Following on from Chrysler's ill thought-out advertising campaign in December (see Chrysler to America : "Scew You"), they finally entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy today and completed the deal with Fiat. CNN had a good list of reasons Chrysler have ended up like this, including the 6 vehicles that finally finished them off (2004 Chrysler 300C, 2006 Dodge Caliber, 2006 Jeep commander, 2007 Dodge Nitro, 2007 Chrysler Sebring, 2009 Dodge Ram).
So what happens now? Hopefully Fiat can inject some sense into the smouldering pile that once was Chrysler. Stop building awful, fuel-thirsty cars that are unreliable, ugly, and out-of-touch, and start producing cars like Fiat's own mega hit Fiat 500. Better yet - don't build anything - just import cars from Europe and sell them in America.
Whatever happens it will be interesting to follow this saga closely. Not least of which because as an American taxpayer, I own(ed) part of Chrysler thanks to the equally ill thought-out bailout package.
3 comments:
That Fiat has to be one of the ugliest things ever made. What next, a Tata import?
Fuel efficiency is not the be all, end all in automobiles. The public has shown time and time again that they prefer larger, safer vehicles. And will buy them over the small, high fuel mileage cars.
If you want real proof, look at the Japanese imports of the 70s and the current incarnations of them. The have all gotten bigger over the years to appeal to American buyers. And they have bigger engines to move the bigger cars with better acceleration.
The car companies did not force consumers to buy SUV in the last decade. The public chose them, as they wanted bigger, roomier vehicles. There were plenty of cars on the market that got 30MPG, they just didn't sell as well as SUVs.
Then get Ford to sell the Focus Econetic over here - 36mpg (US). Or the Ford Mondeo Econetic - same size as the Ford Fusion but with 55mpg (US).
For that matter, get VW to import the Passat Bluemotion - that's not a small car and it does 46mpg (US).
It's not that difficult.
Assuming they could (given the screwy requirements on US vehicles), they wouldn't sell.
That was my point. When give the choice people buy big, inefficient vehicles.
Aren't the Econetics and the Bluemotion diesel powered?
Again, diesel cars don't sell in the States
I wish they did. I'd much rather have a TDI diesel. I've been trying to find a import diesel engine at a good price to put in an '81 Tercel, but the few I've found cost too much. It' take me 15-20 years t0 recoup the cost of the change.
And that's with me doing the work.
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