…will they be sold at Walmart?
:lol:
The story goes like this. Chrysler posted a $1.3 billion dollar loss last year. Daimler-Benz posted very good profits. So, D-B is considering selling off Chrysler. One possible buyer could be Renault. The other possible buyer could be a Chinese company. Supposedly this company would bring back the Plymouth moniker in jest.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070215/AUTO01/702150403/1148/AUTO01
^^ Link to one source.
"The troubled Chrysler Group needs to turn around fast, or risk being dumped by the German suitor that acquired it nine years ago.
Chrysler said Wednesday that it will slash 13,000 jobs and drastically downsize production in a last-ditch effort to secure its future with the German automaker DaimlerChrysler AG"
They already made the decision to bring the brand to China (they gave them P-T Cruisers) but we’ll see if anyone wants to buy them. So much for that shared architecture between the brands… salesman: “This neon hads the same parts as a Mercedes!”
GM is also in talks for Chrysler:
I heard it on NPR. That’s how I chills.
I think people fail to realize how campy the automotive industry is.
It’s too bad because the cars where Chrysler actually got some parts from the DB parts bin are very good cars. The Magnum, Charger, and 300 all get great reviews. Hell, the 300 was just named a car and driver top 10.
Part of this may be part of those crafty German’s master plan though. Talk about selling an American namesake to the Chinese, then when you slash your union to bits to make the brand profitable no one in America cares.
EDIT:
I just read the article on CNN about GM talking about buying it and I’m completely :bloated:
Yeah, just what GM needs, spend 5 billion on another shitty nameplate to slap more rebadge jobs on. That will certainly fix it. How about you put 5 billion into building a great small car, mid sized car, and crossover SUV?
[quote=“JayS,post:6,topic:24635"”]
EDIT:
I just read the article on CNN about GM talking about buying it and I’m completely :bloated:
Yeah, just what GM needs, spend 5 billion on another shitty nameplate to slap more rebadge jobs on. That will certainly fix it. How about you put 5 billion into building a great small car, mid sized car, and crossover SUV?
[/quote]
:word: Can you imagine a GM/Chrysler product? All the trim will fall off and the ball joints will break.
Apparently GM’s management matches their engineering. “Oh my God the ship is sinking! Quick fix it by cutting a hole in the hull to make it lighter!”
You’re forgetting that Chrysler has had a few cars in the past 20 years that have gotten rave reviews:
LX
LH
JA
K
P
PL
As much as I hated the K-car, that vehicle is the only reason Chrysler even exists today, so cut it some slack. Without that affordable car that everyone loved to hate, they would have gone bust.
[quote=“JayS,post:9,topic:24635"”]
As much as I hated the K-car, that vehicle is the only reason Chrysler even exists today, so cut it some slack. Without that affordable car that everyone loved to hate, they would have gone bust.
[/quote]
mini-van.
THAT saved chrysler.
The diamler “reinvention” has since made them a “more” competitive company. Based on cost cutting (less platforms but more models) and such.
Renault would be interesting though.
Get rid of all the shit FWD equipment that Chrysler has had for years and start dropping in VQs everywhere. The Quest makes up like 1.5% of minivan sales, IMO a Caravan with a decent drive train would do wonders. It would also help break into the full sized truck market. If they have the bugs worked out of the oil burning QR it would make a good power plant for a mid level FWD Avenger, or whatever they are calling it these days…
[quote=“BikerFry,post:14,topic:24635"”]
What am I missing? Is Nissan throwing their hat in the ring?
[/quote]
nissan backed away from Kerkorian a while ago.
CNN said that the speculation of a GM/Chrysler buy is pretty much crap, due to all the costs involved.
Chrysler has the resources to go back to being an independent company, and with a little tweaking can be successful again. Their small and mid size cars are garbage, a little tweaking and they can be ok (like a NORMAL looking small sedan, and hatch. and de-boring the Sebring/Avenger). Their new vans are just the same shit in a different wrapper though, with the exception of the 4.0+6 speed combo, but that’s just the high end vans when the rest of their competition has multivalve engines standard. Nothing wrong with Jeep (except for the Compass, drop it) and nothing wrong with their trucks (except for the lack of a small one)
[quote=“RedGoober4Life,post:10,topic:24635"”]
I wasn’t. In fact, the P cars were probably the safest small cars of their time.
[/quote]
I <3 my P-Body.