Chrysler turnaround depends on remaking car brands, turning heads
 

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Chrysler sold more than 118,000 Sebring sedans in 2001. Eight years later, the automaker barely sold 27,000 as its bankruptcy filing sent customers fleeing to the car's newer, better competitors.
Chrysler now has a turnaround plan that promises improved quality and a stream of new models. But it won't work unless Chrysler can get cars like the Sebring back on people's shopping lists. To do that, Chrysler is going back to the basics: Reinventing its car brands - Chrysler as a luxury line, Dodge as a quirky value brand - and reintroducing them with head-turning ads.
It's a tall order, but Chrysler insists it can be done.
"We've had troubles. Yeah. We saw death. But the whole world needs to realize we're serious about this plan," Dodge brand chief Ralph Gilles told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "We're no dummies. We know what a good car is and what a good car isn't."

Chrysler Concept Car:
http://xs.to/share-E895_4B5D3812.html

Chrysler's truck brands, Jeep and Ram, have strong identities in buyers' minds. But its car brands are mushy, said Allen Adamson of the San Francisco-based branding firm Landor Associates. One of Chrysler's first actions under Fiat SpA, which took control of the automaker last year, was to split Ram truck from Dodge so Dodge could stand alone.
"What they need to do is quickly define what they want to stand for and then build on it," Adamson said.
Dodge will try to make a big splash with an ad during the Super Bowl next month. Chrysler Group LLC, which has yet to pay back $15.5 billion it borrowed from the federal government, is taking some heat for paying an estimated $5 million to air the ad. But the company says it's the best forum to explain Dodge's transformation.

I wish them luck. Maybe with Italian styling, they'll turn more heads.

And I'm told that Fiat has some advanced engineering as well.

Maybe someday we'll see a Sebring replacement called the Lancia DeSoto--combining the old and new.

Chrysler styling used to be great. Still, most Dodge/Chrysler cars have potential. They just went wrong in some way.

Most cars look too much alike. You can pay 50 thou and get a car that looks like one for 15 thou.

Jaguars are (or were) diistinctive (tho not reliable). We need more cars to have their own distincitve look, like they used to.

BTW, I think my Sebring vert looks pretty good.

The funny thing is that I became a Dodge/Chrysler fan because of the aggressive styling in the 90's.

Chrysler needs to go back to Lee Iacocca's vision and the philosophies of the mid 90's. For the past several years, they have offered NO entry level vehicles. Cars such as the Omni-Shadow-Neon were great simplistic and low cost vehicles. This got the average Joe into the chrysler market. for the most part the quality was decent (except the Neon head gasket major issue). The old 2.2 had HG issues but they lasted a lot longer and were a relatively easy fix as long as the engine didn't overheat. As for engines, I don't think anyone could deny the the 3.3 as being one of chrysler's BEST most rugged engine since the 318 and slant six. Now look at the 2.7. What a POS IMHO.

Going back to the 90's the product excitement was abundant. the LH car, Neon, avenger, cloud cars, 94 truck, viper. However I hated the electrical with the Mitsler cars (avenger, talon)

Well, Dodge has the Caliber but it isn't like the Neon. So, I know what you're saying. The Neon just needed a redesign and a new name; like Chevy did with the Cavalier/Cobalt. They didn't need to scrap it completely.

My idea of distinctive styling is not only the Jag, but the old Mercedes 450SL. And for a real golden oldie, how about the 41 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet? --12 cylinders, BTW.

Also, DeSoto used to have some interesting styles.

Mopar's future designs look great.

No More Sebring
 

Posted: Feb. 17, 2010

Chrysler to drop Sebring
name, change small,
midsize models

BY GREG GARDNER
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

Facing a drumbeat of doubt about its pace of
new car development, Chrysler is dropping clues
that changes in its small and midsize cars may
be more substantial and arrive sooner, based on
recent comments from CEO Sergio Marchionne.

For example, a "freshening" of the Chrysler
Sebring and Dodge Avenger, due by the end of
this year, now will include at least one new name
-- Sebring will be dropped -- and more
extensive structural revisions.

Then, last month in Italy, Marchionne said
premium brands Chrysler and Lancia could
"converge as early as the end of the year." That
raises the prospect that the Chrysler-modified
version of the Lancia Delta on display at the
Detroit auto show could come to U.S.
showrooms.

"In Europe, Lancia is an undersize,
underdeveloped brand, with nothing bigger than
the Delta," Marchionne said. "Chrysler, which has
a true global reach, has nothing smaller. Put
them together and you have a full line-up."

But fixing the underachieving Sebring and
Avenger, sales of which tumbled 62% and 37%,
respectively, in 2009, is even more important if
Marchionne's turnaround is to gain traction.

Neglect and miserly cuts in product development
spending by Daimler and Cerberus Capital
Management left Sebring and Avenger exposed to
superior competing cars. Chrysler plans a re-
engineered midsize car from a Fiat underbody,
but it won't reach showrooms until 2013. That


means the near-term challenge is to transform
two much-maligned models enough so
consumers will reconsider the Chrysler or Dodge
brands.

"We've rolled up our sleeves and have torn apart
that architecture," Marchionne said. "You'll see a
completely different animal. We're having a
discussion about what name this animal should
have. The jury is still out."

Chrysler's brain trust understands the urgency.
Marchionne and Chrysler brand president Olivier
Francois are focused on enhancing those
characteristics of the midsize sedans that
consumers will notice.

Stephanie Brinley, an industry analyst with
AutoPacific Group in Troy, said Chrysler is
somewhat limited in the changes that can be
made, but even small changes can have an
impact.

The changes "can make a big difference in a car's
quality of ride and handling," she said.

If Chrysler can integrate Fiat's Multiair engine
technology into its 2.4-liter engine, the base
engine for the new midsize sedans, that could
break through som

I'll be 16 in a year, And i refuse to get one of these plastic piles. I rather drive a car that gets 2 miles to the gallon then to drive a car that makes me look like a queer. My father has owned somewhere around 120ish Mopar vehicles. 4 of them chargers Not these 4door "Charger"'s Which is a CORONNET NOT A CHARGER. He owned a 1971 1972 1973 and a 1974 His 72' was his favorite car out of them all, What do they do They remake the Challenger OUT OF PLASTIC and Turn the Charger into a 4door Soccer Mom Sedan. I'm disgusted with Chrysler as they stoped makeing Good looking cars in 1976. MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF STEEL FOR A CHANGE. Plastic may be more cost effective but if you get an an accident YOUR CAR IS TOTALED Yeah i definatly want to pay 16,000 to 43,000 for something that if it gets hit i have to replace it. You could get hit by a car going 70 in the 60's and 70's and walk away untouched, Get in an accident now the airbag knocks your teeth out and your cars junk, If you got hit going 70 you'd be dead or in critical condision. If i get a chrysler product i'm going to buy an older Plymouth or Dodge due to the Quality of the vehicle. If you expect us to like a plastic challenger then you have rocks for brains, and the 'Cuda concept looks like annother Euro-Trash Austin-Martin. If Chrysler had a pair they would bring back some of the other CLASSIC Not 1975+ but 1960-1974 car designs and use STEEL not aluminum and plastic with a throw away transmission. What happened to the Chrysler everybody remembers? Chrysler was Luxery Dodge Power at an affordable price, and Plymouth was the Middle class Muscle car. THey want 16,000 or more for a plastic P.O.S But in 1966 the charger was 3,122$ STICKER PRICE. My genoration of cars (1990's - 2010) Have the worst cars out of them all, Yeah gas millage is good but if you get a car it should last 10 years not 3 before the car starts to go. When you can park a Plymouth Duster, or a Dodge Challenger for 15 years Fill it with gas and start it, Thats how a car was built. Not some Euro-Peon Junk that if you park it for 3 days something breaks. If they want people to buy their cars again, Put some Classic style into it Not just make a Box with a round front end, We don't want your Rhyno-Looking cars We want our AMERICAN cars back. And my Fathers been a mechanic since he was 14 Don't even say these turds are Quality i've seen them taken appart. - A Vary Dissatisfied Customer.

I hop that they have luck in this new project, is very comforting nows that they worried about customers...

I remember when you could tell one car from another from a block away.

What's in a name?

You must not pay attention to crash test rating because lots of cars are getting perfect ratings these days. Compare to old steel days.

Thats something few people care about, I rather drive a car that has Style then all the fancy **** like Heated seats, Airbags, "Push Button Start" and Remote door locks, A CPU that controlls the engine speed, An Automatic trans that goes bad in about 6 months, I Like things that arn't four million buttons. Like the old Roller handle windows, But now all cars are Power this power that and cars are 90% plastic. You take 1 old 'Cuda or a Valient and recycle it you wind up with 100 of these new plastic turds. And the only reason it has a higher "Crash Test Rateing" is because the cars frame squishes inward turning it into scrap. And if you recycle plastic or aluminum enough it breaks down and cracks. I like things that i can have for a while and enjoy not have for a year and need to replace everything on the car. Have you people seen what your "New" Cars are made of? They're yesterdays rustbuckets gone threw a shredder Melted down stamped and just add plastic Woo Hoo a "Brand New" Car. This doesn't just apply to chrysler but the intire automotive industry. My father spoke with one of the owners of chrysler in the 1982 And they had all the old cars Molds and dyes, But now they're rotting in warehouse somewhere. They rebuilt the "Challenger" Using the 1970-1971 Design "Chrome" Gas cap and all, Too bad the chromes just plastic dunked in an Acid then into a tank of chrome. They also said they Brought back the "Hemi" but it's just an amped up 360 with differnt headers. I like chrysler and all but The class died in 1976 around the time they came up with the 1977 charger. And Droped the original 'Cuda concept raceing car. If you haven't seen the old chargers, Type in 1966 Charger in your browser then compare the 2008-2010 to the 1966-1974 and you'll want to puke like i do. I don't mean to offend but a Neon isn't Chrysler powered Mitsubishi took over with the Front wheel drive Era of the 90's Dodge Stealth has a Mitsubishi, Neon has a Mitsubishi, the Stratus had one, The Avengers did too. they may say Made in USA but all cars are outsource. Chrysler went German back in the day thats why we have these Rhyno style cars, I call it a rhyno because Most of these things you see are Silver and they have a large ass-end with a small front end. The main engines that power chrysler arn't the 318's 340's 360's 383's 400's 426's 440's 426-HEMI But little Foreign engines. Only vehicles that are still Chrysler powered i've seen are Jeep and thats mainly a 318.