A Bullet in the butts of Dodge dealers

Ward's Dealer Business - April 1, 2007
http://wardsdealer.com/ar/auto_dodge_dealers_prefer/

Some Dodge dealers worry they may be competing against what they see as
a rebadged Dodge Ram 4500 truck http://snipurl.com/Ram_4500 introduced
by a corporate cousin, Sterling Truck Corp.

They say that, despite a credible styling job, the Bullet's profile
similarity to the Ram 4500 is striking.

Sterling, a subsidiary of Freightliner LLC, which, like Chrysler
Group's Dodge Div., is part of DaimlerChrysler AG, debuted its new
chassis-cab Sterling Bullet http://snipurl.com/1j7gf at a March truck
show in Indianapolis. It will be available at select Sterling
dealerships in late fall. The new truck expands Sterling's lineup into
Class 4 and 5 trucks.

...Dodge dealers say they are struck by the Bullet's similarity to the
Ram 4500, including a Cummins 6.7L diesel engine under the hood. They
say Sterling, by trying to expand its market presence, has taken the
competition in-house.

Freightliner president and CEO Chris Patterson says the Bullet and the
redone '08 Ram 4500/5500 chassis cab, introduced at February's Chicago
auto show, result from a Sterling-Dodge collaboration, and "together
represent the best of the commercial vehicle and automotive worlds."
http://snipurl.com/Freightliner

Some Dodge dealers, who decline to be identified, say it appears
DaimlerChrysler is either ratcheting up its North American truck
presence or attempting to follow General Motors Corp.'s model of
offering companion truck lineups like Chevrolet and GMC.

Chrysler Group's dealer relations were strained last year when dealers
complained that the company forced excess inventory on them. Then came
news in February that DaimlerChrysler is putting the Chrysler Group up
for sale. Now this, say Dodge dealers who sell Class 4 Rams.

One veteran Dodge dealer says of the upcoming Bullet: "We didn't want
or expect it."

 

I think whoever wrote this must have been badly confused. There's no such
thing as a Ram 4500/5500. They're not-yet-produced 2008 products with
absolutely no predecessors. You can't really complain about somebody
stealing sales you don't have. The article just doesn't make any sense. It
mentions "dealers who sell the 4500" as if there was such a product.

 

Come to Tucson and say that. They are here with Mexican plates. Have been
for at least two years.

I thought Sterling was Ford??

Al

 

Because the plant is in Mexico, not the US thus Dodge has been able to
produce those in Mexico.

 

I think whoever wrote this must have been badly confused. There's no

Is that the same Sterling that was trying to sell UK built Rover 800s
(Badged as 'Sterling 800s) in the US in the late 1980s and early 1990s?

A

 

Sterling Motor Co. was orginally bought by the White Motor Co. in 1953. In
1997 the heavy duty truck ("AeroMax") products of the Ford Motor Co. were
acquired by FreightLiner, and renamed Sterling (from an early White Motors
brand... White previously was licensed to produce and market Freightliner
Trucks, which were originally owned and designed by Consolidated Freight
Company. Consolidated Freight was a Trucking Company that original designed
and built Freightliner for their own exclusive use in the 1930's.). 1n in
1981 Mercedes-Benz bought FreightLiner from Consolidated Freight (the
trucking Company).

FreightLiner would the 125th on the Fortune 500 list if it were allowed to
be on it and is the #1 truck manufacturer in North America. Sterling is
FreightLiners division for producing 'anything but straight freight, over
the road trucks'..... Sterling builds the smaller and specialty trucks,
Wreckers, Utility Trucks, Garbage Trucks, Fire Trucks, Snow Plows, Concrete
Mixers, ect.

FreightLiner Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freightliner_LLC

Sterling Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling_Trucks

 

Not sure, but UK brand Vaxhaul cars were also sold in the US under the
Sterling name during that time period.

 

I believe it was a Rover V6 version of a Honda (Accord?) .
At that time Honda was the base of most Rover cars.

 

Vauxhall = General Motors (Opel in r.o.w.).

DAS

For direct replies replace nospam with schmetterling[/QUOTE]
Not sure, but UK brand Vaxhaul cars were also sold in the US under the
Sterling name during that time period.
[/QUOTE]

 

Sterlins WERE Fords. Ford bailed out of heavys several years ago.
Sterling trucks are nothing but old revamped Fords with a few minor
improvements. Freightlined improved the suspensions, heaters, and some
other problems that tended to cause rashes in the fleet.