Sales Figures for June 2009 have been released and it looks like Ford is on the right track.

Ford Motor Company states that its sales have increased and it is now only 10.9 percent in the negative as set against its sales in June 2008. Sales for GM and Chrysler on the other hand have not picked up as much as Ford. GM has seen a drop of 33.6 percent and Chrysler has seen a drop of 41.9 percent compared with June 2008.

BMW, Nissan, and Honda are all down by 20 percent and more compared with last June and Toyota is down by over 30 percent. Subaru and Volvo are the only two companies that have seen an increase in sales since June 2008. Subaru’s sales are up by 3.4 percent while Volvo has just squeaked into the green with a 0.6 percentage thanks to its new XC60.

 
Automakers    Percentage of Decrease in Sales    Cars Sold in June 09    Cars Sold in June 08
Ford                   -10.85                                        155,195                       174,091
General Motors    -33.60                                         176,571                      265,937
Chrysler              -41.85                                          68,297                       117,457
Nissan                -23.14                                           58,298                        75,848
Honda                -29.55                                         100,420                      142,539
BMW                  -20.29                                           20,849                        26,155
Toyota                -31.87                                         131,654                      193,234

+ Autoblog: By the Numbers: June 2009: Bankruptcy a Bad Idea Edition

Looks like we can stop salivating now. The inner workings of the Chrysler and Fiat alliance means that little Italian cars will start to make their way to America, the first of which will be the diminutive Fiat 500, slated to arrive in American showrooms in as little as eighteen months.

Fiat's vice president of communications, Richard Gadeselli, says that the 500 is the only vehicle which will come to America without any significant changes. Future U.S.-spec Fiats will be very different from their Italian counterparts, but we're happy to know that the 500 won't change too much.

Us? We're looking forward to flogging a Fiat 500 against a Smart ForTwo and Mini Cooper sometime in the not-so-distant future.

+ Autoblog: Fiat confirms 500 at Chrysler dealers in about 18 months

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An alliance between Chrysler and Fiat could mean that the U.S. would receive the Fiat 500, Grande Punto, and Panda, as well as the Alfa Romeo MiTo and Milano, Edmunds reports. Chrysler's bankruptcy documents also indicate American access to Fiat’s 3.0-liter diesel and 1.4-liter engines.

With these vehicles, Chrysler hopes to offer a lineup of vehicles in a segment currently underserved by the automaker. The alliance could also mean more production in underutilized plants in the U.S.

View the Alfa Romeo MiTo in the gallery above, or follow the link below to the source article.

+ Edmunds Inside Line: Which Fiat Products Are Bound for U.S.? Details Emerge

General Motors may be putting their many brands on the chopping block, but things are infinitely worse over at Chrysler. The White House announced today that Chrysler LLC will be forced into bankruptcy protection. President Barack Obama is still scheduled to make an official announcement regarding a signed deal between Chrysler and Fiat, so stay tuned for more details.

An administration official told The Detroit News, "Their [Chrysler's] failure to act in their own economic interest or the national interest does not diminish the accomplishments made by Chrysler, Fiat, and its stake-holders, nor will it impede the new opportunity Chrysler now has to restructure and emerge stronger going forward." Chrysler's original restructuring plan was not accepted by the government and after failure to come up with something more substantial, it looks like bankruptcy is the best option for the American automaker.

We'll keep you posted as more details emerge.

+ The Detroit News: White House plans bankruptcy for Chrysler as talks fail

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne expects to see Chrysler enter into Chapter 11 bankruptcy very soon--or so says CAW chief Ken Lewenza.  The union boss told Leftlane News that he conversed with Marchione and the Italian exec stated, "...if I was a betting man, I would suggest Chrysler is going to fall into Chapter 11."

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We have a 2009 Chrysler 300C SRT8 in the Ann Arbor test fleet this week, and while the 300 is an aging car with a refresh right around the corner, there's a lot to like about the SRT8 model. After all, what's so bad about having rear-wheel drive and a 6.1-liter Hemi V-8 under the hood? Aside from the fuel economy of 13/19 miles per gallon, anyway.

We'll be tacking on quite a few miles to the bad-boy Chrysler this week, so it only seems appropriate that we offer it up in our Ask It forums. Head on over to the forum thread and post whatever questions you may have about the 300C SRT8 and we'll do our best to respond.

+ NextAutos Forums: Ask It: 2009 Chrysler 300C SRT8

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Our spy photographer sent us these shots of the new 2010 Alfa Romeo Milano Mule hanging out in the snow. Built on the same platform as the Alfa Romeo Bravo, the 5-door successor of the 147 will come standard with Q2 front-wheel drive, but will also have an optional Q4 four-wheel drive system. It will also have feature the same line of T-jet and Multijet engines included in other Alfas. We can expect a saucier GTA version some time after its release.

Due to a careful camouflage job, it is difficult to see the form of the Milano, so we’ll have to wait to get a peek at the front-end styling that characterizes many Alfa Romeos.

Questionable Good news, hatch fans: Chrysler includes the Milano in its viability plan.

Click through the gallery above to view the Alfo Romeo Milano, or scroll down for the photographer’s own words.

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Assuming that Chrysler will be able to dodge the financial crisis bullet that’s aimed squarely at its head these days, the automaker is planning to flood the market with a total of 24 new models during the next 48 months. This, per the plan that the automaker submitted to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday.

As nicely illustrated by this set of charts, the models intended for 2010 will be the next-gen Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango. Later on, the company has planned to release the fully electric Lotus based Dodge EV Roadster, as well as EVs and Hybrids. Fiat Group-based compact cars should be in the mix over the next few years as well. Get you a better look at the charts with our gallery above.

+ Carscoop: Chrysler LLC's 2010 - 2015 Product Plan

In breaking news this morning, Chrysler parent company, the investment concern called Cerberus Capitol Management, has signed a non-binding term sheet with Fiat to establish what is being termed a, “global strategic alliance.”

The terms of the deal would seem to be fairly exciting for Chrysler, as well as for those Americans who’ve lusted over some of the Fiat portfolio in the past. Chrysler is set to receive a much needed technology share, gaining access to Fiats platforms for compact and city cars, as well as to very fuel-efficient powertrains. Fiat will also offer Chrysler access distribution in emerging markets that the company hasn’t yet enjoyed.

For its part, Fiat should get an initial 35 percent equity stake in Chrysler, as well as access to Chrysler’s own distribution network within North America. While it isn’t explicitly laid out in the press release, we can’t help but hope that such a deal would pave the way for the oft-discussed return of Fiat sub brand Alfa Romeo to our shores, and in turn, products like its sexy MiTo small hatch. To say nothing of Fiat's own 500 city car.

You’ll find the full Chrysler/Fiat announcement below. Read through it and then give us your take on the pending partnership, in our new forum thread .
 

The PT Cruiser was initially a strong seller for the Chrysler brand when it debuted near the turn of the century, but declining sales figures have caused Chrysler to stop production on the PT this summer. Chrysler killed off the drop-top PT Convertible last year, and now the entire model range will bite the dust, according to an interview that Bloomberg had with Chrysler's Tom LaSorda.

PT sales dropped by 49 percent last year, only being able to move 50,910 vehicles off of dealer lots. This is indeed a drastic drop considering that during the car's peak, over 140,000 models were sold annually. According to LaSorda, the decision to kill the PT was mostly caused because the automaker is currently pursuing a possible sale of the equipment used to build the Cruiser in Mexico.

Chrysler's lineup has shrunk drastically over the past few years, and after the death of the PT Cruiser, only the Town & Country, Sebring, and 300 will remain. So if the PT is your thing, you'd best go out and get one before they become used car lot lizards.

+ Bloomberg: Chrysler to End PT Cruiser, Seek Buyer for Equipment (via Autoblog)