WHISPERS: Chrysler Crossfire Production May Be Cut by as Much as Two-Thirds

FRANKFURT — A German newspaper is reporting that Wilhelm Karmann, the company that makes the Chrysler Crossfire for DaimlerChrysler, plans to cut jobs as part of a two-thirds reduction in Crossfire production.

A DaimlerChrysler spokesman in Germany, quoted by the Dow Jones News Service, denied the report, calling it "an extremely pessimistic forecast that we don't accept." Nevertheless, the spokesman did acknowledge that some reduction in Crossfire production will take place.

The Crossfire went into production in 2003, and it is intended to have a five-year life cycle, the news service notes.

What this means to you: This is where the synergy between DaimlerBenz and Chrysler could have gone if not for the groundbreaking designs of the 300, Charger and Magnum.

 

What this REALLY means to you: People lose jobs, because someone dropped the ball in the marketing department.

 

I'm curious as to the date and source of this article.

 

WHISPERS: Chrysler Crossfire Production May Be Cut by as Much as Two-Thirds.

Date posted: 02-11-2006

I gotta find that link again...

 

here you go!
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=109128
http://www.u-ka.cn/en/00/80761.html
http://www.u-ka.cn/en/00/80761.html

 

I was tired of wondering what they were going to do, so I called chrysler yesterday. I asked them about the 2006 models. They said "The '06 Crossfire is being produced in greatly reduced quantities from the previous year models. They are all still sitting in Germany, except the ones at the car shows. We can put you on a waiting list for a brochure if you'd like."
They also said, "We are not sure of the release date at this time."
It amazes me that they were even able to build such a great car when no one there seems to know what they are doing.
Rotten

 

I did a thread last year "I hope Chrysler drops the Crossfire soon..." check out post #37 Ref: "Chrysler Crossfire Production May Be Cut" dated 9-26-2005. http://www.autoweek.com/ but the story has been removed since that time frame.

Caught in the Crossfire: Chrysler mulls future of slow-selling sports coupe.

RICK KRANZ | Automotive News

9/26/05

FRANKFURT -- Chrysler group executives are weighing the future of the slow-selling Chrysler Crossfire.

 

nice.. 4 the links... but i didn't get it from edmunds, it was from a BLOG but this is obviously the original... and edmunds is a respected voice... like some said... sounds very much like the beginning of the end... good then our X's will be worth more anyway...
j.

 

Here is the email reply i got back from Karmann asking if the crossfire line was going to be cut or dropped.

Dear Customer,
If I understood you right, you want to know if the "Chrysler Crossfire 06 model" exist?
Until now Karmann produces the "06 model" up to july this year,
then comes the model change to "07"!

Questions or comments please let me know.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / With Best Regards

Albrecht Roth

Wilhelm Karmann GmbH
- Vertrieb/Kundendienst - / - Customer Service -
Karmannstrasse 1
49084 Osnabrueck
Telefon: 0049 (0) 541/581-2334
Telefax: 0049 (0) 541/581-132334
Mobil: 0049 (0) 151/14635314
E-Mail: aroth@karmann.com
http://www.karmann.com

I did this email after reading the article you folks are refering to.

 

FirebaseD...
they put it in writing so to speak... with a name signed to it...
hmmm... '07 is still short of that '08 contract of 5 years...

guess we gotta wait til it unfolds further... either way it doesn't bother me...

the FIREPOWER is suppose to replace the XFIRE... but did u see that AIRFLITE??? (its a 4 door version of the crossfire).

j.

 

I was at the Cincinnati Car show and I talked to a product Manager from Chrysler. She told me that the Crossfire has picked up in sales and that the reduced production could cause a shortage. She told me her husband was waiting to buy an '06. They did not have an '06 at the show because even the show cars were in limited supply and they went to the shows with the biggest potential market. She seemed very knowledgeable, she was explaining the Concept car that was there the ME4-12 this was from 2004, she also knew the Bugatti and that it was 1,000 HP. The ME is 850 HP. Cincinnati show is so small that we get the leftover Concepts, but if you have not seen the ME4-12 it is quite a car, although not practical.

 

Talk about marketing. About a year and a half ago I started my quest to get a Crossfire. Most every dealer I saw had the "regulation" black coupe with the cloth interior. There were few if any others on the lot. We can get them I was told.
Well how about a brochure. Sure no problem. After about 10 minutes of looking...we must be out of brochures. This happened at more than 3 5-star Chrysler dealers in the Wash. DC area. None of the dealers I got price quotes from had a brochure. In October of '04 I gave up. I filed out something on Chrysler's web site and three months later, 3 months I get a bent up brochure in the mail. Few of the reps I spoke with about the car knew the car. I was very surprised because on my initial encounter with the Crossfire, summer of '03, the Sales Mgr where I bought my GT Cruiser knew everything about the car. He was gone when I finally went back to price a Crossfire.
The marketing is truly a huge problem here. Its as if Chrysler doesn't care. I know the car is a head turner. I've never had so many people ask what is it, who makes it and I haven't heard anyone yet say they didn't like it. So it doesn't surprise me that they have to cut production. My guess is this is the step before the car meets the same fate as the Prowler. Hopefully we will be affected the same way Prowler owners were.

Pat

 

check this out.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/...8FM9V600.shtml

 

Unless the Challenger or Camaro isn't built I may buy another Crossfire! Hopefully a SRT6 cpe, at $25k haha, I don't care what the value drops to because I like the car and it's head turning looks. I just may want 2 more seats in a Luxo sports cpe! Maybe a XK8R still thinking about that one too. SRT6 is still in the top 3 for $s and looks and performance per $ ratio.

 

Here in Port Hueneme all I see is Japan and Korean cars some BMW and Jags.
I was told though by a manager at my DC dealership that they have lots of (1000's) 05's Crossfires in port parking lots and Dealers don't want them!!!
That's why they are cutting production!!!

 

I just got home from the Cleveland Auto show, and they had two Crossfires there, a blue SRT coupe, and a yellow Limited roadster. I was under the impression the yellow roadsters were '05 models. But when I looked for the build date on the door it said 06/04.
Now going strictly by what the Germans at Karmann told Firebase in their email about the model change occurring in July, wouldn't that make the roadster I saw at the show an '04 model?

 

+fireamx - My '05 Ltd Coupe has a build date of 6/04 too. I was suspicious. You and I talked about this. The vin is correct though, 10th digit is a 5. Mine was built a year before I bought it.

Pat

 

Hi Pat,

I was just going by what they told Firebase about the change over being in July. I guess the actual date must not be that critical when deciding when the new production year really starts.

 

Smells like a refund on our 05's.

 

FirebaseD...
enlighten me... refunds on '05 taxes or refund on '05 XF purchase...

thanks

j.