What's Wrong With This Picture: Grasping At Straws Edition

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Chrysler is celebrating the Ram’s continued sales slide (relative to last year’s pathetic numbers) by plastering a 100 foot-wide Ram Heavy Duty on its headquarters, along with a final confirmation that Motor Trend really does serve as Detroit’s marketing department of last resort (as if such confirmation were needed). But hey, at least they gussied up the Auburn Hills digs to celebrate something other than the promise to continue foisting sub-par products on the buying public through the year 2107.

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Daga Daga on Apr 08, 2010

    Listen Howie, I'll add my voice to the chorus saying this is over the top negative. Even if you don't look up more than one year's sales data, it is pretty common knowledge than Press was stuffing Rams and stabling $10k checks to the hood last Q1 where Ford and GM were trying to just put enough on the hood to keep some sales. To say that last year's comparable sales period results were "pathetic" is just flat wrong. They held sales better in Q1 2009 than every other truck mfr - Ford, GM, Nissan and Toyota. Since you didn't seem to go below US Today-level research before blasting Chrysler on this, here's the data: In the first 3 months of US Sales: 2010 2009 2008 2010/2008 2010/2009 2009/2008 C 38,042 46,619 68,862 -45% -18% -32% F 103,039 81,703 149,265 -31% 26% -45% G 96,364 90,518 168,280 -43% 6% -46% N 5,669 4,582 11,355 -50% 24% -60% T 20,157 18,349 40,784 -51% 10% -55% A. 2010 v 2008 is behind Ford's surge to be sure, but in line with GM and a little behind the segment. Not so pathetic to me. B. Would you suggest that they shouldn't advertise their highest selling, freshest and highest margin product?

  • Rusted Source Rusted Source on Apr 08, 2010

    Some comments about negativity are a bit misplaced. TTAC isn't saying RAM trucks are poor, they're pointing out that hocking a Motor Trend advertisement to broadcast the legitimacy of their product is weak. I'm no Chrysler fan, but RAM trucks are innovative and are well within the realm of what a truck should be. To me though, these types of awards are so suggestive. For example on this site, I've seen ads that modify the GM slogan of "May the Best Car Win" to "The Best Cars Won" with a link to "See the awards". I won't bother clicking because it's just going to be smatterings of positive comments wherever they could rustle them up. Simultaneously you could get Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan, Ford to come up with their own corral of 'awards' to prove their cars are best. It's kind of like movie reviews. When a movie has a quote below saying "One of the best movies of the year. -Doug Yuskowich, Greenwich County Inquirer", that's pretty much a confirmation that it's one of the worst movies of the year. Even reviews by recognized entities that rotate opposable thumbs can't be taken seriously.

  • Z72_Silvy Z72_Silvy on Apr 08, 2010

    It's deserving of the award, and now places the F150 series as the 5th best platform.

  • Eric Ethier Eric Ethier on Apr 08, 2010

    I don't think that I have ever heard the following statement more often than the last year about a truck: "Personally, I'm a [Insert Truck Brand Here] but that new Ram is awesome!" Makes me smile :) Because the new-gen RAMs both LD and HD are at the top of the pack... if not leading. Having driven the competition at least up and down the road (which is what most LD drivers do anyways), it was VERY evident that the RAM is in a class of its own when it comes to ride comfort, and the interior was preferred over the Ford (the rest need not apply) as it looks nice but still 'truck-ish'. Features galore and the HEMI w/ MDS make the LD RAM just phenomenal. The HD Ram does have the right to brag about its 2010 MT TOTY award since it beat the VERY versatile (and quite impressive) Ford Transconnect (although Caravan C/V beats it in most categories except the fact it looks like 8 kids are about to pile out). RAM Brand is off to a good start and wishes to continue, and I beleive the massive ad on the building is simply a hype-up to that end. The new stuff coming out (at least the Charger/300/GC) seems to be in the same league and I am extatic to see it all! P.S. Props to the realists on this forum that haven't counted Chrysler out of it just yet.

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