Chrysler get a new logo;Viper production to end in July 2010
From the article: “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.”
A new Chrysler logo takes wing? - autoblog.com
BREAKING: Dodge to end Viper production in July ‘10, new car in 2012 - autoblog
November 4th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
I saw the real version of the logo and it is such a nice upgrade!
November 5th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Thank you,thank you, and thank you for adding new comments to this site. I thought it was dead, also much success to the next Viper luanch of 2012, stay true to it origins.
Sports cars are for drivers and controll should be in the minds and not the bytes.
Driven past your abilities and you should get bit, electronics make to many bad drivens think they can do it all.
November 5th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
BUILD THE IMPERIAL PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
November 6th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
I have to say I hate the new logo, it looks alot like Aston Martins logo, I think they should keep their current one it looks alot more luxurious and way better than the new.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
I really can’t tell much difference in the logo. Looks the same to me. Also so, is it a good idea that the performance division is stopping production of the Viper? That’s nutty!
November 8th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Based on the Nov. 4 presentation material, I think it clear that this is no longer an American car company. The old Chrysler logo was classy and charming - the new one is neither (just my opinion.)
November 8th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Milk toast.
November 8th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Who needs new models when you’ve got a new logo! This should really boost the sale numbers.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:11 am
I saw the real version of the logo and it is such a nice upgrade!
A TURD WOULD BE A UPGRADE FOR CHRYSLER .
November 9th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
A turd with wings maybe.
November 11th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
May the Lord still your soul and remove all bitterness from your heart. I don’t know what troubles you, but please know that with forgiveness and charity come peace, joy, hope, and happiness.
November 12th, 2009 at 11:43 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)?
Sounds like robbing peter to pay paul. might explain the cash fiatsler claims to have.
November 12th, 2009 at 11:45 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 10:55 pm
Thank god Fiat will be putting their engines in pretty much all of chryslers vehicles here shortly……
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 13th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
The new logo is striking.
November 15th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
new logo is a strikeout
November 17th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Speaking of strikeouts… Did you read that Obama failed to produce in China? What would Nixon have done? What will America do in 2010? People around the world see a declining America, and an incompetent, arrogant, and weak leader. Will Chrysler survive in this competitive environment? Where is the progress on the Chery/Chrysler deal? Chrysler should have purchased the Hummer/Saturn/Saab motor divisions line up. Oil markets are in decline. Positive sign:) The dollar needs help:(
November 17th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Where is the progress on the Chery/Chrysler deal?
You really are clueless!
November 17th, 2009 at 11:20 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 6:34 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 10:26 pm
Finally Chrysler has a car man at its helm. Someone who knows the industry and business through and through. What business did Nardelli have running Chrysler. He knew nothing about the business putting profits over people.
November 18th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Anonymous Says:
November 18th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Finally Chrysler has a car man at its helm. Someone who knows the industry and business through and through. What business did Nardelli have running Chrysler. He knew nothing about the business putting profits over people.
Amen! Looks like Fiat is trying to save the company……..
November 18th, 2009 at 11:23 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 10:25 am
Time to start singing Amazing Grace !!!!! lol @ all the koolaide drinkers
November 20th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Hey..Great to see that Anonymous still owns this blog. His opinion seems to be the only opinion. Are there any dealers out there? I’m just looking for some real input..people that interact with people and what they say about the product.
My name is RAM and my tank is full. I like the ads….feedback?
November 20th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Bos or whoever you are. This weblog has been finished a long time ago.Now you have unemployeed peoiple that lost their job related to chrysler some how. They come here and post nonsense on a daily basis. DaveS still copies and pastes but he no longer uses his name……
We all no chrysler is on her last legs.She might make it and she might not.
This site really was an informative site….Now its just a bunch of angry unemployeed people with nothing better to do……
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 22nd, 2009 at 9:14 pm
I am so glad to see the term “quality” back in the discussion. Remember when Chrysler used the term “Top Quality” and Dodge Dealers badged their used cars as “Dependable”. Speaking of the new ads, I love them. Keep up the good work!
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:19 am
If the other automakers can make improvements in quality, then so can chrysler….
The previous owners coulda gave two shits about anything related to chrysler.They were only about taking their money!
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Amen, brother! Money, money, money - that is all the other cared about and it showed in terms of sales. Forget that the customer, not the almighty dollar, is king, and you are headed for disaster. When money becomes the mission, not people and products, nothing will save a company. It is finally good to see a man like Sergio who has passion for the industry, the company, and the product take the helm. He comes from the same stock as Chrysler, Townsend, and Iacocca.
November 24th, 2009 at 9:16 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 9:53 pm
Toyota recalls 110,000 Tundras
Washington — Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it will recall 110,000 older Toyota Tundra pickups in cold weather states, as federal officials urged motorists to remove spare tires due to excessive corrosion.
November 24th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Anonymous, do you really believe that is sergios plan? Didnt you watch any of the 5 yr plan put on the table?
Sergio said fiat and chrysler will be able to acheive goals together.
please post a link to your so called business week article…
November 24th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Sergio has already stated in Business Week ?
I searched all through business week and couldnt find anything related to what Anonymous posted!
November 24th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Fiat to pull out of the passanger car business?
Thats their main segment! What the fuck are you people smoking?????
November 25th, 2009 at 6:02 am
The best false statement must have a credible source thrown in to make it believable.
November 29th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Yes, please post the BW link! No such info in the WSJ either. Unlike the other nuckleheads, Sergio is fully committed to Chrysler and all its product lines. Where is the proof that Sergio is interested only in making a quick buck off of Chrysler? Pure speculation. For under Sergio’s plan, Dodge returns as the all powerful performance car division and the professional grade truck division featuring Ram. Then there is Chrysler, an all new line of luxury cars which may include an all new Imperial based on a Masariti platform. Finally there is the off road Jeepster division. Many expect the Fiat 500 to be introduced as an all new Plymouth Scamp or Horizon - but we are not sure on the latter. One thing we do know is that the Fiat 500 is no performance car as constituted by plans for a remake performance division.
November 29th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
I am told that Sergio has set as his objective for Chrysler a strategic objective of increasing market share from 9.5% to 13.5% in as little as 5 years. That translates to some heavy advertising and sales promotion strategies and it does not appear that Sergio is going anywhere. Those who know Sergio would say of him that he is a man who will see things through. He is no cut and run quitter. He is not like those quick buck CEOs we all know too well.
November 30th, 2009 at 7:51 am
Yeah, i hate people that posts fake shit. Fiats plans for chrysler are real….I just hope they have enough for all those projects….
They only have 5.8 billion you know!
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 1st, 2009 at 10:56 pm
Anonymous? (Probably a unemployeed chrysler worker/Dealer)…
You may be right… Chrysler may be a finished car company. You really want them to be dont you? I wonder why so much hate from you..
Are you , MoparDealer ? DavseS? Who?
Yes, chryslers sales do blow right now.Look at the crap the previous owners left them with. They still somehow managed to increase their market share. Its market share rose to 8.4 percent from 7.9 percent in October, a sign that consumer confidence in the company is building after it released its five-year business plan earlier this month.
Even Honda with all their fuel efficient vehicles sales were down..Even the almighty F-150 sales were down!
Chrysler sold 64,000 units. Add another 15,000 - 18,000 in other countries and you get about 80,000 units……
Chrysler has a clean balance sheet and hopefully they cut costs enough to get them through these tough times!
Quit being such a hater and go do something productive besides negative comments every chance you get…….
Im still waiting for that bullshit (Fiat to pull out of the passanger car business?) Article……. Coward!
December 1st, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Chrysler is still ranked 5th in the US…ahead of Nissan.
Chrysler increased its marketshare (8.4%).
The RAM has had a 28% YTD decrease in sales…a smaller decrease (and increased marketshare) than most of the other full sized pickups.
If Chrysler is a niche (volume) producer then it follows Nissan, Hyundai, and Kia are as well.
Anyone here want to refer to Nissan or Hyundai as a niche-like volume producer?
December 1st, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Chrysler needs to stay viable until new products arrive and that is by far their biggest challenge. Why anyone wants them to go out of business is beyond me. They already got the bailout money which obviously if they go out of business won’t be paid back not to mention the effects of Chrysler ceasing to exist. They still employ many people directly and through their suppliers and dealers. Do you really want to see all of those people unemployed?
For those that don’t understand the Fiat Chrysler relationship and apparently many still don’t, Fiat didn’t receive a dime of bailout money, they were given 25% of the new company in return for managing it and supplying their technology, engines and platforms. Based on future performance they can gain another 10%. The UAW is the majority Chrysler shareholder. Were it not for Fiat there would be no Chrysler as they would not have emerged from bankruptcy. Fiat has plainly stated they will invest zero capital in Chrysler yet if Fiat management and product/engineering is successful Chrysler will be successful. Since no other entity was interested in Chrysler Fiat’s participation was Chrysler’s only chance of survival. I cringe every time I read someone posting the “Fiat Chrysler” bailout because you don’t know what you’re talking about, there was no Fiat bailout.
December 2nd, 2009 at 12:21 am
“Were it not for Fiat there would be no Chrysler”
Incorrect. The community organizer saved Chrysler by handing over billions of dollars and wiping out debt.
Do you really think Chrysler could have survived without the government’s money?
Fiat certainly wasn’t going to invest anything. They took it for free with no future obligations! Hell, I would have take 20% too if they offered me that deal.
Why would any other company have wanted the headache of trying to keep Chrysler afloat? What would the incentive to someone like Nissan or Kia have been?
None. They already have theirdealer networks in place. Maybe sell off Ram & Jeep and take their 20% profit? Seriously though, how much will either of those brands bring in a fire sale? Probably the same long line of buyers that there is for Saab & Saturn.
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:20 am
2010 Ram 2500 matches a powerful thrill ride with driving refinements
Scott Burgess: Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep aside, not everything needs an overhaul. The all-new heavy-duty Ram, formerly known as Dodge Ram, doesn’t need a single bolt screwed with.
December 3rd, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Well - so much for the job’s summit. Those dead end government jobs are going no where. What America needs is a strong, vibrant, free enterprise, market economy based on a strong industrial manufacturing base like trains, planes, and automobiles. Entrenepurenues, not beaurocrats will make this country strong. We need politicians who will eliminate that $15 trillion in debt Obama is racking up for this country and free us from all the regulation which is crushing our standard of living.
December 3rd, 2009 at 8:08 pm
The problem with Chrysler is not Fiat; it is interference from the government in the form of increased environmental, safety, and fuel efficiency regulations on the industry; previous management decisions that bought off the union support; previous board decisions whereby members failed to observe their fiduciary responsibility to the stockholders. In fact, one could argue that Fiat has saved Chrysler from extinction. Some of you need to remember that “Rome was not built in a day” and Chrysler’s comeback will not come to fruition in a day either. Let’s all be patient and agree to give Sergio a chance.
December 3rd, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Has anyone heard from Lee Iacocca regarding the Fiat / Chrysler strategic partnership global alliance consolidation? He surely has an opinion. We need to hear from the godfather now. I, for one, need a check up from the neck up so I don’t experience hardening of the attitudes now that so many of us are struggling nowadays.
December 4th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Chrysler is FUCKED !
December 4th, 2009 at 2:22 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 4th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Christmas break is for 2 weeks. They are simply adding 2 additional weeks for some plants. All automakers are suffering through this economic crisis.Do you think chrysler is the only automaker extending christmas break? Warren truck assembly last day is next friday and the return date is Jan 11th……
Anonymous, im still waiting on that bullshit article you posted saying fiat is going to sell off evereything…..
Coward!
December 4th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Right, Stan. Chryslers last day of work is the 23rd for 2 weeks. Most plants are getting an extra 2 weeks off because of weak sales. The auto allince plant by my house that builds the ford mustange and the mazda 6 is also getting an extra 2 weeks off my buddy told me.
December 4th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Anonymous, im still waiting on that bullshit article you posted saying fiat is going to sell off evereything…..
Coward! LMFAO………….
December 4th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
I couldnt find that article about chrysler from the wsj. It is a stupid article. Many automaker are extending their christmas downtime do to sluggish sales.Anon, you are dumber than the wsj to copy and paste it (LOL).
People keep saying chrysler is dead or they arent going to make it. i will make my judgement next year. By july we should see if she can hang on or not. I heard they can make it through the next couple of years with the sales this low do to the major cost cutting.Almost all of chrysler management are gone.Now they can use fiat management at no extra cost.Talk about saving money! I also was told that nearly all of chryslers supervisors are gone too.now they have team leaders (Assembly workers) that make 50 cents more an hour to cover each zone of about 10 people. Just think how much money they save by doing that.Supervisors didnt do anything anyway, ecept get in the way….
Next year will be the tell tale year….. I believe they will make it.Too many employees involved.
December 5th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Looks like Chrysler finally got a new Senior Vice President in Gualberto Ranieri, that has some balls that dont fuck around!
Chrysler’s Viability?
Auburn Hills, Mich., Dec 4, 2009 -
In deference to Tom Incantalupo’s road test today about the Chrysler 300C, where he also questions Chrysler Group’s viability going forward, I would like to offer the reminder that just last month we outlayed our five-year business plan, which is a genuine transformation, to hundreds of media and financial analysts, which included the following:
We are planning on an operating profit break-even in 2010 and a total operating profit generation of approximately $14 billion over the five-year plan period, as well as for net income break-even in 2011..
The plan also assumes that Chrysler will build for Fiat 270,000 vehicles to wear one of Fiat’s badges (that’s additional North American production for overseas markets)
Chrysler will invest roughly $23 billion in engineering and capital to rebuild our product portfolio and manufacturing infrastructure..
That includes the product portfolio getting a major overhaul. 75 percent of the current offering will be touched within the next 14 months, and 100 percent of the portfolio will be renewed in some fashion by 2012..
Critical Major Product Modifications (MPM) will mean extensive changes for both the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger, which will be in the market by the end of 2010, as well as to our important Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans, and popular Jeep Wrangler
Chrysler Powertrain actions will result in a 25 percent fuel efficiency improvement of the Chrysler Group fleet between 2010 and 2014..
I hope this gives readers our side of the story about our viability going forward, from the next five years and beyond.
Thank you,
Gualberto Ranieri,
Senior Vice President, Communications
December 5th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Too many dip-shits on this site!
December 5th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Jeep® Named Top Domestic Brand in Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com® 2010 Residual Value Study
Dec 4, 2009 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The iconic Jeep brand ranks as the top domestic brand in Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com® 2010 Residual Value Study. ccording to the annual resale value analysis, new 2010 Jeep brand vehicles will maintain 35.7 percent of their original value after five years of ownership – more than 3 percent above the industry average.
December 5th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
“Rome was not built in a day”. It looks like that idiot Oscar is back.
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 10:46 am
The Detroit News Posted by, Greg:
How can you or anybody else say the Chrysler plan is stalling out when it was just announced a month ago? Are these your thoughts or are you following the lead from this guy Wolkonowicz from IHS who has probably never had a real job? Fact is, Chrysler has a plan and has improved cash by $1.7B since emerging from bankruptcy. Sergio had publicly admitted that Daimler and Cerberus stripped the product development cupboard dry and knows that he and his team have a huge obstacle in that regard. So you and Wolkonowicz are not telling anybody anything new that Chrysler has not already disclosed.
Irresponsible reporting on your part does nothing but give people misinformation that could hurt Chrysler sales even further. Why don’t you take the lead from your counterparts at the Detroit News and tell positive things like the plans for the Ram truck as featured in today’s paper?
The only thing stalling out are certain models of Toyota as reported this weekend. This is factual news why don’t you report on that, of course you and the other gutless reporters only like to kick someone who is trying to get up.
Frankly, people in Detroit and elsewhere who depend on Chrysler for their future and the future of their families are tired of reading the rubbish reporters like you come up with.
Get with the home team, your job, or what’s left of it, may depend on the future of Chrysler.
December 7th, 2009 at 1:21 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 7th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
DaveS, when are you going to give up posting any type of somewhat negative stories about chrysler?
There is a 5yr plan in place to restore chrysler.Since bankruptcy chrysler has generated $1.8 billion dollars.Sergio also stated chrysler can break eve and even make a small profit with these numbers until the new vehicles arrive….
Has anyone seen the new Grand Cherokee? WOW!
Automotive news has a ton of writers there that will write anything about anything to get a story out…..
December 8th, 2009 at 2:06 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 4:29 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 8th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I rather like the ads. Refreshing, bold, not the same ole same ole. Creative, imaginative, market based, brand building. Well matched to the audience. Not the same ole stuff from New York, they appear more west coast based. Trendy, fun, daring. Give them time, results will follow. I guarantee it.
December 8th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Is it true that Obama has the worst poll numbers at this point in his presidency than any other president in recorded history, including George W. Bush? Amazing! The forced Fiat/Chrysler merger shows just how little the man really knows about running a business. Was Gatoraid’s dropping of Tiger’s brand soda pop premature? Will Tiger and Chrysler survive alone? Would Tiger make a good celebrity endorsement for Chrysler, even at this juncture in his career?
December 8th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Saving General Motors and Chrysler saved hundreds of thousands of jobs, President Barack Obama said today.
“It was right decision then and the right decision now,” Sperling said, calling it a “courageous decision by the president” to give the two automakers a “rebirth even though he knew it was not going to be politically popular.”
December 8th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
I’ll post some great news since nobody else can.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The DODGE CHALLENGER, the Chrysler Group’s retro-styled muscle car, is the car best loved by its owners, according to Consumer Reports’ survey of 380,000 readers of its magazine and Web site.
“Ninety-two percent of Challenger owners said they would definitely buy another one given the same opportunity,” reads an article in the influential magazine’s January issue.
The Ford Fusion Hybrid ranked second in the magazine’s “Predicted Owner Satisfaction” survey, with 91% of owners saying they would buy another. The Prius dropped to fifth place in the survey this year, behind the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 911.
The survey — which asks car owners “considering all factors (price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.), would you get this car if you had it to do all over again?” — tends to favor vehicles that people purchase for design, driving performance, or other emotional reasons rather than to simply fill practical needs.
Recently introduced or redesigned models also tend to do better in the annual survey. The Challenger, a car designed to evoke memories of Chrysler Group’s classic Dodge and Plymouth muscle cars of the late 1960s and early ’70s, went into production in late 2008…………..
December 9th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Chrysler Mexico tops Ford for third consecutive month
Posted on Monday, December 7th, 2009 at 4:11 PM EST.
Chrysler Mexico reported that it outsold Ford Motor Co. for the third consecutive month and beat Volkswagen for the first time this year. For November, Chrysler Mexico sales fell 19 percent to 7,403 units vs. 9,134 units the year before.
Overall industry sales in Mexico also fell in November by 17 percent to 66,899 units vs. 80,898 units a year ago.
Chrysler Mexico’s market share dropped slightly to 11.1 percent vs. 11.3 percent a year ago, but improved its average share for the year to 10.6 percent. It was fifth consecutive month of double-digit market share for Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge.
December 9th, 2009 at 6:15 am
Ford has consolidated its position as the only Detroit automaker with world-class reliability. Of the 51 Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln products that we surveyed, 46 — or about 90 percent — are average or better, including the new Ford Flex SUV. But the Lincoln division has mixed results; some models score below their Ford equivalents. All-wheel-drive versions of the Lincoln MKS, MKX and MKZ, essentially high-end versions of the Ford Taurus, Edge and Fusion, respectively, are all below average.
GM shed the Hummer, Pontiac, and Saturn brands after emerging from bankruptcy. It now consists of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC. Of the 48 models we surveyed from those brands, 20 have average scores, and only the Malibu v6 sedan is better than average.
Some newer GM products are bright spots. In addition to the Malibu, the Buick Lucerne did well in our road tests, and it scores average in reliability. The Chevrolet Traverse SUV also makes the cut, as does its cousin, the Buick Enclave, but only in the all-wheel-drive version. The Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups, two good performers, earn our recommendation as well. GM has a number of strong contenders either just released or in the pipeline, but they are too new for us to have reliability data on them.
We recommend the Pontiac Vibe, the V8 version of the Pontiac G8, and the Saturn Aura, which have average or better reliability. Some of those cars can still be found on dealer lots.
As for Chrysler, we couldn’t recommend any of its products in last year’s survey because of mediocre performance, poor reliability, or both. Now we can recommend one: the four-wheel-drive version of the redesigned Dodge Ram 1500 pickup. It did well in our road tests and rates average in reliability. Still, more than one-third of Chrysler products are much worse than average, including its new car-based SUV, the Dodge Journey.
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 9th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Anonymous ,, keep up the good posts.
Maybe one day you will get your wish and chrysler will die. Until then nobody want s to read your negative posts anymore.
December 9th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Anonymous ,, keep up the good posts on a different weblog.
Maybe one day you will get your wish and chrysler will die. Until then nobody want s to read your negative posts anymore.
December 9th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
To put sales over the top, Chrysler Mexico should consider reviving the DeSoto brand; then begin introducing it in areas like Texas and Southern California. Once the brand takes off in those markets, Chrsler should introduce those products into locations where the brand connects well with the intended target market. A segmentation approach mirroring General Motors what is being recommended. Tough, rugged, macho products with a flare for adventure, strength, and power; all with room enough for the whole family. Not too pricy; basic, functional, and some bling features from Mopar. All Chrysler needs to do is find one hit, then aggressively grow and build from there just as Iacocca did with the K-car only with this time with products targeted to specific audiences as mass marketing strategies of the past are dead in this evolving economic situation were people are out of work, affraid to spend what little extra funds they have until they know what is going to happen. That is where Chrylser can come in with product like the Fiat 500 under the Plymouth label as a sporty little Valiant.
December 9th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Oh yeah! I love those new Jeep ads. Those chick are hot!
December 10th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Motor Trend names Ram Heavy Duty truck of the year!!!!
The 2010 Ram Heavy Duty was named Motor Trend magazine’s truck of the year on Thursday, beating out contenders from Ford and Toyota in the closely watched competition.
The award is a welcome piece of good news for Chrysler Group LLC, which has seen its sales continue to lag even as competitors rebound. The Ram Heavy Duty beat out three other competitors: The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, the Ford Transit Connect van and the Toyota Tundra 4.6-liter work truck.
The vehicle of the year designation is important to automakers, who often use Motor Trend’s endorsement in their advertising. Last year, Ford Motor Co.’s F-150 truck took the prize. Last month, Motor Trend gave the 2010 Ford Fusion its car of the year award.
Motor Trend praised the Ram Heavy duty for its powerful yet clean engine and its quiet comfortable ride. The magazine also said the truck’s 17,500-pound towing capacity beats out rivals, while the platform received significant upgrades that improve ride, handling and noise compared with the previous model.
“The 2010 Ram Heavy Duty absolutely nailed the award in terms of our criteria, from the attractive exterior styling, to the plush and quiet cabins, to the tough and capable powertrains,” said Angus MacKenzie, editor in chief of Motor Trend, in a statement.
The 2010 Ram Heavy Duty is available in five trim models and sports suspension and brake improvements that are designed to help in carrying heavy loads. The truck starts at $28,165 for a regular cab model, $36,865 for crew cab models and $36,865 for Mega Cab models. It is slated to arrive in dealerships before the end of the year.
Motor Trend said it has refocused the prize this year to reward trucks with greater utility, as leisure truck buyers have largely deserted the market. The magazine said the new focus is reflected in the choice of finalists, like the Ford Transit Connect, a cargo van.
The accolade comes at a time when Auburn Hills, Mich.-based Chrysler continues to suffer from poor sales as the broader industry is recovering. Sales at Chrysler, which merged with Italy’s Fiat Group SPA earlier this year, fell 25 percent in November. Industrywide sales were flat during the same month.
December 10th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Good Job Chrysler! Keep up the good work.
That is a very nice award to win!
December 11th, 2009 at 8:46 am
every all new truck(ford,gm,toyota,dodge) have always won Truck of the year when all the other trucks are carryover models.
December 13th, 2009 at 2:38 am
Let’s stop the “I am” ads and talk about our awards and great product!!!
December 13th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Those of you who do not understand “slice of life” advertising will not understand Chyrsler’s new “I am” advertising campaign. Reality-based advertising is NOT demographic or product-based; it is lifestyle-based. Get it?
December 13th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
The new logo is awesome!
December 13th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Chrysler will have an ad in monday nights football game saying the dodge ram won motortrends truck of the year.
It doesnt matter what anybody says. Winning any award from motortrend is a nice accomplishment!
December 13th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Anonymous says, “Revive the DeSoto brand…”.
Common Sense says, “That idiot Oscar is back, my friend”.
December 13th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Can’t wait to see the new Dodge Ram ad!!! I like the direction Chrysler advertising is going nowadays and think the ads to be aired this week will be King of the Hill, Top of the List, A#1 - by Sinatra’s standard. Great work team Chrysler!
December 14th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
I don’t know, I think the new logo is lacking. I much prefer the tripple “C” logo used in previous years. Very classy!
December 14th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
How about bringing back the Fratzog for Dodge? Now there was a logo!
December 14th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
I find the new Chrysler rather boring. What Sergio could do is leverage the high flying wings of the Imperial Eagle for all Chrysler branded cars.
December 15th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
I find the new Chrysler rather boring.
Maybe thats because they exited bankruptcy with the same old stale vehicles. The new grand cherokee is a real eye catcher but the slew of new vehicles are a few years away….
Hopefully they cut costs enough to sputter along until then!
December 15th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
I cant believe GM got over $50 billion in loan money and Chrysler got squat…..No wonder why Chrysler might not make it….
December 16th, 2009 at 8:28 am
We sell products that may or may not fit a lifestyle—we don’t sell lifestyles.
The “I am” campaign sucks and has generated zero traffic.
How about an ad that covers the awards our products have won?
“I am” going out of business if Chrysler doesn’t advertise its PRODUCTS!!
Mustang and Camaro are outselling Challenger by more than 2 to 1 each—
how about a Challenger ad!!!!!!!
December 16th, 2009 at 10:24 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 16th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
MoPar Dealer Says: How about an ad that covers the awards our products have won?
I saw 4 commercials last night about the Ram and how many awards it has won this year….
I really dont think youre going to see any Sebring or Avenger commercials cause they havent won anything!
The “I am” campaign sucks? Buddy, I really dont think its the Advertisement that is not generating traffic into your showroom. Super tight credit followed by the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs are the main factor there.
As i stated before. Chrysler was ledt with the same shit after bankruptcy. The new Ram is great but there isnt much new for awhile. The new Grand Cherokee is stunning.The new 300 and Charger will be very nice too. Caliber and its siblings will all have great makeovers real soon.
Its gonna take some time, guys. All the other automakers are struggling too!
December 16th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
The “I am” campaign sucks? Buddy, I really dont think its the Advertisement that is not generating traffic into your showroom. Super tight credit followed by the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs are the main factor there.
Its gonna take some time, guys. All the other automakers are struggling too!
My H store is down to a 20 day supply,My F store has a 30 day supply and my South Korean brand stores are 20 day or less on supply ,
The Hyundai and Kia store tradeins seem to be around 50% 2 to 3 y.o. chrysler products.
December 16th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Who gives a fuck what you unemployeed-so called “DEALERS” say. Get the fuck out there and sell some product. Quit bitchin that chrysler is a dead company walking or cgrysler wont be aroung another 5 months.
Go sell some chrysler product or shut the fuck up. If you cant sell chrysler products then go sell the japaneses/chinese recalled junk…… Toyota has the most recalls this year of any automaker ever in a years time…….
Do you fucking idiots really think that bitching on the lame ass weblog is going to do you any good!
Get the fuck out there and sell some product..If you cant sell the product , then sell your store and go sell the ever so great millions upon millions of recalled toyotas!
Im sure youll be so much happier!
You fucken idiots!
December 16th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Please stop with the vulgar language you simpleton.
December 17th, 2009 at 1:49 am
What did the Dodge Fratzog logo look like? I am drawing a blank. As for leveraging the Imperial Eagle logo for the Chrysler brand, I don’t think that is such a good idea — should Fiat decide to reintroduce the badge later on using Maserati underpinings resulting in too much confusion for the market. I do like the idea of rebadging the Fiat 500 as a Plymouth Valiant for the USA market. Excellent idea! Plymouth is the perfect venue for that product as Dodge is now the performance division and the 500 would not work as a Chrysler. Just thoughts:)
December 17th, 2009 at 7:56 am
The Chrysler Dealers that are fucking themselves by drinking the Koolaide!
Lol at least the asian brands and Ford care about their Dealers !
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 $25 billion lawsuit Old Carco filed against former owner, Daimler.
December 17th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Four words.
Aung San Suu Kyi
Three initials……WTF
December 18th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
What is the word amongst company folk about Iacocca’s take on the Fiat/Chrysler strategic alliance? Is he supportive of the deal? Is he willing to do a few free commercials as in days past? Is he willing to meet with Sergio in front of the troops as he did with lumberyard salesmen to shore up company morale? Does he still give a d#$m?
December 18th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Does anyone even know or care about Iacocca? Thye man is about 90 yrs old. Chrysler has the same old stale product it had before bankruptcy. GM got over 50 Billion dollars in loans and Chrysler got about 6 Billion. Real fair.
Its not just the company Chrysler people have to be concerned about. If there isnt any real job creation real soon then you will see so many more foreclosers, unpaid loans, small businesses vanishing, etc, etc, etc ,etc…..
There was a report that there are 15 MILLION americans collecting unemployement with about 8 million peoples unemployement running out next month..What will those poor people do? Where will they turn for money? How will they pay their bills?
Its really bad out there.If you have kids you better plan on them living at home for a very long time unless they good good grades and can afford college and get a decent job if there are any in another 15 yrs.
Just imagine if Chrysler were to go out of business ( Not that any of you really care). The state of Michigan would be a hell hole for so mnay years to come. Will our Gov let that happen?We’ll see….
All i know is Sergio better be a hero/savior to Chrysler. They better have the quality and vehicles people want to buy in another couple years….
May God Bless Everyone!
December 18th, 2009 at 8:23 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 19th, 2009 at 9:14 am
The ads suck, The cars suck worse. People who work at Chrysler are telling me July August is when they’ll go belly up for good.
December 19th, 2009 at 10:40 am
It said in the freepress that chrysler will not have a big splash at the auto show because they have no new product and rather spend their money on advertising……Nissan is doing the exact same thing.Does that mean nissan workers are giving a date of dismantle?
I for one work at chrysler and there is no talk what so ever about anything the poster above stated on the plant floor.
The are quality teams from fiat and other groups daily in and out of our plant looking at ways to improve things.
Some of you guys really hate chrysler or you just like to post comments to get other people going…….
……………………………………………………………………….
“We presented our plans and the next step is to present the cars,” he said. “We are people of substance, not just fluff and marketing.”
The company’s strategy is to hold off presenting vehicles until shortly before their market launch, Francois said. “Clearly we don’t have all the new cars for 2010 and 2011 yet.”
At the Detroit show, opening to the press on Jan. 11, Chrysler will showcase its four brands — Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and the Ram truck brand — at its exhibit in Cobo Center. It will display all-new, black-and-white, limited-edition vehicles, some of which could hit dealer showrooms in early 2010, including versions of the Chrysler 300, PT Cruiser, Sebring and Town & Country minivan.
But the automaker isn’t showing any vehicles or concepts being developed under the new Chrysler-Fiat partnership.
“I don’t own a time machine,” said Francois, who is also head of Fiat’s upscale Lancia brand. “I can’t make a new car in three months.”
Chrysler’s decision to pass on a press conference because the company has nothing to announce is understandable, said Michael Robinet, vice president of global forecasting at Northville auto market research firm CSM Worldwide.
Jesse Toprak, vice president for industry trends at the pricing site TrueCar.com, said there was no way to positively interpret Chrysler’s decision. “If you’re confident about your strategy and your timeline, why wouldn’t you be there to give people answers about how things are?”
But, he added, given the current upheaval in the industry, Chrysler’s decision isn’t shocking. The new management will have been in charge only six months when the show opens. He doesn’t expect the company to show all-new models before late next year.
“Considering their situation, it would be tough for them to go out there and face the press,” he said. “In a normal environment, it would have been a bigger deal.”
Other automakers, such as Porsche and Nissan Motor Co. have pulled out or scaled back their presence in Detroit Auto Show…
While Chrysler’s decision puzzled industry insiders, many of its dealers shrugged it off. One dealer who spoke on condition of anonymity said a news conference would have little impact on sales.
He disputed the widespread perception that Chrysler was worse off than its rivals. General Motors Co., which also filed for bankruptcy, has suffered a smaller sales decline of 31.8 percent in the U.S. market this year. But that may be because GM hasn’t closed dealers as fast as Chrysler, the dealer said.
December 19th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
AMEN,,,,,Adam!
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:29 am
Fiat, which now owns more than 67% of Zastava through the deal, plans to make up to 200,000 cars there per year.
The carmaker has made an initial investment of 100m euros (£90m;$143) and is expected to pay another 100m euros next year.
At the signing of the deal, Serbia’s economy minister Mladjan Dinkic said production of two new Fiat models would be launched at the factory in 2011.
It is understood that these cars will be for export to Europe and the US.
The deal is part of a 700m-euro agreement signed by Fiat and the Serbian government last year.
Zastava is best known as the maker of the Yugo car.
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:35 pm
new chrysler product to be built by yugo Says:
Where do you get these silly posts from? LOL
December 24th, 2009 at 10:21 am
fiat invests 700 million euro(over a billion us dollars) in yugo but not 1 cent in chrysler. lol
Looks like fiat sees a future in yugo but not chrysler !
December 25th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Are you sure about that one?
fiat invests 700 million euro(over a billion us dollars) in yugo but not 1 cent in chrysler. lol
Looks like fiat sees a future in yugo but not chrysler !
————————————————————-
In a none-too-shocking announcement, Chrysler announced plans to invest $179 million to convert its engine plant in Dundee, MI, from building the so-called World Engine to Fiat’s 1.4-liter Fully Integrated Robotized Engine. Back in September, Chrysler bought out its former partners Hyundai and Mitsubishi so that it could utilize the Dundee facilities to build the new Multiair powerplants.
Both Chrysler and Fiat are likely to use powerplants built at the facility, with the first application being the diminutive Fiat 500 that’s slated for North American production by the end of 2010. Fiat’s Multiair technology is said to increase power by up to ten percent while offering a similar reduction in fuel consumption and emissions. Later, a turbocharged unit will be built at the plant that will offer V6-level power using 25 percent less fuel. Multiair technology will eventually be added to the rest of the Chrysler engine lineup, including the new Pentastar V6.
December 27th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
If new product does not come soon my store will be history. No new car traffic and when a car is sold it is sold at a loss .
December 28th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
jeeperscreepers Says:
December 27th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
If new product does not come soon my store will be history. No new car traffic and when a car is sold it is sold at a loss .
…………..
Looks like you better get off your ass and sell some vehicles. A lot of chrysler vehicles will be refreshed with new interior an upgrades.A dealship by my house has sold a lot of vehicles the salesman told me!
There will be a new grand cherokee and a 300 and charger by years end. Youre in trouble if thats not good enough…..
December 28th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Chrysler Group Production Schedule
Chrysler Group LLC will extend the traditional holiday shutdown period at several of its assembly plants to enable the facilities to complete necessary non-production work.
Work at the various plants will include:
Scheduled maintenance
Installation of equipment and supplier re-sourcing related to the scheduled closing of the Twinsburg (Ohio) Stamping Plant
Preparation for the launch of new and refreshed models in 2010
“We have booked a full slate of orders for the first quarter of 2010, so our manufacturing facilities will be quite busy,” said Scott Garberding, Senior Vice President – Manufacturing for Chrysler Group.
“On top of that, we continue the comprehensive implementation of World Class Manufacturing at our facilities while preparing for the aggressive schedule of new and refreshed model launches in 2010,” Garberding added.
The following assembly plants will not be in production during the week of January 4-8:
U.S.
Belvidere (IL)
Warren Truck (MI)
Toledo Supplier Park (OH)
Toledo North (OH)
Canada
Brampton
Windsor
Mexico
Toluca
The two Canadian assembly plants, Brampton and Windsor, will continue non-production work the week of January 11-15, 2010.
December 29th, 2009 at 8:50 am
As the American economy goes, so goes Chrysler. If we are coming out of a recession and people start buying product again, Chrysler will do well. If the American economy fails, so will Chrysler-Dodge. The new Ram trucks are hot, people want to buy them. But people are waiting to see if they will have jobs or not a year from now. If I think I might lose my job this year, I am not going to buy a new Ram; I will concentrate my efforts on paying off my credit card debt. If the economy rebounds, and I still have my job, I will buy a Ram a year from now. It’s just that simple.
December 30th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Can some one tell me why GMAC and not Chrysler Financial gets more bail out monies. It was announced today. Why is Chrysler always left of out of the sweetheart deals with the government? Chrysler is a much better company!
December 30th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Anonymous Says:
December 30th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Can some one tell me why GMAC and not Chrysler Financial gets more bail out monies. It was announced today. Why is Chrysler always left of out of the sweetheart deals with the government? Chrysler is a much better company!
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Wake up brother! Chrysler Financial has been done for some time now! GMAC takes care of all chryslers financing now!
December 30th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
That is too bad. No wonder Chrysler’s sales are in the tank. How can they expect to sell cars if they are relying on a competitor to finance sales? Mighty stupid business model if you ask me.
December 31st, 2009 at 7:59 am
What a man really wants is a powerful car or truck and a beautiful woman. Chrysler would be wise to invest in muscle cars/trucks and to create ads that link the two. Now that will drive sales. That would be so much better than the “I Am” ads. Chrysler should be promoting products in the context of satisfying man’s primary needs.
December 31st, 2009 at 8:32 am
If GMAC takes care of the financing of all Chrysler products, then I am all for the extra few billion dollars going to GMAC for the intended purpose of benefiting Chrysler sales — a much better use of funds than sending them to wall street.
January 1st, 2010 at 9:04 am
Happy new year one and all! I have a feeling that with the passing of 2009, Chrysler has turned the corner on its financial and sales crisis and that the new year will bring many successes and much prosperity for Chrysler and its extended family of suppliers, dealers, and customers. All the best to you and yours!
January 1st, 2010 at 9:17 am
Yes, and don’t forget potential investors as well should Chrysler go public. If it does, keep your eye on Warren Buffett. He recently invested in America’s railroad industry, which is a great sign
Hopefully other American tycoons will begin reinvesting in Americas production and manufacturing industries such as Chrysler.
Americans consumers, too, need to do their part and take pride in again in American manufacturing by rewarding American companies for the forthcoming paradigm shift from an emphasis on low cost to high quality.
Hopefully, Warren will become a key investor in Chrysler should it go public.
January 1st, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Just saw one of the new Chrysler Ads premiering today, January 1, 2010. Fantastic! I love the nostalgia — drawing on past company engineering and branding successes to shore up current buyers. Seeing the Plymouth brand prominently featured in today’s ad gives me hope that the brand will be back in the line up one day very, very soon. Excellent! Keep up the good work boys!
January 1st, 2010 at 3:31 pm
A quick read of the new Chrysler Group, llc Strategic Plan is very encouraging. I am extremely pleased that an automotive industry man with turnaround experience in the auto industry now leads Chrysler. Surprisingly, Chrysler is much better poised for long-term success under Italian leadership than it ever was under recent American and German ownership. Go, Fight, Win Team Chrysler. You make me proud to be an American once again!
January 2nd, 2010 at 8:15 am
What are the odds the government will initiate a “Cash for Clunkers 2″ program this year? Any intelligent perspectives are welcome.
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:46 am
I watched a couple of the new chrysler commercials last night and they were the best ive seen!
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Yes, we are on the right track now. While it is going to take much effort, I believe Chrysler will prove to be a great automobile company sooner than most people expect. The new ads are just the beginning of what we can achieve.
January 2nd, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Wow, where did all the positvity come from?
January 2nd, 2010 at 4:49 pm
I dont think the economy will improve enough for chrysler to survive.Sales of auto will be sluggish for some time to come thanks to no job creation. The mortgage crisis will be here for many years to come also.
I pray that chrysler can make it, but its going to take a lot of magic for that to happen!
January 2nd, 2010 at 8:35 pm
How can Chrysler make a comeback without NEW PRODUCT !
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:16 pm
The all new Ram P/U won MT’s 2010 Truck-of-the-Year! The 500 will be out later this year. We’ll get along with the current line up until the new models and upgrades arrive.
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:42 pm
Chrysler is finally getting back to to the founder’s core values – quality, beauty, speed, comfort, style and power, all at a low price. Chrysler will be a very different company 2 years from now - and very different from any other auto company.
January 4th, 2010 at 10:14 am
I have been told by a very good source that not one c/d/j dealer in North America sold more than 75 newcars for the month of dec and most sold less than 10 newcars for the month.
January 4th, 2010 at 11:32 am
Here’s a question: You want to do something, but it’s against the law, what do you do? Abandon the idea? No, if you’re Chrysler you sue the government. Detroit News reports that Chrysler LLC are suing officials from Oregon, Maine, North Carolina and Illnois for laws which “unduly burden New Chrysler with the obligation to provide the rejected dealers with rights that this court determined that the rejected dealers do not have,” as lawyers for Chrysler wrote.
The defendants include, Oregon Attorney General John Kroger, the secretaries of state in Maine and Illinois, and transportation officials in all four states. The basis for Chrysler’s case is their claim that the 4 states’ dealer laws violate the bankruptcy code and the U.S Constitution. If Chrysler doesn’t manage to overturn the states’ dealer laws, then the 4 states would be able to prevent Chrysler from granting a franchise to a new dealer in the state or relocate a dealer into a rejected dealers market. The suit was filed in a Manhattan bankruptcy court by not only the new all singing, all dancing Chrysler, but also “old” Chrysler.
Meanwhile, analysts figure that with Chrysler’s market share set to drop as low as six percent, it could need to do even more dealer culling. And, while dealers wait for recently-passed arbitration legislation to go into effect, we’re finding out that even Chrysler’s then-Vice Chairman Jim Press was against the dealer cuts. Or so he says now. “I saw it fraught with terrible issues and short-term sales cost as well as dislocation of customers,” he tells the WSJ. “Dealers are [Chrysler’s] only customers, the reason we are in business. How do you eliminate your customer?” Though he’s got something of a rhetorical point, there’s no doubt that Chrysler’s dealer body needed culling, just not in the slapdash manner it was carried out in. Besides, Chrysler was doing a fine job of eliminating customers by simply selling cars like the Sebring.
Back on the legal front, the legal implications of Chrysler’s asset sale are still being unwound. Though the US Supreme Court recently refused to hear a challenge to the sale, challengers including an Indiana state pension fund are claiming a minor victory, as they believe that the sale no longer holds the force of legal precedent. “If the appeals court’s decision had stayed on the books, it would have been very difficult for people to challenge these kinds of asset sales,” Richard Samp of the Washington Legal Foundation tells the WSJ. As Ilya Shapiro notes at Cato, “the bankruptcy laws are in place to ensure that debts are paid in an established and fair manner and not at the whim of whatever political actors happen to be in power at the time….[the ruling] erases a terrible precedent from the federal judiciary’s books and reaffirms years of settled bankruptcy law.” In short, Chrysler got a one-time-only workaround for bankruptcy law. No wonder it sees state laws as such an unnecessary inconvenience.
Guess Chrysled needs more customers ,Too bad Obamachrysler killed 789 of their best customers.
January 4th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Getting back to the founder’s core values of quality, beauty, speed, comfort, style and power, all at a low price is just the first step in returning Chrysler to the glorious icon it once was as the premier automotible company in America, albeit the world. The second step is a systematic reintorduction of the brands that built the company: Imperial - Chrysler - DeSoto - Dodge - Plymouth - Fargo - Simca - Sunbeam - Valiant - Dart. The third step is to restore all the dealers that have been lost as of recent government actions.
January 4th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
Bring back the personal luxury coupe Cordoba and use cutting edge tech like the lean burn system instead of this multi air garbage.
January 5th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Oscar is back - see above post regarding “founder’s core values” and Imperial, Plymouth, Desoto, Fargo, Simca, etc. Yes, idiot-Oscar is back, my friend.
January 5th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Jeep named “Top Domestic Brand” in Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com® 2010 Residual Value Study…..
Very Nice!
January 5th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
What a year it’s been for Chrysler [sales release here]. With a bankruptcy and bailout on top of a aged and unloved product lineup, it’s almost a miracle the Pentastar boyz sold anything in 2009. Overall sales were down 36 percent over 2008, which saw sales 30 percent lower than 2007. But never fear Mopar fans, Chrysler swears that this downward momentum is a thing of the past, and that 2010 will see Chrysler’s first annual sales growth in years. But the question that comes to mind looking over these latest results is how? After all, only two Chrysler Group models actually sold better in 2009 than 2008. Can you guess which?
Dodge’s Journey was the closest thing to a success at ChryCo this year, improving sales 14 percent over 2008 with 47,097 units sold. Then again, the Journey didn’t go on sale until March of 2008, so the comparison is hardly indicative of true sales momentum. December Journey sales (6,872 units) did show a 61 percent improvement… over last December’s miserable showing. Similarly, the Challenger was up 48 percent over the previous year (2,536 units), but 2008 also didn’t see Challenger sales start until nearly halfway through the year.
Other than these two heavily-qualified “gainers,” the rest of the annual sales comparisons are the familiar Chrysler disaster. Because last December was one of the worst sales months on record, the year-over-year monthly comparisons seem favorable, but the volume tells the real story.
Take the Sebring (please). It saw a 24 percent improvement over December 2008, despite moving a mere 4,437 units. Annual sales were 27,460 units, some 62 percent off of 2008’s number. 300 was up 20 percent for the month (4,452), but down 38 percent on the year (38,606). PT Cruiser fell 60 percent to 736 units in December, capping a 65 percent annual decline to 12,941 units. Town and Country held steady with a 4 percent monthly increase (8,465) but fell 29 percent on the year (84,558). The Chrysler brand’s (especially) dead nameplates walking, Crossfire, Pacifica and Aspen shuddered to a halt this month, except for Aspen which sold 32 units. Over 2009, Aspen sold 5,996 units, Crossfire sold 499 units and Pacifica sold 1,955.
Dodge is a similar story, with the exception of the Journey and Challenger. Caliber improved on last December’s achingly bad performance by 83 percent, at 5,289 units, but fell 57 percent on the year to 36,098. Avenger saw a similar monthly increase to 3,799 but fell 37 percent over 2009, to 38,922. Charger improved 16 percent in December to 6,273 units, but fell 38 percent over the year to finish with 60,651. Caravan edged up 24 percent to 8,563 in December, falling 27 percent on the year to 90,666. Nitro is close to pulling a Durango (which dropped to 29 units last month, 3,521 on the year) with only 1,208 units sold in December, and a 52 percent annual decline to 17,443 units.
Even the Jeep brand, long thought to be the only part of Chrysler worth saving, is in the muck. Compass dropped below a thousand units in December, with annual volume down 54 percent to 11,739 units. Patriot managed a minor improvement in December, but the year end numbers are still a grim: -44 percent to 31,432. Liberty held nearly even last month with 4,609 sales, but fell 35 percent in 2009 to 43,503 units. Grand Cherokee, which is set to be replaced this year, sold 4,097 units in December, with annual sales down 32 percent to 50,328. Commander is headed for a bottom-out, with December falling to 1,634 and annual sales down 54 percent to 12,655.
There’s no happy ending for the new Ram brand either. Dakota has fallen 59 percent on the year to 10,690 units and only managed a meager 618 units in December. Sprinter is in chaos as it transitions to Mercedes dealers, but annual sales were half of their 2008 level at 7,154. Worst of all, Ram fell 28 percent in December and on the year, despite the release of a new model. 12,014 were sold in December, with annual volume of 177,268 down from 2008’s 245,840 unit performance.
January 6th, 2010 at 6:49 am
Anonymous, thats what happens when a company has no new product.The ram is new but the construction business is dead right now.
Chrysler still gained market share last month and hopefully the company cut costs enough to hold on until the new product and engines get here from fiat!
January 6th, 2010 at 7:13 am
Four Wheeler Magazine Editors Name Jeep® Wrangler Rubicon Best 4×4 Vehicle of the Decade
Jan 6, 2010 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Four Wheeler magazine editors have named the Jeep® Wrangler Rubicon and Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon the Best 4×4 Vehicle of the Decade, while calling out the four-door Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon as the decade’s most significant 4×4 vehicle.
January 6th, 2010 at 9:54 am
Niche products will never fill a bank acct only volume will.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Anonymous Says:
January 6th, 2010 at 9:54 am
Niche products will never fill a bank acct only volume will.
The jeep is one of chrysler corps best sellers. Why all the negativity all the time……Either they cut enough costs to make some money or break even, or they will continue to lose money in the future and go out of business….
I dont want to see any company go out of business. Why wish bad on people? Chrysler has been raped the the fucking ass for many years and now it is the new owners-management team to turn this compnay around……
Only time will tell……….
January 6th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
THE 789 GOT RAPED.WHERE THE FUCK WAS THE BAILOUT FOR THEM?
January 6th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
It amazes me how those posts containing fowl language arn’t denied by the web master. Potty mouth = low IQ.
January 6th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
I hope this is the post you are complaining about.
The jeep is one of chrysler corps best sellers. Why all the negativity all the time……Either they cut enough costs to make some money or break even, or they will continue to lose money in the future and go out of business….
I dont want to see any company go out of business. Why wish bad on people? Chrysler has been raped the the fucking ass for many years and now it is the new owners-management team to turn this compnay around……
Only time will tell……….
January 6th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
“What would my mother think of me if she knew I posted the comment?” That is the test I always use before I make a post. Vulgar and rude posts are not welcomed and should be denied on the Chrysler Weblog, a family-friendly blog.
January 6th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
Whatever became of the ‘Cuda Concept? Will they build it? I think it would be a great success.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Chrysler wont but maybe china will .
January 7th, 2010 at 12:59 am
China?
January 7th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
The chrysler group sold over 39,000 units overseas. The Journey totalled 13,000 units last month worldwide!
January 7th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
I meant totaled!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
The chrysler group sold over 39,000 units overseas. The Journey totalled 13,000 units last month worldwide!
Wont delay fate.
January 7th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
Overseas for Chrysler = canada and mexico
January 7th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
If that Obamacare becomes law, nobody will be selling anything! Cap and trade will put the final nail in the coffin of American business!
January 8th, 2010 at 6:36 am
Anonymous Says:
January 7th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
Overseas for Chrysler = canada and mexico
If that is true, then Chrysler sold more vehicles…They sell vehicles in other places beside Canada and Mexico!…………
Anonymous Says:
January 7th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
The chrysler group sold over 39,000 units overseas. The Journey totalled 13,000 units last month worldwide!
Wont delay fate.
You stupid unemployed Chrysler workers need to get a life and stop wishing Chrysler tog go otu of business…..Come to the Chrysler plant my buddy works at and tell all the employees walking into the plant how you feel about Chrysler…..
Your bitch ass would get your motherfucking ass beat down!
January 8th, 2010 at 6:38 am
I hear you Seth. The people on this weblog that wish bad on Chrysler must have a very depressing life!
January 8th, 2010 at 7:29 am
more people worked for the 789 than worked for chrysler.
Chrysler is dead so stop living with false hope.
January 8th, 2010 at 10:04 am
LOLOL,,,,No your dealer is dead…So move on and better yourself!
LMFAO! Way too many dealers with too many negative salesmen that cant sell a child a cookie!
Sorry suckers
January 8th, 2010 at 10:32 am
Try to sell a Chrysler right Now,the only chrysler buyer you can get done is 20something dyke on a wrangler.
January 8th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
132,000 dykes must of bought Chrysler vehicles last month, i guess!
January 8th, 2010 at 9:08 pm
The national unemployment rate still remains about 10% even after Obama promised it would go no higher that 8.5% if the congress passed his big stimulus plan. Chrysler won’t get out of the ditch without buyers. Hopefully it can hang on long enough until the economy turns around.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
A sale is a sale. Period.
January 9th, 2010 at 12:03 am
What Chrysler needs is Bob Lutz. He can drive up sales faster than any man that I know.
January 9th, 2010 at 8:24 am
I agree - a sale is a sale. I’ll sell to any man or woman no matter what the demographic.
January 10th, 2010 at 7:02 am
anyone else notice all the chinese walking around the CTC lately ?
January 10th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
NO WAY IN HELL DID CHRYSLER SELL 132,000 CARS IN DEC.
January 10th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Gents. Today I seen the new Chrysler ad on TV that everyone has been talking about. I thought it was great. Hats off to the new adversiting team. That new Chrsyer is a beautiful sedan.
January 11th, 2010 at 11:00 am
Canada 13,822 Units
International 12,788 Units
North America 86,523 Units
113133 Units sold ,, not quite 130,000!
January 11th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
how much did it cost the us taxpayer to sell those 113,000 cars ?
January 11th, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Does the community organizer really understand costs? I don’t think so. Some have reported that he has run up more debt than all the other presidents combined. I say, Chrysler deserves even more monies - I would rather Americans buy American made cars than those from Japan.
January 12th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Keep on selling men! Let’s make January an even better month. If every every salesman systemwide sold just two extra units, Chrysler would be well on its way to victory. Just think of the impact on overall sales and profits! Let’s do it!
January 13th, 2010 at 10:34 am
If the sunbelt is a indicator for the rest of the nation sales will be down.
January 13th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Chrysler’s sales fell 36 percent last year, as bankruptcy and some of the weakest products on the market conspired to keep sales and market share trending downwards. CEO Sergio Marchionne figures Chrysler’s slide has hit bottom, and indeed his turnaround hinges on considerable improvement over last year’s dismal numbers. How much improvement? Marchionne tells the Freep that ChryCo needs to sell 1.1m vehicles in the US next year, an 18 percent improvement on 2009’s number, in order to reach his break-even projections. Worldwide, Chrysler needs to sell 1.65m vehicles, or 27 percent more than last year. Given the downward sales and market share momentum, the overall uncertainty of the US market, and the lack of new products until the end of this year, reaching those volume numbers won’t be easy. Especially because Marchionne refuses to cut any corners.
Despite offering healthy incentives throughout 2009, Marchionne is hell-bent on curing Chrysler’s cash-on-the-hood addiction. Or, at least talking about curing the problem. In the past, Marchionne has stuck to platitudes when it comes to disclaiming against incentives. At the Detroit Auto Show however, he had a real-life anecdote. The WSJ explains:
Last July, for example, when the U.S. government offered as much as $4,500 in “cash for clunkers” rebates, Chrysler’s sales chief at the time, Peter Fong, drew up a plan to offer an additional discount of $4,500 from Chrysler, two people familiar with the matter said.
At the time, Chrysler’s bankruptcy had scared away customers, and its sales were in freefall. The plan was intended to pull shoppers back into Chrysler stores and spur sales.
But when Mr. Marchionne found out about it, he was furious, these people said. In an August meeting with Mr. Fong and his sales team, the CEO excoriated them, saying doubling discounts amounted to “giving away margin” at a time when Chrysler was scrambling for profits, one person familiar with the details of the meeting said. “Sergio was ballistic,” this person said.
Several weeks later, in September, Mr. Fong was summoned to the office of Nancy Rae, Chrysler’s head of human resources, and was told his services were no longer needed, these people said.
So that’s what they mean when they say “for personal reasons.”
Anyway, Chrysler’s incentives have been falling over the last several months, but so have sales. That Chrysler’s cars don’t sell themselves is well-established fact, so it’s hard to see how the firm plans on improving sales without some kind of draw for consumers. And the special editions planned for this year until new products hit aren’t going to do it on their own. Meanwhile, GM is showing no compunction about burning its government cash with a fat portfolio of incentives.
Ultimately, it seems that Chrysler has two sales strategy options for 2010 The first is to play business as usual, disrespecting outgoing models with heavy discounts to keep the metal moving, and only phasing them out when new (and heavily refreshed) products come out later this year. The other is to try to build a new incentive-light sales strategy around Chrysler’s current batch of dogs. This option, which is what Marchionne appears to have chosen, will show just how far an automaker’s sales can fall in a single year. By the time the new products arrive, Chrysler will be lucky if any consumers remember they still exist.
As badly addicted to incentives as Chrysler is, it may still be too soon to kick the habit.
January 13th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead! Now men - get out there and sell, sell, sell those Dodges, Chryslers, Rams, and Jeeps.
January 13th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
Now that our good friend Bob Lutz is retiring from General Motors, could Sergio entice him to come home to Chrysler? Lee Iacocca’s biggest mistake was not appointing Lutz as Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive and President of Chrysler upon his retirement. Had he done so, the situation would be much different at Chrysler today. There would have been no DiamlerChrysler merger, and Chrysler would be flying high with all major product divisions in tact. Plymouth and Imperial would still represent the book ends of our product mix, and muscles cars like the Challenger and ‘Cuda would rule the road. Chrysler would be very competitive today, and it would not have needed any Obama bailout. If we can get him, even in an advisory role, we should. Bob, isn’t it time you came home to Chrysler?
January 13th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
The Chrysler Lancia i saw at the auto show was really nice looking!
January 14th, 2010 at 7:46 am
Bob Lutz = Buick
January 14th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
Nice looks = sales
January 14th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Chrysler Town & Country Awarded Ninth Consecutive Polk “Automotive Loyalty Award” in the Minivan Category
Jan 12, 2010 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The Chrysler brand earned a top industry recognition at this year’s 14th Annual Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards. The 2010 Chrysler Town & Country was named “Automotive Loyalty Award — Minivan” for the ninth year in a row.
January 15th, 2010 at 1:28 am
Anon, (Oscar) do you always look backwards?
Lutz is stale bread for Chrysler. He has a job already.
KT Keller, Fred Zeder, Lester Lum “Tex” Colbert, Virgil Exener, Lynn Townsend, and fins are dead Oscar.
Maybe we could use a Saratoga or New Yorker to complete the Chrysler line though?
January 15th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
Oscar = Idiot, my friend.
January 15th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
Related post says Imperial back on track for 2010. What say you? What’s the inside grapevine day? Any predictions? Will it be in September? December? Details! Must have one.
January 15th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
The “Old Man” on Pawn Star’s is giving Chrysler a lot of good press these days with all his positive comments about his Imperial. Sergio would do well to make the “Old Man” the official spokesman for Chrysler Imperial. People love him and he gets people’s attention.
January 15th, 2010 at 10:44 pm
Anonymous Says:
January 15th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
Related post says Imperial back on track for 2010. What say you? What’s the inside grapevine day? Any predictions? Will it be in September? December? Details! Must have one.
ENOUGH ALREADY! You will never see it! SORRY
January 16th, 2010 at 1:13 am
The United States of America is so messed up right now that Imperial will not see the light of day for many, many years – if ever. It’s as if the USA has set sail on the Titanic with an arrogant, chain smoking, rookie at the helm - too proud to ask those with experience how to do things. He is acting as if he’s a freshman; not smart enough to ask the right questions. To proud to admit a mistake. It will all come crashing down very, very soon.
January 16th, 2010 at 9:40 am
Nowadays, many suspect that America’s financial collapse may be inevitable. Pat Buchanan notes “the five largest elements in the [federal] budget are Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, defense and interest on the debt.” My question to you is who is reaping the benefits from the interest payments? Obama’s fat cat buddies and contributors on Wall Street? And when the economy finally does turn around and interest rates begin to rise again, what will happen to the federal deficit? Interest payments on the federal deficit will go even higher driving Uncle Sam further and further into debt – maybe insolvency. In the process, Chrysler and many other American brands could bite the dust and Imperial may never get from concept to consumer. Isn’t it time that the USA imposed a foreign automobile tax all foreign built brands? That will give Americans jobs, reestablish Detroit as the automobile capital of the world, and could help save Chrysler.
January 16th, 2010 at 10:06 am
Hey dude, I love Pawn Stars, but the “Old Man” would not make a good celebrity endorsement for Chrysler. Chrysler needs a younger face. Jay Leno, Chrysler enthusiast, would make a good spokesperson. Plus, he has got credibility with the Mopar brand.
January 16th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Jay Leno? No way! He is an old fuddy duddy. Chrysler needs a Conan O’Brien to sell cars to a younger crowd. And how about Sarah Palin for the next Jeep commercial, living the lifestyle? Cool!
January 16th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Pat Buchanan, chain-smoking Obama, Sarah Palin, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, the old man from Pawn Stars, Imperials, and a foreign automobile tax! How low can the discussion on this Web site go?!
How about Chrysler just build reliable cars that people will buy before it’s too late.
January 16th, 2010 at 11:12 am
Chrysler will be the only automaker to have a commercial during the superbowl!
I love it….. Let the world know youre in it to win it…..
January 16th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
Speaking of the ad Chrysler is running during the Super Bowl, do you think there is any chance they will be touting the reliability record of their past offerings?
January 16th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
I love the advertisement too! Not only that, have you seen the new Ram truck? It is the one product that will carry Chrysler until its new products are ready for market. We ARE in it for the win!
January 17th, 2010 at 12:10 am
Archie - why are you so negative always? Not gettin’ any?
January 17th, 2010 at 7:47 am
After seeing Chrysler’s product upgrades at the auto show, I am convinced that it will be just fine with its offerings until the new auto line up hits the showroom floors. From now on, let’s vow to be more positive in our approach. How can we expect to attract customers with cash in their pockets if we are negative in our approach?
January 17th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Why am I negative regarding Chrysler? Because I have bought three new Chrysler products over the years and found each to be a piece of crap - poor build quality and lots of parts failures. I’ve been burned, but I have sworn off ever buying another whether it’s a Chrysler or a Fiat. A Fiat, no how, no way.
January 17th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Then isn’t it time to let go and move on? It’s time for new interests, new hobbies, and new beginnings. Only then will you find joy, peace, and happiness.
January 17th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
I love the new Chrysler Lancia! Very elegant.
January 18th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Archie Says:
January 17th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Why am I negative regarding Chrysler? Because I have bought three new Chrysler products over the years and found each to be a piece of crap - poor build quality and lots of parts failures. I’ve been burned, but I have sworn off ever buying another whether it’s a Chrysler or a Fiat. A Fiat, no how, no way.
———————————————————-
I have owned several Chrysler products over than last several years and have had no problems besides a windshield wiper not working. I know numerous people that have owned vehicles from all makers and they have all had some sort of trouble…..
I own a chrysler 300 touring and i love it! My next vehicle will be a new grand cherokee early next year….That jeep is sweet!
January 19th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
At the current rate, Chrysler will have a new vehicle before this site posts a new thred.
January 19th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Scott Brown’s victory in Mass. will prove to be a booster shot to Chrysler, to the American economy, and to the American way of life.
January 19th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Anonymous Says:
January 19th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
At the current rate, Chrysler will have a new vehicle before this site posts a new thred.
LOL, you can say that again!
January 19th, 2010 at 11:22 pm
Based on what I sawr, Chrysler had the most innovative and outstanding exhibit at the autoshow with it upsidedown vehicle suspended in the air. Amazing! Keep up the goodworks.
January 20th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
Go Scott Go!
January 20th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
anybody have anything further on the dealer arbitration?
January 20th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
anybody except anonymous, of course…
January 21st, 2010 at 9:43 am
Obama will make sure that chrysler gets away with the cull without paying 1 RED cent .
January 21st, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Anon. Why are you so negative? Anon. = Archie = Oscar = DaveS.
January 24th, 2010 at 10:03 am
Wanna hear a joke ?
Chrysler
ROFLMAO
January 25th, 2010 at 11:26 pm
Anonymous Says:
January 24th, 2010 at 10:03 am
Wanna hear a joke ?
Chrysler
ROFLMAO
Grow up kid!
January 26th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
After years and years of Japanese Owned Auto Makers led by toyota using LIES,DECEPTION,DECEIT,DISHONESTY,and DENIALS to customers and unfortunate owners that their vehicles were the BEST–NOW the TRUTH about these MILLIONS of Japanese built vehicles are actually the MOST DEFECTIVE,DANGEROUS,CHEAP,UNSAFE vehicles EVER BUILT!! It’s time for real AMERICANS to trade that DANGEROUS ,UNSAFE,and DEFECTIVE Toyota in before you die from an out of control crash like the THOUSANDS of unfortunates who have been KILLED or severely INJURED in UNSAFE Toyotas the last several years.Buy an AMERICAN OWNED,DESIGNED and ENGINEERED vehicle==Your money will stay at Home to help OUR PEOPLE,ECONOMY,COMMUNITIES,and WAY OF LIFE,and not go to GREEDY ASIANS who have proven through this Massive ,Record Toyota SAFETY MESS that they are the BIGGEST LIARS in the Automotive World ! Don’t TRUST the TOYOTA LIARS with your Family’s SAFETY !
January 28th, 2010 at 11:51 am
Jeep® Wrangler Islander is a sell out
Posted on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 10:11 AM EST.
The Jeep® brand has created another hit model even before it has rolled off the line and made it to the streets.
The Wrangler Islander edition, (which is making a return to the Jeep lineup after a 20-year hiatus), sold out in less than a month. The vehicle, which was first revealed to dealers in late December and then shown to the public at the opening of the Detroit auto show on Jan. 7, has orders for its entire planned production and then some.
Dealer orders already exceed the original planned production for the limited-edition vehicle for this year. Many of those orders came from international dealers, confirming confirmed the global appeal of the model.
January 28th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
HYUNDAI FTW
January 29th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Honda recalls 646,000 Fits for fire hazard…………..
By Hibah Yousuf, staff reporter January 29, 2010: 4:51 PM ET NEW YORK
(CNNMoney.com) — Honda announced a recall for 646,000 2007 and 2008 Fit, City and Jazz models worldwide, after a fire hazard involving a power window switch resulted in a death in South Africa. In an e-mailed statement, Honda said extreme amounts of liquid, such as rain or melted snow, can flood the master power window switch on the driver’s side, causing the vehicle to overheat.
January 31st, 2010 at 7:14 am
Now that Toyota and Honda are on the ropes, Chrysler, Ford, and GM have a strategic opportunity regain the hearts and minds of the American consumer. DO NOT MISS THE OPPORTUNITY CHRYSLER!
February 1st, 2010 at 7:08 am
I would rather buy a recalled Yota than any chrysled !
February 1st, 2010 at 9:56 am
Only a insane person would by a chrysler
February 1st, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Chrysler is a damn good product and is well positioned moving forward.
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:11 am
Chrysler may build good products but chrysler does not build a GREAT product !
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Chrysler sales in January of 2009 were “Medusa class” ugly [down nearly 55 percent] in the always-apt words of one Robert Farago, which makes the Pentastar’s January 2010 sales [PDF release here] whatever 8 percent uglier than Medusa class is. The Chrysler brand was down 2 percent, with only the Sebring (+85%, 3,593) and Town & Country (+6%, 4,531) in the black. Jeep fell 8 percent despite growth in Compass (+52%, 1,244) and Grand Cherokee (+6%, 3,311) sales. Dodge was up one percent on strong growth from Avenger (+44%, 3,134), Journey (+55%, 4,790) and Caravan (+34%, 4,298), and the Ram brand fell 25 percent, with Ram pickup volume dropping below 10k units. Fugly? Heinous? Tragic? Pick the adjective you’re most comfortable with.
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:30 pm
57K in sales for January is still better than if the number had been only 47K for the month. It’s all about profit margin anyway, so we just need to cut more costs to make up for the weak sales numbers. Start by eliminating toilet paper in the washrooms. If you need to take a shit just grab a kaizan suggestion form on your way up and use that to wipe your ass.
February 3rd, 2010 at 12:12 am
Serge M. Says:
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:30 pm
57K in sales for January is still better than if the number had been only 47K for the month. It’s all about profit margin anyway, so we just need to cut more costs to make up for the weak sales numbers. Start by eliminating toilet paper in the washrooms. If you need to take a shit just grab a kaizan suggestion form on your way up and use that to wipe your ass.
LMFAO!
February 3rd, 2010 at 12:14 am
Honda only sold 66,000 units….Every maker had a bad month!
January is also a shiity month for car sales…Wek ass economy doesnt help either…..
February 4th, 2010 at 12:04 am
Chrysler Group LLC Reports January 2010 Sales Increase Outside North America
Feb 3, 2010 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group LLC sold 11,465 vehicles outside North America in January, an increase of 9 percent in units sold compared to January 2009. This improvement is the first year-over-year sales increase in 20 months since the company reported a 5 percent increase in May 2008.
February 4th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Toyota is in a nose dive. Chrysler, Ford, and GM expected to benefit.
February 4th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
Hyundai will gain most of market share given up by toyoda
February 4th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
Sergio Marchionne looked like a pretty shrewd operator when he was able to snag a bailed-out Chrysler from the US government without paying a penny. Between that and the booming European sales on the back of government-funded scrappage schemes, Fiat pretty much spent 2009 proving that automakers should cater to governments almost as much as consumers. But as 2009 wound down, Fiat’s government affairs winning streak came to a halt as the Italian government started asking for a little quid for its quo, and it’s been going downhill from there. Now that Fiat wants to shut down its Sicilian Termini Imerese plant, and right-size Italian production, the love affair is officially over. “We are examining the possibility of renewing [consumer incentives],” Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told reporters from Automotive News [sub]. “But Fiat does not seem interested in them.”
Of course Fiat is interested in the incentives that it has admitted its addiction to. Berlusconi’s paternal pronunciation merely indicates that Fiat isn’t ready to guarantee jobs at the money-losing Imerese plant, which is the Italian government’s political price. “We have to have the courage to say that there have been enough government handouts if they do not safeguard jobs and industrial sites,” explains Italian Senate Speaker Renato Schifani.
And it’s not just the government. Workers staged strikes last weekend and yesterday, and even the Pope has condemned Marchionne’s decision to shut down Termini Imerese. But Fiat is stuck between short-term profit goals and long-term capacity adjustments, as the Termini plant is a perpetual profit-sucker, but Fiat acknowledges that it likely won’t reach profitability this year without Italy’s consumer incentives. The company projects that Italian sales would slide 20 percent if the incentives aren’t renewed.
Marchionne claims to want any decision more than the current uncertainty, telling the WSJ that:
The government has to make a decision and we will accept it without making a scene. But we need a decision soon to get out of this uncertainty, then we will be able to manage the market and the situation whatever the outcome.
Which means that Fiat had better be planning on an incentive pullback at some point, as artificially stimulated demand always crashes eventually. For someone who heaps scorn on other automakers for their dependence on captive-finance and dealer incentives, Sergio has quite the little incentive addiction problem himself. And feigned nonchalance aside, withdrawals are never easy.
February 4th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
Anonymous , what was the point of that post?
February 8th, 2010 at 7:24 am
Superbowl ad was a waste of taxpayers money!
February 8th, 2010 at 8:42 am
Yes the ad was a total waste of us taxpayers money.
February 9th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Toyota will still outsell chrysler in north american this month ! LOL
February 9th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
Toyota will still outsell chrysler in north american this month ! LOL
And they’ll outsell … Honda , Nissan, Hyundai…etc!
Whats your point?
February 10th, 2010 at 7:35 am
toyota has 8 car model lines that can not be sold and are on nationwide the do not sell list will still out sell all chrysler brands combined. LOL
February 10th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Anonymous Says:
February 10th, 2010 at 7:35 am
toyota has 8 car model lines that can not be sold and are on nationwide the do not sell list will still out sell all chrysler brands combined. LOL
You didnt make it far in school , did you? I can tell! WOW…….
February 11th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
Chrysler gives peeks at 300, Viper, Charger
Buzz up! CHICAGO — Ralph Gilles tantalized his audience with glimpses of the upcoming Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger performance sedans and a sketch of a possible successor to the Dodge Viper exotic sports car at the auto show here today.
The 300 featured a prominent chrome grille and LED running lights above round headlights.
The Charger sedan’s sleek looks recalled the Charger concept car from 1999.
The Viper, which is expected to share some chassis and powertrain technology with Fiat’s luxury Maserati and Ferrari brands, featured what appeared to be a ring of red LED lighting around a high, squared-off rear end.
February 12th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Ralph Gilles to the rescue!
February 15th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Superbowl ad for Dodge Charger one of the best this year. Nice ride.
February 17th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Chrysler Group LLC Salutes Scott Wood, Owner of Scott Wood Chrysler, Jeep® Dodge and TIME Magazine’s 2010 ‘Dealer of the Year’
Feb 15, 2010 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group LLC proudly salutes Scott Wood, owner of Scott Wood Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge in Batesville, Arkansas, for being chosen the 2010 TIME Magazine Dealer of the Year. “Chrysler Group is proud to have outstanding citizens like Scott Wood as our dealer partners,” said Fred Diaz, President and Chief Executive Officer–Ram Brand and Lead Executive for the Sales Organization, Chrysler Group LLC.
February 17th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
The new Charger and Chrysler 300 are hottttt! Cant wait!
February 21st, 2010 at 11:38 pm
Toyota boasted it saved $100 M with limited recall
According to documents turned over to a key U.S. House committee holding hearings on the issue Wednesday Toyota said they saved the company millions by negotiating a deal with government officials over consumer complaints about sudden acceleration in some of their vehicles.
February 23rd, 2010 at 8:21 am
Just because Toyota may be garnering the most attention for its current recall crisis, it isn’t the only automaker having issues. Chrysler has just released its own recall which affects more than 312,000 2005-2006 Town and Country, Caravan, and Grand Caravan models.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the minivan’s front crash sensors may crack “under certain environmental conditions,” which can then cause water to seep into the sensor. We’re guessing that these environmental conditions refer to cold temperatures, since the list of states affected by this recall are mostly in the northern half of the U.S. If water does enter the sensor, it can trigger the airbag fault warning light and may hinder the performance of the overall airbag system.
In the event of airbag warning light illumination, owners are asked to have their vans serviced immediately to correct the problem. The full recall campaign will begin in June of this year, and owners can contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403 for more information. Click through the jump to read the official NHTSA statement.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:42 am
The time has come once again for Consumer Reports’ annual Auto Issue, which means the respected magazine will hand out an updated list of the vehicles and brands that it recommends. Included amongst the pages are CR’s so-called Automaker Report Cards, and the tippy-top and way bottom couldn’t have been easier to see coming.
Much like last year (and the year before, and the year before…), Honda gets the nod as the head of CR’s list, joined in this instance by fellow Japanese automaker Subaru. The leading duo each earned a score of 77 out of 100, putting them three points ahead of cross-town rival Toyota, who’s score of 74 was no doubt affected when CR yanked its Recommendation off eight of its products following their recent recall and safety woes.
Hyundai, Nissan and Volkswagen also performed well, scoring ahead of Ford, which was the highest ranking American automaker on the list. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Saab, and Volvo each earned plaudits for improving on their reliability scores from last year, leaving only one automaker to languish at the very bottom of the list. Drum roll please… Chrysler!
The Pentastar was the only company to score worse this year than last, though there was one lone bright spot shining from Auburn Hills: the Dodge Ram 1500, which is the only Chrysler model on Consumer Reports’ Recommended list. Bravo. See the full press release after the break, and keep an eye on your mailbox or a newsstand near you for the complete Auto Issue.
February 24th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
Slow down there, DaveS……. The new owners cant just make miracles happen overnight!
Today Consumer Reports issued a press release to announce their “Automotive Report Card.” As you may remember, Consumer Reports has two main components to their judgment; they purchase and evaluate vehicles to give a Road Test score, and they survey their subscribers to get a Reliability rating. Reliability is gathered in the spring and summer each year and reported in their October issue. Road Test updates are conducted all year. A comprehensive, updated issue combining Reliability and Road Test scores comes out in early March after the fall product launches.
Today’s announcement includes no new data for Chrysler since last October. We have launched the Heavy Duty Ram, but they have not conducted their Road Test evaluation yet. In this issue they merge Road Test and Reliability information for an overall score. The methodology to merge the scores is something that they keep private. They indicate that we dropped in this overall score from last year. Our reliability improved from last year according to their numbers. Our overall Road Test score has dropped. This is because they removed the Pacifica and the PT Cruiser from our Road Test scores. These two vehicles were helping our scores, especially the Pacifica which was our best Road Test score on record.
Consumer Reports’ measurements of new vehicles are based on the previous three years of reliability data for the same model vehicle. For that reason, changing the reliability rating for new vehicles in Consumer Reports takes some time. Next fall’s reliability improvement should be significant as the three-year window that they use will drop the 2007 model year, a year in which Chrysler Group experienced an increase in warranty claims. Additionally, our Road Test scores will also improve significantly with the new models and mid-cycle interventions we are taking. Today, we are building the highest quality products in the company’s history and more than 75 percent of our vehicles are at or above the industry average for reliability.
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Chrysler sold exactly 399 more vehicles in February than it did in February of 2009, which would be a respectable performance if the comparison weren’t with one of Chrysler’s worst months on record. GM may be tentatively nosing its way out of the bottom of a sales trough, but Chrysler is treading water at unsustainable levels (CEO Sergio Marchionne has said he “needs” Chrysler to sell 1.1m units in the US this year). Considering that a huge amount of Chrysler’s sales release [PDF format here] is spent detailing the company’s many consumer incentives, Marchionne’s goal of turning ChryCo into a 1.1m-unit, incentive-less juggernaut seems less realistic with every passing month.
Sebring improved by 100 percent to 3,160 units, but was offset by a collapse in PT Cruiser sales. Chrysler was up 9 percent alltogether.
Jeep was up 6 percent, with gains from Compass and Commander offsetting a 34 percent drop in Wrangler sales.
Dodge was off five percent, with only Charger (+55%) and Avenger (+78%) balancing losses elsewhere, particularly in Ram trucks which were down 31 percent (Ram down 29% to 10,267 units).
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Anonymous, eat a dick!
Last month was supposed to be a horrible month for auto sales…Didnt turn out that bad. Chryslers sales improved over the month of January! they dont have much product but they have a lot of refreshed product until the new stuff arrives.The new grand Cherokee,Charger and 300 are really nice.
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than Honda.
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than Nissan.
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than Hyundai.
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than Mazda.
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than BMW.
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than Mercedes-Benz.
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than Subaru.
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than VW.
Chrysler within striking distance of Toyota. Chrysler 84,449 total units sold in February, Toyota 100,027.
Chrysler also sold almost 20,000 units in Canada! Mexico was almost 9,000 units!
And Sergio said they would break even if not make a small profit this year!
Hopefully things all pan out for Chrysler and its employees!
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:51 am
Automotive News [sub] reports that only 35,832 of Chrysler’s 84,449 sales last month were to retail customers, with the remaining 58 percent going to fleets. Despite the fact that this combined with Chrysler’s chart-topping incentives doesn’t exactly speak to the company’s viability, Chrysler spokesfolks were unapologetic, saying:
Fleet sales were very strong this month, and our company sales reflect that. We still expect our total fleet sales for the year to be around 25 percent. It’s a good viable business for us. It shows that large companies have faith in our company to order. We make money on fleet sales
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:53 am
Retail buy quality products,wholesale/rental companys buy price.
CRYSLED IS DEAD !!!!!!! ROFLMAO
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:32 am
Chrysler sales were up 1/2% in February! Toytota????
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:18 am
Chrysler is fine! Probably break even this year and return a profit next! You ex car porters don’t know much! Guess that why you guys were ex car porters / Dealers! I’m so glad your dealerships went under! Rotflmfao!
March 3rd, 2010 at 12:49 pm
I don’t hear sergio tellin the world that chrysler is in dire needs of more funding or they are in trouble.He simply stated that chrysler will probably break even.Not just chrysler sells to fleet.All makers sell to fleet.Regardless if the sale is less profitable or not.Now I see why nobody comes to this weblog anymore! When sergio comes out and tells the public he doesn’t think chrysler has a chance is when all these crazy comments should be posted! For now chrysler is doing ok!!!!!
March 3rd, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Yes, all car companies sell to fleet - - but not 60% of their sales!
Does that not raise a red flag for you? Do you really think fleet sales are just as profitable as retail?
What will Fiat suffer if Chrysler goes tits up? They’ll pick up the dealer network, and when Jeep & the minivans are sold off, Fiat will get 35% of the take.
Pretty good return on an investment of ZERO!
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:52 pm
Try to get a bank to lend money on a Chrysler ! LOL
Low beacon scores and shit product make a good point ! LOL
Ford,Hyundai and Kia FTW
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Captain Fleet, please find the other automakers fleet numbers. I’ll bet you would be very surprised with the sales numbers to fleets! And no fllet sales arent as profitable as retail, but there is still money to be made off them.Do you think Chrysler doesnt make money off of fleet? Trust me,They make a profit selling to fleet!
40% of Ford’s February sales were fleet sales……………..
39% of Honda sales were fleet sales………
Why dont you unemployeed people ever find good things to say about chrysler like the one i’ll post below! Get a life you fucking clowns!
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Chrysler races to upgrade its lineup
15 vehicles are being reworked; all will be on sale by early 2011
In a bid to improve its lineup before a fleet of new Fiat-based vehicles arrives in 2012, Chrysler Group is rushing new features and equipment into 15 reworked vehicles.
The equipment, such as a Fiat dual-clutch, six-speed transmission and a new Chrysler V-6, will boost fuel economy, improve driving dynamics and spiff up drab interiors, all areas in which Chrysler has fared poorly in consumer surveys.
All the vehicles will be on sale by the first quarter of next year.
But the rush of upgrades is straining Chrysler’s engineering staff, which has been working overtime for months, and it will hand a huge challenge to the automaker’s marketers to tell shoppers about all the changes.
Improvements planned for the Chrysler Sebring mid-sized sedan tell the story. Sources say the car will get new front and rear styling, a new interior and a revised suspension for improved ride and handling. The Sebring will be the first vehicle with a Fiat-engineered dual-clutch transmission, which will be offered with Chrysler’s new Pentastar V-6 engine.
The automaker plans to begin manufacturing the car in the fourth quarter at its Sterling Heights, Mich., plant.
Slow seller
From its launch as a 2007 model, the Sebring was a slow seller and failed to make a mark on a segment dominated by the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. The Sebring was widely criticized for its cheap-plastic interior, unresponsive powertrain, mediocre handling and plain styling.
Chrysler’s previous owner, Cerberus Capital Management, had decided not to spend the money to make the Sebring competitive. When Sergio Marchionne took over as Chrysler Group CEO last June, he reversed that decision. Marchionne told Automotive News that the changes are so extensive that the Sebring name will be dropped.
The Fiat dual-clutch transmission, which can be shifted manually or automatically, promises the fuel economy and versatility of a manual with the ease of an automatic.
Of the 15 vehicles, eight are being redesigned or re-engineered. Seven others are getting significant midcycle alterations. A 16th vehicle, the Fiat 500, will be sold at Chrysler dealerships.
Redesigned models include the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Production is scheduled to begin in May or June.
The five-seat Grand Cherokee will be the first vehicle to get Chrysler’s 3.6-liter, 280-hp Pentastar aluminum V-6 engine.
Following in the fourth quarter will be a redesigned seven-seat crossover to replace the Dodge Durango. The 2011 model is built on the same platform as the Grand Cherokee.
Also in the pipeline for the fourth quarter are the re-engineered 2011 Dodge Charger and its Chrysler 300 sibling and the Chrysler Town & Country.
These re-engineered models also get the new Pentastar V-6 engine. Also expected is the North American debut of the Fiat 500.
Revision for Wrangler
Vehicles getting important revisions include the Jeep Wrangler, coming in the third quarter. Wranglers sold with diesel engines, outside the United States, will get stop-start technology, which saves fuel by turning off the engine when the car stops.
Wranglers will also get exterior styling modifications.
By year end, the Dodge Avenger sedan will receive the same suspension and powertrain improvements as its Sebring sibling, with just minor styling tweaks, such as new front and rear bumpers and a new grille.
Much work ahead
The Pentastar V-6 engine will arrive in other vehicles, including the Dodge Grand Caravan and Journey, by the end of the year.
Jim Hall, analyst with 2953 Analytics in Birmingham, Mich., says Chrysler has its work cut out for it to reconnect with consumers after its bankruptcy.
“Product is only part of the equation,” he says. “They’ve got to get the consideration up. They have twice the challenge GM does.
“Chrysler has to get the product right and the marketing at the same time.”
Chrysler’s product offensive
Chrysler Group is giving its existing lineup new equipment and upgrades, sources say. It also is introducing a redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee and a Dodge Durango replacement this year and expects the North American debut of the Fiat 500 in the 4th quarter. Times are for planned start of manufacturing.
Redesigned or reengineered
1st quarter 2010
Ram Chassis Cab: Redesigned chassis for Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500
2nd quarter
Jeep Grand Cherokee: New platform; first to get Chrysler’s Pentastar V-6 engine up to 27 mpg.
4th Quarter
Dodge Durango replacement: 7-seat sibling of Grand Cherokee; unibody construction, unlike current Durango, which is body on frame; Pentastar V-6 up to 27 mpg.
Dodge Charger: New sheet metal; heavily revised LX platform, including new rear suspension; Pentastar V-6 and revised V-8s; new interior
Chrysler Town & Country: New front end; Pentastar V-6; new interior; sharply differentiated from the Dodge Grand Caravan
Chrysler Sebring sedan and convertible: New front and rear; Pentastar V-6; new interior; revised suspension; first with Fiat-engineered 6-speed dual-clutch transmission; new name
Chrysler 300: New sheet metal; heavily revised LX platform, including new rear suspension; Pentastar V-6 and revised V-8s; new interior
Restyled, freshened
1st quarter
Jeep Liberty: Styling tweaks
3rd quarter
Jeep Wrangler: Diesel Wranglers, not sold in the U.S., will get stop-start; modified exterior design; Pentastar V-6 in 2011
Jeep Patriot: Revised exterior
4th quarter
Dodge Avenger: New front and rear bumpers and grille; major interior changes; upgrades to suspension; Pentastar V-6
Dodge Grand Caravan: Minor styling tweaks; new interior; Pentastar V-6
Dodge Journey: New interior; restyled front end; Pentastar V-6
Jeep Compass: Revised exteriorChry
March 4th, 2010 at 12:21 am
Ford had expected sales to climb from last February, when U.S. sales plummeted in the midst of the recession. Its car sales climbed 54 percent as consumers continued to shop for more fuel-efficient vehicles. Like GM, Ford saw renewed demand from corporate fleet customers, which are buying again after weak sales in 2009. Ford’s fleet sales surged 74 percent over February of last year, while GM’s jumped 114 percent.
Ford had expected sales to climb from last February, when U.S. sales plummeted in the midst of the recession. Its car sales climbed 54 percent as consumers continued to shop for more fuel-efficient vehicles. Like GM, Ford saw renewed demand from corporate fleet customers, which are buying again after weak sales in 2009. Ford’s fleet sales surged 74 percent over February of last year, while GM’s jumped 114 percent.
Ford had expected sales to climb from last February, when U.S. sales plummeted in the midst of the recession. Its car sales climbed 54 percent as consumers continued to shop for more fuel-efficient vehicles. Like GM, Ford saw renewed demand from corporate fleet customers, which are buying again after weak sales in 2009. Ford’s fleet sales surged 74 percent over February of last year, while GM’s jumped 114 percent.
Ford had expected sales to climb from last February, when U.S. sales plummeted in the midst of the recession. Its car sales climbed 54 percent as consumers continued to shop for more fuel-efficient vehicles. Like GM, Ford saw renewed demand from corporate fleet customers, which are buying again after weak sales in 2009. Ford’s fleet sales surged 74 percent over February of last year, while GM’s jumped 114 percent.
Ford had expected sales to climb from last February, when U.S. sales plummeted in the midst of the recession. Its car sales climbed 54 percent as consumers continued to shop for more fuel-efficient vehicles. Like GM, Ford saw renewed demand from corporate fleet customers, which are buying again after weak sales in 2009. Ford’s fleet sales surged 74 percent over February of last year, while GM’s jumped 114 percent.
Ford had expected sales to climb from last February, when U.S. sales plummeted in the midst of the recession. Its car sales climbed 54 percent as consumers continued to shop for more fuel-efficient vehicles. Like GM, Ford saw renewed demand from corporate fleet customers, which are buying again after weak sales in 2009. Ford’s fleet sales surged 74 percent over February of last year, while GM’s jumped 114 percent.
Ford had expected sales to climb from last February, when U.S. sales plummeted in the midst of the recession. Its car sales climbed 54 percent as consumers continued to shop for more fuel-efficient vehicles. Like GM, Ford saw renewed demand from corporate fleet customers, which are buying again after weak sales in 2009. Ford’s fleet sales surged 74 percent over February of last year, while GM’s jumped 114 percent.
March 4th, 2010 at 9:51 am
you are a fuckingidiot
March 4th, 2010 at 9:52 am
Drink the crysled jizz you fanboybitches! lol
March 4th, 2010 at 11:30 am
Topdog in Orlando zone sold 37 new c,d,j and rams for feb! looks like chrysler will make it .
March 4th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than Honda.
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than Nissan.
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than Hyundai.
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than Mazda.
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than BMW.
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than Mercedes-Benz.
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than Subaru.
Chrysler sold more new vehicles in February than VW.
Looks like chrysled can only outsell brands that have small dealer networks !
March 4th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
So glad they closed those dealerships that were useless to chrysler! I hope those people are really struggling!
March 4th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Ram pickup sales fell 29 percent for the month, and Chrysler is moving to put up a better showing in March.Chrysler Group reported a small sales increase in sales for February, but the automaker did it by relying heavily on fleet sales.Chrysler sold 84,449 vehicles in February, up less than 1 percent from 84,050 units in February 2009. The increase comes after 25 straight months of sales declines. But only 35,832 of those units were retail sales, according to numbers confirmed by Automotive News. That means 58 percent of Chrysler sales went to fleets.Chrysler declined to comment on the retail numbers because the company does not break out fleet vs. retail in monthly sales reports. A spokeswoman said: “Fleet sales were very strong this month, and our company sales reflect that.”A number of large fleet operators, rental car companies and government agencies, who had postponed orders last year, returned to the market, she said. “We still expect our total fleet sales for the year to be around 25 percent,” she added. “It’s a good viable business for us. It shows that large companies have faith in our company to order. We make money on fleet sales.”Though Chrysler did post a slight gain, it trailed the industry, which was up 13 percent for February. Chrysler’s Detroit rivals showed bigger increases. Ford posted a 43 percent increase, while GM rose 12 percent. Both companies were able to profit from Toyota’s unintended acceleration problems. Toyota Motor sales fell 9 percent for the month.Chrysler’s sales growth was based solely on a big increase in car sales. Chrysler car sales shot up 38 percent in February, while truck sales sank 10 percent. Ram pickup sales fell 29 percent for the month, and Chrysler is moving to put up a better showing in March. Customers who buy a 2010 Ram 1500 can get a Hemi engine at no charge or a $500 rebate on a Ram 1500 with the 3.7-liter V-6 or 4.7-liter V-8
March 4th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
“It’s a good viable business for us. It shows that large companies have faith in our company to order. We make money on fleet sales.
March 4th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
The new Charger and 300 are going to be great! Saw them at a speacial meeting. All I can say is WOW!
March 4th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
Yup struggling with $67,000,000+ in the bank LOL
March 4th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Chrysler claims they will have around 6 billion dollars at years end. The new vehicles with add much needed volume.
March 4th, 2010 at 9:29 pm
670000 with nothing to do but post lame comments….lmfao
March 4th, 2010 at 11:01 pm
Yup struggling with $67,000,000+ in the bank LOL
Smoke another one! Maybe youll think you have more! Fool
March 5th, 2010 at 7:34 am
The new 300, Charger, and Durango/Magnum will give them some momentum, at least some positive attention. Ford and GM had new products coming out at just the right time. Chrysler didn’t and that’s what has really hurt them.
Updated midsize cars are following these intros. Then, if they can field a replacement for the Sprinter and a couple cars to compete with Fiesta and Corolla/Civic they’ll be fine.
March 5th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Don’t forget about the new grand cherokee.One nice ride!
March 9th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Yes it is. Chrysler has indicated it will start production in May. With the large Dodge version rolling off the line in Nov. The next twelve months will be good news for Chrysler fans, with all these new products.
Challenger will be getting some upgrades. Which are coming at a good time, given the fact incentives–for the first time–are being added to move them. I hope the styling won’t be changed; hopefully just the interior, and the addition of the Pentastar V-6, 6.4 liter HEMI, and a six or eight speed automatic would be nice. I love mine, but I can see how the Camaro and improved Mustang–with 300 horse plus V-6’s and big 5.0 and 6.2 engines and six speed automatics–are stealing its thunder a bit.
March 11th, 2010 at 10:42 am
I do wonder what symbol is on that steering wheel hub, under the tape. Perhaps it contains the “Dodge” lettering and the two // hash marks, or maybe it’s a proper symbol of some kind?
March 11th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
Anyone who follows the auto industry with any regularity will know that comparing Toyota and Chrysler by any measure is laughable. For mainstream media types, who flit from frenzy to frenzy, all the negative press about Toyota might have left some believing that it’s the worst-off automaker in America. Luckily CNN Money is on-hand to set the record straight, with a piece titled “Forget Toyota. Chrysler’s got the most problems.” It’s a standard litany of TTACian criticism: declining sales, fleet and incentive dependence, no new product, flatlining consideration, and general suckitude. All of which helps make a solid month of media frenzy over sticky accelerators look kind of silly, especially considering that Chrysler’s stunning underperformance comes courtesy of the American and Canadian taxpayers.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:45 am
“suckitude” ???? Strange seeing how Ram HD just won 2010 M/T truck of the year. And Chrysler increased sales in Feb 2010 over Feb 2009 (while Toyota lost ground for the same period). No new products? How about that new Ram HD, and the upcoming GC, Charger, and 300. Look like new products to me.
Toyota today is what GM was in 1985–it got too big and thought it could get away with flawed and lackluster design because it is “the biggest and best.” Look at the “we can get away with it” memos that circulated in this company. Contrast to Chrysler which reduced its recalls to the lowest in the industry.
Look at the “redesigned” Avalon and comapre it to the new Charger coming out, or the Taurus or Sonota. Avalon is the poster for how out of touch Toyota has gotten. GM stopped those kinds of “we hope the new trim fools you, yes it’s an all-new new Buick” “redesigns” a decade ago.
Toyota’s problem is huge. Why should folks trust a Toyota product at this point? There’s no reason to trust them more than Chrysler. Why put your family in a Camry when Sebring has the highest safety rating in its class, higher than Camry? And when you want it to stop you can be sure it will. Chrysler has new stuff coming out at just the right time and is in a good position to take sales away from Toyota.
March 13th, 2010 at 8:47 pm
You’re right Chryco. Chrysler is stuck with some poor product right now due to previous management. Luckily they are gone. Sergio of Fiat at least has a plan in place. Chrysler is in transition mode. They will have to struggle with what they have by selling to fleet and all until the new product gets out…
It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out Chryslers situation..Look at the dodge ram has won award after award last year due to it great redesign. The grand cherokee,charger,300 and minivan will all have major overhauls by next year! Plus the new engine going into the grand cherokee and durango will get up to 28 MPG! And, If you saw the grand cherokees new interior, then you will know where theyre going in the future.!
For CNN to say Chrysler has more problems Toyota isnt exactly true from my standpoint….. I think i rather drive a chrysler sebring than a Taoyota Prius that at any given second can excell to any given speed without being able to stop…Chrysler hasnt been hiding recall over the last 8 yrs,,have they? 48 people havent died related to chrysler products have they? I think Toyota is in a world of shit right now and i think this problem is here to stay for some time…..
Can someone explain to me what the new Pentastar V-6 engines are or where they will be built…..
I know they are building new Phoenix V-6’s at Trenton engine. Never heard of the Pentastar……
Chryco, there will always be some kind of hater on this forum. Be it, a laid of chrysler employee, a fired employee, a ex- chrysler dealer or whatever….No matter what chrysler tries to do right,, there will always be a negative son-of-a -bitch trying to twist the story!
March 13th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
You talk about all the awards for the Ram - - but where are the sales? The Ram has fallen off the sales map. Sales are king! Awards mean nothing if you can’t sell the product.
That’s the sad reality friends. What do you suppose will happen in the event the GC, Charger & 300 all win awards for their redesigns but sales continue to fall for them?
March 14th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
You talk about all the awards for the Ram - - but where are the sales?
I think there would be many more sales if the economy were better. They still sold over 13,000 Rams last month. I think GM sold 17,000 Silverados. Im sure there are many companies out there that would love to load up on Rams but their business’s are still weak due to the economy…..
Woulda, Shoulda…..Coulda! Times are tough for any company right now. Especially one that is trying to turn itself around.
Hopefully they cut enough fat from the company to survive until the new stuff arrives.
March 14th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Pentastar is the production version of what was codenamed Phoenix. And it is built in the US. I believe Trenton, maybe Kenosha. I don’t recall that. It’s a great V-6, world class in every way.
I believe Ram sales are falling due to the “RAM” brand mistake. Just Reality, you are right in the sense that it doesn’t matter how good the cars are if sales are down; if the buyers don’t respond it is for naught. But I hate to see the media–and that includes this forum perhaps–running down Chrysler, and thus turning buyers off even further–and for no reason. We can look at every segment, and with the exception of small cars, Chrysler has models that are competitive with Toyota, Ford, Hyundai, etc. Even the oft criticized Sebring is very competitive in safety; and the car is well made. The structure is as solid as a bank vault, hardly the tinny piece of junk it’s made out to be. And even Sebrings don’t have pieces of trim fall off during road tests by magazines (unlike Toyota Highlander, cough, cough). So the facts don’t support Chyrsler being awful. Keep in mind that, other than Ram, sales are holding level, up slightly from last year.
Chrysler has great products coming. Buyers owe it to themselves to look at them, and for that matter, compare GM models, compare Suzuki, Hyundai, etc instead of blind purchases of Toyota’s.
March 14th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
The Phoenix is built at Trenton Engine in Treton, Michigan.
March 14th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Fiat may make Chrysler revival a priority
It sends mixed signals about Italian division’s spin-off
Fiat, the Italian carmaker that helped Chrysler emerge from bankruptcy, may wait to turn around the U.S. business before deciding on a share sale or spin-off for its automotive division.
The Italian company’s stock has risen 21% this month on speculation that CEO Sergio Marchionne may carve out Fiat’s biggest unit as a new company. Fiat executives have so far sent mixed signals about whether an initial public offering of the division will take place.
A separation of the auto manufacturing operations, which generated 56% of Fiat’s revenue last year, would give Marchionne an entity to facilitate future alliances, and a share sale would generate cash for international expansion.
The maker of Puntos and Ferraris must show progress at Chrysler, of which it owns 20%, before convincing investors to buy shares in the unit, said Royal Bank of Scotland analyst Jose Asumendi.
“Fiat has too much on its hands right now to think about a possible spin-off,” said London-based Asumendi, who advises holding Fiat’s stock. “The priority is to resurrect Chrysler, make it profitable and repay its government loans.”
Fiat Automobile, not including Fiat’s 20% stake in Chrysler, is worth about 5.9 billion euros ($8 billion), or 53% of Fiat’s market value, said Stephen Pope, chief global equity strategist at Cantor Fitzgerald in London. “Get the U.S. strategy right and in six years’ time, Fiat Auto could be worth 20% more.”
Fiat derives the remainder of its revenue from units including truckmaker Iveco and CNH Global, an agricultural and construction machinery maker.
Marchionne plans to detail on April 21 in Turin, Italy, how Chrysler, which he also runs, will improve Fiat’s profitability through shared sales efforts and technology. The CEO is trying to shore up both companies as government incentives to buy new cars end in Europe and Chrysler’s U.S. market share lags a 10.5% target for 2010.
Chrysler is “in a year of hibernation” and talk of a separate Fiat Auto is “premature,” Kristina Church, an analyst at Barclays Capital, wrote in a note Monday. Barclays upgraded Fiat to “equal weight” from “underweight” in part because the shares may benefit from the speculation.
March 16th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Chrysler Group understands that the practice at this time may be a cause of concern among policymakers and among arbitrating dealers. As a measure of good faith, Chrysler Group will not proceed with network actions that directly impact an arbitrating dealer until the arbitrator has had a chance to rule in that case.
Chrysler promises to play nice with culled dealers and wait until arbitration is complete before establishing new franchises in their areas [via Automotive News [sub]]. It’s probably no coincidence that several states are already considering legislation that would require Chrysler to offer culled dealers the right of first refusal for any new dealerships in their areas. Besides, replacing dealers before arbitration kind of hurts Chrysler’s case for culling them in the first place. To say nothing of making an already-battered brand look like a bunch of royal jerks.
March 17th, 2010 at 10:03 am
At present, the new Ram (1500, 2500, etc.) is a great truck. I have Chrysler and GM dealerships and can tell you for a fact that the customers that drive the GM truck and the Dodge truck with an open mind are buying the Dodge. We have taken a number of GM and Fords in trade and the customers love the new Dodge. Of course, these people do have an open mind. The sales aren’t as high as GM and Ford but never will be, but it still gets a very respectable market share.
A new Grand Cherokee is coming in May/June and is totally new from the ground up. Let’s wait until it comes out before you condemn it. The present one has waned in sales but it came out in 2004 (as a 2005 model) and is 6 years old. However, resale values of used Grand Cherokees are fantastic.
Chrysler invented the minivan and still has features the other don’t have. I have driven Honda’s, Toyota’s, and the Chrysler and feel the Chrysler doesn’t hold a back seat to any of the three.
On fuel economy, The Hemi is very comparable to the F150, better than the Tundra, and a little lower than the GM (check out www.fueleconomy.gov for the comparisons).
The 2010 Caliber has just been refined, the interior is nicer, the car is quieter and smoother than prior years. Have you driven one?
Chrysler hasn’t made the Aspen since December of 2008 and yet, used ones are bringing astronomical prices.
We also have a nice product in the Journey and in our market the Journey is outselling the new Equinox (also a very nice product). Part of this is because of availability but the Journey is selling well.
March 17th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
Cash is King!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 18th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Hope for Chrysler - Quality is improving!
Even Chrysler, the media’s punching bag for quality, shows signs of hope.
No, it didn’t score well in the study, but it was selling 2007 models as Daimler-Chrysler. So holding steady year-over-year is not bad. Face it, no one was investing in Chrysler’s future, and it’s still here.
“As a company, our results are essentially flat compared to last year,” said Doug Betts, senior vice president of quality at Chrysler. “As more than 75 percent of our product line changes by the end of the year, we look forward to demonstrating the numerous quality advancements we’ve integrated into the design, development and building of all Chrysler Group vehicles.”
Even J.D. Power’s Sargent said he thinks Chrysler’s vehicles will get better.
“I think Chrysler will turn things around,” he said. “They are as committed and working hard to improve quality. They will get there. For the last 10 years, no one has been investing in (improving quality).”
And even as Chrysler improves, it will have to deal with “the gap.”
March 20th, 2010 at 6:52 am
The gap will continue to get larger .
R.I.P. crashsled
March 20th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Cash is King? So is having access to the best fuel sipping engines in the world!
March 20th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Anonymous Says:
March 20th, 2010 at 6:52 am
The gap will continue to get larger .
R.I.P. crashsled
Only in your fucked up anti-chrysler head……. LOL
March 23rd, 2010 at 10:18 pm
The health care law just passed will be one more stumbling block for not only Chrysler, but all business struggling in this poor economy. Cap and trade, health care, and health care will put US business in a straight jacket. The dollar is down; Social Security, Medicare, Medipak, the stimulus plan, unfunded state and federal pension plans, and now health care will put this country on a glide path toward bankruptcy; financial and moral.
March 24th, 2010 at 8:57 am
Hope and Change . LOL @ you leftwing union fucks !
March 24th, 2010 at 9:37 am
LMFAO,,,,all you unemployeed know-it-alls! Thats why your lousy dealers got closed! Too fucking negative! And to fucking bad! Im so glad……
The dollar was up sharply today also. Theres also an article in the news about Chrysler having a pretty darn good month also…..
Now go wash those dishes LOSERS!!!!!!! You FUCKING Bums!
March 24th, 2010 at 10:30 am
Dollar surges to 10-month high versus euro
By Blake Ellis, staff reporterMarch 24, 2010: 10:13 AM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The dollar climbed to a 10-month high versus the euro on Wednesday amid growing concern about struggling European nations.
What prices are doing: The dollar climbed 1.15% versus the euro to $1.3343, the highest level since May of 2009, said Brian Dolan, a chief currency strategist at Forex.com.
Chrysler says sales heading up!
Chrysler Group LLC said March sales are tracking 51 percent above last month, but could be down 12 percent from a year ago. All four brands are enjoying increased sales, retail in particular, in the first weeks of March, “which is huge,” said Fred Diaz, head of sales.
March 24th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Nobody knows what the new reform means for the auto indstry
March 25th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
I fell in love with Chrysler back in 1991. Really. The LH sedans were the first four door cars I ever wanted to buy. Sports car looks. 214 horsepower. Of course they were just in the developmental stage back then with only a Viper or two out in the real world. I didn’t care. As I studied more of Chrysler’s other show cars of that time and reflected on the company’s restructuring measures (I was an industry wonk even then), I smelled the opportunity of an 18 year old’s lifetime. I bought 260 shares of Chrysler at just over $10 a share. Two years later I thought LH stood for, “Lordy Hallelujah!” as I spent my newfound fortune on babes and booze. Make that one babe who thankfully became my wife, and a laptop computer.
Today everyone is still singing automotive praises… about Ford. The Fiesta will truly be a celebration. The F-150, Taurus, and Fusion all seem to be on solid ground. Heck, even the MKS is a marketable vehicle if you have the right color scheme on it. But there is one unavoidable reason why the chorus of congratulations is so loud for Ford. The stock price. Within the last year Ford has gone from the near abyss to the near profit. It’s always well and good to be a Monday morning quarterback. But I believe there’s one other company that will be even better.
Hyundai? That ship has sailed. Personally I find all of their designs to be derivative and I think the Genesis is a completely ugly piece of crap. The new Sonata? I just can’t embrace that look. A Korean car company stealing German designs with crayola quality interior accompaniments doesn’t do it for me. Hyundai found the plot about five years ago with their small cars but now, they’re trying to reach a premium look with botox inspired plastic panels. I don’t see it becoming the next spirit of the times and I don’t think the market will either.
Where do I see this going? One direction thanks to China, India and Obama (and Bush). Efficient cars that are fun to drive. I’m not talking about small cars that look like wedged pieces of cheese. With five star safety ratings and airbags aplenty, I can see models of all shapes and sizes start to encroach on the territory of the midsized cars. Just as minivans were snubbed by ever larger SUV Sally’s and Sam’s, the under-30 new car shoppers (all three of them) will look past the Boomeresque splendor of Grandpa’s Camry and choose something that is unique. Even a bit ugly at times, but unique.
So I am throwing my first gauntlet towards something almost all of you truly hate. The Honda CR-Z. The B&B have been saying ‘Eeeewwww!!!!’ to the design for the longest time now. But let me ask you. Is it uglier than a Camry? OK, let me throw in an even bigger thought out there. Are the overwhelming majority of cars out there even remotely good looking? Or do they all look like bulbous and deformed jellybeans of varying types. If you picked B then you’re going to truly appreciate what I’m about to say.
The Honda CR-Z will be brilliant. Not perhaps for ‘looks’ but for image. It will be absolutely perfect for the times because it hits every strong societal G-spot that’s out there and then some. Frugal? Yes. Fun? For folks whose idea of fun is watching a display light up in mpg’s… yes. Is it a Prius? No, so it gets double points for that because everybody’s mother or nerdy uncle already has one of those boreathons. All kidding aside, I’ve driven it’s ancestor for nearly 6 months and 20,000 miles now and it’s a complete revelation. It makes my late model S-Class feel like an antique (albeit a quiet one) and it involves me in the daily driving experience in a way that no other car can.
55 miles per gallon. Tons of room. As flickable as a New Jersey switchblade with enough feel for the road to give it an almost 1st generation Miata like quality. The new CR-Z will not hit the same MPG’s or even the same weight class as my Insight. But compared to what else is out there… there will simply be nothing else quite like it. Except for maybe a Kia Soul, or the dreadful Nissan Cube, or that contemptible Italian piece from Chrysler that will ultimately be the last hurrah for that company. Speaking of that, I’m thinking that when the Ram brand and tooling get sold off, Honda will buy it. That and an unbreakable grip on everything Accord sized and under will make Honda the next winner.
March 25th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Anonymous Says:
March 25th, 2010 at 2:32 pm ?
And what is your point? LOL, such fools on this site!
The Honda CR-Z is little and the Chrysler/ Fiat merger will produce vehicles just like that in due time!
The Honda CR-Z isnt very impressive.
March 26th, 2010 at 5:55 am
Car researcher Edmunds sees an exceptionally strong March rebound in U.S. car sales. They expect new vehicle sales to come in 31 percent higher than March 2009. The most muscular comeback kid? Would you believe it, Edmunds expects sales of the already counted out Toyota to explode in March. They also see the Detroit 3 solidly overwhelmed by the furriners, Ford’s heroic efforts notwithstanding.
The predictions would translate into a Seasonally Adjusted Annualized Rate (SAAR) of 12.4m, solidly up from 10.3m in February 2010. Edmunds doesn’t want to call this the end of the SAAR crisis just yet. Their press release couches the good news in the appropriately cautionary terms:
“Although this SAAR sounds promising, it’s too early to wave the flag and say that the economy has turned the corner,” said Edmunds’ CEO Jeremy Anwyl. “Incentives drove sales this month, but those were defensive moves in response to Toyota stepping up incentives and are unlikely to last because inventories are simply not high enough to justify them in the long term.” We are running out of cars!
Edmunds sees Toyota up by a whopping 82 percent over February, and to sell 37.1 percent more than in March 2009. That thanks to generous incentives, and what Jessica Caldwell, Director of Industry Analysis at Edmunds calls “more balanced headlines.” The debunking of James Sikes and the suburban New York housekeeper definitely toned down the shrillness of the reporting. Edmunds predicts Toyota to quickly regain lost market share and customer confidence.
If the media frenzy and the hearings on the hill were intended to boost the fortunes of domestic name plates, well, it did not work out. Edmunds sees the combined monthly U.S. market share of Chrysler, Ford and GM shrink to 44 percent in March, down from 45.1 percent for the same month in the prior year, and down from 47.1 percent in February 2010. Strong Ford is seen as the only domestic maker to gain market share.
Edmunds expects individual car makers to close out the month of March as follows:
Chrysler: down 6.5 percent, market share 8.4 percent (11.8 percent in March 2009)
Ford: up 55.5 percent, market share 18 percent (15.1 percent in March 2009)
GM: up 27 percent, market share 17.6 percent (18.2 percent in March 2009)
Honda: up 21.5 percent, market share 9.6 percent (10.3 percent in March 2009)
Hyundai: up 40.0 percent, market share 8.2 percent in March 2010 (7.7 percent in March 2009)
Nissan: up 48.7 percent, market share 8.9 percent (7.8 percent in March 2009)
Toyota: up 37.1 percent, market share 16.3 percent (15.5 percent in March 2009)
Disclaimer: These are predictions, and March ain’t over yet. But the March tunes sound inspiring. Anchors aweigh!
March 26th, 2010 at 9:31 am
We’ll see if these predictions come true. People need to look past the incentives Toyota is offering and understand the inexcusable flaws involved in Toyota engineering. It now seems apparent that electromagnetic interference had a role in the unintended accel cases. That means the vehicle electronics are flawed and unsafe. That Lexus ES rental had an earlier incident involving unintended accel just weeks before the tragic even that killed the California highway patrol officer and family. Both cases took the car under high voltage power lines.
The public needs to stop drinking the Toyota Kool aid. Why should folks reward Toyota with their purchase? Why when the Sonota is a better car? And the Accord is just as good as the Camry. So is the Fusion. The loyalty and faith in Toyota is greatly misplaced.
Test drive a Sebring, which beats the safety ratings of Camry, has fewer recalls, and no issues of runaway acceleration, before you follow the other sheep over to the Toyota dealer. Start a new trend instead of following blindly what your neighbors are buying.
March 26th, 2010 at 9:35 am
Toyota runs a few touchy feely ads and offers incentives and people forget the deaths resulting from their products, the coverups and lies.
GM, Ford, and Chrysler made a few lousy cars in the 70’s and 80’s and millions of Americans forever hold a grudge because they rusted early or the power windows went out. They will buy a faulty Camry, before they even test drive a domestic, because someone in their family had a bad experience with an American car thiry-five eyars ago. It’s amazing.
Stop the double sstandard folks! Toyota has abused your trust.
March 26th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Hyundai #1
March 29th, 2010 at 9:58 am
If you believed Chrysler’s bailout “viability plan” [paging Commissar Orwell…], you knew the new Chrysler 300 would be released in 2010. It’s a bit cut off at the top of the image above, but you can clearly see the words “…and the New Chrysler 300 in 2010.” And if you believed Chrysler’s five year plan, released last November, you knew the refreshed 300 would go on sale in 2010. That’s why there’s a little refresh icon by the 300 in 2010. But if you believe the latest word from the Wall Street Journal [sub], you now know that the 2011 Chrysler 300 will be released in… 2010. And that’s news how?
According to the WSJ:
In hopes of spurring sales later in the year, Chrysler also is making plans to move up the U.S. launch of the restyled Chrysler 300 sedan by three to four months, to November from the first quarter of 2011, these people said.
In other words, the headline should be “Chrysler 300 Delayed Months Ago, Chrysler Now Denying Delay.” But of course that misses the point of the exercise entirely. The WSJ couches the 300 announcement in terms of Chrysler’s sales problems, as in the launch is being pushed up to address Chrysler’s sliding sales. Let’s take a look:
Chrysler is making the moves as it nears the one-year anniversary of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on April 30. As part of a strategy worked out by the U.S. government, Chrysler formed an alliance with Italy’s Fiat. In November, Sergio Marchionne, who serves as chief executive of both auto makers, outlined a turnaround plan that envisions Chrysler breaking even this year and generating profits in 2011.
The plan is based on a forecast that Chrysler’s U.S. sales will rise 18% this year, from 931,402 cars and light trucks in 2009 to 1.1 million in 2010. But in the year’s first two months, sales fell 3.2%, and analysts expect another decline when March sales are reported Thursday.
Chrysler sales this year through February fell to 141,592 vehicles, the lowest for the company in 30 years, according to Ward’s Automotive Group.
To hit its target, Chrysler must now sell at least 95,000 vehicles per month for the rest of the year. It has reached that level only once in the last 14 months.
So, it turns out that the real headline is “Chrysler Must Sell 95k Units Per Month To Survive.” Way to bury the lede, WSJ. Meanwhile, there are sales and there are sales, and though the news couldn’t be any worse, the WSJ just keeps on soft-pedaling:
half or more of the vehicles Chrysler sold in January and February were purchased by rental-car companies and other fleet customers, said people familiar with the matter. That suggests Chrysler is having some trouble winning over individuals who buy cars through dealerships… Mr. Marchionne’s plan envisions such retail sales making up more than 70% of the total, and lower-margin fleet sales less than 30%… A Chrysler spokesman, Gualberto Ranieri, said the company is sticking with its U.S. sales target. “The goal is for 1.1 million and Mr. Marchionne has never missed a target,” he said.
Well then, everything must be ginger-peachy. Sales will go up, retail share will go up, and the new 300 will be released early. Because Marchionne says so, and because a bunch of Vice Presidents made Powerpoint presentations that say so. Don’t question it.
March 29th, 2010 at 10:34 am
Give them a chance. New GC starts production in May, Durango and 300 in Nov.
Jan-Feb sales don’t mean all is lost.
Might be nice to see some ads touting the fact they have fewer recalls than Toyota. Part of the problem is Chrysler isn’t on alot of peoples’ radar screen. Buyers, even some of the Toyota-flavored kool aid drinkers, know about Fusion, F-150, they know about Malibu, Equinox, LaCrosse, they know about Sonota. I hope ads will start targeting individual Toyota products: like Journey v Highlander or Patriot v RAV4, Sebring vs Camry, RAM v Tundra. Chrysler products will stand up very well to such comparisons.
Putting “Dodge” back in RAM ads may also help sales. Just put “Dodge” in the corner of TV ads or something. They can gradually correct this mistake. RAM sales ought to be increasing, not decreasing.
March 29th, 2010 at 10:40 am
mid size and full size suv and trucks lines are not selling no matter who makes them!
fiat/chrysler (fiasco) is DOOMED !
March 29th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
HYUNDAI FTW !
March 29th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Chrysler has a clean slate. So what if the just miss the mark? Doesnt mean they will be out of business. Just means they might need to spend a few extra bucks…..
Chrysler isnt going out of business anytime soon. It just ont happen. Not in this state of the economy!
March 29th, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Chrysler Group LLC is rushing to accelerate the U.S. launch of its redesigned flagship sedan, a once hot-selling model whose sales have slipped, as part of a push to keep on track its ambitious turnaround plan, said three people familiar with the matter.
The company is off to a sluggish start this quarter, and now needs a sales surge later this year to hit its target of selling 1.1 million vehicles in the U.S. When the car maker set the 2010 goal in November it predicted it would break even this year.
Chrysler, which is under the management control of Fiat SpA, will get help in May when a new version of its Jeep Grand Cherokee goes on sale at U.S. dealerships. The restyled version of one of the company’s top-selling models features a more fuel-efficient engine and a higher-quality interior.
In hopes of spurring sales later in the year, Chrysler also is making plans to move up the U.S. launch of the restyled Chrysler 300 sedan by three to four months, to November from the first quarter of 2011, these people said.
The new 300 model, as with the Jeep, features a sleeker exterior and a better grade of interior materials such as softer plastics, an area where Chrysler has come in for criticism.
The current 300, with a bold front grille and styling that some likened to a gangster car, was a hit when Chrysler started selling it in 2005. But sales have fallen in recent years. The car competes against Toyota Motor Corp.’s Avalon, General Motors Co.’s Buick Lucerne, Ford Motor Co.’s Taurus and other large sedans.
Chrysler also is working to raise production of the new six-cylinder engine that will debut in the reworked Grand Cherokee, these people said. Increased supply would enable Chrysler to offer the so-called Pentastar engine in other models this year, including the 300, they said. The engine could help win customers looking for a combination of power and fuel economy.
Chrysler is making the moves as it nears the one-year anniversary of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on April 30. As part of a strategy worked out by the U.S. government, Chrysler formed an alliance with Italy’s Fiat. In November, Sergio Marchionne, who serves as chief executive of both auto makers, outlined a turnaround plan that envisions Chrysler breaking even this year and generating profits in 2011.
The plan is based on a forecast that Chrysler’s U.S. sales will rise 18% this year, from 931,402 cars and light trucks in 2009 to 1.1 million in 2010. But in the year’s first two months, sales fell 3.2%, and analysts expect another decline when March sales are reported Thursday.
Chrysler sales this year through February fell to 141,592 vehicles, the lowest for the company in 30 years, according to Ward’s Automotive Group.
To hit its target, Chrysler must now sell at least 95,000 vehicles per month for the rest of the year. It has reached that level only once in the last 14 months.
In addition, half or more of the vehicles Chrysler sold in January and February were purchased by rental-car companies and other fleet customers, said people familiar with the matter. That suggests Chrysler is having some trouble winning over individuals who buy cars through dealerships.
Mr. Marchionne’s plan envisions such retail sales making up more than 70% of the total, and lower-margin fleet sales less than 30%.
Tom Stallkamp, a former senior Chrysler executive who is now a partner at Ripplewood Holdings LLC, a private-equity firm, said it will be hard for Chrysler to make up for sales it is losing out on now. “They are giving away their customers and you can’t win them back later in the year, especially when you have more competition out there,” he said, noting that Toyota, Honda Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. are offering attractive incentives to gain market share.
A Chrysler spokesman, Gualberto Ranieri, said the company is sticking with its U.S. sales target. “The goal is for 1.1 million and Mr. Marchionne has never missed a target,” he said. He declined to comment on Chrysler’s financial situation. The company plans to report details on its fourth-quarter performance next month.
Last week the auto maker outlined a new advertising campaign plugging the heavy-duty Ram truck. The ads focus on the pickup’s use at work and play and feature the voice of actor Sam Elliott, who stared in the move “Road House.”
Under Mr. Marchionne’s strategy, Chrysler eventually will launch a string of small cars based on Fiat models. But the first one won’t arrive until late this year.
Dealers said they would welcome an early arrival of the revamped 300 sedan.
“I am selling a lot of Jeeps and Dodge trucks but not much else,” said Alan Helfman vice president of River Oaks Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Houston. “We are holding tight until the summer and are awaiting the new Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300.”
March 29th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
I love how dickhead above adds to articles!
Dont you have anything better to do? Your mom not done with dinner yet?
I see only maybe 2 or 3 people post here anymore.
Go Chrysler! New 300 is Dope! Cant wait to get one!
March 30th, 2010 at 5:09 am
Chrysler’s awkward, year-long fandango with unwanted dealers is poignantly encapsulated in a strange little anecdote hidden in the back of today’s Automotive News [sub]. Headlined, “Rejected-store worker’s chat with Sergio was just smoke,” the piece told of a chance encounter several weeks ago between Fiat/Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne and culled dealer Jim Casper, while enjoying a smoke at a seafood restaurant bar.
“Are you a rejected dealer?” Marchionne asked [after Casper introduced himself].
“I work for a rejected dealer,” Casper replied.
“Do you know why you were rejected?” the CEO asked.
“To be honest, sir, we have absolutely no idea,” Casper said.
Now why would Sergio guess that Casper was with a “rejected dealer,” a term used by dealers protesting Chrysler on Youtube? It could have been awkward if Casper were just a good soldier looking for a pat on the back from his CEO. Actually, on second though, it couldn’t have been any more awkward than what (apparently) actually happened.
Casper asked Marchionne if he had received the two letters his father-in-law, the culled dealership’s owner, had sent. As AN [sub]tells it:
One letter asked Chrysler to consider restoring the store’s franchises if the company were to open new points in the area. A second letter asked the automaker to refrain from appointing a new dealer in Mealey’s territory until Mealey’s arbitration was complete.
“Jim, I don’t recall,” Marchionne said. “But I open everything that’s addressed to me.”
Casper followed up the next day with an e-mail thanking Marchionne and attaching the two letters in case the CEO couldn’t find them. The e-mail also invited Marchionne to call him.
Casper never heard from Marchionne, just as his family never got a response to the two earlier letters.
But Casper’s lawyer got a message from a Chrysler lawyer.
“Chrysler Group believes that communications about the case ought to be between counsel,” the March 19 e-mail said, according to a copy provided by Casper. “Please ask your clients not to send such communications to Mr. Marchionne or any other Chrysler personnel. Chrysler Group is not in a position at this time to make the call [to Marchionne] that your clients suggest.”
Burn! That’s what they call “getting Darvished” in Auburn Hills. But this isn’t just a sad story about an awkward encounter. Thanks to Automotive News [sub]’s decision to splash the headline “Chrysler shifts tone on dealers” across its front page, there’s ironic counterpoint as well. Though Chrysler has offered to reinstate 50 dealers and is talking to more (Casper’s 2,000-unit-per-year shop not included), other dealers and their lawyers are saying things like
Chrysler continues to resist and contest each and every step in arbitration
The recent discovery fights, confidentiality disagreements, and other joys of litigation may be new, but the tone sounds mighty familiar. And with sales stagnant and an incentive battle underway, Chrysler needs dealers on its side. Maybe the next time a dealer intrudes on his hard-earned bar time, Sergio will at least offer to buy the guy a drink.
March 30th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Coming soon: The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, shown here as design prototype.NEW YORK — Chrysler Group will begin building the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee — the first salvo in an effort to restore a product-starved lineup — on May 3, CEO Sergio Marchionne said today.Marchionne told an industry conference here that sales of the redesigned Grand Cherokee will begin in July. Chrysler plans to have 100 percent of its existing lineup refreshed or replaced by the end of 2012, as a wave of new products derived from the alliance with Fiat S.p.A. begins to gain strength. The Grand Cherokee, assembled in Detroit, was Jeep’s second-strongest U.S. seller last year, accounting for about 22 percent of the brand’s volume. The company hadn’t previously spelled out a schedule for the redesigned version. Marchionne said he is pushing for “an attention to quality that is probably unprecedented in Chrysler.”“It needs to be flawless — our definition of quality,” Marchionne told the National Automobile Dealers Association/ IHS Global Insight Automotive Forum here.In a speech interrupted by a protester shouting about U.S. taxpayer dollars going to Chrysler, Marchionne vowed to repay the loans from the U.S. and Canadian governments. But he said the federally mandated arbitration process for rejected Chrysler dealers has slowed efforts to improve the dealer network.“It effectively stopped the reconstitution of the retail network,” Marchionne said.He said the 50 rejected dealers that Chrysler offered to reinstate were “in locations that benefit customers but do not have an adverse effect on existing partners.” The move also will reduce the time and expense of arbitration, he said.Marchionne also said:• The United States should encourage compressed natural gas as an alternative fuel that easily could be integrated into the existing distribution network at a relatively low cost. Fiat is a major producer of CNG commercial vehicles in Europe.• He has 78 direct reports globally.• Chrysler is on track to break even on an operating basis in 2010 and currently holds more than $5 billion in cash. In addition, he said the company’s breakeven point was substantially lower than most analysts estimated.”To the extent that I’m producing cash and I keep on investing in the brand portfolio,” said Marchionne, “I feel a lot more comfortable today than I did 12 months ago — by far.
March 30th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
New York — Chrysler Group LLC CEO Sergio Marchionne said today that the company is still on track to break even this year.”I made a commitment to break even,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a forum here, insisting that despite a sales slump this year, the company won’t lose money on an operating basis. Asked if Chrysler could even profit this year, he said, “Who knows?”Marchionne said Chrysler wouldn’t get into an incentive war and reiterated he was still confident that the company would sell 1.1 million vehicles in the United States this year. He said the company wouldn’t follow Toyota Motor Corp. in boosting incentives.”It takes a long time to build brand equity,” Marchionne said. “We can’t risk it.”He called boosting incentives dramatically “unwise and unhealthy” and predicted industry auto sales above 11 million for all of 2010. HE also said the company had $5 billion in the bank at the end of last year.Marchionne said Chrysler will provide a financial update on April 21 in Italy, as part of an investor’s day outlining the long-range plans for Fiat SpA. The gathering will be similar to Chrysler’s November event that outlined the five-year plan for the Auburn Hills automaker.He disclosed the company will begin production on its new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee on May 3 and it will go on sale in late June or July.The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a key vehicle that then-Chrysler LLC showed at the New York International Auto Show last year. “It’s going to represent the best of Chrysler technology and quality,” he said. “It’s a signature vehicle for the Chrysler Group and it needs to be perfect and it will be.”Marchionne reiterated that more than half of the company’s vehicles will be built on Fiat platforms by 2014, a strategy first outlined in November.He said his management style is not as “master of the world” but to inspire and get the best out its employees.Marchionne said that the company will invest $500 million in its dealer network over five years. The company has offered 86 of its former dealers the chance to regain their franchises.He reiterated his criticism of a law Congress passed in December that gave Chrysler’s 789 closed dealers in June 2009 the right to challenge their closings in arbitration as “not helpful.”Marchionne noted that today is the one-year anniversary of President Barack Obama’s decision to provide 30 days working capital to Chrysler in order tfor the company to reach a tie-up with Fiat
March 30th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
NEW YORK - Neither rain nor ice nor Teamsters protests nor hotel fire alarms kept Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne from spreading the word that Chrysler is on the mend - whether an audience of auto dealers believed it or not.The rumpled Italian executive said this morning he was more confident than ever in Chrysler’s plan, adding that the automaker had just under $5 billion in cash at the end of 2009 and would break even this year.Worries about whether Chrysler could meet its plan “was a song we had heard before and we were not fazed,” Marchionne said.Marchionne, speaking to a forum sponsored by the National Automobile Dealers Association and IHS Global Insight ahead of the New York auto show, also offered some tempered praise for dealers. He pledged that Chrysler would spend $500 million on its dealer network this year and noted it had reinstated about 25% of the dealers it cut following last year’s bankruptcy.But he also said the arbitration for cut dealers pushed through Congress by NADA had created uncertainty that was blocking progress in other areas.”All the time taken up with this is unhelpful,” he said. “There’s an inequitable impact on Chrysler.”And he noted that today was the one-year anniversary from the announcement by President Barack Obama that Chrysler had 30 days to complete a partnership with Fiat or close. Marchionne said he keeps a poster with some of Obama’s remarks on his wall as a reminder.He also gave some insight into how he works, namely almost around the clock, with 78 executives around the globe reporting directly to him.”I feel a lot more comfortable today than I did 12 months ago,” Marchionne said.Marchionne’s remarks were delayed by troubles with his flight out of Detroit, then interrupted when six protesters representing union carhaulers briefly tried to push into the meeting room. The protesters wore white jump suits labeled “Fiat Chrysler Crash Dummy,” and were forcibly ejected from the hotel.About 20 minutes later, the hotel announced it was testing its fire alarms. Marchionne shook his head, and kept reading.Chrysler has been struggling while it rushes to refill what had been an empty backlog of new models, with sales barely keeping pace with the market. The automaker has also stayed on the sidelines of an increasingly aggressive price war launched by Toyota to regain market share following its recalls
March 30th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
Break even this year.New and all refreshed product with fuel sipping engines next. News today that states auto sales will surge over the next several years with around 17 million units by 2014. This is good news people.Chysler will have a slew of new vehicles just in time for a huge uptick in auto sales!
March 30th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Amen Union Brothers and Sisters!
March 31st, 2010 at 6:40 am
Chrysler headed for the scrapheap
Fiat bought Chrysler for the distribution, but an inefficient network and still-falling sales could spell doom for this 85-year-old car brand.
Posted by Louis Navellier on Tuesday, March 30, 2010 8:29 AM
A recent Edmunds.com auto sales report offers further proof for an already obvious trend: Chrysler is far from recovery, and there is a very real chance the brand could become all but a memory in 2011.
The numbers showed a continued erosion of the former auto giant’s market share last month. Edmunds.com estimates March sales for Chrysler were down more than 10% from last year, the only major automaker that saw a sales decline compared to 2009. By comparison, Ford (F) saw sales up almost 50%. Even worse is that Chrysler sales are sliding even as auto sales in general pick up. March’s seasonally adjusted sales rate will be 12.4 million vehicles, up dramatically from 10.3 million in February 2010.
Video: Auto incentives are back
Getting a smaller piece of a bigger pie is a big problem for this ailing Detroit giant. But weak sales mark only the first of many problems for Chrysler right now.
Another major problem for Chrysler is that it continues to suffer from a cumbersome dealership network that keeps costs high and makes selling inefficient.
MSN Autos: Chrysler overview
Thanks to the politicizing of the bankruptcy process, Chrysler’s previous plans to shutter 789 dealers ran into some roadblocks. Thanks to congressional mandate, any dealer that doesn’t want to get forced out can file for an arbitration hearing — and more than half have decided to fight for a right to stay open. So far, none of the 418 pending arbitration cases has even been heard and that has really slowed down Chrysler’s efforts to streamline distribution and cut out dead weight from its network of dealerships to save costs.
Who can say how much this inefficient dealership network weighed on sales in March, but surely it had an impact.
Is Toyota the New Yugo?
My personal view is that Fiat just sees Chrysler as a cheap way to get distribution for its own cars. It’s pretty ironic then that the biggest problem that continues to plague Chrysler is its dealers and that redundancy and high costs are causing headaches for Fiat.
When push comes to shove, I expect the cost-cutting to continue. Fiat will surely focus on its core business — namely the fuel-efficient Fiat 500 and other European-styled autos — while allowing Dodge truck sales to complement its offerings in the U.S.
That leaves the Chrysler brand with no place to go. And as we saw with GM, this is not the time to be hanging on to vehicle lines just because of the nameplate. If Pontiac can bite the dust, so can Chrysler.
I am a car nut myself, and it’s sad to think that such an iconic auto brand could just disappear. I graduated college in California about 30 years ago, so the Chrysler LeBaron convertible will always have a soft spot in my heart. But Chrysler cars just don’t have the appeal they once did. As the eternal optimist, I will reserve judgment until the 2011 models hit the showrooms this fall and Fiat makes a real push into the U.S. marketplace.
But if those vehicles flop this fall, the Chrysler restructuring drags on and the profits never materialize, Fiat may jettison the Chrysler name as soon as next year for the good of the broader company.
For more on Chrysler’s troubles, read my five reasons I think Chrysler is doomed.
At the time of this writing, Louis Navellier owned shares of Ford in personal or client portfolios.
March 31st, 2010 at 10:30 am
I’ve been hearing from you unemployees niggers that chrysler was going to be finished many moons ago.Now its maybe 2011! What’s next? 2012? If chrysler breaks even with the product they’ve been selling this year,means it can only be better next. New Charger, 300, Grand Cherokee and a sweet looking Durango for starters! And the will all have the option of the new penastar engine from Trenton engine that will achieve up to 28 mpg. And that 28mpg will be achieved in the new Cherokee and Durango! That’s Awesome! And tweaks to that engine from Fiat will only add MPG’s. Then they will have a bunch of all new totally refreshed vehicles next year! How in the world can anyone say any part of Chrysler Corp is going away soon? Newspaper articles? You know those reporters post articles about anything! I omg, Chrysler is sure a hot topic right now aren’t they…A lot of the newpapers are biased also…..So you people can keep copying and pasting negative articles about chrysler while you’re to afraid to use your old name, while Chrysler is actually making a damn good effort in its turn around plan.They aren’t bleeding money, they have a plan put in place and they have a shitload of new and refreshed product coming out in the next couple years….Over? Far from it!
March 31st, 2010 at 1:09 pm
I totally agree withyou jeff.Chrysler is finally making a new and refreshed product line.And yes they aren’t bleeding money while still cutting costs.Don’t listen to what these clowns post!
March 31st, 2010 at 11:05 pm
That’s a pretty liberal use of the word “new” to describe the 2011 Charger & 300. Nobody’s going to confuse them as being “new” models. Going from the 300M to the 300C was much more of a noticable change. “Refreshed” would be a much more appropriate term.
But what happens if all this expected high demand for sales of the “new” Charger & 300 doesn’t materialize? Will Fiat continue to plod along surviving on Fleet sales for the “new” 2011 models?
April 1st, 2010 at 10:01 am
Chrysler has as much hope as Obama in 2012 . LOL
Ford,GM,Hyundai and Toyota FTW !
April 1st, 2010 at 10:24 am
Chrysler sold over 92,000 vehicles in march! Thats with lowered incentives and really shitty products that a lot of people claim Chrysler has.
Chrysler sold over 22,000 Dodge Rams! Retail sales were up over 55% compared to last month!
Not bad for a company trying to rebuild and how much lower their incentives are!
Over 22,000 Rams! Sweet……. Keep it up Sergio!
April 1st, 2010 at 10:48 am
March 2010 Chrysler sales DOWN vs Chrysler sales March 2009
Today, we are following Automotive News [sub] as they are filling their developing table of March 2010 sales. What we are seeing so far, looks good. At the moment: Up 19 percent. But remember: We are comparing with the worst of carmageddon. At least, it looks like we are slowly turning the corner. However, the Chinese are way ahead of US. Data after the jump …
Automaker March 2010 March 2009 Pct. chng. 3 month
2010 3 month
2009 Pct. chng.
BMW Group - - -% - - -%
Chrysler Group LLC 92,623 101,001 -8% 234,215 247,208 -5%
Daimler AG - - -% - - -%
Ford Motor Co. 183,425 131,102 40% 441,708 323,193 37%
General Motors 188,011 155,334 21% 475,861 409,702 16%
Honda (American) 108,262 88,379 22% 256,412 230,985 11%
Hyundai Group 77,524 65,445 18% 188,205 164,747 14%
Isuzu - - -% - 165 -100%
Jaguar Land Rover 3,709 3,422 8% 9,091 8,596 6%
Maserati 189 119 59% 394 274 44%
Mazda - - -% - - -%
Mitsubishi - - -% - - -%
Nissan - - -% - - -%
Porsche 1,905 1,749 9% 5,222 4,925 6%
Saab Spyker Automobile 133 - -% 133 - -%
Subaru 23,785 16,249 46% 57,494 41,532 38%
Suzuki 2,246 7,981 -72% 5,661 15,131 -63%
Toyota - - -% - - -%
VW - - -% - - -%
Other (estimate) 294 306 -4% 882 918 -4%
TOTAL 703,802 592,239 19% 1,730,407 1,498,701 15%
April 1st, 2010 at 10:50 am
Ford Motor Co.’s U.S. sales for March increased 40 percent from March 2009 behind a strong surge in car and crossover sales.
Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford (NYSE: F) sold 183,783 units in March, compared with 131,465 units a year earlier. The sales figures include the company’s Volvo brand, which declined 17.6 percent from March 2009. Sales of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles increased 43 percent during the same period.
The sales gains were led by the Fusion sedan. Ford sold 22,773 units in March, compared with 12,773 units a year earlier.
The Focus compact car also fared well in March. Ford sold 19,500 units in March, compared with 12,383 units in March 2009.
Sales of the Taurus sedan increased to 7,001 units in March from 3,758 a year earlier, and sales of the Mustang sports car increased to 5,829 units from 3,711 units a year earlier.
Ford also experienced increases in its crossover and sport utility vehicles segments.
Ford sold 19,182 Escape compact SUVs in March, compared with 12,580 units in March 2009. The automaker sold 10,254 units of its Edge crossover, compared with 6,134 units a year earlier.
Even the larger SUVs, produced in Louisville, experienced a rebound in March. Ford sold 5,907 Explorers, up 78.1 percent from the year-earlier period, when it sold 3,317 units.
The Explorer is produced at the Louisville Assembly Plant on Fern Valley Road. Sales of its cousin, the Mercury Mountaineer, also made at Louisville Assembly, increased to 556 units in March from 422 units in March 2009.
The company sold 2,596 units of the Ford Expedition large SUV, which is made at the Kentucky Truck Plant on Chamberlain Lane. A year earlier, Ford sold 1,548 units. Sales of the Lincoln Navigator, also made at Kentucky Truck, increased 95.9 percent during the same period, to 676 units from 345 units in March 2009.
Ford’s truck sales also increased in March. Sales of F-Series trucks, including the F-Series Super Duty trucks made at Kentucky Truck, increased 29.9 percent in March, to 42,514 units from 32,728 units a year earlier
April 1st, 2010 at 10:52 am
Chrysler managed to buck the up market very successfully in March. And it’s missing its stated and essential sales targets. With 92k units sold in March, Marchionnes’ 1.1 million goal for 2010 is slipping further from reach by the month. The lowlights: HD Ram trucks are up 20%! Jeep eked out a 3% rise. Challenger is up 50%. And the Sebring is crawling back from the abyss with a 69% spike. Minivans are split: T&C up 30%; Caravan down 32%. The all-important Ram pickups are still sagging, down 8% in March, and -18% YTD. The full ugly details after the jump
April 1st, 2010 at 10:54 am
Hyundai and KIA combined for an 18 percent sales increase last month, moving 77,524 units between the two brands. Hyundai saw less dramatic increases, up “only” 15.4 percent over last March. Accent (4,233) and Elantra (8,225) sales were weak compared to last March’s recession fever, but big jumps in Sonata (18,935), Santa Fe (9,548) and Tucson (3,084) volumes kept the momentum going. Sorento (9,156) and Soul (5,106) led KIA’s volume, with Forte (4,830) softening and Optima (3,633) actually gaining. Meanwhile, the fact that other brands were binging on incentives, trying to meet the Koreans on value, means this performance is especially impressive. At least it will be when we have March’s incentive numbers. Full sales numbers after the jump.
April 1st, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Chrysled offer largest rebates in Industry yet sales still fell compared to 2009.
Edmunds [via Earth Times] has released its monthly “True Cost of Incentives” list, and once again Chrysler tops the list, followed by Ford and GM. Good thing Sergio Marchionne narrowly avoided “getting pulled into an incentive war.” That Chrysler’s sales couldn’t beat last March’s numbers even with these incentives tells you everything you need to know about the state of play in Auburn Hills. Meanwhile, Ford’s impressive 2010 numbers have to be taken with a grain of salt in light of the Blue Oval’s continuing dependence on spiffs and fleet sales (speaking of which, fleet numbers are up 64 percent at GM, and Ford had a 30 percent-ish fleet mix in March[ via FT]). In fact, Toyota’s much-vaunted move towards incentives seems to not only have helped its sales, it may have also scared Detroit back into some nasty old habits.
April 1st, 2010 at 1:36 pm
LOL @ Chrysler
April 1st, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Dodge only sold about 16000 units in the month of february .They sold close to 24000 last month.Not a bad pick up.And I don’t care how the other automakers do. Chrysler has a plan and it is doing well.
April 1st, 2010 at 1:59 pm
WTF was I thinking !
April 1st, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Chrysler Group LLC Reports March 2010 U.S. Sales Increase 10 Percent Versus February • All-new 2010 Ram Heavy Duty, Motor Trend’s ‘2010 Truck of the Year’, increases sales 20 percent compared with March 2009, 56 percent versus last month • Chrysler Town & Country sales improve 30 percent versus last year, 32 percent compared with February • April kicks off the company’s ‘Minivan Event’ • Chrysler Brand posts 1 percent increase versus March 2009 and a 17 percent increase compared with last month • Jeep® Brand sales improve 3 percent compared with last year and 5 percent versus February Auburn Hills, Mich., Apr 1, 2010 - Chrysler Group LLC today announced promising March sales results, posting a 10 percent increase compared with February. All-new and improved vehicles lead the way with both month-over-month and year-over-year sales increases. “New products like the 2010 Ram Heavy Duty pickup truck and Dodge Caliber with an all-new interior are resonating with consumers, resulting in increasing sales,” said Fred Diaz, President and Chief Executive Officer – Ram Truck Brand and Lead Executive for the Sales Organization. “Consumer confidence indicators are up this month and traffic in dealership showrooms continues to grow.” The company reported total U.S. sales for March of 92,623 units, a decrease of 8 percent compared with March 2009 (101,001 units) and an increase of 10 percent compared with last month (84,449 units). Chrysler Group finished the month with a 58-day supply (207,510 units) of inventory, a 41 percent decline compared with March 2009. Overall industry figures for March are projected to come in at an estimated 12.0 million SAAR. “Chrysler Group is pleased with the month-over-month and retail sales improvements, we believe it is an indicator of the company’s health,” said Diaz. “Last year at this time, the old company was buying market share with high incentives in an effort to stave off bankruptcy; this year consumers are purchasing our products for the quality, value and industry-leading features.” March U.S. Sales Highlights • Ram Heavy Duty pickup truck sales post a 20 percent increase compared with the same time last year and climb 56 percent versus February • Chrysler Brand sales (19,780 units) post an 1 percent increase versus March 2009 and a 17 percent increase compared with last month • Chrysler Town & Country and Chrysler Sebring (sedan and convertible) all post year-over-year and month-over-month sales increases • Jeep® Brand sales (24,393 units) increase 3 percent versus the same time period last year and 5 percent compared with last month • Jeep Compass, Jeep Patriot, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Commander sales increase compared with March 2009 • Dodge Challenger (3,211 units) post year-over-year sales increases of 36 percent and 50 percent month-over-month • Dodge Caliber sales (2,932 units) increase 30 percent compared with last month Incentives Chrysler Group also announced April kicks off the company’s “Minivan Event.” The company has expanded the “Minivan Pledge” to any consumer purchasing a 2010 model year Chrysler Town & Country or Dodge Grand Caravan. The “Minivan Pledge” allows a consumer purchasing a new 2010 model year Dodge Grand Caravan or Chrysler Town & Country minivan to return the vehicle, no questions asked, within 60 days if they aren’t happy with the vehicle, or the customer can choose $500 bonus cash in lieu of the 60-day “Minivan Pledge.” Consumers should see their participating local Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram Truck dealer for full program rules. “0 percent PLUS” continues through May 3 on most 2010 model year vehicles. Chrysler Brand 0 percent financing for 36 months plus $1,000 consumer cash is available on most 2010 model year Chrysler vehicles. • In addition to the “Minivan Pledge,” qualified customers purchasing a 2010 Chrysler Town & Country are eligible for 0 percent financing for up to 60 months, or consumer cash of up to $1,500 • Consumers purchasing a Chrysler 300 can choose 0 percent financing for up to 60 months plus $1,000 consumer cash, or consumer cash of up to $2,000 • Qualified customers purchasing a 2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser can choose 0 percent financing for 36 month, or consumer cash of up to $2,000 • Consumers purchasing a Chrysler Sebring can choose 0 percent financing for up to 60 months or 1.9 percent financing for 72 month, or consumer cash of up to $2,000 Dodge Car Brand 0 percent financing for 36 months plus up to $1,000 consumer cash is available on most 2010 model year Dodge car vehicles. • In addition to the “Minivan Pledge,” consumers purchasing a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan can choose 0 percent financing for 60 months, or consumer cash of up to $1,000. Attractive financing rates are available for longer terms • Consumers purchasing a 2010 Charger can choose 0 percent financing for up to 60 months plus $1,000 consumer cash, or consumer cash of up to $2,000 • Qualified customers purchasing a 2010 Dodge Challenger are eligible for 1.9 percent financing for up to 60 months • Consumers purchasing a 2010 Dodge Journey can choose 0 percent financing for 36 months plus up to $1,000 consumer cash, or consumer cash of up to $1,500. Attractive financing rates are available for longer terms • Qualified customers purchasing a 2010 Dodge Avenger or Dodge Nitro can choose 0 percent financing for up to 60 months, 1.9 percent financing for 72 months or $2,000 consumer cash Jeep Brand • Consumers purchasing a 2010 Jeep Wrangler can choose 0 percent financing for 36 months or consumer cash of $750. Attractive financing rates are available for longer terms • Consumers who purchase a 2010 model year Jeep Liberty, Grand Cherokee or Commander can choose 0 percent financing for up to 60 months or 1.9 percent financing for 72 months plus bonus cash of up to $1000 from GMAC (with the purchase of a Liberty, Grand Cherokee or Commander) or consumer cash of up $4,000 Ram Truck Brand • Consumers who purchase the all-new 2010 Ram Heavy Duty can choose attractive financing rates through GMAC Financial Services of 1.9 percent financings for up to 60 months or 3.9 percent financing for 72 months or $1,000 consumer cash • Consumers who purchase a 2010 model year Ram 1500 can receive a “no charge” HEMI® engine, or $500 bonus cash towards the purchase of a Ram 1500 with a 3.7L or 4.7L engine. In addition, they can choose 2.9 percent financing for up to 60 months or up to $2,500 consumer cash • Consumers purchasing a 2010 Dodge Dakota can choose 0 percent financing for up to 60 months or 1.9 percent financing for 72 months or consumer cash of up to $2,000 Leasing Chrysler Group is offering attractive lease rates on several 2010 model year vehicles. The incentives announced today are valid through April 30, 2010. About Chrysler Group LLC Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 from a global strategic alliance with Fiat Group, produces Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram Truck, Mopar® and Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) brand vehicles and products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler’s culture of innovation – first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925 – and Fiat’s complementary technology – from a company whose heritage dates back to 1899. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., Chrysler Group LLC’s product lineup features some of the world’s most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300, Jeep Wrangler and Ram Truck. Fiat will contribute world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-sized cars, allowing Chrysler Group to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles
April 1st, 2010 at 2:10 pm
DaveS
WTF There are 10% more days in March compared to Febuary.
You Guys ARE FUCKING STUPID !
April 1st, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Chrysler Canada Reports Record Sales • Record March sales for: ◦ Ram Truck - up 101 per cent ◦ Dodge Grand Caravan - up 40 per cent ◦ Jeep® Wrangler - up 81 per cent • All-time record for Dodge Journey - sales up 66 per cent • Retail sales up 36 per cent over March 2009 Windsor, Ontario, Apr 1, 2010 - Chrysler Canada today reported another exceptionally strong sales month, with 19,470 units sold in March, an increase of 22 per cent over the same month in 2009. For the fourth consecutive month, Chrysler Canada retail sales posted an increase of greater than 20 per cent, with March retail sales gaining 36 per cent for the month. “We made more records in March than Motown has in the last 10 years,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO of Chrysler Canada. “Our Ram Trucks, Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Journey and legendary Jeep® Wrangler were all big hits last month, posting record sales.” Sales Highlights Two of the Top Five-selling nameplates in Canada were Chrysler Canada vehicles: the Dodge Grand Caravan and the Ram pickup. Sales of the Ram Heavy Duty pickup, the Motor Trend Truck of the Year, helped propel the Ram Truck to its best March ever, with a gain of 101 per cent on sales of 4,841 units. “Pickup trucks are the second most popular vehicles in Canada,” said Dave Buckingham, Vice President of Sales, Chrysler Canada. “It’s no surprise that with Motor Trend’s 2010 Truck of the Year in our corner, our Ram sales more than doubled in March over last year.”Canada’s No. 1 selling crossover, the Dodge Journey, posted an all-time sales record in March. Dodge Journey sales rose 66 per cent on 2,239 units sold. An all-time record for the month of March was also posted by the legendary Jeep Wrangler with 1,160 units sold, an increase of 81 per cent compared with March 2009. The Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country continued their impressive sales performance with combined sales up 43 per cent (5,774 units), also an all-time high for the month of March. Better than eight out of every ten Canadian minivan shoppers chose a Chrysler minivan in March
April 1st, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Glad to see some brights spots, like the T&C’s and Sebrings. And glad RAM sales are up. The HD is a great looking, very capable truck.
They’ll be fine. Nissan got into similar trouble in the late 90’s, early 2000’s, but a series of good redesigns (sportier, more stylish, more soul) from 2002 on pulled them out. Chrysler can do the same. It’s not all lost.
it’s easy to write companies off. In 1999 or 2000 who would have thought that Cadillac was on the verge of a renaissance? Escalade was the only new product they had, and it was basically a dressed up Yukon. Then in 2002 came CTS, XLR, a more credible Escalade, and a rear-drive STS soon after. And now Cadillac is a credible alternative to BMW, Mercedes, Infiniti.
Ford was almost entirely out of the sedan business a few years ago. Alot of folks were going to write Ford off a few years back. Now Fusion is seen in the same class as Accord, Camry, etc, Taurus is a very nice alternative to the larger import competition.
Chrysler can turn around too.
April 1st, 2010 at 2:30 pm
CHRYSLER PROFITABLE IN 2010 !
APRIL FOOLS YOU RACIST FUCKTARDS !
April 1st, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Guys don’t listen to these ex chrysler workers that couldn’t stay in business do to piss poor management! They couldn’t even give a candy bar to a child if they tried.Sales are up over last month and so are retail sales.Record sales in Canada and Mexico.Chrysler incentives are really lower too!Even if they don’t hit their sales mark at the end of the year doesn’t mean chrysler is finished.Just means they will spend a bit more money I believe…Not the end of the world.And, yes the new 300 is stunning! So don’t mind all these negative assholes trying to dis chrysler every chance they get. They had their chance and couldn’t succeed…LoL! Chrysler will be fine…..
April 1st, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Keep up the good work chrysler workers.You guys had a pretty good retail month.Only good things to come.Can’t wait to trade in my boring camry for a stunning new 300!
April 1st, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Keep up the good work chrysler workers.You guys had a pretty good retail month.Only good things to come.Can’t wait to trade in my boring camry for a stunning new 300!
April 1st, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Sergio for President!
April 1st, 2010 at 3:33 pm
I bought a new Charger R/T last month and love it! So much power.Wife will be getting a new Grand Cherokee in 3 months.Best Jeep they ever made! Up to 28 mpg too.
April 1st, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Store was very busy last month.People keep stopping in asking about the charger,300 and grand cherokee! Things are going to get good.
April 1st, 2010 at 5:04 pm
55% FLEETS SALES LEAVES EACH DEALER WITH 25 NEWCAR SALES ! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Real Dealerships sell 25 newcars each Saturday .
April 1st, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Ill be first in line for a new 300C.
April 1st, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Will be a very short line .
April 2nd, 2010 at 8:01 am
Go Chrysler! Keep up the good work Sergio! I knew you could do it!
April 2nd, 2010 at 9:50 pm
I hope the 300 is a nice refresh.I remember when the 300 first came out. People were trading in their imports to get their hands on one!
April 3rd, 2010 at 10:19 am
March jobs report shows growth
By Chris Isidore, senior writerApril 2, 2010: 3:58 PM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The U.S. economy gained more jobs in March than any other month in the last three years, according to a government report released Friday.
The Labor Department said the economy gained 162,000 jobs in the month, compared to a revised reading of a 14,000 job loss in February. That makes March only the third month of gains since the recession began.
April 3rd, 2010 at 6:51 pm
I love chrysler!
April 6th, 2010 at 9:20 am
Richard Carpenter, a rejected Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealer in Oroville, Calif., wanted his dealership back. And last week Chrysler Group sent him a letter of intent offering to reinstate him.
But for Carpenter the price was too high and the risk was too great, so he decided to walk away.
To reopen his small-town dealership in California’s agricultural heartland, Carpenter estimates he would have to spend up to $3 million to upgrade it. And Chrysler gave him just eight months. And Chrysler required Carpenter to have $500,000 of working capital and to waive his right to block the company from placing another point near him for five years.
“When you look at the financial obligations they’re asking for and look at the income the store’s going to generate, it just doesn’t work,” said Carpenter, 49. “If you have any business savvy at all, regardless of your emotional attachment to the brand, it would be unwise to enter into an agreement like that.”
Chrysler won’t discuss specific dealerships. The company issued a statement saying it had issued the letters of intent to find a “mutually agreeable alternative to arbitration. The dealerships involved filed for arbitration, signaling they wanted to join Chrysler Group’s dealer network.”
Now Carpenter is angry and suspicious of Chrysler’s motives and is dropping his arbitration case. He will continue operating with used-vehicle sales and service.
Carpenter is angry because surviving Chrysler dealers don’t face the same timetable to improve their stores. He also believes that Chrysler was not serious in its offer to reinstate rejected dealers. He thinks the company just wanted to get rid of some dealers seeking arbitration as cheaply as possible.
Carpenter said he felt that the letter of intent was treating his dealership “like we never had a relationship with them before. We’ve been with you for over 20 years, and now you’re saying that doesn’t mean anything.”
Carpenter had hoped that if he got his store back he could simply pay a $650,000 technology licensing fee to turn his dealership systems back on and start selling cars.
About the arbitration case he’s dropping, Carpenter says: “What’s left to arbitrate? I’ve already been killed. They can’t kill me a second time.”
You can reach Bradford Wernle at bwernle@crain.com.
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VETTEGIRL1111 wrote:
Richard, Glad to hear that you have not ended the Arbitration case! You are a warrior and a leader~ Go get ‘em!
4/6/2010 9:22 AM EDT
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STEVE_BIEGLER wrote:
Richard,
Hang in there, keep up the good fight.
4/6/2010 8:46 AM EDT
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cdj cbp dealer wrote:
Richard: Thanks for clarifying about the arbitration. I definitely understand the not wanting to spend $3 million for a new building for immediate reinstatement and that you can still arbitrate.
Hopefully the arbitration process will work.
4/5/2010 10:10 PM EDT
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Richard Carpenter wrote:
cdj cbp is correct the one thing that I’ve learned from all of this is that you can’t throw a blanket statement out that covers the whole Chrysler experience for all of us. He could have excellent dealer relations with Chrysler and not have the ability to relate to our situation.
Yes at one time several moons ago we had outstanding product support from the factory meet MSR annually life was good until Daimler came on the scene and we all know how that ended.
I was just one of several Northern California dealers who’d been all, but abandoned one of “55” telemarketing dealers handled by one individual with both sales and service duties to perform. None and I mean none of us had a chance to shine under those conditions.
I’m not a stranger to putting together a dealer agreement I had to do so 12 years ago when my father suddenly and without warning passed away. The love and support showed us by the then Chrysler Motors was overwhelming.
The load of crap that showed up on our door step last week was just that a load of crap. Mr. Wernle was a little liberal with the anger element of the story: I don’t recall raising my voice nor saying I was angry.
It’s just disappointing to finally come to the realization that we will no longer be a new car dealer. This in no way will stop me from my vial comments about the company we all know and love.
Thanks for the words of encouragement from the brave souls who continue on with this fight.
Oh by the way I haven’t ended my arbitration case yet!
4/5/2010 9:13 PM EDT
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R.Ludlum wrote: “”Blah, Blah, Blah.___If all you whiners had been selling your MSRP all these years you may have not got “whacked”. You are responsible for your Mkt penetration / area of influence.__Go back & read your former Dealer Agreement cry babies._______Now Dealers like us with deep pockets we can get back to work selling & taking care of customer’s unlike you “shad tree’s” that sat on your butts for years waiting for the “up” bus to appear.
April 6th, 2010 at 11:43 am
The dealer issue could have been handled better. Alot of ill will was created, and that is something Chrysler doesn’t need. They might have been more selective about who they closed. It sounds like Mr. Carpenter’s dealer was in a rural area without much competition. Probably wouldn’t have hurt anything to keep them open, especially if the dealer is willing to pay for upgrades. GM had found they acted a bit hastily in cutting some of the rural dealers: Every truck or occasional Cadillac sold is one unit they wouldn’t have sold otherwise, even if the dealer didn’t move that many cars. And you have convenient service for your customers–otherwise if they have to drive forrty miles for service, heck, they’ll buy a Toyota in that other town 40 miles away.
In big areas where there were a couple dealers in the same city and Chrysler was paying to upgrade and market, then, yes, low performing dealers should have been cut.
Chrysler dealers have had to endure alot, in the Alice in Wonderland Daimler years, in the smoke and mirrors Cerberus era, with very lean product offering, and this difficult economy.
April 6th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
You dealers had your chance.You couldn’t sell shit before and I know you couldn’t sell shit now.A bunch of complainers.That’s all they did.They even knocked their own product they were selling.I pray to god your dealerships stay shutdown.Who wants to hear a bunch of no good business men whine all the time? RIP………
April 6th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
U.S. expects enough profit from GM and Chrysler to recoup stakes.
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration expects General Motors and Chrysler to generate enough profits for the government to unwind its equity stakes in both automakers, according to a new federal report.
April 7th, 2010 at 6:49 am
The redo of the Sebring ought to be a stopgap measure, to last until a more stylish “Chronos” and 200C can be built.
Next gen minivans should be better differentiated. Chrysler version (T&C) wearing sleeker panels reminiscent of the EcoVoyager concept, could be sold as Lancia in Italy. The Dodge Caravan would have a more squared off D pillar and less flared fenders. (like the difference in styling between Enclave and Acadia versions of GM’s Lambda platform). It would be great if Swivel N Go and Stow N Go could be combined in one seat–which can swivel OR fold all the way into the floor. Give Dodge the four cylinder engines, Chrysler the six. Hybrid drive should be available on 200C and T&C, both using a turbocharged four cyl with Multi Air and the wtow mode electric system designed for the Hybrid Durangos and Apens.
Since Dodge and Jeep have the new Durango and GC coming, Chrysler doesn’t really need a CUV/SUV.
April 7th, 2010 at 6:51 am
Meant to say “two-mode” system from the discontinued hybrid Durango and “Aspen.”
April 7th, 2010 at 9:50 am
Chrysler is celebrating the Ram’s continued sales slide (relative to last year’s pathetic numbers) by plastering a 100 foot-wide Ram Heavy Duty on its headquarters, along with a final confirmation that Motor Trend really does serve as Detroit’s marketing department of last resort (as if such confirmation were needed). But hey, at least they gussied up the Auburn Hills digs to celebrate something other than the promise to continue foisting sub-par products on the buying public through the year 2107.
April 7th, 2010 at 10:18 am
Ram sales were up a bit with the HD models. Have you sat in one? Ram has the best interior in the industry. I don’t think the M/T award is a sham. Ram earned that. If not Ram, who should have received the award? Ford won last year with a new model, might win for 2011 with its new Super Duty, since it’s being redesigned.
Is M/T shilling for Detroit? Some people are mad at M/T for praising the 2010 Camry, saying they are baised in favor of Toyota. I guess they can’t please anyone.
April 7th, 2010 at 10:32 am
They sold around 13,000 Rams in February. They sold almost 24,000 Rams last month. Almost double! Not bad
April 7th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
I love Chrysler 300! It’s a hot ride!
April 7th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Anonymous Says:
April 7th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
I love Chrysler 300! It’s a hot ride!
Wait to you see the new one!
April 8th, 2010 at 9:30 am
the 300 should do well when gas goes to 4+ dollars a gallon
April 8th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
I’m sure it would!New v-6 engine is going to get good mpg!After Fiat makes a few adjustments to the new engine, the 300 will get over 30 mpg ! Go Chrysler!!!!!!!
April 9th, 2010 at 5:21 am
Best in class MPG is likely, and 31 is probably the magic number, since 4 cyl LaCrosse will get 30. The existing 2.7 is not far from 30 mpg now, and these will be much more efficient engines, in more aerodynamic bodies. Pentastar was designed for Direct Injection–and Multi Air valve timing could be added to these engines at some point.
April 9th, 2010 at 9:52 am
Chryco, you are so right. This new engine from chrysler will be such a nice addition to the newly refreshed chrysler products!
April 9th, 2010 at 11:40 am
And the upcoming four cylinders, with Multi Air, ought to be really good. If they’re anything close to what Hyundai is doing with the Sonota’s new four, Avenger could really see a boost in performance and fuel economy. Pairing the new 4 cyl to the 62TE automatic ought to match Fusion’s 34 mpg. Sonota and Fusion are the cars to beat right now
I really hope they’d make the Avenger 4 cyl only, and offer the new V-6’s in the Sebring (or whatever it’s called). Sebring would be a brisk performer with 280 hp under the hood. Certainly a match for LaCrosse, ES350, and TSX. At least that ought to be the target for which the Chrysler brand is aiming with its midsize model.
M/T is not the only magazine to praise Camry for its quietness. I sure hope Chrysler will exceed that in both the Avenger and Sebring redesigns–by a good margin. Sebring is already fairly quiet, but that has largely been ignored by the press so far. Make it quieter than the LaCrosse or ES350 and perhaps the testers will notice. Chrysler could sure use some favorable press.
April 9th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
A freind of mine, has a avenger r/t with 3.5L . Its pretty damn quiet and smooth. I’m sure the new people at chrysler will get it right this time.This is their last, chance as they say.There is no room for error and there are way too many jobs at risk.
April 15th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
“astonishing” profit in March!
DETROIT — Chrysler Group may not survive in its current form even after posting an “astonishing” profit in March, an auto analyst said in a report today.
Analyst Max Warburton, of Bernstein Research in London, said many questions remain about CEO Sergio Marchionne’s rescue strategy for the U.S. automaker despite his very “impressive” efforts to slash costs.
The report comes less than a week before Marchionne is scheduled to unveil his five-year restructuring plan for Fiat Sp.A. in Turin on April 21. Warburton said Marchionne likely will announce that Chrysler, rescued from bankruptcy last year by Fiat, came close to breaking even for the quarter after a profitable March.
“We remain unconvinced Chrysler will survive in its current form despite Marchionne’s blood, sweat and tears,” Warburton said in the report, which was written as an analysis for Fiat investors.
Shareholders need to consider what Marchionne’s strategy might be if he can’t preserve Chrysler as it exist today, he said.
“A slimming down of Chrysler to be just Ram, Jeep and a U.S. production base for Fiat looks a realistic exit strategy to us,” said the report.
Chrysler spokesman Gualberto Ranieri declined to comment.
Bernstein Research said it based some of its conclusions on interviews with four “very senior industry sources in Detroit.” The report doesn’t identify where those sources work and doesn’t spell out their connection to Chrysler.
Cost-cutting heralded
The report praised the CEO’s cost-cutting efforts: “Marchionne and team are reportedly ‘again and again’ finding fixed cost savings” in key areas. Those cost-cutting measures have helped the company come “surprisingly close to breakeven” in the first quarter, the report said.
“While we believe Chrysler is set to show progress in Q1 2010, at least from an accounting perspective, we remain cautious about a full turnaround given the massive challenges the business faces,” the report says.
Those challenges include:
• Limited new-product development despite efforts to bring Fiat-based vehicles to North America.
• A skimpy product portfolio.
• “Very limited” synergies between Fiat and Chrysler.
The report also said Marchionne’s targets for hitting 14 percent market share in 2014, the end of the current five-year plan, were not realistic. Chrysler’s U.S. share was 9.2 percent at the end of the first quarter, and the company has targeted a range of 10 percent to 11.2 percent for 2010. The last year Chrysler held share above 14 percent was 2000.
“Chrysler’s real cost structure is tough to assess, as no real financial statements have been published since 2007 and accounting treatments remain opaque,” says the report.Warburton says Chrysler’s prospects would brighten considerably if the U.S. housing market recovers, boosting sales of the company’s most profitable vehicle, the Ram pickup.
Warburton estimates Fiat’s current stake in Chrysler at $1.6 billion. Fiat owns 20 percent of Chrysler.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
They say Chrysler made a nice profit in March 2010 with its so called lousy product lineup……
A skimpy product portfoilio? New Grand Cherokee, Dodge Chager, Chrysler 300, New Minivan next year, Totaly refrshed interionrs in all vehicles! OK!
Time will ony tell!
April 16th, 2010 at 2:07 am
Eric, that was a russian writer that wrote that article. He has no credibility.
April 16th, 2010 at 9:22 am
Chrysler has always held a special place in TTAC’s chronicling of Detroit’s decline, enjoying a bespoke “Suicide Watch” in contrast to our Ford and GM “Deathwatches.” In the first entry in that series Frank Williams wrote of a gutted firm, dependent on incentives and flagging truck sales, seemingly doomed to drag its foreign partner into bankruptcy. Four years and countless opportunities for death with (some) dignity later, Chrysler presents much the same picture. Sure, it’s been rinsed of debts and excess capacity in bankruptcy court, but the Pentastar’s brands are still fundamentally damaged from years of self-abuse, and the firm is struggling (and failing) to improve on last year’s sales numbers, which were recorded en route to bankruptcy court. Inventory may be under control, but Frank’s four-year-old assessment of an investor warning by JP Morgan could have been written yesterday [with “DCX” replaced by “Fiat”]:
JP Morgan remains convinced that management patience towards Chrysler has “worn thin and increases the likelihood that DCX will reduce exposure to Chrysler.” It’s the investment community’s equivalent of yelling “jump!” to someone standing on a ledge.
In fact, analysts from London’s Bernstein Research wrote nearly the exact same line yesterday. Chrysler has officially shuffled back onto the ledge, and once again the analysts are shouting “Jump!”
The Bernstein report, portions of which are published without subscription at Tire Business, is actually remarkably optimistic about Chrysler’s financial performance in the first quarter of this year. According to the write-up by Crain News Service:
The report praised the CEO’s cost-cutting efforts: “Mr. Marchionne and team are reportedly ‘again and again’ finding fixed cost savings” in key areas. Those cost-cutting measures have helped the company come “surprisingly close to breakeven” in the first quarter, the report said.
But, as Detroit has proven again and again, you can’t simply cut your way to viability. Marchionne’s deep industry experience may make him a more effective, efficient cost-cutter than the Cerberus boys were, but the strategy hasn’t changed much: move what we have with incentives and hope consumers hang tough with the brand until new products arrive. And with that strategy, Chrysler’s losing sales faster than it can cut costs. Bernstein may be optimistic about Chrysler’s Q1 financial performance, but the automaker ends the quarter with only 234,215 sales, a five percent decline from Q1 2009, which at the time earned such adjectives as “Medusa-class ugly,” “Yikes,” and “Bloodbath.”
This sales decline is the fundamental problem. Chrysler is burning cash on advertising, spending $170 per projected sale this year, and yet nothing will move the needle. Whether this is because the ads themselves have sucked, the product sucks or because consumers have simply decided to tune out the name “Chrysler” is a matter for debate, but ultimately the answer is academic. The important fact is that Chrysler must sell 95,000 vehicles for each of the remaining nine months of this year. Chrysler has achieved that level of volume once in the last 14 months, despite consistently offering some of the highest incentives in the market. Losing share in a weak market is a good way of showing that your turnaround needs a turnaround.
With this in mind, it’s not surprising that Bernstein concludes:
We remain unconvinced Chrysler will survive in its current form despite Marchionne’s blood, sweat and tears… A slimming down of Chrysler to be just Ram, Jeep and a U.S. production base for Fiat looks a realistic exit strategy to us
Worst of all, Bernstein is not simply recommending that Chrysler jump: it’s recommending that Fiat stockholders push. Fiat is unveiling its own five-year plan next week, and the Bernstein report was written as guidance for antsy investors. The Fiat brand, buoyed in the European market by recent scrappage schemes, is eyeing a 15 percent European sales decline this year according to Automotive News [sub]. Pressure is mounting on the Italian conglomerate to spin-off its car and truck businesses entirely, and to apportion its $11.4b in bonds. According to analysts, these transactions are “very much tied to how things go at Chrysler, which is still in the preliminary stages of the restructuring.” Scaling back the Chrysler turnaround as Bernstein suggests is likely to be seen as a popular strategy option among Fiat’s anxious stakeholders.
And ultimately, there’s little incentive for Fiat to not push parts of Chrysler over the edge. Fiat’s current 20 percent of Chrysler Group has cost it precisely nothing so far, having bought in to the bailed-out automaker with only its existing technology. Meanwhile, years two, three, four and five of Chrysler’s financial turnaround plan require the firm at least break even this year if it is to avoid a cash infusion from Fiat. We called the financial plan “leveraged assumptions” because, though it includes contingencies for market downturns, it doesn’t begin to contemplate the kind of market share declines the firm is currently facing. If Chrysler misses its 95k unit sales goal for several more months, Fiat will have no choice but to reassess its entire Chrysler turnaround plan, predicated as it is on continuous improvement in sales, market share and revenue.
Chrysler will spend untold millions over the next twelve months launching 14 “new or refreshed” products, most of them falling into the latter category. These products represent Chrysler’s last chance to survive in its current form, and to get its turnaround back on track. Having committed to keeping the Chrysler brand on life support by upgrading such sales duds as the Sebring with dual-clutch transmissions and re-worked suspension, Marchionne won’t scale back Chrysler’s five-year plans until he sees the asphalt rising to meet him, and he realizes that he missed his targets. At this point, Fiat’s shareholders and directors are the only ones capable of heeding Bernstein’s advice, calling the turnaround plan out as the pipe dream it is, and giving Chrysler (if only the brand) a tiny push.
April 16th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
When General Motors and Chrysler entered bankruptcy proceedings in 2009, it was very clear that one company had a future product portfolio and one didn’t. So while The General received the lion’s share of government funding, Chrysler was basically given to Fiat with the hope that Team Pentastar could benefit from platform and product sharing. The early results of the Chrysler/Fiat team have been somewhat encouraging. Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne and his team have made significant progress cutting costs, and the management team created a five-year plan for Chrysler that includes new, Fiat-derived platforms and re-badged Lancias and Alfa Romeos.
Will these steps be enough for Chrysler to remain the full-line manufacturer it is today? A report in Automotive News shows that Bernstein Research analyst Max Warburton doesn’t seem to think so. Warburton reportedly wrote in an assessment for Fiat investors that “we remain unconvinced Chrysler will survive in its current form despite Marchionne’s blood, sweat and tears.” Warburton cites four unnamed senior executives from Detroit.
The analyst’s feelings come despite the fact that he feels Chrysler will come close to breaking even in the first quarter even with relatively poor sales. Warburton actually anticipates that Marchionne will announce Chrysler made a small profit in the month of March. So why the doom and gloom? Warburton cites Chrysler’s still limited product development, light product portfolio and limited synergies between the two companies. The analyst also points to Marchionne’s target for Chrysler to hit a 14 percent market share by 2014 as a reason for alarm. Chrysler hasn’t been at 14 percent market share since 2000, and the Pentastar is currently just under 10 percent share.
In the report for Fiat investors, Warburton called a reasonable exit exit strategy from the situation “a slimming down of Chrysler to be just Ram, Jeep and a U.S. production base for Fiat.” We’re quite positive the folks in Auburn Hills, MI wouldn’t like that plan. What do you think? Drop us a line or two in ‘Comments.’
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req. | Image: Geoff Robins/AFP/Getty]
April 17th, 2010 at 10:44 am
The main premises of this analysis are flawed: First, that Chrysler’s brands are fundamentally damaged and, secondly, that Fiat would be better off cutting North American operations back to Ram, Jeep and a production base for itself.
Chrysler brands are still in the top five in sales in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Jeep maintains a high brand image (arguably the highest in Chrysler LLC). Ram trucks are still outselling Nissan and Toyota full size models. Combined Minivan sales are still leading Toyota and Honda. The brands are no worse off than Ford was five years ago or Buick was five years ago or Nissan was a decade ago.
What is the alternative? THe article seems to suggest Fiat and Alfa-Romeo, given the “production base” argument. But replacing Dodge and Chrysler with Fiat and Alfa would result in FAR FEWER sales, not more sales.
The short-sighted folks that are obsessed with stock prices would like to see Chrysler cut apart. These are the same people that praised the Daimler-Benz “merger” with Chrysler. With such cuts, Fiat shares, I’m sure, would temporarily inch upwards, and the analysts would all praise Marchionne as they did Zetsche when he swung the ax at Chrysler. Long term it’s a mistake. Fiat needs Chrysler as much as Chrysler needs Fiat. Is that an exaggeration?
Before Chrysler, Fiat had zero presence in the US market (other than Iveco trucks). Thus, it was excluded from the number two market in the world. No automaker can survive with the bulk of its sales in one market (for Fiat that is Europe, and primarily Italy). Chrysler gives Fiat established brands consistently in the top five in sales. The smart business model for them is the path taken by Ghosn at Renault: it rescued Nissan by improving product in the US. It DID NOT replace Nissan and Infiniti with Renault. Could you imagine where they’d be if they took that approach? Probably about a third of the sales they are enjoying now.
Replacing Dodge and Chrysler with Fiat and Alfa would not save any money. How much would they save trying to market these unknown brands? They’d still have to redesign product to meet US specs and then tool up factories. Where’s the savings in switching to the Italian brands?
500 and Grande Punto hatches and small diesels fare well in Europe. They’ll need larger cars in the US, and sedans, and more horsepower out of their gas engines.
Speaking of Europe, Fiat is not a competitor to Audi, Mercedes or BMW. Alfa fills a niche, but it hardly competes with the Germans. And it does not compete well with Lexus or Infiniti in those countries where those brands are sold. Fiat has no serious Passat or Accord competitor, no serious E-class competitor. Lancia is a player only in Italy, and even there it is no threat to Mercedes or BMW. Not a great recipe for survival. Putting resources into Dodge and Chrysler also gives Fiat competitive cars in the Accord class and entry level luxury class in Europe, because those models can be sold as Alfas, Fiats, or Lancia in Europe.
THe analysts need to wake up and understand that not car company can be great without investment in product. Any company that has turned around did so throught great product: look at Audi since 1997, Ford since 2006, or GM since 2006. Beancounters lead to disaster: just look at the interior of most GM products before 2006. Sure they saved money, but they drove people tio VW and Honda. Or look at what Daimler did to the Sebring or Caliber–those cuts made the financial analysts happy but did nothing to please customers. Stockholders and bondholders need to think more long term.
April 20th, 2010 at 6:20 am
Chrysler is considering bringing a Fiat-engineered subcompact sedan from Serbia to North America under the Chrysler brand. The Chrysler brand product plan, unveiled in November, called for a Fiat-derived subcompact sedan to be imported in 2013. The vehicle would be built in Kragujevac, Serbia, where Serbian automaker Zastava Automobili once made the Yugo.
April 20th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Fiat has called a last-minute unscheduled press conference for 4 pm CET today, where it is understood that Fiat Group Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo will announce that he is leaving the company. At this time, no official reason has been given for Montezemolo’s departure, but it’s being reported that he may be mulling a move into politics, possibly to form a new Italian centrist party. Going speculation also has it that Montezemolo will be replaced by current group vice-chairman John Elkann.
Montezemolo’s involvement with Fiat goes back to the early-1970s when he was a manager at the Ferrari Formula One team. After leaving the team he eventually returned to take over the CEO role at Ferrari and led the company through a period of major growth and expansion. Montezemolo will apparently remain on Fiat’s board of directors.
Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne will also hold a presentation tomorrow to discuss Fiat’s strategy going forward including its U.S. plans and a possible spin-off of the car business from the rest of the group.
April 20th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Fiat Chairman Luca Cordero Di Montezemolo will be leaving the firm to pursue a career in Italian politics, according to Automotive News [sub]. Montezemolo will remain on Fiat’s board, and will continue to serve as chairman of Ferrari, but he will be replaced atop the Fiat empire by vice-chairman and Agnelli family heir John Elkann. Fiat’s shares rallied considerably this morning, according to Bloomberg Businessweek, but not because Montezemolo is on the way out. Rather, Fiat has finally announced the news that speculators have been waiting patiently for: the firm now confirms that it plans to spin off its auto business.
Details of the spin-off are not immediately available, as Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne will not be presenting Fiat’s five-year plan until tomorrow. The spin-off is almost certain to center around Fiat, Abarth, Alfa-Romeo, and Lancia, although it appears that there may be a chance that Maserati could be bundled with Fiat Auto as well, despite being traditionally run as part of Ferrari. Fiat’s other industrial ventures, including its farm- and heavy-equipment manufacturing as well as its Iveco commercial vehicle unit will remain behind with the conglomerate. The main benefit of spinning-off Fiat’s auto business lays in future alliances: with a smaller market cap than the entire Fiat empire, a Fiat Auto unit could more easily enter equity exchanges and other alliances. Already holding a 20 percent stake in Chrysler (with up to 35 percent available for free), Fiat will likely use the spin-off to pursue greater control over the Auburn Hills-based automaker. And with Fiat’s auto business already generating half of the sprawling Fiat Group’s revenue according to the NYT, Marchionne clearly expects the newly spun-off unit to be leaner and more profitable. For now though, the most important variable in the future of Fiat auto isn’t even its spin-off or the replacement of its Chairman. Breaking Chrysler’s downward slump is key to Marchionne’s 5m-unit global survival strategy, and the gambit is far from paying off.
April 20th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
On Wednesday, Marchionne and his team are expected to announce these developments:
• Near-luxury brand Alfa Romeo will build a mid-sized sedan and station wagon in the United States at Chrysler factories. The debut of the Alfa Romeo Giulia in 2012 would mark the return of Alfa to the United States after a 17-year absence.
Using the same Compact Wide architecture underpinning the Giulia, Alfa also will build a large crossover.
• The Chrysler and Lancia brands will share platforms. For example, Lancia will get a version of the Chrysler Sebring replacement due later this year and a version of the Chrysler Town & Country minivan.
• A small Fiat car with four doors and styling similar to the 500 will be sold in the United States in 2013.
• A possible Fiat compact sedan that will be imported from a Fiat joint venture factory in Serbia for sale in the United States. If approved, it will arrive in 2013.
• A Fiat-badged version of the Dodge Nitro SUV will be sold in Europe by the end of this year.
During the presentation Wednesday, Marchionne and his lieutenants are expected to give updates on the financial performance of Fiat and Chrysler. Sales targets for 2014 for the combined companies are expected.
The companies have combined in other areas too. Olivier Francois is running both Chrysler and Lancia brands and acts as global marketing chief for both Chrysler and Fiat.
On the manufacturing front, Chrysler’s North American factories will build as many as 400,000 Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo brands by 2014.
Marchionne’s plan calls for reducing the number of platforms used by the two automakers and producing sufficient vehicles on each platform to gain economies of scale.
Said Cole: “Scale is pretty important. There’s a mutual need that’s going to drive things. They’ve got to work on a joint basis. And I think that’s happening.”
April 20th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Key is intergrating engineering, sales, production
Marchionne’s plan to more than double Chrysler’s annual sales from 1.3 million last year to 2.8 million by 2013 relies on integrating Fiat and Chrysler engineering, sales and production around the world.
“It’s a truly symbiotic relationship,” said Jim Hall, managing director of consultant 2953 Analytics in Birmingham. “Fiat is providing the seed for a lot of Chrysler Group vehicles, and a lot of Chrysler vehicles will help Fiat around the world.”
As Chrysler and Fiat operations become intertwined inextricably, plans for the Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo brands will affect jobs from Chrysler’s Auburn Hills headquarters to factories in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Ontario and Mexico, as well as dealerships across the country.
Chrysler is to announce financial results for the latter part of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010 in a separate statement Wednesday, but it is unclear how much detail the company will provide.
Chrysler’s chances of earning a profit, repaying taxpayer loans and becoming a stable employer depend on the success of its engineering and production work with Fiat. Fiat owns 20% of Chrysler, but it controls the company through its agreement to provide technology for new vehicles Chrysler needs.
April 20th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
VW to buy Fiatsler
April 21st, 2010 at 8:55 am
Chrysler lost $197 million in first quarter
Automaker lost $3.8 billion in 2009 post-bankruptcy
BY GREG GARDNER
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
Comments (41) Recommend (4) Print E-mail Letter to the editor Share Facebook Twitter FarkIt Digg Del.icio.us Reddit Newsvine
Buzz up!Chrysler reported a net loss of $197 million for the first-quarter of 2010, and says it is on track to break even or earn a modest profit for the full year.
In its first financial disclosure since exiting Chapter 11 bankruptcy last June, the Auburn Hills automaker also said it lost $3.8 billion from June 10 through Dec. 31, 2009. Of that, $2.7 billion came in the fourth quarter.
Revenues for the first-quarter totaled $9.7 billion, compared with $9.4 billion in last year’s fourth quarter.
“This is a concrete indication to Chrysler’s customers, dealers and employees that 2010 targets are achievable,” CEO Sergio Marchionne said during a presentation in Turin, Italy. The most important of those targets is Marchionne’s firm prediction that Chrysler will break even for all of 2010.
Equally significant, Chrysler generated nearly $1.5 billion in cash during the first three months of this year. Total cash reserves, from which the company pays debt and invests in future products, was $7.4 billion as of March 31.
That positive cash flow enabled Chrysler to reduce debt from $5.4 billion at the end of 2009 to $3.8 billion as of March 31.
That was used to reduce debt from $11.2 billion to $3.8 billion.
“There has already been an uptick in customer traffic in our dealerships in the first quarter and we are confident that sales will continue to increase as we launch new products in the second quarter,” said CEO Sergio Marchionne.
Chrysler’s U.S. sales fell 5.3% in the first-quarter from a year earlier, but it has produced 56% more vehicles in North America in that same period. The automaker idled many plants in early 2009 to conserve cash.
The first of Chrysler’s desperately needed new products, the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, will go on sale in June. Later this year, all-new or refreshed versions of the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger, and a Chrysler midsize sedan will be introduced, as well as a crossover vehicle Chrysler called the E-CUV and the Fiat 500 minicar.
Excluding taxes and interest on debt, Chrysler reported an operating profit of $143 million for the first-quarter.
Chrysler said its U.S. market share rose to 9.1% in the first quarter from 8.1% in the last three months of 2009. In Canada its market share grew to 13.7% in the first quarter from 11.6% in the fourth quarter.
Globally, Chrysler sold 334,000 vehicles in the first quarter, or 20% of the 1.65 million Marchionne said it needs to sell in 2010 to break even.
Earlier this month General Motors reported that it lost $4.3 billion from July 10, when it emerged from bankruptcy, to Dec. 31. GM plans to report its first-quarter results next month.
April 21st, 2010 at 8:58 am
With Chrysler’s new parent Fiat making the hard and fast decisions, the automaker is now on track to return to profitability and the first signs of progress are already showing. Chrysler announced today that it made an operating profit of $143 million in the first three months of 2010, helped by last year’s severe cost-cutting and sales of the new Ram Heavy Duty pickup trucks.
Note that this is operating profit, so when you factor in things like interest and taxes, Chrysler is still left with a net loss of $197 million. Still, it’s an indication that Detroit’s smallest and weakest automaker is within spitting distance of returning to full profitability and remaining viable. That loss compares to a staggering loss of $3.8 billion since Chrysler declared bankruptcy last June 10. More importantly, it also looks like the struggling automaker will also be able to repay its loans to the government.
Even with the still-floundering U.S. economy and fluctuating exchange rates, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is confident Chrysler will be able to stay profitable over the next two years. We would be too considering Chrysler is planning to launch 16 new or refreshed products this year starting with the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, followed by the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, E-CUV, iconic Fiat 500, and the Sebring replacement.
[Chrysler]
April 21st, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Yeah, I guess all you Chrysler haters were right. Looks like Chrysler will be gone real soon…Don’t think so. Looks like the turnaround is going well and Chrysler made money in March.Looks like Fiat will be sharing their finances also.Chrysler aslo has close to 8.5 Billion dollars. New and refreshed product coming at a great time in the coming months.Nothing but good news for Chrysler and its employees! Keep up the good work you men and woman at Chrysler!
April 21st, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Cant wait!
Chrysler is planning to launch 16 new or refreshed products this year starting with the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, followed by the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, E-CUV, iconic Fiat 500, and the Sebring replacement.
April 21st, 2010 at 7:06 pm
chrysler BLOWS DEAD DOGS
April 21st, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Anonymous Says:
April 21st, 2010 at 7:06 pm
chrysler BLOWS DEAD DOGS
……………………………………………………..
Real good one! You stupid ass laid off bitch……
April 22nd, 2010 at 12:02 am
Fiat spins off its noncar firms
Move shows company serious about Chrysler, experts say
Alisa Priddle / The Detroit News
Fiat SpA is spinning off its industrial holdings from its automotive operations, in a bold move that relies heavily on its partnership with Chrysler Group LLC to succeed.
That bodes well for Chrysler’s future and may silence skeptics convinced that Fiat is not in the partnership for the long haul.
“People at Chrysler should be very excited,” said Aleks Miziolek, director of the auto industry group of Dykema PLLC in Detroit, calling it a serious play by Fiat to grow its Chrysler partnership into a global company.
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The move to split the Italian automaker comes as Chrysler is showing signs of recovery.
On Wednesday, Chrysler reported $143 million in operating profit in the first quarter and a 3 percent gain in net revenue, to $9.7 billion. Overall, Chrysler lost $197 million in the quarter, but that compares to a net loss of $3.8 billion from June 10, 2009, when Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy, through the end of the year.
Fiat reported a $28 million loss in the first quarter, up from a $549 million loss in the same period a year ago.
The breakup of the 109-year-old Fiat will give each entity freedom to make more focused business decisions, Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Chrysler and Fiat, said in announcing the change Wednesday as part of Fiat’s five-year business plan in Turin, Italy.
“Today, Fiat enters a new chapter in its history and takes on a new shape,” he said. “The time is now right to proceed with a spinoff.”
Chrysler is along for the ride as Marchionne stressed the key synergies of savings, shared product development, purchasing, manufacturing and sales crucial to the success of Fiat auto. Together, Fiat Auto and Chrysler revenues could reach $139 billion by 2014.
Could be done by end of the year
Splitting Fiat needs board approval but could be completed by year end, Marchionne said.
Fiat will consist of automotive units: the Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo volume brands, luxury Ferrari and Maserati, powertrain and components divisions.
A new company, to be called Fiat Industrial, will include the Iveco commercial and truck division and CNH, which makes agricultural and construction equipment. Marine and industrial powertrain work will stay with this group.
The “demerger” will unbundle businesses with different products, customers, investment needs and risks. Separating them also gives each company the freedom to pursue its own alliances, Marchionne said.
The projected revenue for Fiat Group is a record $125 billion by 2014. That would be broken down to $86 billion from the new Fiat (auto) and $39 billion from Fiat Industrial.
Shareholders will be given equal shares in each company.
Joe Phillippi, analyst with AutoTrends Consulting Inc. in Short Hills, N.J., also sees Fiat’s plan as a huge endorsement of Chrysler and reliance on the Auburn Hills automaker to create a global automotive power.
Releasing the value of the auto side of the business will provide capital that will be reinvested in research and development of new vehicles and engines for Chrysler, Phillippi said.
“I can’t think of any cons.”
Relying on Chrysler sales
Marchionne envisions an auto company that sells 6 million vehicles annually by 2014 — but only with Chrysler’s help.
Of 51 new products for Fiat in the next five years, one-third will come from Chrysler, Marchionne said. Many will be made in Chrysler plants. He avoided specifics but said Alfa Romeo will become a full premium brand and could source a sedan from Chrysler’s Brampton, Ontario, plant.
Alfa’s return to the U.S. has been pushed back to 2012 and while some Alfas could be sold in Maserati dealers, Marchionne expects Chrysler dealers to be the main distribution network.
The combining of the Chrysler and Lancia brands in Europe will produce eight new products in the next five years — six of them based on Chrysler models.
A plan to better utilize Fiat’s plants in Italy calls for them to produce 1 million vehicles annually by 2014 — 300,000 of them for export to North America.
Three car segments planned
Economies of scale will come as Fiat and Chrysler develop families of vehicles in three segments: minicars, small cars and compacts.
Each segment will generate more than 1 million vehicle sales for Fiat and Chrysler by 2014, said Harald Wester, head of Fiat engineering and design.
Sharing development cost with Chrysler is crucial, he said. In return, Chrysler taps into Fiat’s ability to develop a new vehicle in as little as 15 months. Together they save $803 million by 2014 in engineering costs.
Synergies with Chrysler are to amount to $2 billion in savings by 2014. Combined the two will have $80.3 billion in purchasing clout, which should translate into $3.9 billion in annual savings, a third courtesy of Chrysler.
Marchionne said he will focus his attention on the Fiat auto side.
Separating the auto business “makes it easier for transactions in the future,” said Van Conway, president of Conway MacKenzie Inc., a turnaround consulting firm in Birmingham.
And the underperforming Chrysler has a security blanket in Fiat — which appears serious about nurturing its appreciating asset, he said.
April 22nd, 2010 at 11:30 am
Building on solid financial results in the fourth quarter of last year, Hyundai has announced today that it turned a net profit of about $1.02b (as in billion) in Q1 2010. That shatters a previous record of $650m, recorded in the second quarter of last year, and eclipses last year’s $203m Q1 net profit. According to the Detroit News, Hyundai raised sales revenue by nearly 40 percent last quarter, with global gross receipts hitting $7.6b. Sales volume was up 36.6 percent, to 842,037 units. Though the Chinese and Indian markets drove growth with 48 and 34 percent volume increases respectively, the big news comes from the US, where Hyundai’s volume grew 78.3 percent and revenue gained 61.5 percent. And if Hyundai’s margins seem surprisingly attractive, consider that the dollar’s recent declines against the Korean Won bled off some of that US-market profit. Oh, and that billion-dollar profit doesn’t include results from Hyundai’s sister-firm Kia, which reports Q1 financials tomorrow. Get down with your bad self, Hyundai!
April 22nd, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Fuck Hyundai! Japanese fucks………………
April 22nd, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Funny you cant say anything about chrysler now….Even chryslers critics cant say anything bad…..Hyundai? For real? You sad piece of shit!
April 22nd, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Fiat SpA is spinning off its industrial holdings from its automotive operations, in a bold move that relies heavily on its partnership with Chrysler Group LLC to succeed.
That bodes well for Chrysler’s future and may silence skeptics convinced that Fiat is not in the partnership for the long haul.
“People at Chrysler should be very excited,” said Aleks Miziolek, director of the auto industry group of Dykema PLLC in Detroit, calling it a serious play by Fiat to grow its Chrysler partnership into a global company.
On Wednesday, Chrysler reported $143 million in operating profit in the first quarter and a 3 percent gain in net revenue, to $9.7 billion. Overall, Chrysler lost $197 million in the quarter, but that compares to a net loss of $3.8 billion from June 10, 2009, when Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy, through the end of the year.
April 22nd, 2010 at 5:35 pm
“People at Chrysler should be very excited,” said Aleks Miziolek, director of the auto industry group of Dykema PLLC in Detroit, calling it a serious play by Fiat to grow its Chrysler partnership into a global company.
April 22nd, 2010 at 5:50 pm
This is a Chrysler weblog and one of you simpletons makes a comment about Hyundai. I agree with you hank. Nothing but washed up poster on the forum any more! Who cares if hyundai made $70 Billion. Seriously
April 22nd, 2010 at 8:59 pm
One day there will be a new thread here. One day.
April 23rd, 2010 at 4:05 pm
DETROIT — Chrysler Group is projecting about a 20 percent increase in U.S. sales for April compared with the same month last year, Chrysler spokeswoman Kathy Graham said yesterday. The projected figures were released by Fred Diaz, Chrysler’s chief sales executive, during a dealer-only conference call Wednesday, Graham said.A 20 percent gain would mark Chrysler’s second monthly sales increase in 28 months, following a 1 percent advance in FebruaryChrysler sold 76,682 vehicles in the United States in April 2009. This year’s projected April sales increase comes on the heels of Chrysler’s posting a $143 million operating profit in the first three months of 2010 after cutting costs and introducing the new Dodge Ram Heavy Duty pickup.The one-year anniversary of the automaker’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing is coming up April 30. Chrysler emerged from a U.S.-sponsored reorganization under the control of Italy’s Fiat S.p.A. on June 10. Chrysler said its worldwide vehicle sales rose to 334,000 cars and trucks in the first quarter from 318,000 in the fourth quarter of last year.“I think the hangover from bankruptcy is past us,” said David Kelleher, secretary on the Chrysler National Dealer Council and owner of two Chrysler dealerships in Philadelphia. “We’re really, really paying attention to our customers. … It’s been a wonderful time on the showroom floors.”The automaker is coming off an 8 percent sales decline in March compared with the same period the previous year. But it still managed to sell 92,623 vehicles.Other dealers said they were optimistic for what the future holds. Chrysler is beginning to produce new products such as the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which is scheduled to arrive on showroom floors in July. Dealers have been clamoring for the fresh stock, especially because Chrysler’s bankruptcy had delayed preparations for 2010 models. “We’re starting to see a resurgence,” said Alan Helfman, vice president of Helfman River Oaks Chrysler-Jeep in Houston. “If you got new product, people will come. I already have half a dozen orders on the new Grand Cherokee.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:21 pm
Looks like Fiat isnt like the previous fucked up owners. They are down to get Chrysler rolling again! Very nice!
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:35 pm
I cant wait to purchase a new grand cherokee. I heard there is a feature where it can raise or lower 6 inches…Sweet!
April 24th, 2010 at 12:26 am
ha ha ha you stupid motherfuckers
April 24th, 2010 at 8:18 am
Even the critics cant say anything now. Too funny!
April 24th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Looks like Fiat will tap into their cash if they really need too if chrysler needs help. Chrysler employees should be very happy with this last Fiat/Chrysler update.
April 24th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
I knew Chrysler would be alright! They are finally in the haneds of people that care and want to make money!
April 29th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Chrysler Nassau will be the new name for the automaker’s freshened midsize sedan launching late this year — replacing the tarnished Sebring name — according to dealers and others familiar with the company’s product plan. (Detroit Free Press)
April 29th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Back in February, we took note of Chrysler’s “principled” stand on new-product secrecy, concluding:
Let’s face it: Chrysler needs buzz, hype, awareness, some kind of excitement surrounding its future generally and its forthcoming products in specific (if only in the irritating “teaser” format) almost as much as it needs anything else. Because as things stand right now,the baseline perception of Chrysler is of a dying company with nothing to offer. In this light, Chrysler’s principled rejection of hype is far more likely to be interpreted as keeping rushed semi-refreshes under wraps so they won’t be mocked to death by the time they go on sale. If that’s not the case, Chrysler has nothing to lose and everything to gain by building consumer awareness of new products. If it is, well, the truth will out sooner or later.
And apparently we’re not the only ones who think so. In fact, if the Detroit News is to be believed, literally everyone seems to think that Chrysler needs to start being more open, not only about its forthcoming products, but at every level of its business.
The Chrysler consensus is summed up by analyst Joe Phillippi of Autotrends Consulting, who tells the DetN:
Chrysler is much better off because the cost structure is dramatically improved. But without a portfolio of new products to trumpet, it’s tough to get consumers excited. They have to be much more visible. There are not even spy shots out there creating a buzz
This desire to create the impression that Chrysler has a viable new product strategy is echoed by the Canadian Auto Workers’ boss Ken Lewenza. The DetN sums up Lewenza’s critique, which centers on Chrysler’s next product launch, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, thusly:
The first significant new product on the way is the remade Jeep Grand Cherokee. Production begins next month in Detroit, and the SUV hits showrooms in June. A concept version was shown at the 2009 New York auto show, but the vehicle has been under wraps since then.
I don’t know why (Chrysler) is being so secretive,” said Ken Lewenza, president of the Canadian Auto Workers union.
He respects Marchionne’s decision not to show vehicles too far in advance, but said the argument breaks down when a model launch is imminent. Lewenza sees Grand Cherokees on the road for testing, but nothing at auto shows or in the media. He contrasts that with General Motors Co.’s strategy: “They dominate the ads. They are the leader in bragging about their products right now.”
And the Grand Cherokee is by far Chrysler’s most visible future product. In contrast, the next-gen Chrysler 300 and Sebring, Dodge Charger and Avenger, and the rest of Chrysler Group’s 14 product re-launches that are scheduled to take place by the end of 2011, are nearly invisible to the buying public. This radio silence gives consumers no reason to think of Chrysler as anything but the moribund, bankrupt, second-tier automaker it is supposed to no longer be.
And unfortunately, the problems don’t end with consumers. Even inside Auburn Hills, there are concerns that Chrysler isn’t changing fast or completely enough.
Outside of Chrysler’s executive ranks, workers complain that middle management remains wed to practices in place when the automaker filed for bankruptcy on April 30, 2009.
Marchionne’s vision is inspiring, but it hasn’t reached the middle and lower ranks of the company, said one veteran product development employee who asked not to be named because workers are discouraged from speaking publicly without Chrysler approval.
Purchasing boss Dan Knott confirms this lack of leadership trickle-down, explaining:
I drink the Kool-Aid. In many cases, I’m making it. Senior management is getting it. At lower levels some get it, some don’t.
And according to the DetN, Knott’s suppliers aren’t getting it either.
some see opportunities to win bigger global contracts, given the $68 billion in combined purchasing spending by Chrysler and Fiat. Others are afraid to quote jobs and invest hard-won capital only to get caught if Chrysler doesn’t survive…. “Suppliers are starting to see transparency,” [Knott] said. “It has not driven all the way down yet but we are working on it.
Which might explain why we aren’t seeing new products. In any case, all of this is making Chrysler’s remaining dealers extremely nervous. So nervous, in fact, that they’re downright nostalgic about the bad-old-days under Cerberus. One dealer claims:
A year ago, even though it was horrific times, there was more trust and pulling together
Another adds:
Chrysler “will never be the transparent company it was in the past.”
Of course, few complain about secrecy at companies like Apple, which consistently produce new products that resonate with consumers. The problem at Chrysler is that nobody knows what to expect, and that secrecy tends to lead observers to conclude the worst. And now, nearly all of Chrysler’s stakeholders seem to agree. Chrysler Group is spending plenty of money on new advertisements for old products, but now the company needs to show that it’s not just in survival mode. Chrysler needs to show dealers, suppliers, consumers and yes, even its own employees, that the company actually has a future. Otherwise, everyone will assume it doesn’t… and if that happens, they’ll be right.
April 29th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
Sebring name, look to change
Chrysler Nassau will be the new name for the automaker’s freshened midsize sedan launching late this year — replacing the tarnished Sebring name — according to dealers and others familiar with the company’s product plan. A Chrysler spokesman declined to comment when asked about the Nassau name.
April 30th, 2010 at 12:23 am
HA HA HA,,,,You stupid Muther Fuckers!
April 30th, 2010 at 7:58 am
Progress on vehicle reliability
Chrysler Group employees and contractors should know all their hard work to design, build and sell high-quality products is showing results.
During the past two years, our vehicle reliability has improved by 48 percent, according to internal warranty data. This is based on the number of problems customers report in their first 90 days of ownership, and it is generally considered to be a strong predictor of long-term reliability.
This rapid improvement is moving our reliability from the back of the pack just two years ago, to better than the industry average today. Our internal data suggests that we have been improving at a rate of 21 percent per year, when the industry typically improves about 3 percent each year.
This progress required a coordinated, dedicated effort across the entire organization: at our plants, in the headquarters, at our suppliers and in the dealerships. Thank you.
As we roll-out new products in the coming months, we have a big opportunity to demonstrate the numerous quality advancements we’ve integrated into the design, development and building of all Chrysler Group vehicles. We are well on the way to achieve our goal of having Chrysler’s corporate average reliability significantly better than industry average by 2012.
Let’s keep up the good work.
Doug Betts
Senior Vice President—Quality
May 3rd, 2010 at 10:36 am
Chrysler Canada April Sales Roar to 35 Per Cent Increase
May 3, 2010 , Windsor, Ontario - Chrysler Canada today announced its highest sales results since June 2008, with April sales up 35 per cent over the same month in 2009 on 20,630 units (April 2009: 15,311). Calendar year to date, the company’s sales have risen 21 per cent over the same period last year (Jan-April 2010: 66,085; 2009: 54,522).
Chrysler Group LLC Reports April 2010 U.S. Sales Increase of 25 Percent
Increasing consumer confidence in Chrysler Group LLC propels the company to its best year-over-year percentage sales improvement since July 2005
Steady month-over-month improvement in 2010 continues with strong April sales results
Chrysler Brand sales increased 61 percent compared with the same time last year
Dodge Brand sales are up 61 percent versus April 2009
Dodge Challenger sets monthly sales record
April’s ‘Minivan Event’ drives sales of the Chrysler Town & Country (up 80 percent) and Dodge Grand Caravan (up 56 percent), minivan sales up a combined 68 percent
Auburn Hills, Mich., May 3, 2010 -
Chrysler Group LLC today reported a U.S. sales increase of 25 percent, the best year-over-year percentage sales improvement for the company in almost five years. In addition, the company continued its trend of month-over-month sales increases in 2010, up 3 percent versus March 2010.
“April was a very positive month for Chrysler Group, with concrete results that highlight the company is on-track and gaining momentum,” said Fred Diaz, President and Chief Executive Officer – Ram Truck Brand and Lead Executive for the Sales Organization. “Today we reported sales increased 25 percent compared with April 2009, building on the news from April 21 that the company posted an operating profit of $143 million for the first quarter 2010.”
Chrysler Group LLC reported total U.S. sales for April of 95,703 units, an increase of 25 percent versus April 2009 (76,682 units). Sales increased 3 percent compared with March 2010 (92,623 units). Chrysler Group finished the month with a 53-day supply of inventory (196,614 units), a 42 percent decline versus April 2009 (336,913 units). Overall, U.S. industry sales figures for April are projected at an estimated 11.5 SAAR.
May 4th, 2010 at 6:14 am
Chrysler = rentalcar junk
May 4th, 2010 at 10:20 am
Anonymous Says:
May 4th, 2010 at 6:14 am
Chrysler = rentalcar junk
LOL,,,,, That was so funny…..Looks like u clowns are running out of things to say!
May 4th, 2010 at 10:20 am
Chrysler Canada April Sales Roar to 35 Per Cent Increase
May 3, 2010 , Windsor, Ontario - Chrysler Canada today announced its highest sales results since June 2008, with April sales up 35 per cent over the same month in 2009 on 20,630 units (April 2009: 15,311). Calendar year to date, the company’s sales have risen 21 per cent over the same period last year (Jan-April 2010: 66,085; 2009: 54,522).
Chrysler Group LLC Reports April 2010 U.S. Sales Increase of 25 Percent
Increasing consumer confidence in Chrysler Group LLC propels the company to its best year-over-year percentage sales improvement since July 2005
Steady month-over-month improvement in 2010 continues with strong April sales results
Chrysler Brand sales increased 61 percent compared with the same time last year
Dodge Brand sales are up 61 percent versus April 2009
Dodge Challenger sets monthly sales record
April’s ‘Minivan Event’ drives sales of the Chrysler Town & Country (up 80 percent) and Dodge Grand Caravan (up 56 percent), minivan sales up a combined 68 percent
Auburn Hills, Mich., May 3, 2010 -
Chrysler Group LLC today reported a U.S. sales increase of 25 percent, the best year-over-year percentage sales improvement for the company in almost five years. In addition, the company continued its trend of month-over-month sales increases in 2010, up 3 percent versus March 2010.
“April was a very positive month for Chrysler Group, with concrete results that highlight the company is on-track and gaining momentum,” said Fred Diaz, President and Chief Executive Officer – Ram Truck Brand and Lead Executive for the Sales Organization. “Today we reported sales increased 25 percent compared with April 2009, building on the news from April 21 that the company posted an operating profit of $143 million for the first quarter 2010.”
Chrysler Group LLC reported total U.S. sales for April of 95,703 units, an increase of 25 percent versus April 2009 (76,682 units). Sales increased 3 percent compared with March 2010 (92,623 units). Chrysler Group finished the month with a 53-day supply of inventory (196,614 units), a 42 percent decline versus April 2009 (336,913 units). Overall, U.S. industry sales figures for April are projected at an estimated 11.5 SAAR.
May 5th, 2010 at 11:54 am
To say that Chrysler’s 25 percent year-over-year sales increase last month came as a surprise would be pushing the boundaries of overstatement. Chrysler’s sales and market share have been in decline for a long time, but over the past several years, the tailspin seemed to have become terminal. So, how did the Pentastar (barely) make its 95k minimum volume level and increase sales by 25 percent over April 2009? Fleet sales, for one thing: according to The Freep, TrueCar.com estimates that a full 40 percent of Chrysler’s April sales went to fleet customers.No wonder made a big deal about publicly finding Jesus on the fleet sales issue… at the end of the month (to say nothing of the conspicuous absence of retail sales numbers in its April report and massive increase in Sebring sales). And the bad news doesn’t end there. Not only did Chrysler top all automakers in per-vehicle incentives last month according to Edmunds’ monthly True Cost Of Incentives index with $3,374 on the average Mopar’s hood, they’re actually increasing incentives even further.
The Detroit News‘ Alisa Priddle spins the news hard, saying ChryCo is “sweetening sales” and justifying the incentive binge by arguing that it is necessary:
to remain competitive in an industry being pushed by uncharacteristically higher spending from Toyota Motor Corp
Interestingly, the DetN cites an Autodata figure of $3,664 for Chrysler’s April incentive spend, which is actually several hundred dollars more than Edmunds’ number. In any case, Toyota spent at least a thousand bucks less per vehicle than Chrysler ($2,498 according to Edmunds, $1,945 according to Autodata), so the Pentastar’s trouble moving product still comes down to the product itself.
So what are the Chrysler incentives? “Attractive financing” or $3,000 cash off Chrysler-brand products, $4,000 cash back for Jeep Liberty, Grand Cherokee or Commander (plus $1,000 for financing through GMAC), $500 in Mopar accessories for Wrangler buyers or $2,000 worth for Challenger buyers, $2,000 off Dodge Avenger, Nitro or Grand Caravan, $3,000 off a Charger or Ram, and much, much more.
Bizarrely, the DetN’s Priddle characterizes Chrysler’s incentive strategy as a
policy of restraint, as dictated by new CEO Sergio Marchionne
In reality, Sergio thinks that anything short of sending dealers $6k per vehicle counts as “restraint.” Given that falling Ram sales likely means Chrysler is failing to meet its sales mix goals even as it records its best results in half a decade, there are probably profit problems at Chrysler anyway. Sending nearly half of its bare-minimum volume to fleets and incentivizing the hell out of the rest of it is no way to turn improve the bottom line. And with costs already cut to the bone in order to record a Q1 “profit,” Chrysler’s Q2 results are going to be fugly. GM may be showing signs of moving its marketing efforts into a new era, but Chrysler remains firmly mired in the past. This turnaround is ready for a turnaround.
May 5th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
The slow swirl around the drain
May 5th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
The slow swirl around the bowl continues
May 5th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
Chrysler comes roaring back
Sure, Chrysler Group sales were up an astonishing 25 percent last month and its dealer network deserves a pat on the back for clearly working their backsides off in April. That said, let’s not forget the low bar that Chrysler had set for itself last year. Heading into bankruptcy, Chrysler Group sales in April 2009 were nearly 50% worse than 2008. Thus, it was inevitable when industry sales began to rise in 2010 that Chrysler would beat its poor performance in 2009. Imagine what they could do with new products to sell?
By and large the entire U.S. auto industry enjoyed positive sales last month, with (shocker!) Chrysler and Dodge posting the best performances by brand. Subaru, per usual, is right up there with a near 50% sales increase (thank you, Outback).
The number of double-digit percent increases in sales is perhaps the most telling bit of info to take away from this month’s chart. Only 13 brands did not have double-digit increases, and four of those were still single-digit increases while another three are shuttered brands from General Motors. Buyers are clearly in a buying mood. At this point, which automaker gets the sale comes down to either who has the newest product or offers the most aggressive incentives.
May 5th, 2010 at 11:13 pm
Again, every carmaker sells to fleet. If it makes the company money then do it.
Anon, provide a link to where it says Chrysler sales were 40% fleet!
Provide a link to the Detroit freepress thats shows 40% of their sales were fleet…. I checked around and couldnt find that info anywhere…..You must have some very inside internet people to find stuff like that…..
Anyway, a sale is a sale……..
May 5th, 2010 at 11:13 pm
Chrysler comes roaring back
Sure, Chrysler Group sales were up an astonishing 25 percent last month and its dealer network deserves a pat on the back for clearly working their backsides off in April. That said, let’s not forget the low bar that Chrysler had set for itself last year. Heading into bankruptcy, Chrysler Group sales in April 2009 were nearly 50% worse than 2008. Thus, it was inevitable when industry sales began to rise in 2010 that Chrysler would beat its poor performance in 2009. Imagine what they could do with new products to sell?
By and large the entire U.S. auto industry enjoyed positive sales last month, with (shocker!) Chrysler and Dodge posting the best performances by brand. Subaru, per usual, is right up there with a near 50% sales increase (thank you, Outback).
The number of double-digit percent increases in sales is perhaps the most telling bit of info to take away from this month’s chart. Only 13 brands did not have double-digit increases, and four of those were still single-digit increases while another three are shuttered brands from General Motors. Buyers are clearly in a buying mood. At this point, which automaker gets the sale comes down to either who has the newest product or offers the most aggressive incentives.
May 5th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
International sales rise 5% in April
Chrysler Group LLC today announced sales of 12,009 vehicles during April 2010 in markets outside North America, posting a 5 percent increase compared with the same month last year.
Through April, the company sold 47,656 vehicles this year, representing a 2 percent increase from the same period in 2009.
The Asia Pacific region led the international sales with 3,595 vehicles sold in April, an increase of 48 percent from April 2009. China led the region and the company with sales up 103 percent against the same month last year.
Combined sales in the Africa, Middle East, Eastern Europe and Russia region had an increase of 17 percent versus April 2009. In Latin America, the Chrysler Group saw an increase of 2 percent compared with the same month in 2009, while in Western Europe the company experienced a decline of 21 percent compared with April 2009.
The Jeep® brand was the best selling brand outside of North America, experiencing an increase of 10 percent compared with April 2009. The Dodge Journey was the best selling vehicle outside of North America with a 105 percent increase versus the same month last year.
The Chrysler Group sells and services vehicles in more than 120 countries around the world.
May 7th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Chrysler Group LLC Reports Financial Results for the Period Ended March 31, 2010
FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR Q1 2010 SHOW CHRYSLER GROUP ACHIEVED A POSITIVE OPERATING PROFIT OF $143 MILLION AND POSITIVE CASH FLOW OF $1,490 MILLION, FURTHER STRENGTHENING CASH POSITION TO $7,367 MILLION AS OF MARCH 31, 2010
Net Revenues in Q1 2010 increased to $9,687 million, up from $9,434 million in Q4 2009.
Operating Profit(a) came in at $143 million, as trading margins turned positive and continued to improve.
Modified EBITDA(b) was $787 million, or 8.1 percent of Net Revenues.
Net Loss significantly declined in Q1 2010 to $197 million due to improved operating performance.
Cash(c) at March 31, 2010 strengthened to $7,367 million due to strong cash flow of $1,490 million in the quarter, bringing total available liquidity to $9.8 billion.
Market share improved to 9.1 percent in the U.S., from 8.1 percent in Q4 2009, and to 13.7 percent in Canada from 11.6 percent in Q4 2009.
The Company confirms its targets for the year, including a minimum of operating break-even in 2010.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 21, 2010 – Chrysler Group LLC today issued its financial results for first quarter (Q1) 2010.
In Q1 2010, Chrysler Net Revenues increased to $9,687 million representing a 3 percent increase over the prior quarter.
Chrysler ended Q1 2010 with an Operating Profit(a) of $143 million.
“This positive operating result in the first quarter is a concrete indication to our customers, dealers and suppliers that the 2010 targets we have set for ourselves are achievable. We are also generating cash to finance the investments being made in our product portfolio and brand repositioning,” said Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer, Chrysler Group LLC.
“There has already been an uptick in customer traffic in our dealerships in Q1 and we are confident that Chrysler sales will continue to increase as we launch new products in the second quarter, beginning with the all-new 2011 Jeep® Grand Cherokee. Moreover, later this year, Chrysler will launch 16 all-new or refreshed products including the all-new Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, E-CUV, the iconic Fiat 500, and the Sebring replacement.”
The Operating Profit improvement of $410 million, compared to Q4 2009, was driven by continued price discipline on all products and some mix improvement due to the successful launch of the all-new Ram Heavy Duty pickup. On the cost side there were improved industrial efficiencies, including acceleration in the benefits from the World Class Manufacturing implementation, a more stable supplier environment and strict cost discipline on all discretionary spending.
Modified Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (Modified EBITDA)(b) were $787 million, or 8.1 percent of Net Revenue.
Net Interest Expense in Q1 2010 was $295 million, including a non-cash interest accretion of $48 million.
As a result, the Net Loss in Q1 2010 was reduced to $197 million.
Industrial Net Debt(d) at March 31, 2010, was $3,825 million including the carrying value of the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust (VEBA) note of $3,863 million, which was reclassified from OPEB liabilities to financial liabilities due to the VEBA settlement which occurred on January 1, 2010.
Cash(C) was $7,367 million compared to $5,877 million at the end of 2009. An additional $2.4 billion remains available to be drawn under Chrysler’s U.S. Treasury (UST) and Export Development Canada (EDC) loan agreements, bringing total available liquidity to $9.8 billion.
Worldwide vehicle sales were 334,000 units for Q1 2010, compared to 318,000 in Q4 2009. Improved sales were driven by the Company’s U.S. market share which increased to 9.1 percent, from 8.1 percent in Q4 2009, and Canadian market share which improved to 13.7 percent compared to 11.6 percent in Q4 2009. Through the quarter, retail sales showed steady growth on a month-over-month basis, as the brand repositioning efforts and investments in marketing campaigns started to drive improved customer traffic into dealership showrooms.
The Company expects the upward trend of sales to continue in the second quarter driven by the all-new RAM Heavy Duty truck, certain product renewals, and increased consumer confidence in the Company.
Worldwide vehicle shipments in Q1 were 380,000, which included U.S. vehicle shipments of 268,000, both figures representing an increase of 3 percent versus Q4 2009.
In anticipation of a seasonally stronger selling season and increased confidence from Chrysler’s dealer body and consumers, U.S. inventory was increased from 179,000 vehicles at year-end to 208,000 vehicles on March 31, 2010. Days supply remained flat at 58 days, ensuring that Chrysler dealers will have the right mix of products to meet consumer demand going into the second quarter, while maintaining strict inventory discipline.
Significant Events
On January 1, 2010, Chrysler Group completed the transfer of the VEBA assets and related benefit obligations to the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust, in accordance with the VEBA settlement agreement.
In March 2010, Chrysler celebrated the production launch of the Pentastar V-6 engine at the Company’s all-new Trenton, Mich. facility. The Pentastar engine is a cornerstone of the Company’s efforts to establish a sound business model with strong, brand-focused, world-class products. The engine will ultimately replace seven current Chrysler V-6 engines and utilize advanced technologies from Fiat such as Multiair, direct-injection and turbocharging.
The Trenton South Engine Plant was awarded a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Green Building System certification for meeting the highest environmental standards. This Chrysler facility is one of only four auto manufacturing facilities to receive a LEED rating of any kind and the only engine manufacturing facility in the world to achieve the honor.
In March 2010, Chrysler announced its plans to engineer and produce a pure electric vehicle using the Fiat 500 platform. Shown at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, the Fiat 500EV demonstrates the immediate benefits of the alliance between Chrysler and the Fiat Group, as well as the speed at which the two companies can work together on advanced vehicle programs. Chrysler is the vehicle electrification center of competence for both Chrysler and Fiat Group.
Chrysler and Fiat Group Automobiles (FGA), the passenger cars and light commercial vehicles arm of the Fiat Group, prepared to implement a new distribution model beginning in April 2010, which enables the integration of the operations of the Company’s European Union NSC’s into FGA’s distribution organization.
2010 Outlook
Chrysler is on track to achieve its targets for the year. These targets, announced on November 4, 2009, are as follows:
Net Revenues of $40-45 billion
Operating Profit of $0.0-0.2 billion
Modified EBITDA of $2.5-2.7 billion
Negative Free Cash Flow of $1.0 billion
Chrysler will be hosting an analyst conference call on May 10, 2010, to discuss Q1 performance.
Non-GAAP Financial Information
(a)A reconciliation of U.S. GAAP Net Loss to Modified EBITDA and Operating Profit for the period ending March 31, 2010, is detailed in Table 1 of the attachment to the press release.
(b)Modified EBITDA is computed starting with net income (loss) and then adjusting the amount to (i) add back income taxes, (ii) add back net interest expense (excluding interest expense related to Gold Key Lease financing activities), (iii) add back depreciation and amortization expense (excluding depreciation and amortization expense of vehicles held for lease), (iv) add back all pension, OPEB and other employee benefit costs other than service costs, (v) add back restructuring expense, (vi) add back losses and exclude gains due to cumulative change in accounting principles and (vii) add back other financial loss. The reconciliation of net loss to Modified EBITDA for the period ending March 31, 2010, is attached to the press release.
May 7th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Wow, looks like Chrysler has close to 10 Billion dollars on hand. Looks like a fresh new slate is doing them some good….
And the new products arent even out yet! WoW!
May 8th, 2010 at 10:09 am
Go Chrysler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 12th, 2010 at 8:23 am
LOOKS LIKE FIATSLER HAS 5 BILLION OF THE US TAXPAYERS DOLLARS !
May 12th, 2010 at 11:02 pm
Anonymous Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 8:23 am
LOOKS LIKE FIATSLER HAS 5 BILLION OF THE US TAXPAYERS DOLLARS !
Nope………….Closer to $10 Billion!
May 13th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Energy Department says GM, Chrysler loan requests moving forward
The U.S. Energy Department is in advanced talks with General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC to approve some long-awaited low-cost loans to retool factories.
Matt Rogers, a senior advisor to the Energy Department, said the department has been “quite engaged” with teams from both automakers to review their request for loans to retool factories to build more fuel efficient vehicles. He told reporters during a conference call today that decisions were expected “shortly.”
GM has sought $14.4 billion in loans, including loans that Delphi Corp. had initially made for a unit that the Detroit automaker has since purchased. Chrysler has sought $8.55 billion.
Rogers said both automakers have met the viability hurdle required by the $25 billion program. After exiting from bankruptcy, both companies are in much better financial shape.
May 16th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Keep up the good work team Chrysler! Looks like you are going to make it after all! Go, Fight, Win!
May 21st, 2010 at 7:20 pm
“Moose Easter,” who recently test drove the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee wrote:
Chrysler is back in the game. If this is any indication of what is coming down the pipeline, the future looks bright.
The fit and finish was terrific, second to none. You get a real rich feeling sitting in the Jeep, even in base form. The 3.6 liter was very quiet and smooth, and very compact; the engine bay looks half empty with the V6. It’s a very compact design which will be good for the smaller cars.
The V6 is up to the task. I would think, with the best in class fuel economy, no need for anybody to option the 5.7 Hemi, unless towing more than 5000 lb.
The ride was also great. It handled the offset bumps just fine, and the suspension chews up the bumps with no fuss at all. We have a winner here.
May 22nd, 2010 at 8:35 am
New Chrysler jobs to build Cherokee could signal turnaround
The addition of a second shift and almost 1,100 new workers at Chrysler Group LLC’s Jefferson North Jeep assembly plant this summer could signal a comeback for the automaker, Detroit’s Big Three and the industry.
May 24th, 2010 at 11:17 am
chrysler is junk
May 24th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Anonymous Says:
May 24th, 2010 at 11:17 am
chrysler is junk
Stupid little boy! lol
May 25th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Ram 1500 Named a 2010 Top 10 Road Trip Vehicle by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com
May 25, 2010 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Just in time for Memorial Day weekend and the kickoff of the summer driving season, Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com today named the Ram 1500 one of its 2010 Top 10 Road Trip Vehicles. Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com called the Ram 1500, with its coil-over rear suspension “a wise choice for long-haul road trip comfort.
May 27th, 2010 at 10:56 am
Chryslers are junk
May 27th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Edmunds.com predicts Chrysler will sell 100,500 units in May 2010, up 27.7 percent compared to May 2009 and up 5.2 percent from April 2010. This would result in a new car market share of 9.3 percent for Chrysler in May 2010, up from 8.6 percent in May 2009 but down from 9.8 percent as in April 2010.
June 1st, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Chrysler Canada Posts 53 per cent Sales Increase in May
Sixth consecutive month of year-over-year growth
Minivan sales nearly double last year’s rate
Car sales up 57 per cent
Fuel-efficient compact vehicles soar 140 per cent
Ram Trucks on track for a record year
Only automaker with two vehicles in the country’s top five selling nameplates
Windsor, Ontario, Jun 1, 2010 -
Chrysler Canada today celebrated a 53 per cent sales increase over May 2009, with 20,887 units sold (May 2009: 13,657 units). Calendar year to date (CYTD), Chrysler Canada sales are 28 per cent ahead of last year’s level on the strength of a solid product offering and soaring confidence in the company. For the sixth consecutive month, retail sales increased more than 20 per cent.
“After awhile things have a tendency to get old, but retail sales up over 20 per cent for the last six months in a row isn’t one of them,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO of Chrysler Canada. “Sales of our current vehicles are booming and orders for our all-new Jeep® Grand Cherokee are quite strong - the additional manufacturing shift can’t come soon enough.”
June 1st, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Chrysler Canada Posts 53 per cent Sales Increase in May…
Sixth consecutive month of year-over-year growth!
Minivan sales nearly double last year’s rate!
Car sales up 57 per cent!
Ram Trucks on track for a record year!
Only automaker with two vehicles in the country’s top five selling nameplates!
Windsor, Ontario, Jun 1, 2010 -
Chrysler Canada today celebrated a 53 per cent sales increase over May 2009, with 20,887 units sold (May 2009: 13,657 units). Calendar year to date (CYTD), Chrysler Canada sales are 28 per cent ahead of last year’s level on the strength of a solid product offering and soaring confidence in the company. For the sixth consecutive month, retail sales increased more than 20 per cent.
“After awhile things have a tendency to get old, but retail sales up over 20 per cent for the last six months in a row isn’t one of them,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO of Chrysler Canada. “Sales of our current vehicles are booming and orders for our all-new Jeep® Grand Cherokee are quite strong - the additional manufacturing shift can’t come soon enough.”
June 7th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
The Chrysler name will disappear from most European markets by the middle of next year as part of the marriage of Fiat and Chrysler.
The Chrysler name will survive in the UK and Ireland (where Lancia has no presence), but in continental Europe the marque will be subsumed into the Lancia brand, with its products rebadged as Lancias.
Fiat (Lancia and Chrysler’s parent company) has written to 1150 Lancia and Chrysler dealers, telling them that their contracts will be dissolved at the end of May next year in order that Fiat can create a re-profiled dealer network.
“Our plan is to have in place by May 2011 a Lancia/Chrysler integrated network comprising about 800 dealers and over 1000 dealerships,” Chrysler and Lancia CEO Olivier Francois told Automotive News Europe.
Lancia sells most of its cars in the domestic Italian market (102,000 of the 121,000 new cars it sold in Europe last year went to Italy), but it is still a significantly larger player in Europe than Chrysler - the US marque’s European sales in 2009 were just 11,500 units.
Chrysler sister brand Dodge, meanwhile, will almost completely disappear from Europe - including the UK - and will concentrate instead on importing small-volume US muscle cars (which we rather like the sound of).
June 7th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
LOLOLOLOLOL Says:
The artical you posted about isnt negative news if you read and understood the article……This will be better for Fiat and Chrysler all around you big dummy!!!!!!!
LLOLOLOOLOLOLOLOLOLOOOLOOLOLOOLOLO)LLOLO
Chrysler has $10 Billion In The Bank…..Chrysler has $10 Billion In The Bank…..Chrysler has $10 Billion In The Bank…..Chrysler has $10 Billion In The Bank…..Chrysler has $10 Billion In The Bank…..Chrysler has $10 Billion In The Bank…..Chrysler has $10 Billion In The Bank…..Chrysler has $10 Billion In The Bank…..Chrysler has $10 Billion In The Bank…..Chrysler has $10 Billion In The Bank…..Chrysler has $10 Billion In The Bank…..
And the 500,000 vehicle recall wont affect Chrysler in any way….At least they take care of their problems unlike some manufacturers……………………
Chrysler Group LLC Reports May 2010 U.S. Sales Increased 33 Percent, Topping 100,000 Units
06.02.2010 , Auburn Hills, Mich.
Chrysler Group LLC today reported a U.S. sales increase of 33 percent, the second consecutive year-over-year percentage sales improvement, and the first time that monthly sales have topped the 100,000 threshold since March 2009.
“May was another positive sign as sales momentum continues to build for Chrysler Group, exceeding the 100,000 unit threshold for the first time in more than a year,” said Fred Diaz, President and Chief Executive Officer – Ram Truck Brand and Lead Executive for U.S. Sales. “The company continues to show improvement each month, with May being our strongest month this year, exceeding overall industry growth for the second month in a row.”
Chrysler Group LLC Reports May 2010 U.S. Sales Increased 33 Percent, Topping 100,000 Units
06.02.2010 , Auburn Hills, Mich.
Chrysler Group LLC today reported a U.S. sales increase of 33 percent, the second consecutive year-over-year percentage sales improvement, and the first time that monthly sales have topped the 100,000 threshold since March 2009.
“May was another positive sign as sales momentum continues to build for Chrysler Group, exceeding the 100,000 unit threshold for the first time in more than a year,” said Fred Diaz, President and Chief Executive Officer – Ram Truck Brand and Lead Executive for U.S. Sales. “The company continues to show improvement each month, with May being our strongest month this year, exceeding overall industry growth for the second month in a row.”
Chrysler Group LLC Reports May 2010 U.S. Sales Increased 33 Percent, Topping 100,000 Units
06.02.2010 , Auburn Hills, Mich.
Chrysler Group LLC today reported a U.S. sales increase of 33 percent, the second consecutive year-over-year percentage sales improvement, and the first time that monthly sales have topped the 100,000 threshold since March 2009.
“May was another positive sign as sales momentum continues to build for Chrysler Group, exceeding the 100,000 unit threshold for the first time in more than a year,” said Fred Diaz, President and Chief Executive Officer – Ram Truck Brand and Lead Executive for U.S. Sales. “The company continues to show improvement each month, with May being our strongest month this year, exceeding overall industry growth for the second month in a row.”
Chrysler Canada Posts 53 per cent Sales Increase in May
06.01.2010 , Windsor, Ontario
Chrysler Canada today celebrated a 53 per cent sales increase over May 2009, with 20,887 units sold (May 2009: 13,657 units). Calendar year to date (CYTD), Chrysler Canada sales are 28 per cent ahead of last year’s level on the strength of a solid product offering and soaring confidence in the company. For the sixth consecutive month, retail sales increased more than 20 per cent.
“After awhile things have a tendency to get old, but retail sales up over 20 per cent for the last six months in a row isn’t one of them,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO of Chrysler Canada. “Sales of our current vehicles are booming and orders for our all-new Jeep® Grand Cherokee are quite strong - the additional manufacturing shift can’t come soon enough.”
Chrysler Canada Posts 53 per cent Sales Increase in May
06.01.2010 , Windsor, Ontario
Chrysler Canada today celebrated a 53 per cent sales increase over May 2009, with 20,887 units sold (May 2009: 13,657 units). Calendar year to date (CYTD), Chrysler Canada sales are 28 per cent ahead of last year’s level on the strength of a solid product offering and soaring confidence in the company. For the sixth consecutive month, retail sales increased more than 20 per cent.
“After awhile things have a tendency to get old, but retail sales up over 20 per cent for the last six months in a row isn’t one of them,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO of Chrysler Canada. “Sales of our current vehicles are booming and orders for our all-new Jeep® Grand Cherokee are quite strong - the additional manufacturing shift can’t come soon enough.”
Grand Cherokee is safety winner
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has given the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee its highest Top Safety Pick rating. In the midsize crossover and SUV category, the IIHS has given that rating only to the Volvo X90 and X60, the Subaru Tribeca, the Lexus RX 330 and the Dodge Journey.
Grand Cherokee is safety winner
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has given the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee its highest Top Safety Pick rating. In the midsize crossover and SUV category, the IIHS has given that rating only to the Volvo X90 and X60, the Subaru Tribeca, the Lexus RX 330 and the Dodge Journey.
June 9th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Chrysler invests $300M to build new transmissions in Indiana
Chrysler will spend $300 million, its biggest investment since its emergence from bankruptcy last year, to retool two Indiana plants to produce transmissions.
June 17th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
In first, Detroit 3 tops foreign brands in quality
Detroit Three brands have surpassed foreign brands on the initial quality for the first time since J.D. Power and Associates started tracking a quarter century ago.
June 19th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
If the economy keeps improving slightly then i think the auto market will remian steady.Chrysler already has a winner in the new jeep.Plus the have a bunch more new and refreshed products waiting to hit the showrooms. I cant wait to buy a new 300 or charger!
June 20th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
When is the 2010 Imperial coming out? They should hire the”old man” on Pawn Stars to pitch it. He loves his Imperial and will sell a ton of them.
June 22nd, 2010 at 7:00 am
Anonymous Says:
June 20th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
When is the 2010 Imperial coming out? They should hire the”old man” on Pawn Stars to pitch it. He loves his Imperial and will sell a ton of them.
Its not…….
June 23rd, 2010 at 8:10 am
Chrysler Group’s results in J.D. Power and Associates annual Initial Quality Study.)
Yesterday, J.D. Power and Associates announced the results of their 2010 Initial Quality Study (IQS), which measures new vehicle quality at 90-days of ownership.
We were pleased that the Chrysler Group has continued to show measurable progress against the competition in this important customer-driven metric.
● The average for the industry deteriorated by 1 point (problem per 100)
●The result for all Chrysler Group vehicles improved by 10 points, beating the industry rate of improvement significantly for the second straight year.
● All Chrysler Group LLC brands improved
— Ram 17 points
— Chrysler 14 points
— Jeep 8 points
— Dodge 4 points
● Two of the 10 most improved vehicles on the J.D. Power list were Chrysler Group vehicles—Ram 1500 Light Duty and Dodge Journey
● Chrysler Group LLC gained ground on the industry by closing the gap by 10%
While we should be proud of our progress, we cannot be satisfied with the current results. We are not at the bottom anymore, but the top is still quite a climb.
The good news is that the changes we are making in the next year to over 75 percent of our product line up, are made with customer satisfaction in mind. I am confident that these product changes, along with the implementation of World Class Manufacturing, improved vehicle and parts development processes, and enhanced dealer service standards will continue to close the gap with the leading quality brands.
On behalf of the leadership team, I would like to thank all of you for your hard work and support that makes our quality progress possible.
June 24th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Scott Burgess: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is a refined driving machine
June 28th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
I love it!!!
June 30th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
The new product lines are fantastic!
June 30th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
USA Today: Grand Cherokee grander than ever
Posted 1:32 PM Friday, June 25th, 2010 by Beth Ann Bayus in Jeep • Comments Off
In his review, USA Today auto writer Jim Healey says the redesigned 2011 Jeep® Grand Cherokee is a big step up from its predecessor, represents a credible entry among premium mid-size SUVs and is a legitimate alternative to pricier foreign models.
The Grand Cherokee, arriving at dealers now and widely available in a few weeks, is bigger, more powerful, more fuel-efficient and lower-priced than the 2010 model it shoulders deftly aside, Healy wrote. There’s plenty to love about Grand Cherokee, Healy said, and among the things Jeep got very right:
•Size. Only a little bigger outside than the old one, but much roomier in back, and as roomy in front, he wrote.
•Power. Despite the enchantment gripes, you have to marvel at the new design Pentastar V-6, especially in contrast to what it replaces, the USA Today writer said. The new 3.6-liter is rated 290 horsepower and 260 pounds-feet of torque. The old 3.7-liter: 210 hp, 235 lbs.-ft.
•Interior. Whether you like the shapes and sizes of things, it’s hard not to agree that this Jeep’s execution is far superior to the bargain-basement feel of previous GCs, Healy said. Premium look, soft-touch feel, precise operation, he wrote.
•Noise. Not much. Wind, road and other noises were surprisingly low, Healy noted. And GC’s extra sealing and paneling eliminated that wretched slurry of sound you get when the tires throw up grit and gravel into the wheel wells or underneath, he said.
In the end, Healy assessed: “Overall: Big improvement. Now a serious contender among premium, midsize SUVs.”
July 1st, 2010 at 3:24 pm
A year ago, Chrysler used one word to qualify nearly every sales figure it gave in its June 2009 sales report: Retail. Today, Chrysler blithely reports that overall sales were up 35 percent, but fails to use the “R” word even once in its June 2010 release, suggesting that it benefited from heavy fleet sales in the face of an otherwise soggy market. How else do you sell 3,978 Sebrings and 6,400 Avengers in a month? The fact that Dodge saw a 67 percent increase, although that was largely in comparison to the utterly wretched June the brand endured last year. In fact, compared to its relatively strong May performance of 104,819 units, Chrysler shed about 10k sales, falling to 92,482 total sales. That’s under the 95k monthly “survival” rate cited by CEO Sergio Marchionne. All this while Chrysler spends an estimated $1.4b on advertising this year. This, to paraphrase another automotive blogger, is beyond the valley of the not so good.
July 3rd, 2010 at 8:27 am
Anonymous , that is also with a very poor small car lineup. Caliber, Sebring,Patriot, etc…..Chrysler is in the process of rebuilbing its image/Brands
They have cut costs, they have their invetory in line, they are in the process of getting new product to the market. The new Grand Cherokee is a real winner when it comes to Suv’s. Its just to bad its being launched in this piss poor economy…Chrysler has improved on its JD powers list, new Grand Cherokee won top safety opick with the Journey right behind. Dodge Ram won more awards in 2010 than any truck has ever won. Just wondering why sales arent higher….
No shit half those Sebrings and Avengers werent sold to fleet. Its part of the game.Those fleet sales are still generating money..Not like retail generates, but they still make the company money…Besides, all automakes are selling to fleet….
I guess we just have to give Chrysler some time to fully engage their lineup….You also have to remember the economy is still in piss poor shape…..
If Chrysler blows through its 12 Billion Dollars, then i will give up on them too….The economy will play a major role in their success.
As of right now, Chrysler isnt doing to shabby!
July 6th, 2010 at 8:20 am
After a year of bitter battles with its dealers in the wake of a bankruptcy-era dealer cull, Chrysler is about to do the unthinkable: start a whole new dealer network to sell Fiats built in Italy by its new owner. The Detroit News reports that
existing Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram dealers will get a chance to apply to sell the Italian Fiats, but they must be able to operate separate facilities with different sales and service teams in order to win a franchise.
Fiat will return to the US by the end of this year, starting with the Mexican-built Fiat 500.
The new Fiat dealers will be located in 125 major metropolitan areas in the US, and the network should be in place by September, some three months before the 500 debuts. A Chrysler statement gives a few guidelines for dealers seeking a Fiat franchise:
Chrysler had said that it would exclusively draw on its dealers to sell Fiat 500s, and the big question now is the extent to which that remains true. Chrysler won’t say if it will charge dealers for a franchise, or what percentage of Fiat dealers will come from the ranks of existing Chrysler dealers, but considering that Alfa Romeo is scheduled to head stateside, and will likely share dealerships with Fiat, expect competition over these franchises to be tight. Even though the last thing Chrysler needs is more dealers
July 6th, 2010 at 8:21 am
Fiat made the smart move with this seemingly counter-intuitive decision. Initially they are going up against the Mini and they need to have high design value showrooms with exceptional sales and service staff to get the customer wow factor they need.
Look at it the other way around. How many times has throwing a captive import or two on the showroom floor of an American brand dealer network worked? Mercedes tried it years ago with Studebaker. Other notable efforts included Hillman, Opel, Cortina, Pantera and the Geo lineup. Had Fiat decided to go that same route with the Chrysler dealer network we would be here in a few years throwing stones at them for not learning from the history of other similar attempts.
Besides, it doesn’t cost a car company money to build out a dealer network, it makes them money! Franchise fees, initial parts stock, signage and such all mean profit dollars for the manufacturer.
Oh, and one more thing. If Fiat’s American mistress doesn’t work out (Chrysler), she can be dumped without endangering #1 wife.
July 6th, 2010 at 8:21 am
is it just me, or did others assume Chrysler would automatically get Fiats to sell?
July 6th, 2010 at 8:21 am
It wasn’t just you.
July 6th, 2010 at 8:22 am
with the euro in a free fall it looks like chryslers days may be numbered .
July 6th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Blah Blah Blah…..Save your always negative bullshit for other Chrysler bashing sites.
July 6th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
When Fiat and Chrysler merged, it was assumed that Fiat and Chrysler-branded products would be sharing a common showroom floor. Well, you know what happens when you assume. The Detroit Bureau reports that when Fiat-badged vehicles arrive Stateside at the end of the year they will be sold in an all-new showroom bereft of any manner of Chrysler product. The news reportedly comes from none other than Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, who adds that a total of 200 Fiat stores will come online in an undetermined time.
While Chrysler dealers are likely a bit upset that they won’t have Fiat products to sell in their dealerships, they will reportedly get first dibs to claim one of the 200 stand-alone stores. And those dealerships must be equipped with both sales and service departments as well. The first Fiat to enter the Fiat-exclusive showroom will be the diminutive 500, which has been very well-received overseas. And more product is undoubtedly also on the way, as the 500 alone is not a big enough carrot to warrant buying a new dealership.
Opening 200 new dealerships will not be cheap, as a new full-service dealer can cost $1 million or more. There are also the costs associated with marketing a new brand in the U.S., which will likely cost well over $100 million. Since Fiat vehicles haven’t been available here in States in a couple decades, the folks in Turin, Italy will likely have a lot of work to do to spread the word. Those who actually remember the Fiat brand in the U.S. market will likely need the most convincing, as horrible quality woes were a main factor in the brands failure.
July 7th, 2010 at 12:50 am
Quality? People are still running to every Toyota store to buy some of the worst quality made vehicles on this planet. The truth about the quality of their vehicles is still coming out!
July 7th, 2010 at 6:51 am
chrysler wishes they had toyotas problems
July 7th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) –
Stocks surged Wednesday, with the Dow jumping as much as 283 points, as investors came back after the recent bloodletting, spurred on by State Street’s improved earnings forecast.
A stronger euro helped propel commodity shares, cooling some worries about the European debt crisis.
July 7th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Obama administration close to GM, Chrysler retooling loans
Washington — The Treasury and Energy Departments are in talks to finalize long-delayed retooling loans for General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC.
Matt Rogers, a senior Energy Department adviser, said the government is close to making “announcements” on loans.
“We are working very, very closely with GM and Chrysler and with our colleagues at Treasury on those loans. We are working with those guys every week and so I think we continue to get closer to making those announcements,” Rogers told reporters on a White House conference call this afternoon.
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“We’ve not completed the negotiations, but they are in active work,” Rogers said.
Rogers had told reporters in mid-May that decisions on the loans were expected “shortly.”
Nearly two months later, the department is now working with Treasury and teams from both automakers to finalize their request for billions in new loans to retool factories to build more fuel efficient vehicles.
GM has sought $14.4 billion in loans, including loans that Delphi Corp. had initially made for a unit that the Detroit automaker has since purchased. Chrysler has sought $8.55 billion.
Both automakers are awaiting the loans. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne raised the importance of the loans during a meeting with Michigan congressional members in May.
Rogers said previously that both automakers have met the viability hurdle required by the $25 billion program. After exiting from bankruptcy, both companies are in much better financial shape.
In May, Rogers was asked if there were any major hurdles to GM and Chrysler winning approval for loans and he listed none.
The department has to certify that the specific technologies for projects are competitive, and that taxpayers have adequate security they will be repaid. “Now that we have clear financial statements, we’re actually working quite aggressively with them and expect to get some results there shortly,” Rogers said in May.
The money was critical to both companies’ turnaround plans. It would be at a lower interest rate than government loans made during the companies’ bankruptcy filings and could be used to support thousands of factory jobs.
GM, which has received $50 billion in a government bailout, repaid $6.7 billion in loans to the Treasury. The government holds a 61 percent stake.
Chrysler, which received about $12 billion in a government bailout, hasn’t repaid any of the funds yet. The government swapped about $5 billion of its investment for a 10 percent equity stake.
The Energy Department has come under fire for handing out just under $9 billion in loans from the $25 billion program.
July 10th, 2010 at 11:10 am
Chrysler Canada today announced total sales of 18,502 for the month of June, up 101 percent over the sales level of June 2009 (9,211 units).
June also marked the seventh consecutive month of growth exceeding 20 percent at the retail level, an indication of continued strong consumer demand for the company’s products.
“In 2009 we restructured Chrysler Canada for future profitability and growth, and in 2010 we are nailing it,” Reid Bigland, President and CEO—Chrysler Canada, said. “But the best part about June’s 101 percent increase is that it was not a one-trick pony. Year to date, our sales are up 36 percent in an industry up only slightly from 2009, proof positive that our products and restructuring efforts are on the right track.”
Combined sales of the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country more than tripled compared with the same month last year, on sales of 4,853 and 449, respectively. The Dodge Grand Caravan is the No. 2 selling nameplate in Canada.
“There is no question that our highly fuel-efficient Jeep® products, No. 1 selling Dodge minivan and crossover vehicles, and award-winning Ram pickup trucks are pacing our success in 2010,” Dave Buckingham, Vice President—Sales-Chrysler Canada, said. “The quality and value of these products remain unmatched in the market today.”
The Ram pickup continues to set records, with its highest June sales ever. The Ram posted a 93 percent increase on sales of 4,880 units (June 2009: 2,531 units). Calendar-year-to-date, the company has sold 25,310 Ram pickups, up 75 per cent over the January-through-June 2009 period, and putting the Ram solidly in the top five nameplates in Canada.
Jeep Brand vehicle sales were up sharply in June, with significant increases by the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Patriot.
Passenger car sales have also been gaining momentum, growing 114 percent over the same month in 2009. All Chrysler Canada cars increased their sales in June, led by Dodge Charger ( up 289 percent), Chrysler Sebring (up 141 per cent, Chrysler 300 (up 140 percent), and Dodge Caliber (up 84 percent).
July 10th, 2010 at 11:11 am
The Ram pickup continues to set records, with its highest June sales ever. The Ram posted a 93 percent increase on sales of 4,880 units (June 2009: 2,531 units). Calendar-year-to-date, the company has sold 25,310 Ram pickups, up 75 per cent over the January-through-June 2009 period, and putting the Ram solidly in the top five nameplates in Canada.
July 10th, 2010 at 11:33 am
Fiats join Jeeps in Paris for first time in Fiat-owned store
Fiats and Jeeps are being sold in the same Fiat S.p.A.-owned store for the first time since the Italian company took control of Jeep parent Chrysler Group last year.
Fiat also is using its so-called Motor Village megastore along Paris’s Champs-Elysees to display its Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Maserati brands.
Fiat, which opened the store last week, is the latest automaker to establish a flagship dealership along the city’s best-known street, joining Citroen, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Renault and Toyota.
Automakers have targeted the area because the Champs-Elysees annually attracts 180 million visitors, the majority of people who visit from April to September are from outside France. Another reason carmakers set up shops here is because it is only place in the world where they can be situated so close to fashion and luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss and Cartier.
Fiat developed its Motor Village idea four years ago because it wanted a new kind of flagship store. The first to open was the Mirafiori Motor Village in Turin in July 2006.
Fiat’s Paris store is located near Rond-Point, a roundabout with numerous fountains at the junction of Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Avenue Matignon-Montaigne.
The Paris Motor Village has been designed to give visitors the chance to experience Italian life past, present and future, Fiat said in a statement.
The interior, created by the architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, features a 14-meter-tall glass tube that is used to display cars from the Fiat Group brands. The position of the cars can be adjusted to provide unique points of view. Fiat says the visual impact of the tube is amplified further by an array of giant mirrors that allow visitors the chance to see the cars as though they were looking through a giant kaleidoscope.
Fiat took a controlling 20 percent stake in Chrysler Group in June 2009. Since then, Fiat has decided that Jeep will be the Chrysler Group’s No. 1 brand in Europe. The brand Dodge will be a niche player that sells rear-drive muscle cars in Europe while Chrysler brand vehicles will be sold as Lancias throughout continental Europe.
July 13th, 2010 at 11:11 am
Third quarter North American auto production is headed for the 11.8m mark, even as analysts at IHS Automotive revise their sales projections downwards to 11.5m, once again raising the specter of oversupply which haunted Detroit for much of the last decade. GM, which is forgoing a Summer plant shutdown this year, is expected to increase its Q3 production by 32 percent over last year, as its market estimate ranges from 11.5 to 12m units according to Automotive News [sub]. Though that’s on the high end compared to the IHS number, and though GM’s market share has been anything but stable, the firm is keeping a steady hand on the tiller to maintain a sense of normalcy headed into its forthcoming IPO. And with inventories in far better shape than they’ve been in years, automakers reckon they can always get rid of extra cars when the market rebounds next year. In the meantime, however, the risks of overproduction are very real.
Chrysler, for example, has the highest inventory level in the industry at 60 days of supply. That’s considered the industry “ideal” for supply, but the fact that Chrysler’s competition is keeping supply even lower is a sign that a rapid sales recovery isn’t in the cards. Meanwhile, IHS’s Mike Jackson points out that Chrysler is only maintaining that volume through fleet sales.
Chrysler is relying pretty heavily on fleet sales. You have to play the cards you are dealt. They have to make sure they maintain volume
At the price of even greater resale weakness, brand degradation, and the perpetuation of Chrysler’s rental-car image. In short, Chrysler is already stuffing sales into fleets to (barely) meet its 950k monthly “survival” volume, keeping the lights on at the expense of future brand equity. With a wave of facelifts and refreshed product hitting the market soon, Chrysler can ill afford to keep up its fleet sales binge, let alone actually increase production volumes.
July 15th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Blah Blah Blah
July 21st, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Marchionne: Chrysler made operating profit in the 2nd quarter
July 21st, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Marchionne: Chrysler made operating profit in the 2nd quarter
Must be doing something right when must of their sales are going to fleet!
Keep up the good work!
July 22nd, 2010 at 6:12 am
Chrysler made enough profit to design a new cupholder . LOL
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:12 pm
New Grand Cherokee makes best vehicles for your money list!
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
2011 Jeep Grand CherokeeDon’t be fooled by an exterior that looks similar to past Jeeps. The 2011 Grand Cherokee is all new and a huge improvement, both inside and out. In fact, the Grand Cherokee’s classy cabin could cause some off-road-loving owners to think twice before, say, tackling the Rubicon Trail. Soft-touch plastics and elegant wood trim, in a Jeep?
Let’s be honest, though: The majority of SUV buyers’ off-road adventures are limited to annual excursions to the local pumpkin patch. Inside the Grand Cherokee you’ll find luxurious touches like supple leather, heated and reclining rear seats, satellite radio, and TV with internet access.
The go-anywhere Jeep capability is still there if you need it, thanks to a choice of V-6 or Hemi V-8 engine, along with three automatically controlled 4×4 systems and adjustable air suspension. And did we mention most trim levels of the 2011 Grand Cherokee cost a couple hundred bucks less than the old model? A better SUV for less money sounds like a value to us.
July 22nd, 2010 at 5:16 pm
Anonymous Says:
July 22nd, 2010 at 6:12 am
Chrysler made enough profit to design a new cupholder . LOL
You’re a joke! Seriously
July 22nd, 2010 at 8:25 pm
Chrysler considers third shift for Jeep Grand Cherokee
With the addition of a second shift, Jeep is scheduled to build 136,000 Grand Cherokees this year, up from 60,640 last year.
DETROIT — With dealer orders for the redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee exceeding expectations, Chrysler Group may add a third production shift at the Detroit plant where the SUV is assembled, says a person familiar with the automaker’s plans.
Chrysler just hired 1,080 workers to staff a second shift, which began July 19. The plant is the only source of Grand Cherokee output and now employs 2,837 workers.
“Orders continue being much higher than initial expectations, and we are considering adding a third shift soon,” the person said.
August 1st, 2010 at 7:17 am
“The only reason we are not making money on the net is that I pay interest on the borrowings I took from the government and I have money in the bank to cover that debt. Actually, against the Treasury we owe them nothing. We have enough cash to pay it all off. But you can’t run a business without cash, so it’s just a function of our capital structure. If we had taken those funds as equity as GM did, we would have been making money, net, right now.”
Sergio Marchionne, explaining the financial situation of Chrysler, according to Reuters. Come on, Sergio, you need to take your GAAP course. In America, we call this EBITA and throw a big party. Chrysler is set to report second-quarter results on August 9.
Bonus quote: As far as a Chrysler IPO goes, no hurry for Sergio.
“I am waiting for GM to go first — they are bigger.”
August 1st, 2010 at 7:18 am
Chrysler’s net profit is nearly irrelevant to Fiat.
Fiat took on Chrysler as a venture, and only because they got it for free. This gave Fiat three future benefits: (1) the possibility they might be able to do something with Chrysler’s distribution channels, and (2) becoming a Friend of Washington – a group for which very, very good things have been known to happen. (In exchange, Washington was rescued from a political problem, and Chrysler’s later failure will appear to have happened to someone else.)
Now we come to the third benefit Fiat was aiming at: Cash throwoff (not net profit) from Chrysler. If Chrysler is going to fail, parasitic Fiat will suck it dry of cash before casting away the husk. This has always been key to Fiat agreeing to help Washington. As long as Fiat walks away with more than they put in, they win.
August 3rd, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Set the way-back machine to our July 2009 Chrysler Group sales post, and a certain amount of deja-vu might just set in. Last Summer, Chrysler’s version of success was a mere single-digit percentage volume decline. This July, Chrysler’s big accomplishment was a five percent improvement over last July’s number. Last July we thought the Chrysler brand in particular was “toast,” and based on this July’s numbers, we can’t say we’ve found much to change that opinion, as ChryCo’s eponymous brand dropped 11 percent year-over-year, and shed over 3k units of volume compared to June. Chrysler Town & Country outsold the rest of the brand alone at 8,083 units, an 18 percent gain.
Meanwhile, ChryCo’s other “volume brand” Dodge literally sold one more car than it did in last year’s Cash-for-Clunker-fueled July. Yes, Jeep and Ram are growing compared to last month and last July, but together they combine for fewer than 50k units. And all told, Chrysler Group once again combined for fewer than 95k units, selling only 93,313. If you average Chrysler’s 620,532 year-to-date sales over the last seven months, you find that the bailed-out automaker is running about 6,500 units per month behind the volume number that its CEO gave as a “survival number.” CEO Sergio Marchionne may have “never missed a target” but right now he’s on track to come up a solid 37k units short of his 1.1m 2010 sales goal (non-seasonally-adjusted). Considering the razor-thing margin for that 2010 volume target, Chrysler’s turnaround plan needs a turnaround plan. Fast.
August 3rd, 2010 at 1:44 pm
Chrysler Group LLC Reports July 2010 U.S. Sales Increased 5 Percent; Product Onslaught Coming SoonAugust 3, 2010
Chrysler Group LLC today reported U.S. sales of 93,313, a 5 percent increase compared with sales in July 2009 (88,900 units). July represents the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases.
Regardless if they even hit their target. They can and are still making money by the way they are doing things. Chrysler had at least $10 Billion Dollars on hand. Plus they have another $2 Billion they havent even touched yet. If Chrysler runs out of that money, that is when ill give up on them.
They do have a shitload of new and refeshed product coming to the table over the next several months…..Grand Cherokee is getting praised left and right by the most popular car magazines. They should be ok as long as the economy putters along. ‘
Fiat dumping Chrysler for their money? Im sure our Gov would let that happen.
August 3rd, 2010 at 1:49 pm
I believe if Chrysler sells at least 93000 units each monmth for the rest of the year, it will total 1,085,532.
I think Sergio would be happy with that! Least case senerio
August 3rd, 2010 at 2:17 pm
So what if Chrysler is short on their target? They are making money regardless and the new product isnt even here yet!
What the fuck are you kids smoking?
August 3rd, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Mr. Burgess incorrectly reported Chrysler sales as being up 2% for the year, the truck business is up 2% while the combined car and truck sales are up 11%. Perhaps if he was not so busy touting Nissan (who most people in Detroit could care less about) he could have got his facts straight. After all Chrysler has hired and has committed to hire over 2000 people in the Detroit area (Nissan Zero) let’s at least report the numbers for the home team correctly.
August 4th, 2010 at 7:28 am
Chrysler needs to compensate the 789.
August 4th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
Chrysler Canada Reports Highest July Sales since 1997
Eighth consecutive month of year-over-year growth. Calendar year to date (CYTD) sales up 37 per cent
All-time sales record for Ram Pickup, Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Journey
Best July sales ever for Jeep® Wrangler
August 4, 2010 , Windsor, Ontario
Chrysler Canada today announced total sales of 22,319 for the month of July, an increase of 40 per cent compared with July 2009 (July 2009: 15,958). This figure represents the best results for the month of July since 1997. Two of the top three selling nameplates in the country are Chrysler Canada vehicles - the Dodge Grand Caravan (#2) and the Ram Pickup (#3).
“These numbers really speak for themselves,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO – Chrysler Canada. “In June our sales were up in excess of 100 per cent and now this is our best July in over a decade. When you couple these sales numbers with Corporate operating profits in the first and second quarters of this year, I don’t think there is any doubt that our restructuring efforts last year and alliance with Fiat are paying early dividends.”
Sales Highlights
“During July, we smashed many of our previous sales records,” said Dave Buckingham, Vice President of Sales – Chrysler Canada. “While fleet sales continue to be solid, our real strength has been in incredibly robust retail sales at our dealerships.”
August 5th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
Go Canada Go!
August 5th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Canada …. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 6th, 2010 at 8:43 am
Here’s a new definition of “Sucks to Be You.” You work at Chrysler. You look and see that the Prius sells better than all your mid-size offerings, combined. Maybe Chrysler should consider developing a car primarily for rental fleets.
August 6th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Here’s a new definition of “Sucks to Be You.”
1. I make over 28.95 an hour!
2. Ive worked at Chrysler for 15 yrs. Was in the Jobs Bank for 6 of them..$$$$
3. Best medical ever!
4. Sub-Pay Sub-Pay Sub-Pay!
5. Was givin $5000 a year to go to school…. Have a Associates now!
6. Many days off during the year! Paid days that is! LOL
7. Etc Etc Etc Etc Etc Etc Etc Etc Etc !!!!!!!!!!!!
8. Doesnt suck that bad. LMFAO!
August 6th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
You and your U.A.W. brothers would suck the blood from a tick on a deadmans dick.
Unions are killing america !
August 7th, 2010 at 8:04 am
Without Unions,,, We would all be broke like you!
August 7th, 2010 at 8:20 am
Suck Suck Suck Suck
August 8th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
I work at a parts plant and only make $9.50 an hour. I would love to work for the Big 3 even if it meant only making $15.00!
August 9th, 2010 at 9:53 am
Chrysler recorded another small quarterly loss this quarter, as increased expenditures wiped out modest gains in revenues and earnings. Press release in PDF here, webcast presentation slides in PDF here. More analysis after the jump.
Chrysler’s worldwide sales were up 22 percent over the first quarter, and US-market sales were up 25 percent, outperforming the market by five percent. Net revenue climbed to $10.478b from $9.687b in Q1, and Chrysler logged another operating profit in Q2 of $183m (up about $4om). But despite higher revenue and an improved operating performance, Chrysler’s cashflow dipped last quarter to $474m (down from$1.49b).
Operating profit was hurt by $50m+ in “non-recurring industrial costs associated with the Jeep Grand Cherokee changeover.” CEO Sergio Marchionne admitted that marketing for the JGC launch was not perfect, and that inefficiencies had hurt financial performance. Furthermore, he said Chrysler’s coming raft of new and refreshed product launches would continue to create inefficiencies leading to similar losses, but that expertise gleaned from the JGC launch would help keep those losses to less than $50m per vehicle launch. But as the next slide shows, even if those costs are contained to the extent Marchionne foresees, the sheer volume of new launches will continue to hurt Chrysler’s performance. Also affecting Chrysler’s volume was a “seasonal” uptick in GDP fleet sales, which could hurt performance on an evenly-distributed basis, as large numbers of operating lease vehicles could be returned with diminished residual values (which, being guaranteed by Chrysler, could have losses associated with them upon return).
Marchionne admitted that vehicle margins “reflect the age of our product portfolio,” and said that Chrysler’s true performance (or, as Marchionne put it, “the almighty truth”) will not be clear until Q1 of 2011, when most of Chrysler’s new products will have been launched. In the meantime, Marchionne warns against expecting huge capital generation in the second half, as launch costs and increased R&D spend eat into the company’s $10b-ish of liquidity (including remaining government funds). Until then, Marchionne says Chrysler will “continue to concentrate on our cost structure.”
Marchionne did make the point that, although the Grand Cherokee launch was marred by cost overruns, the vehicle was extremely important as a profit center. He said the nameplate was “second to the pickups” in terms of profit margin, and that 2011 combined volume of Grand Cherokee and its unnamed Dodge sister model would range between 200k and 300k units for 2011. But, he warned, “we have to execute on other new models as well.”
Plant/corporate fixed-cost spending went down in Q2, a result of Marchionne’s focus on cost structure. Sales and marketing spend remained flat, but R&D and Depreciation and Amortization costs increased, as Chrysler preps new models for launch. R&D is expected to increase in the second half by at least $300m over H1’s $1.2b number.
Chrysler’s transaction prices have actually dipped slightly from Q4 2009, while incentive costs have grown. Though the company is still a long way from its $21,100 average transaction price net of incentives in Q2 of last year, pricing performance has certainly dipped in the first half of this year. Again, Marchionne points to the age of Chrysler’s products as the culprit. Dealer inventory volume has remained consistent, rising relative to last summer, but failing to top the 60 days supply level.
In short, Chrysler is operating with extreme discipline as it launches the products that must loft its 2011 sales volume to over 2.2m units. The biggest surprise for Q2 was the unexpected “$50m+” cost related to the Jeep Grand Cherokee launch, which reveals that Chrysler still has a steep learning curve in front of it. Marchionne claims that lessons learned from that launch will help reduce costs with future launches, but he essentially admitted that Chrysler was re-learning how to launch new cars. Given how many new products will be launched over the remainder of 2010, analysts can’t help but worry about launch costs, and their role in Chrysler’s turnaround.
Chrysler refused to break out its fleet sales, and Marchionne launched a vigorous defense of fleet volume, accusing the industry publication Automotive News of a vendetta against fleet sales. Marchionne insists that fleet business “is not dirty” but refused to break with Detroit precedent of not revealing fleet volume. Given that Chrysler already struggles to turn operating profits into net gains, however, losses on lease returns and other residual value-related costs have to be a concern.
But despite sluggish sales (even fueled by incentives and and fleet business) Chrysler has managed its cash well, and now has $7.8b in cash and about $10b in available liquidity. Gross industrial debt was up slightly, but most of that matures after 2015, giving Chrysler a good window for a turnaround.
Ultimately, Chrysler is on the cusp of a major transition, as its new models roll out over the next half-year. Controlling launch costs will be the key challenge, but losses over the next half-year might even be worth it if each dollar truly improves the long-term performance of the relaunched models. If those new models fail to perform, Chrysler’s turnaround will be DOA… and keeping short-term costs down won’t make a lick of difference of these products don’t take off. Meanwhile, incentives and fleet mix will all have to come down on the strength of these new models, even as volume goes up. If there are signs of these trends in Chrysler’s Q1 2011 performance, the firm’s planned IPO next year could have some success. Unfortunately, Marchionne seems far more interested in cashing out the VEBA stake in his firm than making taxpayers whole.
August 9th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Chrysler Group sold over 73,000 retail units last month. Not Bad!
August 9th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Automotive News [sub] takes a stab at calculating the numbers that Detroit doesn’t want you to see. Best of all, AN says the numbers are based on “internal documents.” During this morning’s financial results conference call, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne railed against AN’s “crusade,” implying that the industry paper of record is nursing a vendetta against Chrysler… which is usually a good sign that a media outlet is doing its job well. It’s also a sign that Marchionne knows his firm’s fleet dependence is a problem.
Why is AN going after fleet numbers? Because everyone knows Detroit is using them to help create the perception of a completed turnaround ahead of GM and CHrysler’s IPOs (to say nothing of midterm elections). Or, as AN diplomatically puts it:
Automakers traditionally have not broken out retail and fleet totals in monthly U.S. sales reports. But with growing interest from dealers and analysts, Ford and GM have started detailing basic fleet and retail information.
Count TTAC as part of that “growing interest.” Especially since the drive for greater transparency is clearly making certain executives very defensive. But, as AN points out, the response has not been so uniformly reflexive. After decades of fleet-free sales numbers ruling in Detroit, Ford and GM are breaking ranks to help prove that their addictions aren’t of the terminal variety.
George Pipas, Ford’s chief sales analyst, said the automaker cut its July fleet percentage to 25 percent by slashing daily rental fleet volume.
He said Ford is emphasizing commercial and government fleet sales — generally considered more profitable than sales to daily rental fleets. Sales to daily rental fleets are less than half of Ford’s fleet total this year.
By comparison, more than two-thirds of Chrysler and GM fleet volume goes to daily rental fleets.
And though not every manufacturer is getting on board with fleet-sales breakouts, nearly all of them agree that the second half of 2010 will see fewer fleet sales.
Manufacturers expect the pace of fleet sales to slow in the second half. Ford, Chrysler and GM say fleet will be a smaller part of their sales mix by year end. Pipas expects fleet volume to be about 30 percent of Ford’s sales for the full year. Henderson said GM’s full year fleet mix will be 25 to 26 percent, similar to 2009’s 25 percent.
Chrysler spokesman Ralph Kisiel said, “For the full year, fleet sales will be roughly 25 percent of our total sales.”
With Chrysler running at 40 percent fleet, it will have to cut back significantly to make a 25 percent fleet mix by year-end. If Chrysler’s sales start dropping off, we’ll know why. Meanwhile, the fact that consumers don’t seem to even be considering Chrysler paints a troubling picture ahead of its new product flood in the second half of the year.
August 9th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Agian, Chrysler sold 75,000 retail vehicles last month.. They sold 93,000 total
Not a bad month on the retail side.
Beside, if most of Chryslers sales are going to fleet, then things arent that bad. They lost less money in the 2nd Qt compared to the first.
They also have a slew of new and refreshed vehicles coming out. New Charger and 300 are tight!
Give the guys at Chrysler a break. Im sure you people would love to see them disappear because your dealer got cut or youre just an unhappy person. If the economy gets better and Chrysler brings some real nice product to the table, then watch out. Profits are gonna be huge!
August 9th, 2010 at 10:17 pm
I love my Chrysler!
August 10th, 2010 at 7:12 am
I had to lemon-law my chrysler
August 11th, 2010 at 7:57 am
UAW Says:
August 7th, 2010 at 8:20 am
Suck Suck Suck Suck
@UAW
Is that what UnitedAsshatWorkers members do to get a promotion?
August 11th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
UAW’s making a good living! Wish i coulda got in back in the day.
August 11th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
I want my next car will be a Chrysler 300. But now that Obama has driven the economy off into the grand canyon, I may never get to purchase one. The incompetent is so depressing. He is in over his head and he doesn’t even know it. I’d take Carter over him any day. The Dems only chance is for Hillary to give him a run for the money in ‘12. At least she can make a decision. I just hope Chrysler can hang on long enough to make it past this mess.
August 12th, 2010 at 6:08 am
Dems=bad economy !
August 12th, 2010 at 11:44 am
BHO continues to sink lower and lower in the polls - nearing the 30% threshold of disaster and he wants even more stimulus. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead! Turns out Obama is more stubborn than Bush.
August 12th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Dems= GM and Chrysler going out of business along with over 2 million auto jobs realted to them gone…. Fuck the Dems
August 12th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Why work? BHO will take care of us!
August 14th, 2010 at 7:20 am
When do we get a Mosque at CTC ?
August 14th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
When will the Chrysler Neon/500 hit the showroom floor? This September?
August 15th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
sept 11th
August 15th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Their timing is aweful.
August 16th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
I love the new advertising campaign! Excellent work!
August 17th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Anonymous Says:
August 16th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
I love the new advertising campaign! Excellent work!
BEST EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 17th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
The new product is even more exciting, especially the 2011 Durango. I want one.
August 17th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Me too.
August 18th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Charger, 300… Gonna be much improved and refined! Cant wait.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:56 pm
I am so proud of what Sergio has accomplished thus far!!! Keep up the good works team Chrysler!!!
August 23rd, 2010 at 7:59 am
I am so proud of what Ford and Hyundai have done !!!!!!!
August 24th, 2010 at 4:27 am
I just wish Serge was a bit clearer and more consistent with his plans for the American market. Trying to understand what they’ll do is as difficult as anticipating North Korea’s next foreign policy move
August 24th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Anonymous Says:
August 24th, 2010 at 4:27 am
I just wish Serge was a bit clearer and more consistent with his plans for the American market. Trying to understand what they’ll do is as difficult as anticipating North Korea’s next foreign policy move
Did you not review the 5 yr plan?
August 24th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
Anon. can’t read.
August 25th, 2010 at 8:26 am
I have been informed Chrysler will only serve Koolaide in Orlando.
August 25th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
Anonymous Says:
August 24th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
Anon. can’t read.
LOOLOLOLOLLOLOLOOOLLOLLOLLLLOLOO…………………………………..
August 26th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
I hope this Jeep gasoline tank crisis doesn’t undo all of Sergio’s hard work thus far. That design must have been approved by that lumber yard salesman.
August 27th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Does Obama know which way is up? This country is in a downward spiral and he doesn’t even know it. When America is hurting, he off on vacation. I hope Chrysler can make it until this one-term president is out of there.
August 29th, 2010 at 10:52 am
Don’t be confused men. Those faulty Jeep gas tanks were designed and manufactured by those “anything for a buck guys”, not by the current leadership team. Though, Sergio will do us right, that is the kind of man he is.
August 29th, 2010 at 10:59 am
Yes, I agree, the narcissistic Obama is a one-term president. He is ruining our country.
September 1st, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Good job Chrysler. 75,000 of those sales were retail also. Almost 27,000 Rams to boot!
Chrysler Group LLC Reports August 2010 U.S. Sales Increased 7 PercentAugust marks the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases
Fourteen Chrysler Group vehicle lines improve year-over-year sales
Jeep®, Dodge and Ram brands post year-over-year sales increases
All-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee sales ramp-up continues as dealers begin achieving adequate inventory levels
Chrysler Group sold its 13 millionth minivan worldwide in August
September 1, 2010 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group LLC today reported U.S. sales of 99,611, a 7 percent increase compared with sales in August 2009 (93,222 units).
August represents the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases. August sales also were up 7 percent over sales in July. Chrysler Group is the only major auto manufacturer to post a year-over-year sales increase in August.
“Chrysler Group is proud that we have beaten or matched the average industry sales increase for the fifth consecutive month this year and for the calendar year to date,” said Fred Diaz, President and Chief Executive Officer – Ram Truck Brand and Lead Executive for U.S. Sales. “This is proof positive that we are accomplishing our goals – steady, sustainable growth. We will continue to build on this momentum as we begin production on a stream of new product through the end of this year.”
Chrysler Group in August began building the new Wrangler in Toledo, and released the first photos of the all-new 2011 Dodge Durango SUV. Both Wrangler and Durango are part of the 16 all new or significantly refreshed vehicles that Chrysler Group is launching this year, representing 75 percent of its vehicle lineup.
Chrysler Group finished the month with a 50-day supply of inventory (197,987 units). U.S. industry sales figures for August are projected at an estimated 11.5 SAAR.
GM -24.6% Chevy plunges, Cadillac soars
NISSAN -27% Infiniti sales offset slump
FORD -10.7% Smaller models fare worse
HONDA -32.7% Clunkers’ end hurts sales
TOYOTA -30.5% SUVs only bright spot
CHRYSLER +7% Ram and Minivans Soar
September 1st, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Nice to see Thrifty and Alamo are buying Chryslers because the public buyer is not.
September 2nd, 2010 at 9:13 am
Retail was around 70,000 units……..Now go eat a dick!
September 2nd, 2010 at 9:30 am
Just looked at pics of the new Durango on the web and i will be buying one. A suv with muscle and class! One hell of a job by Chrysler Group!
September 3rd, 2010 at 12:43 pm
I will be purchasing one of them Durangos as soon as they hit the floor. Great job by Ralph Gilles. Cant wait to see the rest of the new stuff.
If Chrysler is doing this good with old product, then i cant ewait to see how they do with the new! A lot of the vehicles are sold to fleet, but at a smaller profit. All in all it is good for Chrysler!
September 3rd, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Looks like chrysler is making a comeback. The new gc and the new durango just shows how nice chrysler vehicles can be designed. Ralph giles is god!
September 3rd, 2010 at 4:29 pm
Chrysler Canada Continues Sales Momentum with Ninth Consecutive Month of GrowthTotal August sales up 12 per cent over 2009; four per cent over pre-downturn 2008
August retail sales surge 20 per cent
Ninth consecutive month of year-over-year retail growth in excess of 20 per cent
Best August ever for Jeep® Wrangler, Dodge Journey, Ram pickup, Dodge Challenger and Jeep Patriot
Chrysler Group worldwide minivan sales hit 13 million in August
Best January-through-August sales ever for Ram pickup, Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Journey and Dodge Grand Caravan
September 1, 2010 , Windsor, Ontario -
Chrysler Canada today announced total sales for the month of August of 16,144 units, up 12 per cent over the same month last year (August 2009: 14,432). This figure also surpasses the 2008 pre-economic downturn level, with growth of four per cent compared with August 2008. Sales at the retail level surged 20 per cent due to continued strong consumer demand.
“We are extremely pleased with our progress so far this year,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO of Chrysler Canada. “Most of our 16 all-new or significantly refreshed vehicles are just starting to launch, and we are moving into this product onslaught with nine consecutive months of growth momentum behind us.”
September 4th, 2010 at 9:52 am
Durango is AWESOME!
September 4th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Chrysler is doing pretty well! I wish them the best. They have to many employees to die.
September 5th, 2010 at 10:17 am
Holy shit! The new Durango looks great!
September 5th, 2010 at 10:19 am
All you Chrysler naysayers can suck this big fat nigger dick!
Go Chrysler
September 6th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
I take offense to Mr. Holmes’ previous post. It is not worthy of this weblog, nor of what America stands for.
September 7th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Anonymous Says:
September 6th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
I take offense to Mr. Holmes’ previous post. It is not worthy of this weblog, nor of what America stands for.
Anon must have a little white mans dick! Dont come here if you dont like it. This weblog has been history for a very long time.
September 7th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Mopar Dealer needs to show more respect.
September 8th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
MoparDealer used to be a nice guy until his dealership was thrown into the trash and he had to go wash toilet bowls for a living………
Chrysler Group LLC Announces September 2010 U.S. Incentives and Leasing Agreement with U.S. BankSeptember 8, 2010
Chrysler Group LLC announced today that it has entered into an agreement with U.S. Bank to provide consumer leases on select 2010 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® vehicles. Consumers now have two options – Ally Financial and U.S. Bank – to consider when leasing a Chrysler 300, Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Charger, Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Journey, Dodge Nitro, Jeep Wrangler or Jeep Liberty.
September 8th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Great News! Many thanks to Daniel.
September 8th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
I heard MoparDealer would offer head-jobs in the mens bathrooms just to make ends meet!
You sad sack of SHIT
September 9th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
LMFAO @ Susans comment!
September 9th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
When and where, Mr. Holmes?
September 9th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
PT Boozer Says:
September 9th, 2010 at 2:20 pm lmfao!!!
When and where, Mr. Holmes?