Chrysler to Celebrate Return to American Ownership

[Flybrian]

'New' Chrysler plans debut party
Automaker, dealers to celebrate return to American ownership

Christine Tierney | Link to Original Article @ The Detroit News

Soon-to-be-single Chrysler is sending out invitations and party kits to its 3,700 dealers to celebrate its rebirth as an all-American company.

Chrysler hasn't set the date but has told Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealers the big event is likely to take place between July 25 and Aug. 10, after DaimlerChrysler AG completes the sale of the Auburn Hills automaker to Cerberus Capital Management LLC.

The new company, which will be called Chrysler Corp., also will reach out to consumers with bold TV, radio and print advertisements, according to a memo sent to dealers that was obtained by The Detroit News.

Chrysler spokesman David Barnas declined to discuss details but confirmed the company was planning a big coming-out event.

"We're including the entire family in our plans to launch the new company, including our dealer body," he said.

Dealers have been seeking reassurance from Chrysler after months of uncertainty following the Feb. 14 announcement that the automaker was up for sale.

"It's a great idea," dealer Ken Zangara of Zangara Dodge in Albuquerque, N.M., said of the "New" Chrysler premiere event.

"It's very exciting to be an American company once again. It's positive for Chrysler and its employees, and for dealers and their employees," Zangara said.

Houston dealer Alan Helfman is lining up local musicians for the big night and planning a buffet.

"I'll probably do chicken wings. I'm going to do Hickory Barn Bar-B-Q sausage on a stick. Maybe I'll do a little dirty rice," said Helfman, vice president at River Oaks Chrysler Jeep. "It's going to be a nice evening."

Chrysler had proposed to offer customers free oil changes for their vehicles as part of the event but dropped that idea after sounding out dealers.

The company is studying other possible rewards, such as coupons, to attract prospective car buyers. It will send dealers banners to hang in their showrooms and decorations featuring Chrysler's new logo.

"The 'New' Chrysler is the beginning of an important new chapter in Chrysler's history," Chrysler sales executives Darryl Jackson and Mike Keegan said in the memo.

The cost to launch the "New" Chrysler, including the party kits and advertising campaign, is expected to run in the tens of millions of dollars.

Chrysler's bid to reinvent itself as an American company will have little impact on consumers "unless they can take that and say, 'American means this when it comes to brand image and design,'" said Wes Brown, a partner at Iceology, a brand consulting firm in Los Angeles.

"If they can do that, then maybe you've got something if you find that emotional connection with consumers," he said. "They need ultimately to decide who they want to be, and make sure the product line supports that."

[balthazar]

Anybody seen this "new logo"??

Welcome back, ChryCo!!

[Brougham-Holiday]

This is great news! Im very happy to see the old logo comming back.

[balthazar]

Ahhh... OK, we're going from the current winged logo back to the Pentastar. I don't mind it from a corporate perspective, but I'd like to see the vehicles continue to use the winged original.

[Z-06]

Ahhh... OK, we're going from the current winged logo back to the Pentastar. I don't mind it from a corporate perspective, but I'd like to see the vehicles continue to use the winged original.

+1. Winged one looks charmful. Pentastar does not give any vibe.

[Oracle of Delphi]

When I see the Pentastar, I think cheap-a$$ K-Car. Keep the wings!

Edited July 3, 2007 by Pontiac Custom-S

[AxelTheRed]

Yeah, the Pentstar should be the corporate logo. I always liked the winged logos better on the cars anyway.

[PONTIAC06]

I thought the pentastar WAS only going to be the corporate logo, and the divisions would keep their individual logos...

[balthazar]

OK again.... waitaminnit, that makes sense. I guess my question should be then: what was the corporate symbol when ChryCo was getting raped... I mean: in the "partnership" with mercedes??

[Robert Hall]

I guess no more 'German heritage' ads with Dr Z, eh?

[halfasmallblock]

Is this what they mean by becoming all-American?

Sad.

Edited July 4, 2007 by halfasmallblock

[balthazar]

No more sad IMO than mercedes and bmw building 'American' models.

But of course you knew the meaning was: American-owned corporation.

[CARBIZ]

Well, I have to admit that personally I am happy to see Chrysler return to the "American" fold, although as we have frequently debated here, that may have less and less meaning; however, it still remains to be seen what Cerebrus' true intentions are. Let's not pop the champagne corks just yet!

And I have to admit that I was wrong. GASP! When Daimler bought Chrysler (oops, I'm sorry - "merged"), I predicted that they could become a powerhouse to be reckoned with. I reasoned that with Daimler's engineering prowess, Chrysler's design scope (remember, at one time the Ram, and "cab forward" designs were head of the class) and buckets of money, Daimler-Chrysler would set the auto industry on fire. Hmm, I guess not so much.

[Intrepidation]

Welcome back Chrysler!

It would be kinda cool if they could integrate the Pentastar into the winged design...

Party Hard, and then make some class leading products once more!

[MyerShift]

Neat.

I'm hoping and expect that now with the Germans out of the picture, Chrysler will be back to leading the industry in the styling department.

I just feel that Chrysler was choked off in so many ways because of the egos in Stuttgart.

[BuddyP]

They're back and heading to China, what a disgrace.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/23/news/compa...sion=2007012709

"But Nick Reilly, head of GM's operations in the Asia-Pacific region, said GM has no plans to follow the course of Chrysler and import low-priced Chinese cars to the U.S. market."

I can't emphisize how glad I am to hear that

[Clownzilla]

Well, I have to admit that personally I am happy to see Chrysler return to the "American" fold, although as we have frequently debated here, that may have less and less meaning; however, it still remains to be seen what Cerebrus' true intentions are. Let's not pop the champagne corks just yet!

Yeah, I have to agree. Yes, Cerebrus did bring Chrysler back to America, but Cerebrus is still an investment firm. Chrysler will become a lean, mean, bean counting machine!

Edited July 5, 2007 by Clownzilla

[enzl]

They're back and heading to China, what a disgrace.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/23/news/compa...sion=2007012709

"But Nick Reilly, head of GM's operations in the Asia-Pacific region, said GM has no plans to follow the course of Chrysler and import low-priced Chinese cars to the U.S. market."

I can't emphisize how glad I am to hear that

GM already sells more Buicks in China than here. GM already imports almost all Equinox/Torrent engines from China already.

Watch the business pages as all automakers eventually follow this path. No company wanted to be the first to import an entire car, but it had to happen sometime.

China is set to become a strategic imperative for GM's survival--just because they aren't importing an entire vehicle, be assured that all the Delphi blackmailed, Job banked or early retirement jobs are already on a boat to China, Russia, India or Mexico.

[eldiablobanshee]

I feel it is unfortunate that they are trying to make a deal with Chery witch has already shown its willingness to forge designs and names. this partnership will allow them to not have to resort to industrial Espionage to steal technology, they can just take it now.

[Drew Dowdell]

Yeah, I have to agree. Yes, Cerebrus did bring Chrysler back to America, but Cerebrus is still an investment firm. Chrysler will become a lean, mean, bean counting machine!

and watch those designs and interiors go down the tu........oh.......wait....

[Intrepidation]

They're back and heading to China, what a disgrace.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/23/news/compa...sion=2007012709

"But Nick Reilly, head of GM's operations in the Asia-Pacific region, said GM has no plans to follow the course of Chrysler and import low-priced Chinese cars to the U.S. market."

I can't emphisize how glad I am to hear that

Yeah, because the Korean Aveo is so much better.

I may be wrong, but isn't the V6 in the Equinox/Torrent Chinese built?

The next LaCrosse is being developed (or at least styled, because they know better than us) in China.

I don't like the idea of a Chinese co-developed Chrysler product, but China is far cheaper than America to build products..we all know this, and Chrysler needs to make a profit off of a small car...so thereya go. Hopefully Chrysler will keep the quality in check (at least their standards is better than China's), as well as keeping Chery from stealing things.

[GMman]

I'm not going to get all torqued up over Chrysler teaming up with the chinese to import a small car. The Big Three have been doing that stuff for years.....I just don't understand why it is that the Big Three supposedly can't be profitable on small cars. I've heard that over and over and I don't know what the rational behind it is.

For now though....I'm going to throughly celebrate Chrysler Corporation becoming an American company again, the way it should have been all along...and btw, the pentastar is the ONLY Chrysler Corp logo there should ever be!

[Chicagoland]

yeah they will celebrate being own by 'real Americans'. But that doesn't mean the new owners won't close plants and lay off workers. Nor does it mean that they will 'suddenly switch to all RWD cars'.