Comments on: Fiat to drop Chrysler brand?

By: steve46

steve46 — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:37:09 +0000

Dropping Chrysler brand would be the end, in my view. A waste of my bailout money and my loyalty to the brand. I have had two 300′s so far, one on lease and now purchased 300C. For me, they are great cars for the money and everyone I know wants to know more about it. You can’t get that kind of attention from a Dodge – sorry. The proposed 200c electric will be my next car if they actually build it. If they drop Chrysler, you won’t see me buying a van to get an electric – or a Jeep for that matter. Chrysler does not need to be a full line-up – dealers should sell both Dodge and Chrysler.

By: jackjimturkey

jackjimturkey — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:02:17 +0000

What is Chrysler supposed to be, anyway? at one point, it was a legitimate luxury marqe, then ….

Just wierd. like Lincoln. Caddy has almost headed down the same road with teh tahoe rebadge, but at least there are some real dedicated models.

krautninja: “the only model chrysler had worth while was the 300…” Plus the T&C, though that segment is dying.

“Chrysler tried to pawn itself off as a premium or even luxury brand, but was no where near caddilac or lincoln .” It was years ago. Hell, Lincoln is straight faux-luxury now.

hangonbig3 “300 … still a great car for the money.” yep.

Go Saab: “The only brand name that’s useful in that mess is Jeep.” it’s certainly got some value.

Hyperion: I liked the Prowler.

MaytagRepairman: i had two cousins who spent their inheritance on matching Fiats. neither could drive a stick, but they bought ‘em anyway.

impulsive facts: I think Alfa would serve the same role as Saab: No prententions at the mass market, but solid sales to people who know what they want. That would be the pre-GM Saab I speak of, of course.

Veda: “Am I the only one who thinks Fiat and Alfa would do better in sales than Chrysler itself when they bring them over to US?” They can’t do much worse.

A4: the Town & Country is the best minivan available, but no one’s buying minivans.

CanadaCraig: “L—s started off with just TWO products,” neither of them unique.

By: AFSOCSARGE

AFSOCSARGE — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:14:49 +0000

I agree with Canada Craig I read that they were going to drop this idea in an Motor Trend Article.

-Sarge

By: CanadaCraig

CanadaCraig — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:34:02 +0000

Lexus started off with just TWO products. The LS400 and the ES250. I see no problem whatsoever with the Chrysler brand ‘only’ having three products. Besides – given the variations of each of the three [300, 300C, 300C SRT8 - for example] that certainly outdoes what Lexus first offered. Dropping the Chrysler brand would be a HUGE mistake. I say – move Chrysler up-market so it CAN compete with the likes of the Cadillac CTS and Lincoln’s MKZ and MKS. And stop attaching the Chrysler name to low-brow offerings. The 2.7 liter V6 – for example – should NEVER have been available on the 300. And every 300 should have come with side impact airbags – standard. [And so on] Chrysler branded vehicles should never have been sold on PRICE. That just all but ruined the Chrysler name. For many years – owning a Chrysler gave you some neighbourhood bragging rights. It’s time to restore the Chrysler name to were it rightfully belongs.

By: A4

A4 — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:36:13 +0000

I would add the Town & Country to the list of worthy Chrysler products… they make one of the best minivans available and the T&C has a small premium for a much classier looking product compared to its Dodge counterpart. Especially when equipped with the projector beam headlamps.

By: 1c3d0g

1c3d0g — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:55:57 +0000

bigs4610: I concur.

By: Veda

Veda — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:47:29 +0000

Am I the only one who thinks Fiat and Alfa would do better in sales than Chrysler itself when they bring them over to US?

By: No More Oil For Toyota

No More Oil For Toyota — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:22:47 +0000

I agree with Pazzo….heres what happened, every possible option is being thrown on the table. journalist gets a droplet of info, makes BIG article about it to get his/her name out in hopes of getting recognition.

By: Pazzo Canguri

Pazzo Canguri — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:02:06 +0000

IT’s BS GUYS RELAX……..

By: NRG

NRG — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:36:47 +0000

Let me see if I understand this. Chrysler accepts Fiat as a partner in order to stay afloat and not liquidate. Then Fiat turns around and is ready to axe the Chrysler division. Pretty sneaky Fiat. Gotta love the cut throat corporate world. So what will the luxury division be then? I guess there won’t be one.

Being a mopar fan, that would really hurt if Chrysler disappeared.

By: gogogodzilla

gogogodzilla — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:20:13 +0000

I always said that this was Fiat’s way of getting a full dealership network (plus a few factories) in the US.

And to be honest, I think that it’d be better for those former Chrysler dealers, as the brand is damaged beyond repair.

By: krautninja

krautninja — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:13:44 +0000

i thikn if done right, Dodge could very well pull one of fords moves and offer a full range of product under one badge. Facing the fact… if chrysler wants to become the company it actually views itself as, that is goin to take years of steady reform to raise public perception to view chrysler as they view themselves,…chrysler simply doesnt have that kind of time on their hands

By: impulsive facts

impulsive facts — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:53:10 +0000

at present the 300, and maybe the sebring convertible, are the only products that should be wearing a chrysler badge

one question is whether you think dodge can become like ford or honda and sell a full range of products at a similar volume as to justify only one brand (and cost savings by not having to (badge) engineer two looks off of the same product)

another question is whether the new chrysler 300 and 200, with marketing, quality materials and significant differentiation from similar dodge products, could ever be justifiably mid-aspirational vehicles (low $30s to high $40s)

if you’re rooting for chrysler, then you gotta have something above a dodge

and i’m not sure any fiat and not even an alfa quite fits the bill

By: carstuff

carstuff — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:41:46 +0000

Dodge Trucks, minivans, Jeeps are what they are after. the 300C can become a Dodge and the Charger will remain a dodge.

By: HoosierHero

HoosierHero — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:29:59 +0000

They should sell it off if anything. Though Penske would probably crap his pants knowing he could have bought Chrysler instead of Saturn.

By: shane train

shane train — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:27:18 +0000

Hang on, hang on.

Was this some kind of multi- million dollar one night stand, or what?

By: Mutant@DCX

Mutant@DCX — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:26:05 +0000

I call bs, Chrysler Group llc and no Chrysler product, wtf?

Prediction: Fiat is gonna crash big time globally, and take Chrysler with it!

By: gugusolidu

gugusolidu — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:24:14 +0000

It’s puzzling that they’d want to drop Chrysler rather than Dodge. I’d have gone the other way. But I’m probably not their target customer.

By: JakeK66

JakeK66 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:15:11 +0000

Thanks A4, LOL, I know, I’ve ordered plenty of both, but they appeal to different customer bases was my point. Chargers are more fleet/police/sport orientated, while 300′s more luxury/older crowd. Similiar to how the Lucerne and Impala are closely linked, but not to the same customer base.

By: MaytagRepairman

MaytagRepairman — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:55:44 +0000

My train of thought jumped the tracks. I thought Fiat was going to fix the Chrysler lineup with rebadged Fiats to give them smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. I can’t see rebadged Fiats as Dodges or Jeeps. With the past experience Americans have had with Fiat, I can’t see them as Fiats either.

By: ahnuconun

ahnuconun — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:53:26 +0000

I can see the history books now: The Great Branding Crisis of the Early 21st Century.

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:37:25 +0000

Chrysler without Chrysler? Sorry but that’s just f*cking stupid. Moving on…

By: A4

A4 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:34:41 +0000

JakeK, the 300C in dodge form is called a Charger.

By: JakeK66

JakeK66 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:17:04 +0000

I think there point, Hyperion, is that they will be introducing two more brands, Fiat and Alfa Romeo to the dealerships so 5 brands would be pushing it. I think if they do cut them off it should be after the new 200C and 300C have complete lifecycles until Alfa becomes more prominate, which is likely to take 5-7 more years.

By: Hyperion

Hyperion — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:07:20 +0000

To me, the there have always been two main brands for this company: Chrysler and Dodge. I can’t see how you can kill the former just because the product portfolio is too small in the short term.

Plymouth has already been killed and they were a huge part of this car company until the only appealing car they were allowed to sell was the limited production and extremely niche Prowler hotrod.

I don’t see the sense in doing this. GM had too many brands and so did Ford. Chrysler not so much.

By: JakeK66

JakeK66 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:03:33 +0000

So they aren’t likely to drop the 200C or the 300C, so they would just be Dodges? I can’t see them just taking them off completely, no midsize or fullsize sedans would mean the end of Chrysler. I don’t think the Fiat 500 can sell in that kind of volume in the NA market – nor can anything Fiat produces now, all too small.

With Chrysler existing as only 3 models, I don’t see the point in dropping them. People who buy the 300C aren’t neccessarily going to buy the Charger, so there is a purpose, and they are marketed with the other two brands already – so how much will it save?

By: Go Saab

Go Saab — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:01:49 +0000

Who cares…The only brand name that’s useful in that mess is Jeep.

By: hangonbig3

hangonbig3 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:01:44 +0000

Yes…We saw how well the fifty to sixty thousand dollar sedans sold for Cadillac. Chrysler “Pawned” the 300 off as a thirty five to fourty thousand dollar car and did pretty well…still a great car for the money.

By: krautninja

krautninja — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:56:40 +0000

no big loss really…. the sebring was lack luster, the only model chrysler had worth while was the 300… needless to say it wont be overly missed, The company can live on with just Dodge and Jeep if done correctly. Face the facts, chrysler tried to pawn itself off as a premium or even luxury brand, but was no where near caddilac or lincoln .

By: Borat

Borat — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:49:55 +0000

That make sense. What cars, trucks, vans Chrysler can sell? Vans and trucks are associated with Dodge, Jeeps with Jeep and Sebring with Chrysler. No great loss. make it a no loss at all

By: MercMark

MercMark — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:48:57 +0000

So what did we bailout?

By: bigs4610

bigs4610 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:48:10 +0000

let it live as a niche brand
have the 300 and the 200 be the only models it has to offer.

By: A4

A4 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:42:08 +0000

WTF?