It seems Chrysler is shutting down four assembly plants and may have to shut down 12 if a parts problem isn't resolved.

Here is a link -

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/pro...204&id=8135647

 

too bad for the workers, but I don't think I will ever own another Chrysler product again

 

If the Challenger doesn't save Chrysler, they're done I suspect. I think even that may not save them because of the Gas issue. They should have done the Challenger project 5 years ago. Last night during the Super Bowl, Chrysler was supposed to have started a new ad campaign called "New Day." I guess they had to pull out at the last minute because they couldn't afford the ad slot. Pitty, they are hurting badly!

 

going down in flames like AMC I bet GM will buy it for a song one of these days.

 

I agree about the bad timing of the Challenger. I can't see $40k car with a gas hungry V8 generating a whole lot of sales.

 

Chrysler has a commercial out for the new Town & Country Van, which is pretty funny.

The mom tells her husband and kids ‘Lets all go fro a ride in the new Town & Country!’ as if that’s cool. The really funny part is they get excided and listen to her (LOL). Who gets excited about a drive in a mini van (a chrysler mini van at that), its not looking good for Chrysler.

 

I'm with you on the Challenger. I would love to own one. But, that is just me. The car will fill a very small market niche and probably won't return the original investment to Chrysler.

 

If they can hang on, GM may be able to snap up Ford and Chrysler at a song. Then they could market Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers as muscle cars.

Time to dust off the 426 and 427 blocks, put injection and current electronics on them and go racing. There won't be a need for blowers.

 

Well, on the bright side, the Mustang has been selling well. People have been waiting in line for the Challenger. Some people have plucked down 19 grand just to have the right to buy one! This probably is due to the first run limited avail. though. A bunch of rich dudes hoping to be the first on the block. Once the regular cars hit the show rooms, sales may halt unless they come out with a hybrid or something.

 

Yes, there are always some people able to get to the head of the line to buy no matter what the cost. Can you imagine what Bill Gates could do in the car market. Sort of boggles the mind.

 

GM buy Chrysler? or Ford? LOL, I doubt it. GM isn't exactly raking in the dough. They aren't gonna be buying anything. I wouldn't be surprised if Honda bought them though.

 

I really wanted the Challenger as soon as I seen the prototype, but I got tired of waiting so I bought and 07 Pony just before the 08's came out. I got the Stang for the wife for a lot less then what the first Challenger's will actually go for. Sadly I think the the Challenger will only see limited success since it hit the market so late. I think clear winner of the re-invention of the muscle car as to go to the Ford Mustang, they got in the market early while the economy was still good and they got a lot of units out the door.

Maxwell thanks for the chuckle! GM is struggling to maintain their dominance over Honda and Toyota here in the States; I don't foresee them taking on more debt soon.

 

funny you said that.. I read an article in Hot Rod (I think) magazine about an AMC revival. They just had a bunch of drawings, but they looked pretty cool.

 

First, I feel bad for all the people laid off but they will find jobs elsewhere I'm sure, and for a much better managed company.

Second, I'm REALLY GLAD that the plastics supplier is shutting down. That is the first step in making a quality product. It's like everything they made was Shore A99 hardness. Ever seen the "Timex Indiglo" gauges on the Sebring? I felt like I was looking at a $3.00 watch!!

My guess is that the next thing to go is the engine, transmission and other driveline plants.

The upholstery, power and electrical, body panels, etc weren't so bad.

 

What that article fails to point out is that Plastech has been underdelivering the parts they promised. Last friday Chrysler had enough of dealing with them and went to go get their tooling from Plastech, only to have Plastech deny them their own tooling! These are tools Chrysler paid for and owns! Kind of like someone taking the keys to your Crossfire and not giving them to you.....you're going to be pi**ed!

As a sidenote.....some limited production is not an entirely bad thing for Chrysler......a little more time to clear some more cars off the dealer lots.

 

Just pay the Chrysler CEO his "parachute" money and he will be on his way (like he did at Home Depot) Lots of new minivans piled up at all the local Chrysler and Dodge dealers!

 

Who in their right mind would want to buy Ford (or Chrysler) Maybe Renault (Goshen)!

 

Bad marketing, plain and simple.

Drive = love?
Engineered beautifully?
Some other Bulls hit?

Every Mercedes, BMW, Saab, Porsche, Caddilac, add that I see for any of their "image" cars has PASSION. Listen Chrysler................PASSION. They are usually bad *** and give me goose bumps. They make me want to drive their car regardless of its practicality.

They had Celine Dion marketing the Xfire with some bulls hit song. LOL terrible.

 

I forsee a difficult year or 2 coming up for Chrysler, but there are some promising things on the way. A lot of the problems that they had were because of Daimlers hubris and snot-nosed bratty attitude shutting down a lot of good projects Chrysler had in the works and trying to cut costs left and right. Factor in a massive amount of mismanagement also.

Within the next couple years look for the new Phoenix engines which from what sources say are almost revolutionary in their design. They must be good enough that Mercedes will be using them to replace a lot of their current V6 lineup with these engines, but with the attitude they have will probably take credit for everything Chrysler has done with them.
http://allpar.com/mopar/phoenix-engines.html

Also Chrysler has had a dual-clutch automatically shifted manual transmission in the works since 1998, but Daimler shut that project down in its final phrases probably because they didn't liket their red-headed stepchild, Chrysler, to one-up them (like they did with the ME Four-Twelve and a few other projects). Just imagine how advanced some of Chryslers designs could have been without Daimler putting a stop to everything because of so-called "cost" reasons. That new technology will be out in a couple years as well.
http://allpar.com/corporate/auto-man...nsmission.html

Chrysler under its new leadership is now on a campaign to increase the tweak quality and perception of its current vehicles, by doing little things here and there until they can revamp their lineup to their own standard and not Daimler's. There is no denying the relationship between the "merger of equals" (cough cough) is what brought them down to the pitiful level they are at now. It is especially infuriating to me because Chrysler happens to be the company that puts food on my family's table every day.

Hell, Chrysler had close to a $40 billion cushion in the bank before a hurting Daimler took over and stole all their money. I am a fan of Mercedes-Benz and their wonderful automobiles, but as a company I am dubious of the way they operate. It will be exciting to me in the future though with Daimler and Chrysler still working together and bringing out good things without the threat of Daimler running them into the ground any further.

 

Good call No Warning Shot. Most people have no idea how bad Chrysler got "raped" by Mercedes-Benz. It still amazes me that people still want to blame Chrysler for all of Mercedes's woes......Mercedes quality was going straight downhill long before they acquired Chrysler.