Chrysler To Build Three Dodge Vehicles; Considers Midsized Truck
Chrysler Group LLC plans to introduce three new Dodge vehicles and is considering building a midsized pickup truck as it looks to rejuvenate its product portfolio and attract customers.
The details are the first to emerge from Wednesday’s five-year business plan meeting at Chrysler’s headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich.
Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne intends to spell out how Chrysler will drive sales under his leadership. Marchionne, CEO of Fiat SpA (FIATY, F.MI), took over Chrysler in June after the company filed for bankruptcy protection.
The new Dodge vehicles will include an all new compact model along with a sub-compact hatchback and a midsized sedan. These cars will be introduced from 2012 through 2013.
The midsized truck is under consideration for assembly and introduction in 2011.
Chrysler also intends to refocus its Dodge NASCAR promotion to the Penske team only. The complete motorsports program is under review.
November 4th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Sergio stated chryslerd had 4 billion 6 months ago and they now have 5.5 billion thanks in part of cutting costs!
Their plan sounds great too!
November 4th, 2009 at 9:44 am
I just got done listening to some of the 5 yr plan too and it does sound promising.They also broke even last quater. That alone is great news!
I hope they build the new truck at warren truck! Everything is going to be fine boys and girls….And a 1.8 liter engine that gets 42 mpg! Cant wait…….
November 4th, 2009 at 9:46 am
The Free Press will be filing live updates as news develops today. Stay with us for the most complete coverage.
Doug Betts, head of quality speaks:
11:32 a.m. | “We’re not in denial related to the public record on quality at Chrysler.
“We will continue to significantly improve on this issue. Eventually our results will speak for themselves.
By Greg Gardner
7-passenger crossover coming
11:29 a.m. | Dodge will offer an all new seven-passenger crossover vehicle.
New B-segment hatchback to compete with Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris and Chevrolet Aveo.
By Greg Gardner
Dodge to become performance division
11:25 a.m. | Gilles talks about “repackaging” Dodge’s current vehicles and changing the option mix in the immediate future. The short-term strategy is to pitch the brand as the performance division.
He said they will keep the Nitro, for now. We will take parts from other vehicles and offer a vehicle that better resonates with younger buyers.
This will be a face face-lift for every model in the brand.
“We’re going to take it through the filter and make it cooler than it ever was.”
By Greg Gardner
Next up: Dodge design chief
11:17 a.m. | Ralph Gilles, the 39-year-old wunderkind design chief and head of Dodge brand, takes the podium.
“Never have I seen a more hungry work force that is pulling together.”
“We have supported our country through tough times and our country has support us. Now it is time to return the favor.”
By Greg Gardner
Sergio takes the stage
11:13 a.m. | Clad in crew neck charcoal sweater, he says the company “eked” out an operating profit in September.
“If I look shorter than you expected, it is because I am weighted down by battery packs.”
November 4th, 2009 at 10:09 am
At the Chrysler business plan meeting this morning, Ralph Gilles, CEO of the Dodge car brand, dropped big news on the Viper. After going back and forth for the past 18 months on what to do with Viper, Chrysler has decided that production of the current Viper will end in July 2010. Before that happens, 500 final cars will be built that, according to Gilles, will be the most special Vipers ever. Gilles explained that the company wanted to preserve the value of existing Vipers by not continuing the current generation indefinitely. He didn’t give any details on what would be special with the final 500 cars.
However, Viper fans need not mourn yet. Gilles revealed that an all new car is being developed with a launch targeted in 2012! Even better the Viper will be getting some help from Chrysler’s new Italian colleagues… and lets not forget about a certain Fiat outpost that uses a yellow Prancing Horse for its logo that’s based in Maranello. Let’s just hope they keep the Viper’s elemental nature in the new generation.
November 4th, 2009 at 11:46 am
If sales do not pick up non of this matters.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Anonymous Says:
November 4th, 2009 at 11:46 am
If sales do not pick up non of this matters.
Did you listen to the conference? They said they could at least break even with sales this low…..
All of you dealers that lost your jobs and hate chrysler need to move on to a new weblog and be unhappy there…..
These guys have a plan and hopefully it works……
The previous owners had nothing in the works like the itailians do……. Please just get lost!
November 4th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Sergio Marchionne stunned the mainstream media—literally—with his revelation that Chrysler has improved its post-C11 cash position from $4 billion to $5.7 billion. “’Some of you have been surmising we’re burning through cash,’ he said in brief remarks opening the company’s presentation of its five-year plan. ‘This is not true.’” Uh, yes, it is. Can you say “accounts payable?” When Chrysler entered into bankruptcy, it more or less stopped production. Remember the Chrysler Cash for Clunkers product drought? Like that. Since then, Chrysler’s been taking in [meager amounts of] cash without paying out anything much, as production more or less stopped during the interregnum. And now that production has resumed? Chrysler’s about to pay those 60-day (they hope) payables. Look for Fiatsler’s cash pile to erode like a California beach front during an El Nino storm.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Very pleased with the plan—-please get to work building and designing some better stuff.
Now the company has to build some positive morale amongst a depleted work staff who are offered buyouts every quarter.
And Chrysler has lost a ton of good people and dealers who will be hard to replace.
Chrysler has created a ton of bad ill will and negativity the past few years but I think this is a good chance and start to being a world class car company again.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Dodge has an opportunity to capitalize on a segment of the market that other manufacturers phased out or have chosen to ignore. The US market place has changed dramatically in the last 3-4 years consumers are moving towards a performance end market. But part of that performance driven market is not like Ford, Chrysler and GM are assuming. There is a segment out there that desires higher mileage, manual transmissions and diesel engines. Dodge should have learned something from the liberty diesel they publicly noted that they were surprised at how successful that two year program was…… but they didn’t grasp the concept entirely instead they abandoned what was being anticipated by consumers as a break through in the US market finally opening the door to smaller diesel powered vehicles in other platforms with the desired result of mileage and drivability instead of just brute power. Our company would shift all of our outside sales persons trucks to mid size diesels so that we could use our on sight fuel tanks and capitialize on the mileage gains if only SOMEONE in the us market would offer it.
Dodge needs to move their product mix away from their competitors they need to differentiate themselves. But instead of just looking at styling to gain market share look back at the drive train and it’s performance. (Think blue ocean strategy) What aren’t the competitors doing…. What market segments can you service…that are not being fully tailored to. why compete for the same share of the market that everyone else is. of course you need your bread and butter products that will jsut move inventory but looking outside the box or determining what people really need/ want that is no longer available or isnt offered here in the US market is a gateway to seperating Dodge from the competitors.
Take a look at the market place and tell me how many vehicles still offer a manual transmission or a optional smaller turbo diesel engine?
US society has grasped the concept that diesels can performe extremely well and can achieve significantly more mileage and if a manufacturer would offer them in both formats a manual tranny or a automatic they could capitalize on an under supplied market place and a segment of society that still prefers to drive a manual transmission and or the segment that is desiring the smaller more efficient diesel engines for daily service.
Take a look in Argentina, and use a ford F series pickup for example. You can get it with a 4cylinder diesel an d a manual transmission, the mid level is a 4.2L 6 cylinder diesel and a 5 speed that gets ridiculous mileage and the turbo charged engine keeps the truck scooting down the road with brisk power or you can order the larger more powerful 7.3 diesel. But in the US you can only get the largest most powerful diesel engine otherwise you are restricted to a gasoline engine and an efficiency robbing automatic transmission.
Chrysler could easily integrate a small 4 cylinder turbo diesel engine and a small 6 cylinder turbo diesel engine into their lineup offering it in a manual transmission and a automatic transmission format. (offering of both is key since all other manufacturers have chosen to ignore this segment of the market Offer it in all chassis’s from all jeeps, to the Dakota, and the 1500 ram. And if they made them stand alone units the wiring woes of the integrated system could be minimized, these engines also could possibly be used for retrofits to older chassis’s. Use the same bell housing pattern and flywheel across the board reducing replacement and service part’s complexity. Go back to the days of interchangeability to reduce inventory carry costs. Simplicity is key and many of these manufactures moved away from simplicity years ago in an effort to protect their brand and create a necessary market for dealership service but in the process they have created a complex and costly replacement parts inventory that they have to maintain.
If I could replace our outside salesmen’s gasoline 4×4 pickups with a pickup with a 5 or 6 speed manual and a 6 cylinder or better yet 4 cylinder diesel that would double the current 15-16 mpg they are currently getting with something that could easily net 24-28 I would do it in a heartbeat. My guys aren’t out there to win races they are out there to get the job done but they need a pickup with a lumber rack and some weight capacity. Problem is today I can only order one of a handful of options, a chevy 2500 with a 6.0 gas engine and automatic , a Dodge 2500 with a 5.7L hemi and automatic or a Ford F250 with v10 or 5.4 and automatic. OR I buy one of the New diesels that gets similar mileage, puts down Way too much power for what is mostly a commute/utility truck. Power eats fuel and the premium cost of the engine is hard to justify when for the most part it’s not netting me much more in mileage but a smaller turbo charged engine would. At $3.00 a gallon + everyone is looking back to tricks of the past to squeeze a few more miles out of each gallon everyone except the manufacturers.
Hybrids are cool for something’s but in the utility truck and 4×4 market a step back to a time of automatic or manual hubs, optional manual transmissions and smaller turbo charged engines would help us still keep our heavier duty vehicles for utility purposes on the road while and increase mileage this is something most the manufacturers haven’t even considered instead they are dolling up the interior and changing the exterior and streamlining in GM’s case to the point of only having two options in their HD trucks gas guzzler and automatic or high powered Diesel guzzler and a automatic. As well for our employees doing delivery jobs in the rural areas of northern CA long steep dirt driveways eat automatic transmissions (a leason that cost us a small fortune over a long period of time) Gee guess I won’t be buying anymore GM products.
If they want to keep producing exactly what their competitors are and all compete for the same customers that’s one thing but if they want to try opening the door up a little to a segment of the market that for many years has been phased out by many of the producers in the US market they might find a customer base that could help them get back on their feet ahead of their competitors as this market continues its swing towards different needs and options
Just my opinion but I know these very same issues have been raised by many other consumers who are feeling that the market place is no longer servicing their desires, it’s a market place that is becoming less and less diverse.
I wish them the best with the plan iot sounds promising on the surface but Chrysler needs to address serviceability and Quality
November 4th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
I missed the conference but I understand the Imperial Concept is back on the drawing board for a 2010 launch. That makes me and the wife very, very happy!
November 4th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
I agree with you Mopar! Anon, i didnt hear anything about a imperial making it into production…Sorry!
November 4th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Plain and simple…..This is chryslers last chance!
November 5th, 2009 at 8:46 am
A Ferrari tuned Viper I can see that
November 5th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Drink the Koolaide
November 6th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Just like Daimler followed by Cerberus Sergio’s got the talking part done. Blah Blah Blah.
The bankruptcy, dealer extermination, pissed off group of abandoned customers, pissed off rural communities over dealership loss, a tired line up with no immediate new product infusion, drained resources, continued downward spiral of new vehicle sales, over 140 go forward dealers don’t qualify for GMAC floor plan financing, the continued loss of go forward dealers, huge incentives, no quality lease programs, dealers forced to spend millions on facility upgrades, same old field staff and the cherry on top lets make dealers travel long distances to attend a 2 hour business meeting.
Yep looks to me like a plan to succeed.
November 6th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Oh yeah I forgot, talk to me about a positive cash flow 6 months from now when the dealers inventories are loaded with the same old crap they couldn’t sell all of this or last year.
November 6th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Perhaps one did not see the related post, “Imperial on track for 2010.”
November 6th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Youre right, rich……Maybe if you were at the meeting and explained this to all the people with mba’s and what not, you could have saved a lot of heartache and time.
drained resources? I believe Fiat has a ton of resources chrysler can and will use at little or no exspence. Why are you so negative? At least these guys have some sort of plan.. What plan did daimler and cerberus have….Oh, yeah…A compass and caliber….Oh, i forgot the sebring and avenger….
Rich, chrysler has benn fucked in the ass the past several years by theives. They didnt care about product.They cared about taking their money. Chrysler has over 10 billion when they hooked up with daimler…Thye left with none.
Only time will tell if they make it…I know a lot of people tied to them , so i really hope they do.there are a lot of people employed directly and indirectly with chrysler…If i lost my job somehow do to chrysler, then i would want them to fail like you…Since i have family that still works for them, and there are thousands of other great people that depend on them to feed their families,,then your damn right that im behind a friggin turn around…All this country needs is for a major corporation to go out of business….You would love that, wouldnt you!
Lets just hope fiat is real and their plan succeeds!
I will paste a comment from one of the biggest dealers in the country after in done writing this and he thinks chrysler will be fine……….. Quit being so negative!
November 6th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
The nation’s largest auto dealer gave Chrysler’s turnaround plan a ringing endorsement Thursday, saying he will look at acquiring more Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealers.
“They will make it. This plan will work,” said Mike Jackson, CEO of AutoNation Inc., during an interview on CNBC. “As I was walking out of that meeting I was calling back to my headquarters and saying ‘It’s a green light, we’re in.’ ”
The executive, whose company owns 245 franchises, said he didn’t make up his mind until the end of Wednesday’s marathon seven-hour presentation by Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne and two dozen Chrysler managers.
“My main concern was if you stress-test it (the turnaround plan), can they get through disruptions over the next year or two?” Jackson said. “I now believe they can.”
Jackson said his Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based company will invest more in the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge stores it already owns, and will be “on the hunt for acquisitions” for more.
A Chrysler spokeswoman said the company is talking with AutoNation about potential opportunities, but could not say anything more.
Jackson recounted his first meeting with Marchionne this summer in Auburn Hills.
“He’s got a little office, one step up from a cubicle,” the AutoNation executive said. “He comes up to me wearing a tennis shirt with a backpack slung over his shoulder. I thought to myself ‘This is going to be magic or tragic.’ ”
By Thursday morning, Jackson was calling the tiny Fiat 500 adorable and telling the investment world that Chrysler was on the rebound.
“People don’t realize how much capacity and cost has come out of our industry,” Jackson said. “It’s an absolute revolution.”
Others who sat through Wednesday’s meeting had more temperate reactions.
“Before lunch I thought it was a lot of fluff, but as the day went on I felt better about the whole thing,” said John Wolkonowicz of IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Mass. “I was totally impressed with Marchionne. But there was one major disconnect. Chrysler forecast its U.S. market share will grow from 9% this year to 13% in 2014. We see them continuing to fall to as low as 5 or 6% by 2011.”
Chrysler and Fiat will share engines and use more common parts, which will save money and strengthen Chrysler’s weakness in small cars by 2012 and 2013.
“The youthfulness of the management team is a plus,” said David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research. “But all is lost if we don’t have a pick-up in the market.”
Marchionne acknowledged he may have to pull back on some product programs if sales fall short of expectations.
“Can it be done? Yes. I think Marchionne can will most of it to happen,” said Erich Merkle of Autoconomy.com in Grand Rapids. “They just need time.”
November 7th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Drink more Koolaide
November 7th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Anonymous Says:
November 7th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Drink more Koolaide
Great comment…..WTF!
November 7th, 2009 at 11:19 am
When I viewed the Sebring I predicted that Daimler-Chrysler was finished, when I attended the 2007 Cerberus-Chrysler Announcement show in Vegas I said it wouldn’t last.
The key statement made by all involved is “time”. They ran out of it two years ago and the economy isn’t going to recover enough to spare Chrysler.
The only thing holding up this house of cards is federal loan money and federally backed GMAC new vehicle flooring credit.
I drove by the largest Dodge Chrysler Jeep dealership in our area he’s overflowing with new truck inventory and is offering huge discounts on all new vehicles in stock: Its November of 2009 and this guy still has 26 2008 Sprinters, Heavy duty Rams and an SRT 8 Charger to unload, plus an additional 60 2009’s.
Chrysler sales will continue to decline dealer inventories will swell GMAC flooring credit will dry up: Barring another miracle federal bailout this house of cards will collapse in the spring or early summer of 2010.
November 7th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Mike
You can buy all the chrysler stores you want because it is not your cash !
From now on I am spending my personal money on Hyundai/Honda and Ford stores !
November 7th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Auto Nation Says:
November 6th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
The nation’s largest auto dealer gave Chrysler’s turnaround plan a ringing endorsement Thursday, saying he will look at acquiring more Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealers.
This has to tell you something! This is the nations largest dealer network and they believe in chrysler…..
Do you really think im going to believe what dishwasher Rich or Daves has to say!
LMFAO………. The largest auto dealer has major faith in the chrysler turn around……….
November 7th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Not only that but also…. if the Senate follows through with their socialized medicine plan and Mr. know-it-all signs it into law, I fear the entire U. S. economy will be dragged down to a third world economy & Chrysler and a lot of others will be out of business. We are already at 10.2% unemployment!!! The 220 House idots voting for the socialized healthcare bill will bankrupt this country and drive us all into the poor house.
November 8th, 2009 at 6:48 am
Have no fear, my friend, I predict a 2010 Republican sweep of the House for the 220 seats that voted for this legislative piece of crap. This healthcare bill will never go into effect because it will be reversed even before it is implemented as the 2010 congress will reverse it by a landslide and will override a presidential veto. If not, Chrysler and every other American company is in trouble going out of business. As for the American people, we’ll be working for the Chinese and asking for bread crumbs from our politicans if it is not reversed. How far we have strayed from the founding principles of a land of opportunity! We have now become the land of security!
November 8th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
This is an auto talk forum…….Whats all this healthcare crap?
This weblog is sooo boring anymore!
November 9th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Sore losers look every were to vent and find support.
We already work for the China, check your labels.
Big business out sourced the country and politicians helped, but the blame is not theirs alone.
Good luck Chrysler and my clash for clunkers diesel Ram gets the job done.
November 9th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
November 4th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
FIATSLER - hysterical and right on the money!
November 9th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
“Have no fear, my friend, I predict a 2010 Republican sweep…”
My friend, it looks like that idiot Oscar is back, my friend.
November 11th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
On this Veteran’s Day, let’s honor those who have served. Tell a Vet. thank you!
November 11th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Sergio would do well to bring back the Chrysler Cordoba as part of his strategic plan. People loved it!
November 12th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Times are tough. Margins are tight. Carmakers are looking for savings anywhere they can. As mechanical work performed by a dealer under a manufacturer’s warranty comes straight off the automaker’s bottom line, it’s not all that surprisingly that we’re getting reports that certain manufacturers (cough Chrysler cough) are dragging their heels on paying for warranty work. In specific, we’re hearing that owners of Cummins diesel-powered Rams are having to stump-up for the cost of engine repairs, as the mothership blames “issues” on driver negligence, poor operating conditions and the knock-out punch “contaminated fuel.” Are you having any trouble getting warranty work on your vehicle(s)?
Might be the reason Fiatsler has a LITTLE cash in the kitty.
November 12th, 2009 at 11:46 am
Well, according to Forbes, America’s dirtiest is . . . the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Yes, for once, Chrysler comes top in a survey. It scored 3 out of 10 for air pollution ratings and 2 out of 10 for greenhouse gas emissions. But the report decided to stick the boot in further buy saying “Even had we included those supercars, though, the Jeep Grand Cherokee still would have topped the chart.” Ouch! Not content with giving the Cherokee a battering, the report then deals its killer blow. “The flex-fuel engine—prized because it uses a renewable resource that reduces dependency on traditional gasoline—on the Cherokee was even worse: three out of 10 and one out of 10 for the air pollution and gas emissions, respectively.” That’s gotta hurt!
It then gets even worse for Chrysler, because not only did they secure top spot by a mile (insert your own MPG joke here), they also got a further four places in top ten. The Dodge Durango came in 10th, the Dodge Ram 1500 came in 9th, the Dodge Dakota came in 8th and the Chrysler Aspen came in 7th.
“We continue to drive our fleet average even lower,” Chrysler spokesman Nick Cappa, who was given the unenviable job of putting a positive spin on this report, said. “Chrysler Group products are 99% cleaner than vehicles of 30 years ago and meet or exceed United States federal emission standards, the most stringent in the world.” Reports of whether Mr. Cappa went into another room and burst into tears are unfounded.
The report then goes on to mention the rest of the top ten. “60% of the entries on our list are from domestic automakers. The remainder are German”. The other “dirty domestic” was the Chevrolet Trailblazer, which came in 4th. The list in full can be seen here.
Chrysler can take some heart in the knowledge that at least their electric and hybrid car plans will give them some much needed green credent—oh. Never mind then.
November 12th, 2009 at 11:48 am
“I don’t see anyone bleeding to death,” Sergio Marchionne told reporters and analysts a week ago, when asked what he thought of Chrysler’s current dealer body. He might be about to change his tune. The US Treasury will stop guaranteeing GMAC’s floorplan loans to Chrysler Group dealers on the 21st of this month, and the bailed-out lender has marked over 100 dealers to be cut off. According to the Detroit Free Press, these dealers had all survived Chrysler’s dealer consolidation efforts in bankruptcy, indicating that their sales business is relatively steady. But because of huge investments made with Chrysler Financial loans at the height of the real estate market, these dealers owe more than their dealerships are worth. Chrysler Financial is winding down its business, and it refuses to give up the first right to the property as collateral. Because GMAC is now a bank holding company and requires more collateral on loans than it previously did, it wants land and buildings put up as collateral that are already securing old Chrysler Financial loans. Of course those old loans were for renovations made as part of Chrysler’s “Project Genesis,” which dealers had little choice but to participate in. If those Chrysler-mandated investments meant certain dealers were not going to qualify for floorplanning, they should have been culled during bankruptcy. Which is why NADA is appealing to Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne on behalf of the threatened dealers. And maybe if Marchionne takes a look into this meatgrinder, he’ll see a few dealers stuck between giant, bailed-out businesses, bleeding to death.
Not the first time i have seen someone upsidedown in a chrysler . LOL
November 12th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Rich, why dont you use your name anymore when you post your comments about chrysler?
Pussy!
November 12th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Rich, i bought a 2009 grand cherokee about 6 months ago with the 3.7 L… Nothing but a smooth solid Jeep..I average about 23-24 mpg on the freeway. I didnt give a shit if it doesnt great emissions or whatever that article claims.
Im sure the new phoenix engine or the fiat engines will be a fine replacement!
November 12th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
I dont know why people keep posting all this negative stuff about chrysler. We all know what shape they have been in. They have new owners and hopefully enough money to make it through.
The press conference the other day was encouraging. The largest auto dealer in the country was super excited and is buying new stores as soon as possible.
Its do or die for chrysler….leave all the negative stuff for other sites.
November 13th, 2009 at 10:28 am
The press conference the other day was encouraging. The largest auto dealer in the country was super excited and is buying new stores as soon as possible.
I would be excited too if i did not own the dealerships or have any of my personal money invested in a chrysler dealership.
You should see all the people at the orlando meeting that have the look of a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding semi.
November 15th, 2009 at 8:15 am
Dodge Ram pick-ups are hot, hot, hot! I love ‘em. Bling! Bling! Bling!
November 15th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Yes, the ram does look really nice driving on the road. I guarantee that we will be seeing a lot more vehicles that look really good with this new ownership!
Ralph Gilles will not let us down….I saw some pics of the new charger and it looks more like the concept! AWESOME!
November 17th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Sweet!
November 17th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
I did see pics of the new charger also. It is a great upgrade!
November 17th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Gary Peters takes issue with McCain’s Chrysler slam
Michigan Congressman Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, today challenged Arizona Sen. John McCain’s prediction that Chrysler Group LLC should never have been bailed out and is unlikely to survive despite receiving about $15 billion in government loans.
Peters, who represents Auburn Hills, where Chrysler is headquartered, took issue with the comments made Sunday by McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, who said helping Chrysler and General Motors Co. was a bad political decision.
While serving as grand marshal of a NASCAR race in Arizona, McCain said, “Anybody believes that Chrysler is going to survive, I’d like to meet them.”
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Peters has accepted the offer and sent McCain a letter in which the congressman said he “will meet with you at your convenience to discuss the future of Chrysler and the contribution they make to our nation’s economy.”
“Better yet, I’d be more than happy to bring you to my district to meet with thousands of Americans who are working hard every day to design new and exciting vehicles and ensure the continued future of the American automobile industry,” Peters wrote. “Hopefully then you might choose to be a partner in the continued success of an industry critically important to our country.”
Peters also took issue with McCain’s assertion that the United Auto Workers refused to renegotiate existing contracts, given that the union agreed to contract changes to help Chrysler and GM before they filed for bankruptcy.
“Because of the sacrifices made by the UAW and other key stakeholders, the American automobile industry is well positioned to emerge from the current economic crisis stronger and more globally competitive than when we entered it,” Peters wrote. “While no one can predict the future, I believe that Chrysler has an opportunity to not only survive in the years to come, but to offer innovative new vehicles here in the United States and increase export opportunities overseas for its existing world class products like the iconic Jeep,” Peters said.
November 18th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
U.S. encouraged by Fiat plan for Chrysler,” runs Reuters‘ headline, attributed to car czarlet Ron Bloom. After commenting extensively about GM, in which Bloom controls a 60 percent taxpayer stake, he had only this to say about the eight percent government owned Chrysler and its recent plans:
We see management with a huge sense of urgency. We see a huge dedication and commitment, working extremely hard. It’s an ambitious plan.
But did Bloom see the 7 hours of Powerpoint presentations? “Encouraged” wasn’t exactly the description being flung around at the line for porta-potties. Hell, even Detroit’s cheerleader-in-chief and Automotive News [sub] publisher Keith Crain beats Bloom’s take hollow with his headline “This Year The Math Adds Up To 110%.”
Crain opines:
We wish Chrysler and Fiat well with their forecasts. But to say that they might be a tad optimistic would be an understatement. Unless they plan on a miracle sometime soon, they shouldn’t base their production schedules on their forecasts… Every year about this time we hear from the various brands and manufacturers about how great the next calendar year will be for them. Each manufacturer has grand plans for the New Year and can tell you why its sales will show dramatic increases over the next 12 months. Every company has the most exciting lineup in its history with sales forecasts to match. When we get through punching in the numbers, there is always a long pause before we realize that the total adds up to a lot more than 100 percent of what would be reasonable. Chrysler seems to have fallen into that trap.
But even Bloom can’t hide what he really thinks about Chrysler. When asked about possible plans for a Chrysler IPO, Bloom tells Reuters:
Sergio Marchionne has said he thought it was a 2011 event but I think in fairness Sergio would tell you there’s a fair amount of uncertainty in that. We’re not going to push them into the market when the market isn’t ready for them. I think Sergio was clear…that they’ve got a lot of work to do.
That doesn’t begin to cover it. Chrysler will be lucky to limp through the next 12 months with no product changes short of a few Chrysler “special editions.” When you make Keith Crain sound like Robert Farago on the future chances of a Detroit automaker, you know it’s time to dial back the optimism a bit.
November 18th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Chrysler Group LLC Earns Four 2010 “Top Safety Picks” From the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
2010 Jeep® Patriot, 2010 Chrysler Sebring, 2010 Dodge Avenger and 2010 Dodge Journey named Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Picks
Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Avenger and Dodge Journey earn IIHS Top Safety Pick honors two years in a row for both the 2009 and 2010 model years
Chrysler Group demonstrates continued leadership in occupant protection and overall vehicle engineering capability with almost 15 percent of the total IIHS 2010 Top Safety Picks
November 18th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
‘Different’ Chrysler zeroes in on quality
Executive promises big gains by 2012
Alisa Priddle / The Detroit News
Chrysler Group LLC is backing claims that it will be a quality leader by the end of 2012 with a revamped, refocused and much larger quality team, tougher standards and a commitment to achieving sustainable quality gains crucial to its long-term success by changing company culture.
“It’s different now,” said Doug Betts, senior vice president in charge of quality at Chrysler. “People are talking openly about problems now and how to fix (them.)”
In an exclusive interview Wednesday with The Detroit News, Betts said changing Chrysler’s culture to collectively attack quality problems has been as difficult — and essential– as making better cars.
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Uneven product quality has been Chrysler’s Achilles heel for decades and addressing the problem a top priority under a series of corporate owners and chief executives. Most recently, Cerberus Capital Management LP pledged change and two years ago recruited Betts from Nissan Motor Co. to get it done, but Chrysler ran out of money and ultimately into bankruptcy. Cerberus bought Chrysler from Germany’s Daimler AG, which talked a good quality game but failed to execute.
The result: Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep cars and trucks have scored poorly in a variety of quality surveys in recent years, scaring consumers away.
Betts doesn’t waste time talking about the past. Today, he says, there is company-wide support for doing what it takes to improve quality and everything from management structures to manufacturing processes has been overhauled.
The need for change is clear: Demand for Chrysler products is down 38.9 percent this year, compared to 25.4 percent for overall U.S. auto sales in one of the worst markets in decades. Chrysler must strengthen its reputation and knows promises to do better won’t be enough. Validation is needed from independent sources such as Consumer Reports magazine recommending Chrysler models.
“We need to be successful,” Betts said, “because business is struggling.”
Structural changes begin
Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, also CEO of Chrysler’s Italian partner, Fiat SpA, has made quality a priority. Betts is hiring more than 200 engineers, bringing the quality team up to 1,700 from 200 when he started.
And he’s fundamentally changed how the quality organization is structured. “Cross-functional” teams include representatives from all departments, instead of handing off problems from one department to another, which delayed any action for an average 71 days.
Quality teams are not organized by vehicle now, but by area of expertise, such as brakes. And since the members of the 14 teams didn’t design the part or create the problem, they can objectively tackle fixing it without fear of recrimination.
Additionally, the company is focused on designing quality in from the start of product development, which is important as Chrysler prepares to introduce new vehicles with Fiat’s help. Plans call for 75 percent of vehicles to be modified to some degree in the next 14 months, 100 percent renewed by 2012 and new nameplates in high-volume segments by 2013.
Betts said about 75 percent of defects were design-related last year; the rest occurred in the factory. That ratio has already improved to 50/50 through better engineering, he said.
Defects cost money in two main ways. When a vehicle is shipped, the automaker must set aside money to cover estimated warranty costs. Then there is the cost of warranty repairs at the dealership.
Betts said Chrysler reduced overall costs per unit sold by $240 million last year and weekly payouts for repairs have been declining for several months. Additionally, warranty claims fell 30 percent last year to the lowest level in Chrysler history.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:58 am
UBS has cut Fiat’s rating from “buy” to “neutral”. UBS cites its cautious views on car demand in Europe and Brazil as well as heavy trucks and machinery, the areas is which Fiat are strongest. UBS notes that Sergio Marchionne’s grand scenario of spinning off Fiat’s auto division is still the company’s goal, and PSA Peugeot-Citroen as a “likely candidate”. In the near term, UBS thinks that Fiat’s market share price of €10 per share is fair, as a consolidated manufacturer. Another reason why UBS cut Fiat: Chrysler. The article finishes with a stark warning that the “value of Chrysler to Fiat has been cut to 1 euro from 2 euros.” In the interest of fairness, we shouldn’t listen too much to the stock market as these are the same people who proclaimed that the banking sector was in rude health, right up until they asked for a bailout, catching the market “by surprise”. Especially considering Sergio Marchionne is the non-executive vice chairman of UBS’s board of directors. These caveats aside though, it’s important to note that Chrysler has realistically gotten Fiat no closer to the magical 5m annual sales number it needs to spin off its auto business, nor has it added real value. And Marchionne is apparently eying up PSA as the next target in his mad march to world domination. What a gas.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Looks like VW will be the winner after having fiat fight the battle.
Sergio is just looking for a payday like Eaton and Lutz.
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:39 am
Chrysler Group LLC is backing claims that it will be a quality leader by the end of 2012 with a revamped, refocused and much larger quality team, tougher standards and a commitment to achieving sustainable quality gains crucial to its long-term success by changing company culture, The Detroit News reported.
“It’s different now,” Doug Betts, senior vice president in charge of quality at Chrysler, told the News. “People are talking openly about problems now and how to fix (them.)”
In an exclusive interview Wednesday with The Detroit News, Betts said changing Chrysler’s culture to collectively attack quality problems has been as difficult—and essential—as making better cars. Uneven product quality has been Chrysler’s Achilles heel for decades and addressing the problem a top priority under a series of corporate owners and chief executives, the paper said.
Most recently, Cerberus Capital Management LP pledged change and two years ago recruited Betts from Nissan Motor Co. to get it done, but Chrysler ran out of money and ultimately into bankruptcy, the paper said. Today, he says, there is company-wide support for doing what it takes to improve quality and everything from management structures to manufacturing processes has been overhauled, the story said. (The Detroit News)
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:48 am
Group LLC, in a step that will help Fiat SpA increase its controlling stake, plans to invest $179 million in the next five years in a Dundee factory to build the Italian company’s 4-cylinder, 1.4-liter engines.
The production of as many as 250,000 engines annually will add 155 employees, according to documents Auburn Hills-based Chrysler filed with the state for job-creation tax credits.
The fuel-efficient engine would be used in the Fiat 500 subcompact next year and satisfy a requirement for the Turin, Italy-based automaker to expand its 20% stake in Chrysler. The confirmation is the first of Fiat technology being added to a Chrysler facility.
“That’s good news,” said Serge Escude, an analyst with Cassa Lombarda in Milan who has a “hold” rating on Fiat shares. “It’s rather quick.”
Fiat can acquire an additional 5% stake each time it reaches one of three targets, including building a fuel-efficient engine in the United States. Fiat may get as much as 30% ownership by the end of March 2011 and the remaining portion at the end of 2011, said Adam Jonas, a Morgan Stanley analyst based in London.
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:40 pm
I tend to disagree with some of the others. I believe Sergio is in it for the long haul. He is not interested in the failed strategies of the previous two owners. Those of who know, want a piece of the IPO action. I am ready to jump in on day 1 of the IPO because I have so much faith in Sergio as a leader.
November 24th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Sergio has already stated in Business Week that fiat group wants out of the passenger car business and will buy PSA group and then sell everything except Ferrari.
Take the Business week article as a hint that Fiat group is trying to package everything up for a quick sale to VW,China or a Investment group.
Sounds like chrysled will get raped again.
November 24th, 2009 at 9:19 am
I am ready to jump in on day 1 of the IPO because I have so much faith in Sergio as a leader.
Sell your shares quick ,if you can !
November 27th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Business Week article says Anonymous and Oscar are idiots.
November 27th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
LOL
November 29th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
My money is on Ram. It is totally hot!
November 29th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
My money is on Ram. It is totally hot!
December 1st, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Initial indications of November’s sales numbers show an industry exhibiting some signs of leveling off after a solid year of steep declines. And when the rest of the industry is merely flat, Chrysler has to satisfy itself with slightly-less-dramatic-than-usual declines. Though Chrysler’s sales [full PDF release here] were “only” down 25 percent compared to November 2008, things were hardly going well a year ago. As a result, Chrysler sold an embarrassing 63,560 units total, ending the month with a 64-day supply of vehicles despite offering some of the industry’s most generous incentives. Forget the percentages, Chrysler’s niche-like volume is the killer here… and it’s relentlessly slipping away as the Pentastarred zombie crashes into oblivion.
All brands were down for the month, with Dodge skidding 8 percent, Jeep dropping 24 percent, Chrysler tumbling 37 percent and the new Ram brand falling 38 percent.
Chrysler’s only month-on-month gainers were the Sebring (+5 percent, 3,044 units), Avenger (+51 percent, 3,571 units), Journey (+93 percent, 5,434 units) and Caravan (+35 percent, 8,171).
The big losers? There are so many to choose from. The decision to keep PT Cruiser’s rolling off the line until 2011 wasn’t well-justified last month, as PT plummeted 91 percent to 310 (no, not a typo) units. Caliber fared little better, as an 85 percent decline dropped volume to a paltry 412 units. Dakota fell to triple-digit volume levels as well, posting a 62 percent decline to 663 units. Though Ram “only” fell 35 percent, it’s status as ChryCo’s best-seller means it shed a whopping 5,751 units compared to last November, for a total volume of 9,787 units.
All in all, Chrysler continues to exhibit all the signs of freefall. Though decent sales of Journey might indicate that Chrysler’s new ad campaigns might be having some affect, it’s clear that nothing short of a biblical miracle will stop Chrysler ignominious decline. And with no new product due to hit ChryCo’s showrooms until this time next year, there’s little reason for optimism. Chrysler is a dead automaker walking.
December 4th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Having planned to idle production plants for a mere ten days over the winter break, Chrysler is responding to weak sales by extending the holiday shutdown of several plants to three weeks or more. The WSJ reports that Chrysler’s Windsor and Brampton plants (minivans, 300/Charger/Challenger) will shut down starting December 21 and will idle through January 18. The Toledo plant (Jeep Wrangler) will also idle beginning on December 21, and will resume production on January 11. Chrysler is also said to be considering extended production shutdowns at its Detroit Viper factory (which is entering final production anyway) and an unspecified Ram plant. Unless December sales numbers turn out to be humdingers, this winter vacation could possibly go on even longer, as Chrysler struggles under falling sales and a 64-day supply inventory.
December 7th, 2009 at 7:31 am
Throughout most of the history of the US auto industry, the Detroit Three sat atop of the sales charts with General Motors claiming first, Ford in second and Chrysler placing third. In the past few years Toyota has clawed its way past Chrysler and then Ford, and now it appears that Honda too has now passed the Pentastar. Barring some miraculous (and we mean truly outstanding) development, Honda will officially overcome Chrysler to become the fourth largest automaker in the States. Honda holds a rather insurmountable 200,000 unit cushion against its competition from Auburn Hills, MI — more vehicles than any automaker sold during the month of November. Speaking of November, Chrysler was the only major automaker to see a sales decline, down 18.5 percent with a mere 65,000 units sold. Honda fared better with over 74,000 products sold.
While Honda’s victory on the sales charts is indisputable, neither automaker is making a big deal about it. A Honda exec reportedly told Automotive News that it only worries about it internal sales numbers and doesn’t focus on ranks. Chrysler spokeswoman Kathy Graham told AN that the company is on the right track to improve its standing, adding, “We are taking the steps that are necessary to have a good foundation and to build consumer confidence.” Graham also said that the company is expecting better results in the future on account of its increased advertising spending. If Chrysler doesn’t reverse its sales slide, the next automaker to pass team Pentastar could be Nissan — the Japanese automaker finished only 7,000 units behind Chrysler in November
December 7th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
In a lengthy, wide-ranging interview with Automotive News [sub], Fiat/Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne got an awkward question from AN’s Luca Ciferri.
Your five-year plan forecasts that Chrysler’s operating margin will peak at 7 to 7.7 percent of revenues in 2014. In November 2006, you predicted that Fiat Group Automobiles’ operating margin would peak at 4.5 to 5.3 percent in 2010. How could Chrysler’s post-global recession peak profitability be 50 percent higher than Fiat Group’s pre-global recession assumptions?
Well, Sergio?
Marchionne answers:
For one very simple reason: The Obama administration has done what Europe has been unwilling to do. In November 2006, when I announced Fiat targets for 2010, those margins would have reflected a competitive state of the European car industry which today continues to be unrectified.
In Europe, structural overcapacity has not been addressed, and nationalistic interests continue to prevail over the overall health of the industry. The Obama administration, like it or not, has forced a restructuring on this industry where the emerging companies, post-bankruptcy, are going to be much better suited to drive returns on capital which are adequate with the risks that are being taken.
So I do think that a decent business on the car side which is run efficiently can produce 7 to 7.7 percent in the United States. Is that number possible in the European marketplace given what exists as an industrial landscape? The answer is no.
Too bad then, that Chrysler’s sales have shown no signs of recovery since bankruptcy. After all, Marchionne’s own projections show volume driving profit, and if the volume doesn’t show up, the profit certainly won’t. This lack of volume momentum definitely caught Ciferri’s attention, as he asks
You recently said Fiat and Chrysler together would reach the 5.5-million-unit-a-year level you consider critical for survival. You say Chrysler will be a 2.8 million animal in 2014. When could the 5.5 million target be reached?
To which Marchionne answers:
Certainly before 2014. I mean, the writing is on the wall, right? Half of it is coming out of Chrysler. More [information] on the Fiat side will come on an investors’ day we are planning for the first quarter of 2010.
The only thing the writing is on is Marchionne’s overly-optimistic sales projection, which shows Chrysler adding four percent market share in the US between now and 2014. If you think that’s going to happen, you might be interested in buying a certain bridge in New York. But if the European market is in as bad of shape as Marchionne seems to think, Chrysler might even see stronger growth than Fiat, let alone its troubled Alfa and Lancia brands. Either way, the Fiatsler experiment is in big trouble.
December 8th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
The whole truck category continues to stumble through this terrible year. Year to date, the Tundra (-45%) is the big loser among the big trucks. Ford can claim the big PU title, but as usual, the Chevy/GMC duo combined outsells the F-Series. So who takes the crown? The Dakota is still in free-fall, while the ancient Ranger has the smallest YTD drop. The Transit Connect has connected quite well, and is the third best seller currently among the vans. Details follow:
Ranking by YTD Sales Nov. 09 sales % change YTD sales % change
Big Pickups
Ford F-series 30494 -20% 365416 -23%
Silverado/Avalanche 23474 -26% 297555 -36%
Ram PU 9787 -37% 165254 -28%
GMC Sierra 8371 -20% 99698 -36%
Toyota Tundra 6379 5% 70515 -45%
Nissan Titan 1501 47% 16894 -7%
Smaller Pickups
Toyota Tacoma 7633 -4% 102327 -24%
Ford Ranger 3271 -1% 51097 -18%
Chevy Colorado 1316 -47% 30614 -39%
Nissan Frontier 2007 71% 25427 -42%
Honda Ridgeline 1465 -14% 14943 -53%
Dodge Dakota 663 -62% 10072 -59%
GMC Canyon 452 -28% 9481 -30%
Vans
Ford Econoline 4705 -32% 77179 -34%
Chevy Express 3489 -56% 49140 -39%
GMC Savanna 650 -20% 11118 -47%
Ford Transit Connect 1165 6842
Sprinter 959 -23% 6808 -49%
December 8th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
It’s officially unanimous: literally everyone thinks the new Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler ads from Sergio Marchionne’s brain trust are crap. Sure, you knew that TTAC doesn’t think much of the spots, but were you aware that Chrysler’s dealer council has requested that Chrysler stop showing the ads? Sadly, Bloomberg only quotes one dealer on the plea, who explains that
it is a little difficult for us to understand because it is far different from what we were used to seeing. The message to us is that it is branding, branding, branding, and maybe that will work.
Last months sales prove that the “branding, branding, branding” approach hasn’t worked, and common sense tells us it won’t ever until Chrysler gets some worthwhile product together. Which might be why the Chrysler brand simply ripped off a Lancia ad for its latest spot (with, if anything, even less success). Chrysler has finally settled on a new agency, Minneapolis-based Fallon, but with a turnaround plan based so heavily on branding and marketing, and with dealers already unhappy, they’ve got their work cut out for them.
December 9th, 2009 at 8:13 am
CEO Sergio Marchionne isn’t bothered by his firm’s sliding market share, which have declined to the point where Honda will certainly surpass them to become the number four automaker in America. At least that’s what he keeps saying, and Automotive News [sub] went ahead and made it a headline. If dealers are “expecting us to call them up and give them a $6,000 check for every new vehicle, they won’t get the call,” Marchionne joked recently in the Detroit Free Press.
Too bad then, that Marchionne’s humor relies so heavily on exaggeration. The ugly truth is that ChryCo still isn’t close to weaning itself off of incentives. Sure, Chrysler’s offering less cash on the hood this month than last, with Edmunds reporting average incentives falling from $3,753 to $3,298. Still, the industry average is $2,713, and Honda has passed Chrysler with a mere $1,195 average incentive. Meanwhile, Marchionne keeps telling AN [sub] that “we are not planning miracles at Chrysler.” And yet, the firm is losing sales and maintaining incentives, while projecting an operating profit break-even next year, and net profits the next. If that’s not a miracle of Christmas after-school-special proportions, it’s hard to say what is.
December 11th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
The slice of life advertisements are precisely what Chrysler needs to attract younger buyers.
December 16th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Normally we’re more than a little skeptical of the Center for Automotive Research’s home-town homerism. But then, the Detroit-funded think tank usually has its rose-colored shades firmly in place. This time around, their findings are surprisingly pessimistic. CAR’s chief economist Sean McAlinden tells Reuters
If [Chrysler’s] market share drops to like 6 percent in the next two years, that’s a 40 percent drop in market share and they only dropped their dealerships by 25 percent
With Chrysler’s sales falling by 20 to 50 percent each month since bankruptcy, this strikes us as a very real possibility. Which means dealers hoping to be reinstated by recently passed arbitration legislation will face an uphill slog. And, according to Automotive News [sub], an expensive one. Reinstatement arbitration will carry a pricetag of between $12k and $100k. If Chrysler’s sales continue to decline in the short term, and with no new product on tap they seem certain to, Chrysler may be forced to re-think a number of elements of its much-vaunted turnaround plan.
December 17th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Before Fiat and prior to bankruptcy, the old Chrysler, LLC needed $4 billion just to keep the doors open. The Bush Administration came through with the company-saving cash at the 11th hour, keeping the Pentastar solvent long enough to make it to bankruptcy court. Chrysler was reportedly given $15 billion in total aid, and it appears much of that money will be repaid through future payments and through incentives for Fiat to increase its stake in Chrysler from 20 percent to 35 percent. But that original $4 billion? Don’t expect that money to come back any time soon – if ever.
The Detroit News reports that what’s left of the old Chrysler LLC (which has been renamed Old Carco), has filed court papers saying that the $4 billion will likely never be repaid. New Chrysler is not legally responsible for that debt and Old Carco doesn’t exactly have considerable assets. And the government isn’t the only debt-holder that isn’t going to get its cash. Many secured and unsecured creditors will be unlikely to see their cash, thought some $21 million in secured debt could be paid. Old Carco contains the bad assets not purchased by the new Chrysler when it exited bankruptcy in the spring. The sale of those bad assets, which includes plants, tooling and miscellaneous items like old company cars, will help pay back some of the money creditors lost.
Lawyers working on the bankruptcy case say it take years before the book is finally closed on Old Carco. One item that could help drag matters out is a $25 billion lawsuit Old Carco filed against former owner, Daimler.
December 18th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
The photo above, from Chrysler’s press conference at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, is nothing but things that are no more. The gorgeous 200C EV has evaporated. The gentlemen on the podium, Jim Press and Tom LaSorda, have gone their various ways. And the background is arrayed with ENVI electric cars that are all (most likely) gone, as well as the division that created them. Everything swallowed by waves in Chrysler’s Year of the Storm.
This year Chrysler is practically avoiding the hubbub entirely, in that it will have no press conference at next month’s Detroit Auto Show. It won’t be for lack of cars: they’ll have items from all four brands, including some limited-edition models. Chrysler’s head of marketing, Olivier Francois, said that after the big event last month to reveal the long-term plan, “We presented our plans and the next step is to present the cars.”
Understandably, industry observers seem to think that it’s a bad idea for Chrysler to go mum in Detroit. Chrysler’s a private company and no outsider knows what the real situation is inside the castle walls. If Chrysler does go for the splash of a press conference, with no new models to show or even talk about they’ll be ripe for charges of “All that’s great talk now show us the cars!” That makes it sound like a case of being damned either way. But at least they’ll be there, unlike Saab…
[Source: The Detroit News
December 29th, 2009 at 9:20 am
To turnaround the company, Chrysler needs to reintroduce five of America’s all time greatest car brands - all with engineering and quality second to none - at prices Americans can afford. It’s just that simple. Give America what it wants, and we’ll stop buying those imported brands - but Chrysler must prove that it’s worthy of the sale. Isn’t it time for a real turnaround by reintroducing American to:
1. a retro ‘69/70 Dodge Charger R/T for the muscle-car market?
2. an all new Plymouth Valiant for the economy market?
3. an all new Plymouth Fury family sedan for the working class?
4. a Chrysler New Yorker sedan for the upper middle class?
5. an all new Crown Imperial for the upper classes?
December 30th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
I would add to the above list two entries. One is a Fargo truck for the Canadian market - targeted at the timber industry. The second is a DeSoto Adventurer for the Mexican market - an 8 passenger sedan for hauling large numbers of people.
December 31st, 2009 at 7:27 am
Cut dealers are demanding reinstatement. More power to them! Let’s face it, they were all screwed. This should have never, never been done. It is about time Chrysler woke up and reinstated them on a voluntary basis. Let’s stop this business of screwing small business operators in the free enterprise system. When it comes to commerce, I am for small business entrepreneurs over big, corporate, businesses - handsdown.
January 4th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
I’d like to add that Chrysler needs to stop screwing their customers as well. I have been involved in a nightmare situation for two weeks, while obtaining repairs through my Chrysler Service Plan. I’ve spent hours on the phone, called dozens of times, and can never talk to anyone who knows what is going on, or is able to tell the truth. I have been lied to repeatedly, transferred around from rep to rep until I am dizzy.
I’ve demanded to be allowed to speak to a Supervisor or Management of some sort repeatedly, and the reps steadfastly refuse. I am now proceeding with letters being sent to the 5 addresses I have been able to attain, addressed to about 16 different people, including the entire Board of Directors. 16×5=80 Excessive? Not really. Hey Chrysler, can you hear me now???
January 5th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Michelle H, sorry, Chrysler does not “hear” dissatisfied owners such as you. They can’t afford to; there are way too many.