The 2013 Dodge Dart is expected to be a major player in the
compact sedan segment and Chrysler has big hopes–enough so that company CEO
Sergio Marchionne is reportedly considering postponing the expected start of
production past the planned date of April 1st to “avoid being
jinxed”.Marchionne made this comment
last week at the Geneva Motor Show, referring to the jinx that could hit the
car if production was to begin on April Fool’s Day.
It is unclear whether or not Sergio Marchionne was serious
about his comments to delay the start of 2013 Dodge Dart production, but with
the planned start date of April 1st falling on a Sunday – perhaps
the Chrysler boss will indeed hold off on the start of production until that
Monday, April 2nd.
Chrysler expects the 2013 Dodge Dart to help the company
succeed in the compact car segment–an area in which they haven’t really been
competitive since the Dodge Neon was killed off in the early 2000s.While some people may find the superstition
to be silly, starting the production of such an important vehicle on a famously
unlucky day could bring upon some bad juju that the Dodge brand certainly
doesn’t need with this brand new vehicle.
Should production begin on April 1st after this
report, it can be expected that any problems with the 2013 Dodge Dart early on
will be blamed on a possible jinx from
production beginning on the unlucky day.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
The 2013 Dodge Dart is expected to be a major player in the