It’s the same story for Chrysler: another month, another sad sales chart. Saying that, this month was a little different. Unlike many other carmakers, percentagewise, car sales were down (37 percent) more than truck sales (34 percent). Bright spots: a few extra Vipers (87) and discontinued Crossfires (253) bumped sales numbers up to 142 percent and 128 percent respectively. Challenger sales went up over last month despite the general doom and gloom to 3,104. Ram sales, a mix of 2008 and spanking new 2009’s, were down 21 percent, and another few thousand Journeys launched. Everything else was down, mostly well into the double digit percentages. Confirming suspicions of a stillborn launch, there was absolutely no mention of Durango/Aspen Hybrid sales. Zip. Nada. Total year-to-date sales are down to 26 percent. There are a few recent articles here and there about product tweaks, but the cupboard is bare, and the guillotine is looming.
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In other news, GM’s request for $10 billion in merger funding was turned down.
discontinued Crossfires
I was by the area Chrysler dealer yesterday to price check a few things for friends. Thankfully they were closed or I bet one of the salespersons would have started dry-humping my leg. Anyway, two observations –
1. They were very low on inventory (maybe 120 new vehicles total) except
2. They had an additional 65 new (07-08) Crossfires, and had a $4k mark-up on them. I didn’t realize the Crossfire was such a hot seller (I’ve seen maybe 10 on the road over the past 2 years).
Chrysler’s new Barenaked Ladies TV jingle to compete with “Saved By Zero”….
If I had a million dollars (if I had a million dollars).
I’d buy you a K-car (a nice Reliant automobile).
Hey, they did much better then GM with merely 35% drop. With those numbers Chrysler should think twice about merging with a loser.
They’re STILL making crossfires? This just astounds me. Weren’t they selling them on buy.com a few years ago? I just can’t imagine anyone would want one. Slower than 350Z, no storage instead, the gas mileage can’t be great. I do think it looks kinda cool though. Kinda.
Still, I wouldn’t have minded an SRT6 version. If it came with a stick.
No, Crossfire production ended a long time ago. They still have plenty of unsold inventory leftover back when zeh Germans were running all of the plants at full steam even though there wasn’t a market for what they were making. Overzealous overproduction is one of the big things that ran Chrysler into the ground.
It’s also interesting to note that Chrysler sells more Challengers than GM sells Pontiac G8s, a sedan that’s nicely priced and has gotten rave reviews from every outlet including here at TTAC.
Any dealer who is looking to NSFW a customer with ADM on a Crossfire right now should never be dealt with for any need automotive or otherwise.
The starting price, and I mean starting point for the sellers of brand new Crossfires, is currently $15,000 off sticker.
See this ad, which I posted on the CrossfireForum a couple of weeks back.
http://www.08chryslercrossfire.com/offer/
I love my ’05 SRT-6, but I bought it at a discount of over $20,000 off its insane sticker price of $46K. It has probably lost another $7,000 in value since I drove it off the lot (with just 50 miles on the odometer) in June ’07.
The current KBB trade-in price for an ’08 Crossfire with no miles is $18,555. This is for a car that stickers for around $36,000.
Anyone paying ADM on a Crossfire right now is either stupid or insane, and anyone asking for ADM on a Crossfire right now is stupid, insane and/or evil.
ZCline:
Actually, it was worse than buy.com. Chrysler teamed up with Overstock.com in late 2005, offering downloadable discount coupons with various discounts depending upon the model.
Internet Archive of Crossfire Ad on Overstock.
The hatch/trunk area in a Crossfire coupe is surprising large, able to stow the three pieces of fitted luggage plus a garment bag and some other items in the hatch area without blocking visibility at all. The opening to load things is quite a bit narrower than the storage space within the car. (The trunk on the roadsters is small, but I hear it is still good enough for a weekend trip for two.)
Mileage on the non-supercharged versions is reportedly very good, many 6-speed drivers reporting over 30mpg on the highway at speeds in the 70mph range. Premium required.
Mileage on my SRT-6 is typically 20mpg mixed cycle with a high mileage of 23mpg on a long road trip, but only during the leg my wife drove.
The Comedian:
Interesting that the car never sold well then. I had a 350Z roadster, probably the car’s closest competitor, and I was able to do a weekend trip for two, although it was quite tight, it was doable. I don’t think I could ever get 30mpg though (and I had the 6speed manual as well). 28 was about as I high as I got, which was still pretty good for a heavy 300hp car.
Still, it seems systemic of Chrysler and GM as well. Design something decent, then never do anything to improve upon it. Hell, they’ve already announced the Solstice won’t get an update, and didn’t I read that about the G8 as well?
The G8 is too understated; it’s a sleeper along the lines of the classic Taurus SHO. The Challenger may be more appealing because it has the looks that stand out. And looks are +300HP over any bland vehicle near it, you know.
Rule number one for running a successful automobile company – Never build overpriced, exotic, niche, one-off, dead-end products that never evolve, update, or improve. There’s no economy of scale, little part/platform sharing, and few customers. After an initial burst of interest the vehicles fall like a rock in both resale value and sales.
Even the transplants make this mistake occasionally, but never to the degree seen with the Detroit 2.5.
Build mainstream vehicles for mainstream customers, or become a niche player…..exactly what has happened.
GM has a contract with Holden to import the G8 through 2012. Holden is planning on releasing an all-new, redesigned Commodore by then. Whether or not GM will continue to import it for Pontiac (or for any of their brands) is up in the air but unlikely due to the car’s razor thin profit margins. Currently I can tell you there is no follow-up planned for the G8 once it’s product cycle is up.
…and there you go, another evolutionary dead end. Thanks, TriShield.
they still sell the Crossfire?
I’ve seen like, 3 of them on the road – ever.
“they still sell the Crossfire?”
They stopped making them a while ago, but they still have a good chunk of them stuck in the pipeline.
Chrysler needs a good sales Heimlich.