CEO Ralph Gilles Talks [Pet] Shop With Animal Radio |
 
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Posted on March 26, 2010
![DG010 002JN 331x223 CEO Ralph Gilles Talks [Pet] Shop With Animal Radio ralph gilles Dodge Journey dodge Animal Radio features photo](http://www.redlinedodge.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/DG010_002JN.jpg?84cd58 "DG010_002JN")
For five years now, the personalities at Animal Radio® have been ranking autos based on their Fido-friendly qualities and for 2010, the top two spots go to Chrysler Group brand vehicles. Thanks to their innovative safety features, Animal Radio awarded first and second place to the Dodge Journey and Chrysler Town and Country (respectively), marking the first time a domestic automaker has snagged first place.
In honor of the new award, our very own Dodge CEO Ralph Gilles sat down with Animal Radio hosts Hal Abrams and Judy Francis to dish on the design process behind the two vehicles and share a little about his own furry companions. To listen to his interview now, click here to listen the entire segment and be sure to keep an ear out for the 1h 37m mark for Ralph’s spot. If you’re up for a little waiting, you can also catch it when it airs nationwide at noon (EDT) on March 27th and again at 5 p.m. EDT on March 28th on 90+ AM & FM stations throughout the United States and Guam and on XM Satellite Radio ch 158.
Mar 26, 2010 @ 13:46:22
Dodge has gone to the dogs? I hope not.
Mar 27, 2010 @ 07:42:25
Only a dog would like that interior in the Journey.
Mar 28, 2010 @ 20:57:46
So Ralph talks to the animals? I don’t know if I would like to be nicknamed Dr. Dolittle, especially the way Dodge sales have plummetted. But anyhow, the Plum Crazy Challenger that I finally broke down and bought this weekend is great and keep more cars like the Challenger in the pipeline and you will sell a lot more cars. Retro is good. Thanks again, Dodge Boys!
Mar 29, 2010 @ 07:12:48
Sublime:
Congratulations on the purchase! I know you had a preferential color other than this, but an awesome choice nonetheless. And yes, we have some great products in the pipeline.
RLD Staff
Mar 29, 2010 @ 08:46:41
RLD, the purple is growing on me and it turns heads everywhere I go. It is a great feeling to have a 70s muscle car without all of the maintenance. Knowing that I don’t have to replace the spark plugs and pack the wheel bearings every 10,000 miles is comforting. I used to hate driving to work or run errands and now I am looking for excuses to go anywhere. This car is hot. There is nothing that compares to it on the road. The stance of the car is intimidating and even my Ford and Chevy buddies think it is the best example of a retro muscle car on the road. I can’t wait until all my Mopar Accessories come in.
Mar 29, 2010 @ 10:05:27
Sublime,
What old Dodge do you have to change the spark plugs or repack the wheel bearings every 10,000 miles ?
I own and owned many old Mopars and I put on 100,000 miles on my old 440 Challenger and never replaced the wheel bearings nor repacked them and still drive it today,spark plugs last just as long on old cars as new..I drove my 68 Charger 95,000 miles 2 sets of plugs ( I change them every 50,000 even on my new Mopars)and still runs 12.50′s at the track,440/727/3.23 axle/Purple cam/mild head job/street tires(spins past 60 ft),many mid 60′s Chrysler full size cars near 40,000 miles each..I drive 3,000 a month since the early 90′s and I drove my old cars everyday throughout the 1990′s .My dad also owned Mopars from the 50′s to now and the 60′s-70′s Mopars last forever,remember a 5 digit odometer after 99,999 it rolls back to 0.We have had over 55 Mopars and replaced bearings on 2 cars that needed it,otherwise we never touched them…
Also Sublime look at your maintenance schedule,you actually have more routine maint. than an old car !!! Enjoy your Challenger though !!
Mar 29, 2010 @ 11:15:06
440, I have got six pack set ups with 509 purple shaft cams on two 440 road runners that I have in the garage and they may run a little rich so that is why I have to change the plugs out. In addition, they have Childs and Alberts rings that run better at higher revs but allow oil to pass. They run great and you are correct in that they have never broken down. I have never had to replace a transmission, motor, rear end, axle or anything drive train related. However, now that they sit in the garage most of the time, they start to leak fluids. They always told me to pack the wheel bearings at 10,000 miles but I think you are correct in that they really don’t need it. Everytime I look at them, they look OK. It really doesn’t matter…I am just glad that Dodge makes a car that looks good enough to buy. We went over 30 years where they were either K-cars or just slow and ugly. Hopefully the new Charger and other cars in the pipeline will have a good retro look to them.
Mar 29, 2010 @ 14:41:22
Can we expect any info on the 2011 challenger at the New York Auto show this week? I am reading some really great reviews of the new mustang and I have to say it’s tempting. Over 305hp and 30mpg highway. I am holding out hoping you guys pull out the stops for the Challenger though. 300hp or more from the new pentastar V6 would be great (if not a must) and the R/T needs to enter the 400hp arena, since the competition is at $30k for their 412/426hp V8s.
Mar 29, 2010 @ 15:00:32
SUBLIME, you have “TWO” roadrunners, and you were all bent out of shape about getting a
sublime challenger? If I had 1 roadrunner (may favorite car of all time), I would care less
about what they were offering now or when. Have any pics of them up on the Photo Feed to the right? I could never afford one of the old Mopars nowadays, and if I could I would never find one.
I would take an old car in a heartbeat over a new one, as there are less things to worry about
with them. Not only that, but my ’06 charger has over 35 sensors, and packed with airbags.
That’s all sure to be a treat in 30 years time. Imagine somebody trying to restore one of those cars in the future! Good Luck! I tried to avoid getting a new model car, but at the time I couldn’t find anything decent, and like you, I couldn’t wait the rest of my life out to get one.
So here we are.
Have a blast with your car(s)!
Mar 30, 2010 @ 00:40:27
HEMIhead, if you ever come to Texas I will have to give you a ride in them. You can even drive them, I don’t care. One is a Torred Superbird and the other is a 1971 orange road runner. Both are six pack cars but they are getting to rare that I hate to drive them anymore with all the idiots on the road dialing their cell phones and not paying attention to the road. I just got a set of Good Year Polyglas tires for them and they look like they just came from the factory. I wish Good Year made those tires for the new ones. The smaller lettering looked much better than the large lettering that they put on their Eagle STs and GTIIs. I guess these low profile tires don’t have much room for lettering anyhow. I have got to admit though that it is nice driving a new muscle car without the worry of finding replacement parts if it gets in an accident. By the way, I paid $5,000 for the Superbird in 1984 when no one wanted them and I paid $2,000 for the ’71 road runner in 1987. They were both running and had all the parts. It took me three years to restore each one of them, but I had fun doing it myself. I want to take them apart and do a rotisserie restoration on them but I am afraid that I will never drive them if I do that. These cars were really meant to be driven but now they have become collector museum pieces like the Mona Lisa. Who would have ever thought that a 70s mopar rattle trap would be worth money today.
Mar 30, 2010 @ 08:49:35
Sublime…
It depends on how your engine was built and how often you drive it,less use would require a bit more maint.for the plugs,especially if it runs rich ,should really fix that..
Bad drivers dont stop me from driving my old Mopars around,you only live once,I take them to work,out during the evening ect…you just have to have an extra eye out for them,it does get annoying when people keep staring at me though,and scary when they are driving and looking at my car and crossing in my lane,one day I probably will get smacked by some dolt,until then they probably think I am the bad driver for leaving 2 long strips of rubber at the intersections and going sideways..a daily event for me…I am with you on replacement parts at least the new Challenger parts are everywhere,or else get a new one if need be..
Hope you enjoy your new Challenger,hope you have years of trouble free driving..
Is it a R/T or SRT ?
The lack of rwd V-8 Dodge 2 door cars turned me on to Dodge trucks,I owned a few new trucks since 2000 and now I am hooked on them..a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 wont beat a new Hemi Challenger but I still love them..We need a new SRT Ram..
Mar 30, 2010 @ 13:19:00
440, they are supposed to be offering an R/T Ram 1500, however, I have yet to see them. They are supposed to have functional hood scoops and a little more power than the normal HEMI. Maybe they will offer them in yellow, plum crazy, orange, etc. They also need to offer the Rumble Bees again. I always thought they looked cool or even a Lil Red Express Truck.
Mar 30, 2010 @ 16:39:14
SUBLIME, are you kidding me? A Superbird and a ’71 RR? 440 six packs?
You lucky dog! If I had that Superbird I’d be set for life, because that is the ultimate MOPAR.
Who wouldn’t like to own a 1971 Roadrunner 440+6?
Now your just trying to make me Jealous!!!
I’ll take those cars, and you can have your new Challenger. I am more down with the classic muscle.
Mar 30, 2010 @ 17:38:47
HEMIhead, the old cars were a lot cheaper and they still are a lot less expensive to maintain. I can imagine how much it will cost if a computer goes out on this new Challenger. Even if you pay full price for replacement parts from Year One, it is still cheaper to own an old one. I just think they are works of art so I barely drive them anymore. I would hate for them to get wrecked or stolen. At any rate, those cars were the only thing that got me through the bad mopar era that started in the late 70s and continued until 2008. The only thing you could buy at the time was a truck. The Dodge trucks always looked tough…ram tuff.
Mar 31, 2010 @ 08:21:01
Sublime,
I bet they will have a Sublime Green Ram before a Challenger !!! You know they will do it just because alot of people want a Sublime Challenger !!! And probably next to no one wants a sublime green Ram..
Mar 31, 2010 @ 10:58:24
They are doing their best to alienate most of their loyal mopar faithful. I really think all of the diehard mopar employees have left thru all of the “mergers” and bankruptcy proceedings, etc. Its is a shame this has happened.
Apr 01, 2010 @ 22:58:22
2010 journey sucks open back window and see what happens while driving at80 to 100 km per hour the whole truck shakes and your ears feel like your in a jet fighter
Apr 02, 2010 @ 02:14:37
george,
All vehicles do that ..my old 60′s Chrysler’s do that,my Ram does it,my buddies new Acura does it ,just about every car I had or rode in does it,from V.W to Mercedes to Toyota,Acura ect…that the reason we have a/c !! or open your front window a crack…its not the Journey !! Its could be the lack of knowlege from the driver !!
Apr 02, 2010 @ 18:04:15
4-2-10
Hello ALL!!!!
Every car mfg. except Chrysler group reported better sales for the month of March.. Chrysler (Dodge) has to innovate!!!! Rehashing the same cars and trucks are not going to cut it…. The new Charger/300 for 2011 should have been out 2 years ago.
It is fine that Chrysler Products are pet friendly but, how many cars has Chrysler sold because of the pet friendly factor ????? More power with more MPG is selling now (look at Ford and GM).. They are giving car buyers sex appeal and good mileage (i.e.: 2011 Mustang,Taurus SHO)..
Just food for thought,I hope Fiat has some aces up there sleeve to help Chrysler and fast!!!
Most Sincerely,
Tazallen
Apr 29, 2010 @ 06:39:42
hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
it is still cheaper to own an old one.The new Charger/300 for 2011 should have been out 2 years ago.
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juliaap01
Cheap New Auto
Sep 28, 2010 @ 00:22:53
I purchased a new dodge charger added a spoiler and hood scoop. I love the exterior and interior but noise inside the cabin is louder then even my 10 yr old car. Engine(smallest 6 cyl) whines and when u try to go up even small inclines u have to push the pedal to the floor and surges for 10 seconds and sometimes u have to do it again to get the sped up. I am talking even small hills, even my passengers have commented on it. Have to blast the radio to hear the music.. What happened u built a beautiful car but why not deaden the noise a little. Something tells me I should have test driven longer and got a better feel for all the noise.. Any suggestions then to buy another car.
Sep 28, 2010 @ 07:48:20
I can’t wait for the 2011 Charger but I agree they do need some more innovation!
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