David Brancaccio: Chrysler, under the tutelage of the Italian carmaker FIAT, is doing very well. FIAT’s profit report came out today and it shows that the Chrysler group generated its biggest profit since its 2009 bankruptcy. A lot of Chryslers are selling in the U.S. more than compensating for quieter showrooms in Europe, where the financial crisis has been dampening things.

Micki Maynard is senior editor at Changing Gears, a public media project that looks at the industrial future of the Midwest. Micki, good morning.