The History of Jeep Production in Toledo

Posted on August 8, 2016 by baysideadmin

The Jeep is celebrating its 75^th Anniversary and what better time to look back at how the Jeep came to be and how it has survived on the market as long as it has.

The Toledo Blade has a look at the history of the Jeep. It seems appropriate considering that the current home of the Jeep is in Toldeo. The Jeep was originally a military vehicle. Anyone who has seen pictures or biographical movies set during the Second World War has seen what the military Jeep looks like. It is an iconic design. That design came from the Ford Motor Co., the American Bantam Car Co, and Toledo-based Willys-Overland.

The city of Toledo was where the engine was made for the original Jeep. Toledo was also where the Jeep as we know it was truly born. When the war was over, Jeep production continued in the city with the Jeep station wagon and years later the evolution into the Jeeps of today.

The Jeep also provided the Toledo area with growth as the factory and Jeep production helped to sustain a vibrant middle-class. It’s struggled through the years, like most cities that grew from manufacturing in the US. The difference is that Chrysler has keep Toledo plants open and making Jeeps. Even with the recent fear that the Jeep may be leaving Toledo, the company remains committed to having the Jeep here in the states.

The future of Jeep will continue in Toledo. Fiat-Chrysler has invested a sizable amount of money into the plant at Toledo to develop and bring the next generation of Wrangler.

If you’re looking to find out more about the current line-up of Jeeps, click the link and see the selection on Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge. Be sure to like the dealership on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel, to stay up to date on auto news and our special monthly offers.

FCA is Ending Passenger Car Production in the US to Focus on Jeep SUVs and Pickups

Posted on July 27, 2016 by baysideadmin

Fiat-Chrysler has been making some major changes lately. They’ve been looking at how to meet the demands of vehicles and have come away with a new focus on the Jeep and Dodge products. So much so that now FCA will be looking at no longer producing passenger vehicles in the US, instead shifting their automaking resources over to SUVs and pickups.

The Detroit Free Press covered this interesting news story today. The Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 haven’t been doing as well sales-wise as other vehicles in the FCA line-up. Seeing the trending demand for their SUVs and pickup trucks, FCA is signaling that they’ll be putting their efforts into being a primary producer of Jeeps and Ram pickups.

The Dodge Durango SUV will still be made in the US. It’ll be produced next to the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Sergio Marchionne spoke on the announcement saying, “By the time we finish with this, hopefully, all of our production assets in the United States – if you exclude Canada and Mexico from the fold – all those US plants will be producing either Jeeps or Rams.”

Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer Will Be Premium SUVs

Posted on July 5, 2016 by baysideadmin

The Jeep Wagoneer isn’t here yet but it is hard not to get excited. While it hasn’t hit the showrooms yet, that hasn’t stopped the news from what it will be like. Automotive News is reporting that both the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will be due after 2019 and will “push the premium boundaries of the brand” according to the head of Jeep brand Mike Manley.

“The Wagoneer name represents, historically, the pinnacle of premium for the Jeep World,” Manley is quoted by Automotive News. “But in the same way as you may have an Overland and a Summit, you have different trim levels. So you could imagine the use of Wagoner to denote a really premium vehicle, and Grand Wagoneer takes it to the very next level. If you were to use that as your naming strategy, that’s exactly how I would use the trims.”

Manley is definitely pointing to the Wagoneer being one of the more ambitious vehicles Jeep is producing. With how good Jeep has been in sales, it appears that Jeep is wanting to have a long range of different types of SUVs to pick from. The Renegade at the entry level and the Wagoneer for the premium buyer.

The Wagoneer and the upscale Grand Wagoneer will be sharing a platform with the next-gen Grand Cherokee and will be assembled at the Warren Truck Assembly plant in Detroit.