NYT reporting: Chrysler expected to file Chapter 11 on Thursday, handed over to Fiat over the weekend.

The poker game continues Thursday, but I do believe that Chrysler ends up having to fold.

Fix It Again, Tony!  :P

Fix It Again, Tony!  :P

I'm sure I've said this before on this forum: Fiats are good cars these days.  They have been for quite a while - I had a Bravo for 7 years (best car to drive that I've owned), a friend had a Panda, then a Punto giving nearly 2 decades of hassle-free motoring.  My brother-in-law had a Tipo for years (one of the first really reliable Fiats, IIRC - pretty awful styling, but mechanically sound and (incredible at the time for a Fiat) it didn't rust).  I still own a 12-year-old Ulysse.  And the new 500 is a gem.

There are far worse car companies into whose hands to fall..

Its true, although I've frequently aimed jokes at FIAT's past cars reliability, rust and so forth, they've come leaps and bounds to make some very reliable and capable cars.
They're certainly making automobiles that are better than 90% of the American car makers, and not too far behind German or Japanese for that matter.

Despite all the doomsayers talk, I now don't think Mopar (Chrysler) is going to go under, some form of bankruptcy, yes, but Obama used to drive a 300C (yes, with a HEMI), so somehow he's got a soft spot for them.  ;)

Whats more likely to happen is they do file for some other form of bankruptcy that would include FIAT taking over (probably) 30% of Mopar, and the US government a nice chunk as well. Some type of government oversight official is going to be appointed to Chrysler's board too.

There is a real silver lining in this situation.

Chrysler gets a new lease on life and gets to re direct and refocus its line up, its market, in addition their production/manufacturing process.
FIAT gets an opportunity to re enter the US market after some 20 years.
The competition of the market and the selection of cars increases, always a good thing, promotes better cars and lower prices.
Affordable Italian cars will be available (not just $$$ Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Maserattis) once again (maybe Alfa Romeo will return too?).
Maybe we'll get the bonus of some weird hybrid between the two carmakers, how about a FIAT 500 Arbarth with a HEMI?!  :D


http://blog.niot.net/blog-images/geneva-08-preview-official-specs-leaked-on-fiat-500-abarth.jpg

OR better yet, since FIAT owns nearly half of Ferrari, how about a Dodge Caravan with a SCREAMING Ferrari V-12?! That'd make a soccer mom's drive a bit more exciting, wouldn't it? ;)

Fiats rock.  Screw Chrysler.

Chrysler blows.  There are a couple of flaming a-holes at the Twinsburg Stamping Plant I'd like to go see today.  Back in the day they were cocky, like Chrysler was all that.

Now the'll be lucky if the're stamping out Fiats.

Its true, although I've frequently aimed jokes at FIAT's past cars reliability, rust and so forth, they've come leaps and bounds to make some very reliable and capable cars.

OR better yet, since FIAT owns nearly half of Ferrari, how about a Dodge Caravan with a SCREAMING Ferrari V-12?! That'd make a soccer mom's drive a bit more exciting, wouldn't it? ;)


Agreed on all points.

The problem with FIAT is that they haven't been selling their current FIAT-branded cars in US markets, ironically, in large part because of American protectionist laws disguised as emissions and safety standards.  That Abarth could give the New Mini (which is also a cool car in its own right) a run for its money on looks and performance.  (while meeting emissions standards, as long as the US can finally get off its ass and get with ultra-low-sulfur diesel instead of the crap we currently think of as diesel fuel.)

Chrysler is dead; long live Mopar.

Agreed on all points.

The problem with FIAT is that they haven't been selling their current FIAT-branded cars in US markets, ironically, in large part because of American protectionist laws disguised as emissions and safety standards. 

US standards have not seemed to keep Toyota, Kia, Hyundai, BMW, VW, Datsun, Volvo, Saab, Mercedes, or Honda from selling in US markets.

Chrysler SHOULD'VE went under 30 years ago!

Does American Car Corporations have to be this stupid?

The only good US Car Corporation is Ford, they aren't in that much trouble.

A seem to remember Chrysler being highly successful with their minivans in the '80s...but beyond that, they seemed to be on "life support" after the Iacocca miracle.
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/dontknow.gif

Chrysler SHOULD'VE went under 30 years ago!

Does American Car Corporations have to be this stupid?

The only good US Car Corporation is Ford, they aren't in that much trouble.


Thirty years ago, my company was one of very few that granted extended credit terms to Chrysler.

But 10 years later, those A-holes forgot all about us saving their skin.  Screw 'em...

Two Words.



Alfa


Romeo

Chrysler SHOULD'VE went under 30 years ago!

Does American Car Corporations have to be this stupid?

The only good US Car Corporation is Ford, they aren't in that much trouble.


Chrysler completely deserves to be in the situation they helped to create, but realistly, not everything they've done was stupid.


A seem to remember Chrysler being highly successful with their minivans in the '80s...but beyond that, they seemed to be on "life support" after the Iacocca miracle.
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/dontknow.gif

The K car saved Mopar in the 80's, the Minivan was icing on the cake (as the minivan chassis were based on the K-car). Just about EVERY car they made till the early 90's was a K-car clone, and poorly done at that, but it kept them afloat.

But we can't simply think all they did were produced bad cars that we didn't want, 'cause its not true.

We drooled over the Viper, about every other girl on the planet that didn't buy a new Beetle bought a PT Cruiser, and every wannabe hoodrat, gangsta, and pretend upscale poser bought a 300C (slammed it and added 22" rims, one of Mopars most popular and highest sales units since the K car BTW). Not to mention the large group that bought their Ram Hemi trucks or Jeep Cherokee or some other huge Mopar SUV, and most recently the reincarnation of the Challenger.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3540/3499442973_f79acf1828.jpg

You can't say that at sometime a lot of car buyers didn't want these cars...I for one will be sad to see some of these go.

Chrysler completely deserves to be in the situation they helped to create, but realistly, not everything they've done was stupid.
The K car saved Mopar in the 80's, the Minivan was icing on the cake (as the minivan chassis were based on the K-car). Just about EVERY car they made till the early 90's was a K-car clone, and poorly done at that, but it kept them afloat.

But we can't simply think all they did were produced bad cars that we didn't want, 'cause its not true.

We drooled over the Viper, about every other girl on the planet that didn't buy a new Beetle bought a PT Cruiser, and every wannabe hoodrat, gangsta, and pretend upscale poser bought a 300C (slammed it and added 22" rims, one of Mopars most popular and highest sales units since the K car BTW). Not to mention the large group that bought their Ram Hemi trucks or Jeep Cherokee or some other huge Mopar SUV, and most recently the reincarnation of the Challenger.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3540/3499442973_f79acf1828.jpg

You can't say that at sometime a lot of car buyers didn't want these cars...I for one will be sad to see some of these go.







I doubt most of the ones you mention will go. They've been popular because they sell, the folks running Fiat aren't fools, they'll keep well selling models. What's more likely to happen is redundant models like the Sebring (a godawful car) and the town and country (a Dodge Caravan with a slightly higher price tag) will end their days.

Chrysler completely deserves to be in the situation they helped to create, but realistly, not everything they've done was stupid.
The K car saved Mopar in the 80's, the Minivan was icing on the cake (as the minivan chassis were based on the K-car). Just about EVERY car they made till the early 90's was a K-car clone, and poorly done at that, but it kept them afloat.

But we can't simply think all they did were produced bad cars that we didn't want, 'cause its not true.

We drooled over the Viper, about every other girl on the planet that didn't buy a new Beetle bought a PT Cruiser, and every wannabe hoodrat, gangsta, and pretend upscale poser bought a 300C (slammed it and added 22" rims, one of Mopars most popular and highest sales units since the K car BTW). Not to mention the large group that bought their Ram Hemi trucks or Jeep Cherokee or some other huge Mopar SUV, and most recently the reincarnation of the Challenger.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3540/3499442973_f79acf1828.jpg

A-ha...the first one on the left there...I've seen plenty of those chugging through town with big bass subwoofers shaking the pavement behind it!  Yeah, you bad!

The K Car ranked for stud status dead even with the Chevy Nova!
:P
You can't say that at sometime a lot of car buyers didn't want these cars...I for one will be sad to see some of these go.

Capitalism threw a rod here.  It broke down.  It f**ked up!

Now Glenn Beck, Art Laffer, Michelle Malkin, and other doojnozzles are out there complaining about Chrysler being owned by two governments and a union. 

Look, I'm just a slob who works for a living.  Maybe I'm just not sophisticated to understand what millionaire commentators and zillionaire businessmen take for granted.  In my pathetic world, if I don't do my job, I lose it and somebody else gets to do it. 

In the high class world of Beck and Laffer, you don't do your job -- like the Chrysler management -- and you're entitled to keep it anyway AND get a fat raise.

You know what?  I'm finally not the loony-toonz around this joint.  The lot of you right-wing pundits and whiny corporate execs need a felling ax lobotomy!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/07/nut.gif

Chrysler completely deserves to be in the situation they helped to create, but realistly, not everything they've done was stupid.
The K car saved Mopar in the 80's, the Minivan was icing on the cake (as the minivan chassis were based on the K-car). Just about EVERY car they made till the early 90's was a K-car clone, and poorly done at that, but it kept them afloat.

But we can't simply think all they did were produced bad cars that we didn't want, 'cause its not true.

We drooled over the Viper, about every other girl on the planet that didn't buy a new Beetle bought a PT Cruiser, and every wannabe hoodrat, gangsta, and pretend upscale poser bought a 300C (slammed it and added 22" rims, one of Mopars most popular and highest sales units since the K car BTW). Not to mention the large group that bought their Ram Hemi trucks or Jeep Cherokee or some other huge Mopar SUV, and most recently the reincarnation of the Challenger.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3540/3499442973_f79acf1828.jpg

You can't say that at sometime a lot of car buyers didn't want these cars...I for one will be sad to see some of these go.





Yeah Chrysler was pretty successful in the mid to late 90's saleswise. I mean they did have a market share of 17.5% of the US market back in 1999 or 2000. Than the merger with Mercedes really killed their sales in the US this decade.

In the K-Car era they had like a 9%-11% share of the US market.

The 300C was really their only major hit in this decade. I mean the Ram pick-up has always been a good seller albiet with sweeter incentives($$$) than either of their (I_am_a_loser_who_has_no_respect_for_women)erparts that sell pick-up trucks(GM and Ford.)

I have heard that the R&D in Chrysler's products weren;t really wasn't being done thoroughly and thats probably true over the past several years at least in my opinion. I mean GM went through a similar thing in my opinion the R&D in their passenger cars(including Caddy) really wasn;t done like it should have been in the 90's-2005 period and the interiors were sub-par at best in most of their passenger car offerrings minus Caddy. 

Capitalism threw a rod here.  It broke down.  It f**ked up!

Now Glenn Beck, Art Laffer, Michelle Malkin, and other doojnozzles are out there complaining about Chrysler being owned by two governments and a union. 

Look, I'm just a slob who works for a living.  Maybe I'm just not sophisticated to understand what millionaire commentators and zillionaire businessmen take for granted.  In my pathetic world, if I don't do my job, I lose it and somebody else gets to do it. 

In the high class world of Beck and Laffer, you don't do your job -- like the Chrysler management -- and you're entitled to keep it anyway AND get a fat raise.

You know what?  I'm finally not the loony-toonz around this joint.  The lot of you right-wing pundits and whiny corporate execs need a felling ax lobotomy!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/07/nut.gif
I like Glenn Beck he has some good points. I kinda disagree with Glenn Beck a little bit on him whining that Chrysler is going to be owned by the government well the government is a shareholder because they gave Chrysler money previously and Chrysler is in bankruptcy so again the government has to give Chrysler money in a bankruptcy. I'm with Beck being against the Government owning a major stake in a car maker because the government doesn't know enough on how to run an auto company but Chrsyler asked for money from the government and is now in bankruptcy so what can you do ?

I don't get why the UAW has to have a major stake in Chrysler though.