Back at the Brink, Chrysler Finds Fewer Friends March 3, 2007
Back then, it was Lee Iacocca and the federal government bailing out Chrysler. Today the German owners must figure out how to fix the company. Correction Appended AUBURN HILLS, Mich. DAIMLERCHRYSLER always seems to outdo itself at the Detroit auto show, and this year was no exception. The company showcased celebrities like the chef Bobby Flay, and then generated a fresh round of buzz via an artificial ice rink (its surface carefully scuffed to keep visitors from slipping) that it built to show off its legendary Mercedes-Benz line.For DaimlerChrysler itself, however, the corporate mood was just as cold as the …
Around the Block: Planted Just Before the Frost November 25, 2006
The 2007 Chrysler Aspen is a perfectly nice vehicle with perfectly awful timing. It is big and thirsty, meant for a time when gas flowed like water. TESTED: Chrysler AspenWHAT IS IT? Full-size S.U.V.HOW MUCH? Base model $30,745. As tested $41,870 including a $5,415 quick-order package (with Hemi engine and popular features); $1,595 navigation system; $1,200 rear seat entertainment system; $875 leather trimmed seats; $745 shipping charge.WHAT DRIVES IT? Base engine is 4.7-liter V-8 (235 horsepower); upgraded engine is 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 (335 horsepower).IS IT SAFE? Chrysler says the Aspen has the “highest level of standard safety equipment” among full-size …
Facing a Big Quarterly Loss, Chrysler Moves to Cut Costs October 20, 2006
Chrysler is pushing to cut at least $1,000 a vehicle from its costs in an effort to return to profitability as soon as possible. DETROIT, Oct. 19 – The Chrysler Group, facing a steep third-quarter loss, is pushing to cut at least $1,000 a vehicle from its costs in an effort to return to profitability as soon as possible, officials at the company said Thursday night. The program, called “Project Refocus,” comes as Chrysler is expected to post a $1.5 billion loss for the third quarter when it reports results next week, snapping a string of 12 profitable quarters. Chrysler, …
Green Tech: Hybrids With a Power Cord: Plug-In Vans Put to the Test September 29, 2006
The DaimlerChrysler Dodge Sprinter delivery van with plug-in-hybrid powertrains can drive 20 miles on batteries alone, powered by a 70-kilowatt electric motor. ARE there plug-in hybrid vehicles in America?s future? Such hybrids could travel 10 to 20 additional miles on battery power alone, but until recently automakers have said ? more or less unanimously ? that it was not practical to add a larger battery pack and plug-in chargers to hybrid vehicles because of the added weight, complexity and cost. The public is already confused about hybrids, they say, with many people still believing that these cars (whose batteries are …
A Reversal of Fortune at Chrysler, Too September 20, 2006
Chrysler said it would cut its production schedule for the rest of the year by 16 percent because of slumping sales as a result of high gas prices. DETROIT, Sept. 19 ? Maybe Chrysler is not so different after all. After Daimler-Benz merged with Chrysler in 1998, Chrysler vowed to break away from its troubled Detroit brethren and join ranks with the Japanese automakers. It designed innovative vehicles like the gutsy 300C sedan and the spunky PT Cruiser, gambling that an emphasis on bold design, better quality and German engineering would set it apart from the Big Two. “There …
Detroit Sees Cheap Gas as History August 29, 2006
The Chrysler Group said Monday that it expected gasoline prices to remain at $3 to $4 a gallon for the rest of this decade. TOLEDO, Ohio, Aug. 28 ? The Chrysler Group, which depends more heavily on sales of pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles than any other Detroit automaker, said Monday that it expected gasoline prices to remain at $3 to $4 a gallon for the rest of this decade. The comments by Thomas W. LaSorda, Chrysler?s chief executive, are the first time a Detroit automaker has issued a specific forecast on gas prices since they began climbing …
DaimlerChrysler reports Q1 growth April 28, 2006
Despite its troubles in the US market and at its luxury brand Mercedes, German carmaker DaimlerChrysler has reported a 4% rise in its first-quarter profit. DaimlerChrysler sold 1.15 million vehicles worldwide in the first quarter of 2006, surpassing the figure for 2005 by 6%. As a result of the positive development of unit sales, the group?s total revenues increased by 17% to E37.2 billion. The company’s operating profits however were largely offset by charges related to the discontinuation of the smart forfour model and the realignment of the smart business model bringing charges of E982 million and E800 …
How Chrysler crushed crooked lawyers April 17, 2006
Steve Hantler thought he had seen just about everything — until the DaimlerChrysler lawyer came across three slippery San Antonio lawyers who filed a bogus $2 billion product-liability case against the automaker based on faked evidence.
DaimlerChrysler sells Sebring, Stratus tooling to GAZ April 14, 2006
DaimlerChrysler AG is selling the tooling for the outgoing Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Stratus sedans to Russia’s Gorky Automotive Works, or GAZ. Read more
Daimler’s Chief Tells Shareholders to Expect Higher Profit April 13, 2006
Dieter Zetsche also defended Daimler’s beleaguered Smart division, a troubled effort to sell small urban-oriented vehicles that has yet to make money. Read more
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