Archive for the ‘Wrangler’ Category

Sergio Marchionne took the reigns of Chrysler less than a month ago, and already he's showing that life at the new Chrysler/Fiat isn't going to be la dolce vita. Taking advantage of the capital and credibility that come at the start of many corporate tenures, the CEO is making some very bold choices--and some difficult ones, too.

Over the weekend, we mentioned that Marchionne is readying plans to rebadge a number of Dodge models for European markets and to rebadge Alfa Romeos for America. Now comes news that Marchionne also seeks to cut a number of underperforming and duplicative models from the Chrysler lineup. Facing the chopping block:...

It's official--Chrysler has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Now the long task of sorting out the good from the bad at the storied automaker, with the added task of joining hand in hand with Italy's Fiat Group to build a new Chrysler with a new range of small cars.

You might have questions about shopping for a new Chrysler today, and those are easy to answer. Yes, you're safe to buy--the government says it's going to back your warranty. Yes, Chrysler will be here in its current form for a while; Chapter 11 doesn't mean it will be going away overnight, though your local dealer may be having trouble sleeping at night as the company...

There's a lot more Chrysler news today, and for fans of the company and its brands, most of it isn't good.

The worst so far: the Dodge Viper and the Jeep Wrangler may be axed entirely. This comes from a document filed by Robert Manzo, the executive director of Capstone Group, LLC, who's been brought in as a sort of "expert witness" speaking in favor of the Chrysler/Fiat marriage. Manzo presents a liquidation analysis which "assumes four car lines are sold as going concerns (Wrangler, Viper, Ram/Dakota Truck, and Brampton Car)." In particular, he points to the prohibitive costs associated with the purchase of the Wrangler: in addition to the...