Fearing the end, Chrysler fans flock to museum
AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Reuters) –
With just days to go before Chrysler learns its fate, dozens of people flocked to pay tribute to the once famed icon of America's auto industry that might soon be entering the final chapter in its long history.
From a former Chrysler salesman to an employee from another struggling U.S. automaker, General Motors Corp, those visiting the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in the northern suburb of Detroit expressed sadness at the prospect of a world without Chrysler and hoped the company would survive.
"I would be very sad if it were to go out of business, not only for the corporation but for the Michigan community," said Scott Morris, a 50-year-old GM employee, looking around dozens of vehicles spanning eight decades.
Morris was visiting the museum with his wife and daughter, days before the company faces the deadline of April 30 by which it must cement an alliance with proposed Fiat SpA and win sweeping costs cuts from creditors and unions.
The Obama administration has warned that without the deals, Chrysler would face a cut-off of government funding and a potential bankruptcy.
"We're here today because we thought the museum might close in case Chrysler would go bankrupt, and we've never been here before," Morris said. Walter P. Chrysler Museum sits adjacent to the company headquarters in this Detroit suburb.
Private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP bought the automaker from Daimler AG in 2007, pledging to save an "American icon" that has moved from market dominance to the 1980 federal bailout to foreign control over the past 80 years.
Less than two years later, Chrysler is operating on $4 billion of government loans it received early this year. The government has also directed the automaker to link up with yet another European partner, saying Chrysler is not viable as a stand-alone company.
"I'm very sad Chrysler has come to this point. Chrysler was always known as the company with the best styling and engineering. Because they were small, they had to be smart," said Dwayne Janke, 50, who used to work at a Chrysler Jeep dealership in the 1970s.
"I came in the hope that nothing would happen to this museum. I wanted to show my support," Janke said.
Luis Sordo, 44, said he wanted to see what is potentially Chrysler's last moment as a stand-alone U.S. automaker.
"The auto industry is an icon for the country," Sordo said, visiting with his son and brother-in-law from Venezuela.
"I hope the company will make it and get a solution. Hopefully the joint venture with Fiat will work."