After an abortive 1995 takeover attempt (co-starring "Captain" Kirk Kerkorian), former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca became persona non grata in Auburn Hills. With the DCX disaster fading into memory and current owners Cerberus thrashing around for something, anything that feels good, Chrysler is rehabilitating the Iaccoca legacy. Who better symbolizes the ballsy leadership needed to get Chrysler through its current, second-darkest hour, than the man who got the government to foot the bailout bill at the undisputed low point? Plus, since Bob Lutz made old feisty guys the official mascots of millennial Detroit, Chrysler had to rustle-up one of their own from somewhere. Accordingly, the Detroit Free Press reports that the Iacocca embrace will culminate at an Auburn Hills "employee rally" in Iaccoca's honor is planned for June 26. "This is a good idea," former Chrysler marketing chief Bud Liebler tells the Freep. "Cerberus is still kind of a question mark here in Detroit. And this says, 'We really care about Chrysler.' It will make employees feel good and dealers feel good." Which begs the question: how bad are things at Chrysler, if dealers and employees are really being cheered-up by 80's bailout nostalgia?
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Not a real K-car, that’s cruel
I’ll take my superbly engineered Avenger with Corinthian leather and vinyl roof please. I have waited over 25 years for the return of that certain feeling that came with K-cars and “Morning in America”…thank you Chrysler. Will Lee turn off the lights?
powerglide,
Nice BNL reference!
Calling all junkyards: needed for Lee’s parade, a fleet of Dodge Dynasties and hot red Charger 2.2’s.
A cruel irony indeed when Chrysler mgt. grows misty eyed and nostalgic over old POS K-cars and the 80s. God help us!
Scroll down to #8, anybody remember the SCTV episode with “Tie a yellow ribbon ’round a Dodge Omni”?
http://www.sctvguide.ca/episodes/sctv_s3.htm#Show_1
If i recall correctly the Omni’s horn stuck on at the end of the number and they bolted. Quite funny…
They should give the people what they really want: a $1 annual salary for C-level execs.
You know, in the proud Iaccoca tradition.
I’ll be awaiting the return of the grand Lee I. “Prague” Rebate Strategy–
“Get a car, get a Czech.” Oh, wait….
I swear I’ll go and find that piece of crap 1986 Shelby GLHS I had that literally fell apart at 60,000 miles to represent for the performance segment….only car I ever had with independent rear suspension that wore out rear tires from the inside out…..
People SHOULD remember that this was the man that got a government loan to save his company and paid it back EARLY!
You can joke all you want but he had the balls to ‘go for it ‘ and actually got it done.
If any current U.S. CEO has them…I haven’t seen it!!!
Maybe Lee will come rolling up in a Frank Sinatra-edition Imperial, or maybe a TC by Maserati.
OTOH, he did put the round eyes on the original Neon and, supposedly, he and Lutz absolutely hated each other when both of them were at Chrysler.
That Snoop commercial amused me to no end. Repping his gang colors(blue cart/shirt). I wonder if those involved in the shoot even knew, or let alone cared. MTV would have been in the know and might not have let those be the chosen colors.
Does it really matter one way or the other? I don’t know. I just thought it was amusing with Iacocca cruising in the Crip car with a real live Crip. I bet he never dreamed or imagined. He might still even be unaware(likely doesn’t care(why should he?)). Just something about it though. Elements of a street gang creeping and seeping into corporate America. Kinda like gang graffiti showing up in Iraq from enlisted gang members.
Something about the colors in that ad meaning what they mean and representing what they do, even with no words spoken about them.
A cruel irony indeed when Chrysler mgt. grows misty eyed and nostalgic over old POS K-cars and the 80s. God help us!….
My POS Reliant went 253,000 miles. I won $100 from my friend whose 4Runner died first…
rtz:
I just thought it was amusing with Iacocca cruising in the Crip car with a real live Crip.
Well, Snoop’s in a better biz now. Maybe some of his new ‘talent’ could make a promo appearance at the Auburn Hills rally on 6-26..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Doggystyle-censored.jpg
They might have been POS cars but I’m seeing alot of them coming back out for commuter use around here. Some are in good shape. My sister had a Dodge 600 convertible. Neat I suppose but felt like driving a car powered with a rubber band. Odd disconnect between the driver and the road. Actually I guess they did a good job of insulating the small car to the max.
Our family bought a new 1981 Dodge Aries K-rap car.
It’s the reason whey neither my parents or I have owned a Chrysler product since.