http://www.desrosiers.ca/Monthly%20Updates/sales.pdf

Chrysler knows how to make a fantastic looking vehicle but aside from the LX RWD cars they haven’t produced any, everything they have come out with looks godawful inside and out.

A stark contrast to the vehicles they were producing ten years ago which at least looked appealing inside and out.

Jeff North will make a redesigned G. Cherokee/Durango as Newark will close (Aspen goes bye).

Not sure if you can build the Sebring/Avenger in Toluca with the Journey, don’t know what the capacity is. You will need another plant for Ram/Titan even with todays depressed truck market.

Belvedere can make Caliber and Patriot, but not the Compass – it needs to die. And yes they need to make a Jeep pickup based off the Wrangler and drop the Dakota or redesign it as a true compact pickup.

As for interiors, they are coming. There is a crash program underway and I’ve read some interesting things about it. You just haven’t seen any results yet. Hopefully it will be good.

First, they can’t distinguish between needs and wants. The former is in the saddle nowadays: people are buying fuel-thrifty, reliable cars. The latter relies on emotion and is exemplified by the 300’s faddish styling: gunslit windows and a pugnacious front. Result: now that every gangsta has gotten his pimpmobile, “the ‘company saving’ 300 fell 59 percent.”

Second, Chrysler is still passive-aggressive to its customers. That Canadian Driver review of the 300 notes “The driver’s door is reluctant to stay open when you want it to. More than once it almost closed on my leg, as I was getting myself situated in the car.” This maddening flaw has existed in Chrysler products for decades. Perhaps morale at Auburn Hills is so poor no one really gives a damn.

Belvidere for Caliber and Compass
Brampton for 300, Charger and Challenger
Saltillo for Ram and contract mfd. Nissan pickups for later
St Louis So. for Caravans and T&C
Jefferson North for Grand Cherokee, plus move Liberty production there alongside it
Toledo South for Wrangler, add a light pickup truck(sold as a JEEP ONLY) based on Wrangler to replace Dakota – make a diesel optional in the USA and Canada
Toluca Mexico for Journey and Project D cars.

Nissan to supply sub-compacts for the USA and Canada from their Mexican factory.

Chery to supply sub-compacts for Mexico from their Chinese factory (!)

Oh yeah, before I finish my prescription for the 3 headed dog – I’ll write a little more sript as follows

-Improve the interiors to world average standards for the class of car you’re competing with, at minimum
-Improve the quality, reliability and durability of your cars to at least Hyundai levels
-Stop looking at the remaining workforce and suppliers like they’re the enemy, and stop screwing them over at every chance – take a clue from what saved Chrysler in 1980-1983 and start considering them as PARTNERS instead

Agree, disagree, TTACers?

I’m surprised that the minivan’s didn’t make your “keepers” list. Why?

They are ugly and pretty awful but they do sell.

I sure hope Chrysler has some new small, efficient vehicles to unveil tomorrow. Otherwise they likely don’t have too many days/weeks/months left.

There has always been a market niche for convertibles, and that niche is a little bigger when said convertible is also a practical car to own and drive, e.g. 4 seats, modestly priced, usable trunk, not a gas hog, not too pricey to insure, etc.

4-seater convertibles are a rarity. the PT drop-top is gone, and MINIs have no trunk, and all the other models (VW, Lexus, BMW, Volvo, Saab, etc) price out near or above $40k.

Doesn’t Chrysler have way more plants than that?”

Belvidere, IL – Caliber/Compass/Patriot
Sterling Heights, MI – Sebring/Avenger
Brampton, Ont – 300/Charger
Newark, DE – Durango/Aspen
Saltillo, Mex – Ram
St. Louis North, MO – Ram
St. Louis South, MO – Caravan/Town and Country
Jefferson North, MI – Grand Cherokee/Commander
Toledo North, OH – Liberty/Nitro
Toledo South, OH – Wrangler/Wrangler Unlimited
Warren, MI – Ram/Dakota/Mitsubishi Raider
Windsor, Ont – Caravan/Town and Country/VW Routan

That’s 12 total. Granted, most of them are only running one or two shifts right now I’m pretty sure. The only one that is on the chopping block is Newark, but there’s rumors that if the Fiat/Chrysler deal goes through Newark will be retooled for the joint venture. Nothing official on that yet, though.

1. Minivan’s are #1 and #3 on the market, combining to double up the Honda Odyssey. On pace for 360K in sales this year, they are everything Chrysler could have hoped for.

2. Their Project D revamp of Sebring/Avenger cannot come soon enough. These cars should be doing well in this environment, but they suck.

3. Charger continues to do well, while 300 is tanking. I know that Charger is a year newer, but something is drawing traffic to Charger, and not to 300 despite them being basically the same car. The 2010 300C cannot come soon enough

4. Journey is selling well. 7500 in only it’s 3rd full month is probably beyond expectations.

5. A big chunk (10,000 sales or 20% of the decline) is due to discontinued models – Pacifica, Magnum, PT Cruiser convertible.

6. Ram sales are tanking as production ceases in advance of all new 2009.

That’s six plants with 300,000 capacity running full bore.

Doesn’t Chrysler have way more plants than that?

As for Chrysler “determined to provide consumers what they need and want.” – shouldn’t that read:

“determined to provide consumers with penny-pinched vehicles with parts from disgruntled suppliers, as well as popping Chery badges off of Chinese cars at the port and substituting Dodge badges, not to mention selling rebadged Nissans…” ?

Everything else?