Chrysler to close Pacifica Advanced Design Studios

The 20 designers at Chrysler's Pacifica Advanced Design Studios in Carlsbad, California will soon be finding themselves out of a job. The struggling North American automaker announced the closure of the facility on Friday, stating that the company is ‘leveraging resources worldwide, forming new joint ventures and alliances and consolidating operations in order to better achieve global balance.' Responsible for many of the more successful designs hailing from Chrysler in recent times, including the Chrysler 300 sedan and the new Dodge Challenger musclecar, the Pacifica Advanced Product Design Center also yielded the Nassau concept car and the Pacifica crossover – bearing the same name as the west coast studios in which it was created. The work done at the Pacifica Advanced Design Center will be consolidated into the Advance Design function in Auburn Hills and continue to be led by Senior Vice President of Design, Trevor Creed.

625 cars per day found to be insurance write-offs

ONE IN EVERY 33 vehicles given a history check is found to be an insurance write-off, according to data gathered by HPI. In 2012 one in 33 vehicles checked by HPI was an insurance total loss – otherwise known as a write-off. This equates to 625 cars a day or over 223,000 cars per year being dangerously repaired and sold on to unsuspecting consumers.

Series 51 Bentley Continental Frankfurt launch

A series 51 Bentley customised interior But these sorts of services are normally only offered at the very top end. But to make it easier for customers on their ‘Entry-Level’ models, Bentley is launching ‘Series 51‘, a set of customisation options for the Bentley Continental GT and GTC. Series 51 is named after the year in which Bentley’s original styling department was created by John Blatchley.