Chrysler Wraps Auburn Hills HQ with New "Imported From Detroit" Tagline

The Chrysler Group is showcasing its new “Imported from Detroit” tagline for the 200 model series with a massive wrap covering almost the entire west side of the company’s 15-story headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Detroit automaker's new tagline made its debut in a two-minute advertising spot for the company's latest entry to the mid-size segment on Super Bowl Sunday.

“The 2011 Chrysler 200 is a vehicle designed with purpose, it has beautiful shapes and incorporates the utmost attention to detail,” said Olivier Francois, President and CEO of the Chrysler Brand, Chrysler Group LLC, and Lancia.

“This new mid-size sedan delivers on a promise to our customers to be the very best of American design combined with a value proposition that will exceed their expectations. The new tagline was created to convey the message that one does not have to cross an ocean to obtain luxury, its available right here,” Francois stated.

Francois last statement could be taken as a poke to European buyers who -figuratively speaking- will have to "cross an ocean to obtain luxury" given that the soon to be released Lancia Flavia is a re-badged 200 Imported from Detroit...

Building Wrap Facts [From Chrysler Press Release]

• The Chrysler 200 featured in the building wrap is 116 feet wide by 145 feet tall
  • Its grille is 51 feet wide
  • The badge on the Chrysler 200 grille is 31 feet in length
  • Headlight is 32 feet long
  • Its hood measures 44 feet in length and 85 feet in width
  • Its windshield is 66 feet wide and 20 feet long
  • The side-view mirrors are each 9 feet wide and 7 feet long
• The Chrysler brand logo is 98 feet wide
• The building wrap covers 14 stories of the Headquarters’ tower
• It took three days to place the wrap on the tower

Read All About it: Lancia's Geneva Motor Show Debuts in Detail

*The above photo is a Carscoop illustration

We've been hearing a lot of rumors and speculations for the past few months about Lancia's future product portfolio as well as which of these new models could make their world premiere at the Geneva International Motor Show on March 1. Carscoop has now learned final details of Lancia's plans for the Swiss Salon and can confirm that, aside from the 2012 Ypsilon we've already told you about, the Italian automaker will slip the covers off six more production and concept cars.

Without further ado, these are the Lancia models that will make their first public appearance in Geneva next month: the new Thema flagship sedan based on the Chrysler 300; the Grand Voyager minivan based on the Chrysler Town & Country / Dodge Grand Voyager; the Flavia sedan and convertible concepts based on the respective versions of the Chrysler 200; and finally, the subtly revised 2012MY Delta with a new grille plus trim and engine updates.

Some additional information we found out is that the new rear-wheel drive Thema will reach European showrooms this fall with a choice of two engines including Chrysler's V6 Pentastar and a 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel in two states of tune, while the Flavia concept sedan and cabriolet models may be available in production form as early as the beginning of 2012.

As you can see, Fiat and Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne's plans to create a single brand lineup with certain market differentiations for Lancia and Chrysler are going full speed ahead, but only time will tell if these efforts -at least in this first implementation- prove to be successful, especially with European consumers.

Lancia Flavia Sedan and Convertible: Concept-Tagged Versions of Chrysler 200

Lancia is going to be quite busy at next month's Geneva Salon as the Italian brand deepens its ties with Chrysler by incorporating the latter's models into its range. Next up on our list after the new Lancia Thema, are the Flavia concept saloon and convertible models, which pay tribute not to their historic ancestor of the 1960s but to art of badge engineering. The two Flavia studies are based on the respective body styles of the Chrysler 200.

The Italian automaker said both configurations of Lancia Flavia Concept are characterized by their luxed-up interiors in terms of materials and equipment features. According to Lancia, "[the Flavia]embraces the stylistic features of the Italian manufacturer, giving a unique interpretation of the Chrysler 200 model which could be launched on European markets in record time." And by record time, Lancia means that production of its D-segment competitor could start in just 6 months.

If all goes well, the Flavia will most likely be offered in Europe with a choice of gasoline and diesel engines.

Did Fiat Simply Photoshop Lancia badges on the Chrysler 200 Convertible?

Maybe it's because I'm a suspicious person by nature, but upon seeing the pictures of the Lancia Flavia Concepts, the first thing I thought of doing was to head over to Chrysler and check out the gallery of photos of the 200. Now, even though there's a possibility I could be wrong, my gut instinct and experience tell me that the photo of the official Lancia Flavia Convertible Concept has been doctored, or to put it bluntly, the Fiat Group simply photoshoped the Italian firm's badges on an existing photo of the Chrysler 200 Convertible.

The Italians might have been able to get away with it if it weren't for a couple of obvious blunders, the most telling of which are the shadows on the left-hand corner of the front bumper and just above the lug nuts on the front alloy wheel. Feel free to check out the photos in high-res quality for yourselves right after the jump.

By John Halas

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Did Fiat Simply Photoshop Lancia badges on the Chrysler 200 Convertible?

Maybe it's because I'm a suspicious person by nature, but upon seeing the pictures of the Lancia Flavia Concepts, the first thing I thought of doing was to head over to Chrysler and check out the gallery of photos of the 200. Now, even though there's a possibility I could be wrong, my gut instinct and experience tell me that the photo of the official Lancia Flavia Convertible Concept has been doctored, or to put it bluntly, the Fiat Group simply photoshoped the Italian firm's badges on an existing photo of the Chrysler 200 Convertible.

The Italians might have been able to get away with it if it weren't for a couple of obvious blunders, the most telling of which are the shadows on the left-hand corner of the front bumper and just above the lug nuts on the front alloy wheel. Feel free to check out the photos in high-res quality for yourselves right after the jump.

By John Halas

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________