Chrysler on the bargaining table.

[vagt6]

Daimler-Chrysler admitted Wednesday that the company is talking with suitors about selling Chrysler.

Daimler has lost billions on the merger, can't really blame them for dumping the entire unit. Will it be the end of the line for Chrysler? Heck, I'm still missing Plymouths!

What do you guys think?

 

[swift6]

You know, its an interesting thing. The products coming from Chrysler have been some of the most distinctive and in my opinion desirable, car designs to come from Detroit lately. They certainly don't look like other cars. The 300C's/Magnums and Chargers actually look GOOD with 20" plus wheels. They get to share a lot of Mercedes Architecture. They re-introduced the Hemi with much fanfare and praise. They get good reviews and have been featured prominently in Movies and on TV. Yet, they can't seem to sell without heavy rebates. So it is sort of a conundrum and I'm not surprised that Daimler is looking to unload Chrysler (I still don't think of it as a 'merger').

 

[Keoke]

Well. I was surprised that they bought them in the first place,given that Mercedes was already well established in the US with a huge dealer service in place. Just can't figure any benefit Chrysler could add to them.---Keoke-?

 

[tony barnhill]

Mercedes/Daimler/whichever just got offered $4+ billion >CASH< for Chrysler!

 

[rotoflex]

Offered from Kirk Kerkorian, whose strategy is to buy properties, dismantle them, sell the pieces, & leave only a memory behind. MGM is the best example.

I had a feeling when Daimler bought Chrysler that the idea was to do the same that BMW did with Rover.

The Daimler ownership of Chrysler was, maybe unintentionally, a disaster for Chrysler. As has been pointed out, Chrysler was hardest hit by having the fewest fuel-efficient models in a period when gas-guzzler popularity was waning. Daimler directed development of cars which shared components w/their large boat-anchor sedans & vans, killed the fuel-efficient Neon in 2005, etc.

Aside from directing Chrysler's R&D to leave them with no fuel-efficient models when Daimler pulls out, they'll also be leaving them in a position of having to license & buy from Daimler to produce current designs.

The whole Daimler involvement was something of a scam & misdirection to the stockholders: originally misrepresented by Daimler as a merger, as the picture became clearer a lawsuit was brought & it was determined a takeover:
https://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=30&article_id=7060
not the least obvious by the fact that new models were re-badged Mercedes or extensively utilized Mercedes parts.

Daimler blew out much of Chrysler's design & engineering staff, & it leaves not much to start with from people or on-the-board development for the company when it's sold.

It's a sorry episode (& hopefully not an end) for what may have been the US' best, most technically innovative car company. Being first with unibody, disc brakes, all-computer-designed successful models, etc. & having a fine history & appreciation for creating high performance cars, & having a theory that even non-'performance' cars should have a high degree of performance, doesn't neccessarily put you out in front.

 

[Bret]

I kind of knew something was up some time ago when we started having trouble with and getting a hold of the diesel powered sprinter vans. Mercedes Bends inline 6 was extremely compatible with our application because we ran a diesel generator in the rear - allowed for a single fuel tank rather than two. We got the sprinter vans in three flavors Dodge, Mercedes and Freightliner.

Early on acquisition was easy when we first started using the platform but it has become harder & harder. Likewise getting these things serviced is a PITB because when you roll into a Mercedes dealership in a van for service they snub their nose at you and Freightliner service rep looks at you like “what the heck is that?” This meant we had to take the vans to the local Dodge dealer – where quality of customer service varies from dealership to dealership.

Of course it should be no surprise because after the merger I’d always been told by my German friends that the proper pronunciation of “Daimler-Chrysler” is that the Chrysler part is silent. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif