Fiat exercises option to buy additional 3.3% of Chrysler shares

Automakers, Manufacturing, Production, , , ,

img-5Fiat today exercised an option to raise its stake in Chrysler by 3.3 percent.

The move is part of CEO Sergio Marchionne’s step-by-step purchases intended to lead to full control of Chrysler and the creation of a merged company that would be able to compete better with industry leaders Toyota, General Motors and Volkswagen.

Fiat has been exercising options since mid-2012 to buy holdings of about 3.3 percent from the VEBA, a medical-benefits trust for the U.S. carmaker’s retirees.

Including today’s purchase, Fiat has exercised three of its six-monthly options, increasing its stake to 68.49 percent.

Fiat has said it wants full control of Chrysler, which would give it access to some of Chrysler’s cash flow for investments in new models.

Chrysler has become Fiat’s most reliable profit generator as the Italian company struggles to end losses in Europe that totaled 704 million euros ($903 million) in 2012 amid a

Rod and his sons show off their souped-up Ford F-650 Ryan Kerrigan of the Washington Football Team

Washington Football Team

We?re back again with another segment of Redskins Rides presented by the Washington Redskins and Easterns Automotive Group.? For this week?s segment, Easterns thought it was only right to recruit not only a Washington Redskins player but also a member of their very own All Star Team.? They selected Ryan Kerrigan who is the linebacker for the Redskins who has also starred in several commercials for Eastern Motors.? Kerrigan met up with Rod and his two sons at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Virginia to discuss his amazing ride.? Rod has a 2005 Ford F-650 5.9-liter Cummins engine and an Allison transmission. He is an avid Redskins fan that converted this truck into a Redskins Ride about five years ago when he purchased it.? The truck is complete with a custom burgundy paint job to match the team colors and also two large Redskins flags that hang on the back pick-up portion of the truck.? This huge loud truck will definitely make you turn your head it drives by.? We would like to thank Rod and his two sons for taking the time to show off and discuss their souped-up truck with Kerrigan. ?It?s such a joy to meet amazing fans and give them an opportunity and platform to share their amazing vehicles.? Stay tuned for more Redskins Rides!

Caleb and Ron show off their 2003 Corvette to Dustin Hopkins of the Washington Football Team

Washington Football Team

A new week means a new Redskins Rides segment from Easterns Automotive Group and the Washington Redskins. This week, father son duo Caleb and Ron showed off their custom Redskins-themed 2003 Corvette to Dustin Hopkins of the Redskins. The yellow and burgundy paint combination catches your eye as soon you see the car. This is truly a one of a kind Corvette. Ron has been a Redskins fan his whole life. His son followed in his footsteps and grew to love the team as well. They discussed the attention that they receive at the home games when they drive the car. Their Corvette is complete with a custom Redskins paint job, team logos/badges, and a trunk full of memorabilia that these two have collected over the years. Ron told Dustin that people always offer food, memorabilia, and of course they want to take pictures with the car. You?re more than likely to see this ride in the green parking lot during any of the Redskins home games. Tell Caleb and Ron that we sent you! We would like to thank these two for showing off their amazing ride. Stay tuned for more Redskins Rides!

Craig and Robert show off their 1963 Corvette to Chris Thompson of the Washington Football Team

Washington Football Team

We?re back for the second week of the Redskins Rides segment that the Washington Redskins and Easterns have partnered up for. For this segment, Easterns recruited Chris Thompson who is a running back for the Redskins. Chris met up with Craig and Robert to talk to them and discuss their 1963 Chevy (Chevrolet) Corvette. There are several aspects of this Corvette that make is unique than some that one might see on the street. This car is 1 out of 10,594 Corvettes made in 1963 that have the split window in the back. This was also the only year that Chevy made Corvettes with the split window. Seeing a Corvette like this is rare in itself but owning one is almost unheard of. Craig and Robert purchased this car after it was previously in a wreck and re-built it from the ground up. The headlights on this Corvette also rotate down when not in use and then up when they are on. Sick! This is a true Redskins ride because the color of the car almost matches the color of the Redskins jersey that Thompson is wearing. We love it! We have to thank these two for giving us an exclusive look at their ride. Stay tuned for more Redskins Rides!

Dustin Hopkins & Anthony Lanier II help Vince show off custom Redskins? themed Polaris

Washington Football Team

For years, Easterns Automotive Group (Eastern Motors) has hosted their annual Redskins Rides car show event at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Virginia. Redskins fans from all over the DC, Maryland, and Virginia community travel to come enjoy a day of fun, cars, and of course Washington Redskins players. Only the best of the best in the area and the world of cars enter to be in the car show every single year. However, this year they thought it was time to switch things up. Easterns thought it would be a great idea to highlight some of the best and most special vehicles that entered. In the clip below, Dustin Hopkins and Anthony Lanier II are seen accompanied by Vince to discuss and show off his custom Redskins? themed Slingshot Polaris. This ride is special in so many different ways especially because of the detail that was put into the design. Different parts of the Polaris are decorated with pictures and memories of the late Sean Taylor that played for the Redskins from 2004 to 2007 before he was killed. Vince spoke about the attention that he gets while driving the vehicle and also for often being mistaken for a Redskins player. Fans have even approached him for autographs. Though it?s all in fun, Vince clearly loves the attention that he gets for representing the NFL team he loves. Stay tuned for more Redskins Rides!

Brendan Haywood Sits Inside of a Mini Cooper

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We are back with another Throwback Thursday Clip from Eastern Motors. This week, we have Brendan Haywood who is a former center for the Washington Wizards. Easterns built a great relationship with Haywood during his time because not only was he local, but he accomplished great milestones with the Wizards. Being that Easterns has always been a big supporter of all the teams and players in the area, they thought that Haywood would be a great addition to the Easterns family.

Haywood?s 7 ft height was always a physical feature that he to use to his advantage on the basketball court. This didn?t work when he tried to fit inside of a Mini Cooper during his commercial shoot with Easterns. Even though he was able to fit inside the car, he had very little room left to maneuver and be comfortable. The car salesmen walked him through the perks of having a Mini Cooper such as great gas mileage, tax breaks on emissions, and the affordable price tag. However, even these great perks couldn?t prevent Haywood from saying that he needed a car that was better for his size. After searching the dealership, he found a Cadillac Escalade that fit him comfortably. It?s great for customers to see that Easters has cars, trucks, and SUVs that fit everyone?s size and budget.

Throwback Thursday Clip of the Week ? Eastern Motors Commercial w/ Larry Michael (The Voice of the Washington Redskins)

Throwback Thursday,

It?s that time of the week again! It?s time for our Throwback Thursday Clip of the Week from Easterns Automotive Group. This commercial clip includes someone with a very special voice in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia community. Larry Michael, also known as ?The Voice of the Washington Redskins? has one of the most distinct voices that you could ever hear. Since the Redskins hired him in 2005, Michael has been a household name to fans of the team throughout the area. The fact that he was a native of the area, growing up in Silver Spring, Maryland only made people love him more. As a broadcaster, Larry has always done a good job of carving out a lane for himself setting himself apart from the competition. Easterns has always had a great relationship with the Redskins organization as well as the players individually. Everyone thought that it would be a great idea for Easterns and Michael to team up to create magic. The voice of Larry Michael has credibility so by him discussing Easterns and what they bring to the automotive industry in the DMV area was brilliant. Typically Easterns commercials are funny and silly but this time Michael added a sense of seriousness to the brand to convey the message that Easterns is really a quality brand that is breaking barriers in the community. Watch the commercial clip below, Enjoy!

Throwback Thursday Clip of the Week ? Eastern Motors Jingle Commercial w/ Ray Lewis, LaVar Arrington, and Clinton Portis

Throwback Thursday,

This week we have a special Throwback Thursday Clip of the Week from Easterns. This clip is a jingle commercial that was shot back in 2007 starring Ray Lewis, LaVar Arrington, and Clinton Portis. This is single-handedly the most well known Easterns commercial to date having over one million combined views on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. During the time that the commercial was filmed, both Arrington and Portis were playing for the Washington Ravens while Ray Lewis was playing for the Baltimore Ravens. These three coming together was a perfect way to unify the DC, Maryland, and Virginia community by highlighting players from both teams to come together to sing along, have fun, and represent a great brand. Easterns was one of the very first used car dealers both locally and nationally to have professional athletes in their commercials singing and dancing. These commercials because a part of people?s lives because it was one of the very few times that they were able to see some of their favorite athletes out of their normal serious and stern football characters. Many brands and companies have been influenced by marketing behind Easterns because they finally saw something that worked. We hope that you enjoy this clip! Feel free to sing along.

Throwback Thursday Clip of the Week ? Eastern Motors Jingle Commercial w/ Kevin Pollak

Throwback Thursday

We?re back again for another Throwback Thursday Clip of the Week. The star of this particular clip from the past is Kevin Pollak. Pollak is an American actor, comedian, and impressionist from San Francisco, California. To date, he is most known for his signature impressions of Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Robert De Niro, and Eddie Murphy just to name a few. Pollak was in also in several hit movies such as Dr. Dolittle 2, War Dogs, and The Unusual Suspects. Television is also his resume. Throughout his career, he has been viewed by people as such a funny guy with a great sense of humor. Being that Easterns is a brand that also represents fun with their jingle; they thought that having Pollak on board would be a no brainer. The good thing is that when we arrived to the set, he came with the same warm and silly energy that he translates through his work. The shoot was a blast! Pollak is truly a character and an awesome yet fun person to be around. He got into the Mercedes-Benz and put his own spin on the Easterns jingle by adding his funny faces and hand gestures. Commercials like this are what separates Easterns from other car dealerships in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. Easterns is always able to see and think outside the box. This commercial was one for the books!

Throwback Thursday Clip of the Week ? Eastern Motors Commercial Skit w/ Jason Campbell and Chris Cooley

Throwback Thursday

It?s that time of the week! We are back to bring you another Throwback Thursday Clip of Week from Easterns Automotive Group. For this commercial, Easterns recruited NFL stars Jason Campbell and Jason Cooley during their time playing football for the Washington Redskins. Usually the talent in the Easterns commercials sings along to the jingle but this time they wanted to try something different. Since both Campbell and Cooley were football players it made perfect sense to do a skit. It made perfect sense that the commercial skit was filmed in the Redskins locker room. The two players exchanged dialogue and went back and fourth about their football skills until Cooley accused Campbell of spending all his time buying cars at Eastern Motors instead of improving his football skills. Campbell didn?t deny his love for Easterns but he did challenge what Cooley said by making Cooley admit that he also loves to drive cars from Easterns as well. After watching the commercial, fans were able to take away that Easterns was the place to go when looking for a car and also how competitive these two are when it comes to the sport that they love.