Chrysler is going to drive on into the future... an uncertain future with a few glimmers of hope. As we have been reporting, last week the landmark American car brand filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and formed an alliance with Italian automaker, FIAT. FIAT will take an initial 20% stake in the company with incentives to take more. But will Fiat’s corporate culture mix with Detroit-style automaking? And how are the unions responding? To help answer those questions we are joined by Karl Ludvigsen, the former Executive Vice-President of FIAT North America.

One thing for American buyers to look forward to, George Clooney comes free with every FIAT:

The future of the iconic American automaker isn’t so American anymore. Last week, Chrysler filed for bankruptcy and made a deal with the Italian automaker FIAT, which will control at least twenty percent of the company initially, and maybe more down the road. And there may even be a move to get GM’s German subsidiary, Opel in on a three-way deal.

So what lies on the road ahead for American autoworkers and their new Italian bosses? No one knows for sure, but when Japanese automakers Honda and Toyota set up shop in America in the 1980s, American autoworkers were asking similar questions. Joining The Takeaway to offer advice to workers facing a new era at Chrysler are two Americans who worked for Japanese car manufacturers. Jim Harbour worked for 28 years in the automotive industry as a manager and director in the engineering and financial services at Ford and Chrysler Corporation and Tim Garrett is the retired vice-president of administration at Honda.

GM and Chrysler are in the throes of negotiations to avoid bankruptcy. GM’s CEO announced on Monday that the company will cut 21,000 more jobs, close 40% of its dealerships, and discontinue the Pontiac brand. Republican Congressman Thaddeus McCotter represents Michigan’s 11th district, west of Detroit. Unemployment is over 13% in his district, and now it looks like things are going to get worse. He join The Takeaway to discuss his perspective on the auto bailout and how he hopes the negotiations will pan out.

Officials in the Obama administration have been negotiating with the leaders of Chrysler, Fiat and the United Auto Workers to find a way to salvage Chrysler. A deal has been tentatively reached that gives all parties an ownership stake in the company. In the deal, the UAW would get 55% of Chrysler’s stock, but that majority stake is in return for the latest round of concessions to the U.S. auto maker and now the U.S. government. But UAW members still have to ratify what their union leaders have agreed to and some aren’t biting this time. Two UAW members who will be heading out to vote on the plan today and are stopping by The Takeaway first. Ken Mefford is an hourly worker in Chrysler’s Warren Plant in Michigan and Stephanie Ramberger is a laid-off autoworker waiting to be put back on the job.

Chrysler and the United Auto Workers have reached an agreement that will allow the automaker to receive more federal funding. The deal eliminates some of the non-salary benefits the autoworkers had earned over the years, but even with these concessions it is likely that Chrysler will still seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. Also in the deal is a partnership with Italian automaker Fiat, a collaboration which the U.S. government ordered.

Also in the news GM is expected to unveil its own federally-mandated reorganization plan. One unexpected item in the works? The shuttering of the company's storied Pontiac brand. To talk us through all of this upheaval in the car world is Micheline Maynard, senior business editor for the New York Times Senior Business Correspondent in Detroit.

Everyone anticipated that the NCAA finals would bring an economic boost to Detroit. But the surprise victory of the Michigan State Spartans over UConn on Saturday has brought the troubled city more than money, and excitement about tonight's final against the North Carolina Tar Heels is intense. The Wall Street Journal's Tim Alberta will join John with a look at the benefits—economic and otherwise—of the Final Four for Detroit.

Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo hopes the Final Four and the success of the Spartans can give Detroit and Michigan a much-needed assist.

President Obama gave Chrysler until the end of April to finalize a deal with the Italian car company, Fiat. While the partnership may seem an unlikely pairing, Fiat was facing similar dire straits to Chrysler until a recent turnaround under new management. Is this the breath of fresh air that Chrysler needs? And how does this international team sound to Italy? To help answer that question we turn to David Willey, the BBC's Rome correspondent.

To find out more about Chrysler's potential partner, watch this classic Fiat advertisement.

President Obama said it’s going to take sacrifices from all sides to successfully restructure the auto industry. Yesterday he unveiled his plan, which calls for replacing the leadership of GM and making sure that the America's carmakers forge ahead as leaner companies. But what do the autoworkers, the ones who tighten the nuts and bolts on every car that crosses the assembly line, make of this plan? The Takeaway is joined by Will Marcum and Terry Harden, longtime UAW workers in GM's assembly plant in Pontiac, Michigan.

Miss the President's address? Here it is:

Later today President Obama is set to unveil his new plan to revive the flailing U.S. auto industry. As part of the administration's strategy, GM CEO Rick Wagoner was asked to step down. What does his departure mean for GM workers? For GM's employees and unions this question weighs heavily on their minds. We are joined now by Will Marcum, a UAW autoworker in Detroit, who has been grappling with the ousting of his CEO.

The U.S. Treasury will give five billion dollars to auto suppliers in a bid to inject liquidity into the struggling industry that employs 500,000 people in the U.S. But you can’t call this one a bailout. Automakers GM and Chrysler now have to decide which suppliers will survive and which will fail. The Takeaway talks to Justin Hyde, Washington Correspondent for the Detroit Free Press.

Auditors for automaker General Motors are raising "substantial doubt" about whether the company will be able to continue operations. They say the company may need to file for bankruptcy protection if it can’t work out a successful restructuring plan in the face of mounting losses and huge debts. This news comes from the annual report GM filed with the SEC today. For what this means for Detroit, the nation, and the car industry, we turn to Jerome Vaughan, our friend and news director at WDET in Detroit.

Today Detroiters head to the polls for a special mayoral primary to replace former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who left office under a hail of crime and scandal. When it comes to Detroit there is no denying that it is time for a change. The city has been burdened by political scandal, it’s facing a deficit that could approach $300 million, and unemployment rates are at a precipitous 10.7 percent. But voter turnout suggests change is beyond reach: Only 10-15 % of Detroit’s registered voters are expected to cast ballots today. For a look at what the stakes are with this special election and the dangers of voter apathy, we turn to Rochelle Riley, the Metro Columnist for The Detroit Free Press.

Facing a triple threat from the spiraling economy, mortgage foreclosures and an ailing auto industry, President Obama began his economic counteroffensive this week. He signed a huge stimulus bill, was given a multi-billion dollar plan to restructure car makers and announced a $50 billion foreclosure rescue. All of these moves resonate in Detroit, a city struggling with foreclosures and ground zero of the auto industry meltdown. Jerome Vaughn is the News Program Director at WDET-FM in Detroit and he joins The Takeaway this morning.

All eyes are on Detroit this week as the annual North American International Auto Show starts its engines. As the American auto industry struggles, with dismal car sales and a skeptical Washington doling out bridge loans, this show is considered by many as Detroit's last stand. Joining us now for an insider's view of the Detroit car show is Lawrence Ulrich, a Detroit native and writer for the New York Times.

An advertisement for the Detroit auto show in better times.