July 2012 brought about the second official month of sales
for the sporty 2013 Dodge Dart and in that second month, the company sold 772
copies of the new compact sedan.In the
first month of public sales, the Dart moved 202 units so on the year Dodge has
sold a total of 974 Dart sedans.These
aren’t stunning figures but right now the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois
is working hard to churn out new Darts to get them to dealerships around the
country as there is high demand for this European inspired sport sedan.
The key issue preventing the Chrysler Group from selling
more 2013 Dodge Dart sedans right now is the production rate.The first wave of 2013 Darts were offered
only in the Rallye trimline, only with the 1.4L turbo engine, only with a
6-speed manual transmission and almost exclusively in red.That means that anyone who wanted another
trimline, a different exterior color, a different engine or – most important –
an automatic transmission had to wait until their local dealership received
shipments of Darts in addition to those first red Rallye models issued at the
drive-away events.
The good news is that on July 26th the Belvidere
Assembly Plant started a 3rd production shift to help meet the
demand for the 2013 Dodge Dart.With
this extra production shift will come more 2013 Darts in the SE, SXT, Rallye
and Limited trimlines powered by both the 2.0L standard engine or the 1.4L
MultiAir turbo engine.Also, those
models equipped with the 2.0L engine can opt for an automatic transmission
while turbo buyers will have to stick with the stick shift until the new dual
clutch arrives later this year.Those
1.4L turbocharged Dart models will be joined by the new Dart R/T and the Dart
Aero.
"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.
