-up on our website as well.  Be sure to like us on Facebook and to follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on vehicle news and special monthly offers.