20% of Chrysler is worth zero dollars

Who can pass up a deal like that?

http://blogs.reuters.com/reuters-dealzone/2008/10/23/20-percent-zero/

If what's good for America is good for the big three automakers
then...

-HJC

 

I'll tell ya, for those that now own the limited run of 2008 Dodge
Challengers, those cars will be worth a small fortune soon.

Anyone want to place any bets that there won't be a 2009 model year for
the Challenger?

 

09s are on the lots already

 

I'll tell ya, for those that now own the limited run of 2008 Dodge
Challengers, those cars will be worth a small fortune soon.

Anyone want to place any bets that there won't be a 2009 model year for
the Challenger?[/QUOTE]

I'm placing my bets on my last year of the great 300M- 2004.
Actually I'm betting I can get 10 more years out of it, even if Chrysler
is pushed aside.
It's a sad time in the auto world, when a great vehicle company like
Chrysler bites the dust.
I'll bet they wish the name Daimler was never heard inside Chrysler.

 

i love the stupid quote from Dr. Z last year. "we tried to improve the
quality in Chrysler products but the American people are unwilling to pay
for it".

no, i wanted a Chrysler not a Mercedes...but he didn't seem to get that.

I'm placing my bets on my last year of the great 300M- 2004.
Actually I'm betting I can get 10 more years out of it, even if Chrysler
is pushed aside.
It's a sad time in the auto world, when a great vehicle company like
Chrysler bites the dust.
I'll bet they wish the name Daimler was never heard inside Chrysler.[/QUOTE]

 

This coming from Daimler who had huge quality issues with their E class
during the years they owned Chrysler.

Dr. Z's idea of improving Chrysler cars was stuffing them with Mercedes
parts, and then wondering why the end result cost so much when the Euro
was at an all time high vs the USD.

Chrysler was raped by their own exec's when they arranged to have
Daimler buy them. They got their golden parachutes for it. I'm glad
that (on paper) Daimler eventually got financially screwed over by the
deal.

The next generation of the 300M (300N) would have taken Chrysler to new
styling and quality heights, but Daimler would have none of that.

I thought I heard a few months ago that some Russian car company was in
talks with Chrysler to buy their LH tooling (assuming they have some of
it left).

 

Ok, I was a bit wrong on the details, but this must be what I remember
reading:

----------------------

http://www.allpar.com/world/russia.html

In April 2006, Chrysler announced that Gorky Automotive Works (GAZ), a
Russian automaker, was buying Chrysler's entire Sterling Heights
production line and moving it to Russia, where the Sebring and Stratus
got a new lease on life - under license. It was announced at the time
that 65,000 vehicles would be made each year - well under the plant's
capacity but quite a bit for Russia. GAZ said it would buy Chrysler 2.4
liter engines made in Mexico (the 2.0-liter based ones used in
first-generation PT Cruisers, not the World Engines) for GAZ's vehicles,
in a long-term contract. The Sterling Heights stopped building the “JR”
(second-generation Stratus/Sebring) cars in May 2006, in favor of a
completely new design (*) using Mitsubishi Galant dimensions.

 

I remember Car & Driver saying, "we weren't asking for a C-class at
Accord prices, but how about an Accord at Accord prices?"

But Mercedes is improving (see this month's Consumer Reports and J D
Power rankings) whereas Chrysler continues to worsen in quality.

Their biggest mistake was passing over Lutz for Eaton as chairman.
Lutz understood Europe and understood global economics, and was a
"car" guy.

 

That's called an "Avenger." But the unwashed buying public still thinks
an Accord is somehow better.

Of course- they took everything worth taking from Chrysler and spat out
the remnants. GM would do even worse- they'd use the cash to prop
themselves up for another year, then *they'd* implode.

Chrysler would do best to go forward with their partial alliance with
Nissan, ultimately with a goal of jettisoning the remnants of Renault
and taking full control of Nissan.

 

That was their problem IMO.
They bought Chrysler so they could sell more vehicles of their liking.

Of course it also was nice they could share parts with Chryslers large
volume, lowering their parts cost.

 

Nope, I'm not interested in a Russian import.

They can have the Sebring, both the one they already have and the
current one.

 

If only it was a decision of Chrysler's management.
Unfortunately it will be a bean counter decision by Cerberus.

 

Yeah. The Avenger doesn't ride as well, handle as well, accelerate as
well, get as good gas mileage, have as much room, have the resale
value, have the reliability, or have the quality. Except for all
that, it's equal.

So exactly what does Mercedes have "from Chrysler" now? Be specific.

 

Claiming that Merc "took everything worth taking" is rather jaundiced...

Many voices in Germany were against the takeover of Chrysler, saying it
would adversely affect the car and the brand. A number of Merc models did
have serious problems (confirmed by my local Merc garage in west London, UK)
but NOT all. One or two of them were manufactured abroad -- e.g. South
Africa, USA -- and the problems have been identified. By the time top
management publicly admitted to quality problems they were well on the way
to being solved.

For example, a current A-Class is a fine vehicle, whereas early ones are
not. The CLK never had any problems. The B-Class was fine from the
beginning. Etc etc.

Daimler Benz management decided to buy Chrysler for several reasons, not all
being sensible. One story that did the rounds was that the 'merger' allowed
the new company to be listed on the NYSE as a US company, giving the top
executives the ability to claim huge salary increases to bring them in line
with the execs of other US companies.

In the past DB had embarked on other stupid ventures that were good for the
egos of the managers, such as buying AEG, a large bankrupt white-goods
company (fridges and other domestic goods) and getting into aerospace. Lost
millions.

Maybe now they will concentrate on what they are good at: cars, lorries and
buses.

DAS

To send an e-mail directly replace "spam" with "schmetterling"
---

[...]

 

Subjective, and I disagree.

handle as well,

Subjective, and I disagree.

Objective, and the 3.5L Avenger R/T will blow any Accord off the road if
speed is what you want.

get as good gas mileage, have as much room,

Maybe, but its very close on both.

have the resale value,

Not why I buy a car. I keep cars 15+ years, on average.
have the reliability,

Yeah, Sure.