Determining how many vehicles, and what kind of vehicles, will cross a bridge on a daily basis is not merely academic.

NPR: Bumper to Bumper: Predicting Traffic Flow

They say that for too long, Chrysler has allowed its marketing decisions to be driven by manufacturing concerns--how many vehicles can a factory churn out to maximize efficiency?

FORBES: Chrysler: Dealers' Turn For Pain

Nobody can tell how many of these vehicles come from Albania's notorious stolen-car market.

ECONOMIST: The market-minded Kosovars

But it is not yet clear how many of the many prototype and paper vehicles chasing after the prize have any chance of being part of such an industry.

ECONOMIST: Lift-off for enterprise | The

The study was conducted from February to May of this year, and cars were scored based on how many problems were reported per 100 vehicles.

FORBES: Highest-Quality Cars Of 2010

In the past year, Chrysler has introduced 16 new or significantly upgraded vehicles that have managed to turn the minds of even the toughest automotive reviewers, many of whom have said they are surprised at how much Chrysler vehicles have improved in such a short time.

FORBES: Eminem's Super Bowl Ad For Chrysler Had CEO Worried

So far, heavy-duty vehicles appear to be excluded, and either way, it's unclear how many years auto makers might have to work black boxes into their future models.

ENGADGET: Transportation Department to propose mandatory black boxes in passenger vehicles?