Despite well-publicized reports that Chrysler is in serious discussions to sell off some of its assets, including its core auto brands, Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler, the automaker’s President adamantly denied the reports. Chrysler LLC President Tom LaSorda said this morning on a conference call with the media that the company has no intention to sell off its brands.
“We will not separate the brands from the company,” LaSorda stressed. Reports surfaced last night that Chrysler was talking to Nissan-Renault about Jeep and major supplier Magna International about certain Chrysler and Dodge models.
The Reuters report said that the automaker would sell off its Belvidere, Illinois, factory, which builds the Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass and Patriot. The report indicated that Chrysler wanted to sell the production of those models to Magna.
LaSorda did confirm that the automaker is in unrelated talks with Magna over a potential Russian parternship. He said that the automaker was not holding any talks with Renault-Nissan, though it does intend to continue producing trucks for Nissan in exchange for small Nissan-built, Dodge-branded cars.
He also suggested that any major deal brokered between Chrysler and a supplier would require the oversight of a potential car czar, a government overseer that seems to be generally supported by the Detroit Three.
“If we were to sell any assets … the loan agreement would never allow us to do that without going through the car czar,” LaSorda said during the conference.
01/14, 10:20 AM
posted by:
Lariat Luxury Locomotive Liner No.3
Now Cerberus is saying they will playing by the rules? Yeah….right…
01/14, 10:27 AM
posted by:
wbent
Smoke and mirrors, the ending line is a riot, come March the “Car Czar” will force the sale and merger of Chrysler brands.
01/14, 10:29 AM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Strangest thing, my computer just started making the oddest creaks and rattles when that picture of the Caliber appeared.
01/14, 10:36 AM
posted by:
AnonymousCoward
It’s true, they have no intention to sell of its brand. They kill them instead and then the world will be a better place.
01/14, 10:37 AM
posted by:
yarddog82abn
Aaaa… bummer dude…
01/14, 10:43 AM
posted by:
A4
yeah johnny, mine suddenly went from a neon-like laptop into an overweight desktop when the Caliber popped up.
01/14, 11:03 AM
posted by:
injunraiv
LOL, when the Honda comes up my computer goes to sleep!
01/14, 11:59 AM
posted by:
Borat
I happen to like Caliber. It was a better car in rental fleet then most. Certainly felt better then Frds, Hyundai or all Chevys, except Impala.
I am sure the rules will be bend to continue work at those factories. What government will do? Close factories after investing 4 bn?
01/14, 12:29 PM
posted by:
oldraven
When a Toyota comes on my screen, my computer tells me it’s overclocking, but it’s still no faster than anyone else’s.
01/14, 12:33 PM
posted by:
oldraven
As for the Calibre, it should have been an updated Neon (with a coupe again) and this slot should have been a remodelled PT Cruiser.
Borat, the factories aren’t being closed, they’re being bought by Magna to still produce cars. People in Illinois still get to work, you just send your cash to Canada when you buy one of the cars made there.
01/14, 12:43 PM
posted by:
The Stig
The Caliber is POS. Offloading production anywhere else won’t make any difference.
01/14, 1:53 PM
posted by:
Gundy
Oldraven, I totally agree about the Neon / Caliber. Chrysler doesn’t have a small, high-mileage car like the original Neon does it? Needless to say, if they did, they would be in a lot better position than they are today. I thought the Caliber was pretty cool when it first came out, but I didn’t know it was supposed to be a Neon replacement. It gets pretty bad mileage too compared to the Neon if I remember right.
01/14, 2:11 PM
posted by:
Borat
Guys, have you driven Caliber vs. competition? Yes, the mileage is sub par, but not by much. It is much better specimen then small cars out of “domestics”. And it is actually domestic in content and place of assembly. Actual mileage on 2.4L automatic Caliber was way better the Chevy Aveo and Pontiac G5!
01/14, 4:03 PM
posted by:
Gundy
And, who here would turn down an SRT4 Caliber? I’d love one.
01/14, 4:38 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Gundy, I don’t know. Anyone with 20-20 vision?
01/14, 5:39 PM
posted by:
beatusmongous
I’m with Old Raven, sort of. To me, the Caliber is redundant with the PT Cruiser. They should have made a Dodge version of the Cruiser in the form of a panel wagon, and kept the Neon. As cool as the Caliber is (I don’t like it), they should have focused on a car in the compact segment. My 2¢.