Chrysler Buyout

[audiofanaticz]

I heard chrsyler had ties with bently.. hence the 300s look so much like them..

gm all the way though, props if they buy them out, but who knows what will ever happen.

[emperorjj1]

what others have to say about the idea

15. "Is Daimler ready to sell Chrysler?" the Detroit Free Press breathlessly asks in today's above-the-fold headline. DaimlerChrysler "has hired JPMorgan as a strategic adviser, people with knowledge of the move said," The New York Times reports. Some German media outlets and Automotive News take it a step further, reporting that General Motors is talking to DaimlerChrysler about buying Chrysler (sure – you could position Dodge between Chevy and Pontiac on the GM hierarchy, place Chrysler between Buick and Cadillac, and have Hummer and Jeep share grille suppliers).

It’s hooey, of course. I’m going to rely on a person with knowledge to tell you what’s really going on between Chrysler and GM.

Chrysler is in talks to buy small B-cars, or designs or platforms for the same, from GM’s Daewoo Automotive Technologies. Daewoo is the South Korean affiliate in charge of designing, engineering and building small cars for GM. The Daewoo-designed and built Chevy Aveo could also become a Dodge. Dodge had trotted out a Hornet concept, pictured above, as a potential design for the car.

True, Chrysler has already signed a deal with China’s Chery for potential production of a small, B-Class world car from the Dodge or Chrysler brand, but GM’s South Korean affiliate looks more reliable and has a proven ability to supply technology to an automaker like DaimlerChrysler. Chery basically produces other companies’ designs.

Ironically, GM has accused Chery of copying its Chinese-market Chevrolet Spark, which is a version of the Daewoo Matiz. So a deal could indirectly connect Chery to GM’s Daewoo via Chrysler, a case of strange bedfellows. But it won’t get as strange as a GM-Chrysler hookup.

Chairman Dieter Zetsche said at DaimlerChrysler’s February 14 annual report press conference that the automaker is “looking into further strategic options with partners beyond the business cooperation partners mentioned. In this regard, we do not exclude any option.”

Sure, Daimler would sell Chrysler for the right price. But who would buy it for the right price? You’re likely to see a GM/Daewoo-designed, Chery-built Dodge before you see a viable buyer for Chrysler.

Posted by NoNameDenton

16. The more I think about this, the more it could work (if it could work):

Buick and Chrysler have the biggest change, and blend to form a new near lux brand. The line up includes Sebring (next gen moves to Epsilon) 300C (next gen. on Zeta), which would slot above the Lucerne (still fwd), Enclave, a smaller Pacifica (2 rows), a new Crossfire, based on Kappa, but sold in coupe ONLY & a mini van. Give them all a bolder version of the current buck face, but keep the Chrysler name, Buick has an "old" thing attached to it. No “real” SUVs and NO FLEET SALES!

Truck buyers are very picky, so the Ram name has to stay, but should GMC. Ram becomes its own brand, and does ONLY trucks. Only truck brand with the Hemi. GMC goes more upscale and does trucks, but moves focus onto SUVs and crossovers; all are off road capable. GMC gets a version of the new Pacifica and (maybe) the Compass. Hybrids are widely available throughout GMC, not at all on Ram.

Chevy takes in some Dodge products, namely the minivan (not much makes sense with the new RWD platform on its way), and maybe the new Pacifica.

Dodge stick around, only for the charger and high performance versions of the Zeta and Kappa platform cars. They are sold only in limited numbers and at a price higher than platform mates.

Pontiac gets the Nitro (replaces Torrent) and the Caliber (replaces G5/Vibe, but is still called Vibe), so that they aren’t just re-badged Chevys. Also the G8 gets a wagon. All cars get the Pontiac face. “Poor man’s BMW”

Viper goes WAY up market and becomes its own brand, sold only through Caddy dealers. It needs to be a true exotic.

Hummer takes over Jeep and the Grand Cherokee becomes the new H3, Liberty becomes the H4, Wrangler becomes the H5. Play up the Jeep connection.

Caddy gets the Chinese SLS (and kills the DTS), the European BLS, adds a wagon and coupe (coupe convertible?) CTS. The next SRX looks more like an Escalade (and gets a V version). I know this has nothing to do with GM taking over DCX, it is just my wish list for Cadillac

Saturn says just the way it is.

SAABs all get awd, an Aero X face, and maybe a version of either the SRX or the new Pacifica, called the 96. They should sell turbo charged and diesels engines through out the line up.

Perhaps Plymouth is brought back and used ONLY for fleet sales. That way, no consumer brands takes the hit in resale. Almost direct rebadges of needed cars.

All brands should have a “face”, and no shared models should look exactly the same (like the Enclave/Acadia)

Posted by Ben

17. It seems like all the decent Chrysler management miraculously vanished taking the entire design team with them. The only way for Chrysler Group to be profitable is fire ¾ of its executive staff and let Mercedes folk do the job. Mercedes for management; Mercedes for design. Stop creating Comp-asses and Ass-pens, which are bound for failure. Stop investing money into platforms that will become synonyms to garbage. Instead, strike a deal with Mercedes to recycle their retiring platforms. Take older E-class and covert it to Brand New Dodge Magnum, or C-class to Caliber. And don’t let anyone from N. America near the drawing board. The outcome will be unbelievable.

Cutting 100 evidently useless exec will save as much money as laying off 13,000 true workers (in fact, you will need more worker since there will an increase in demand for your cars). Mercedes design team will make the miracle, eliminating current hideousness of the entire Jeep and 8/10 of the Chrysler-Dodge line. Recycles platforms with save billions of R&D money and provide better results.

Posted by Beebe

18. gm may only buy chrysler to buy chrysler. while that may seem stupid at first just think about it for a minute. if chrysler is sold to antother car company...say a car company like chery. chery may be a little poor company in china that is a fraction the size of chrysler but it is a chinese government owned company. if the chinese govenment gave them the money they would jump at the chance at buying chrysler for their engineers and designers. they would also want chrysler for the dealer network. if they bought chrysler out they may be able to get a little presteige from the transaction. if chery bought out chrysler they would continue closing plants in the us and canada so that the chrysler vehicles will be made in china using cheaper labor they could slowly crush all of the other companies.

if renault bought chrysler it would not tip the ballence any because their labor costs are the same as the costs at the other auto makers. but if a chinese car maker bought chrysler that could even cause even the mifghty toyota problems in this country and in others.

some of you may be tinking "the american people and/or congress will stop it" or nobody is going to buy a chinese made chrysler"

people will buy the cars if they are cheap regardless who amakes them and where they are made. just think if a chinese car company like chery bought chrysler they could sell the dodge ram for less than 20k. that could hurt or kill other companies like gm.

if gm buys chrysler they(gm) could get 2 things.. more tech and products like the minivans and jeep as well as suspension pattents,the use of cummins engines, other suspension pattents. the second thiing that they could get is the satisfaction and protection that comes with keeping chrysler out of the hands of a new forign compeditor that may be able to under cut gm. gm could also get the positive publicity that comes with saving chrysler and bringing chrysler ownership back to the us.

Posted by xjn

Edited March 2, 2007 by emperorjj1