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We were surprised by how little had been done in the past 24 months. It will be a slow progress in the beginning but we will see significant improvement in 2010…. If the numbers end up being as we see today, there is a good chance we will have to put additional stress on the manufacturing system. But it’s too early to tell.
-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne in Automotive News [sub, available sub free at CNN]. Is Marchionne just blaming the most convenient possible scapegoat, or did he really take Chrysler on a taxpayer-funded platter because he actually thought Cerberus was doing a bang-up job?
9 Comments on “Quote Of The Day [Continued]: Sergio’s Stunner Edition...”
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If the numbers end up being as we see today, there is a good chance we will have to put additional stress on the manufacturing system. But it’s too early to tell.
Translation: We’ve been intending to make major cuts, including US jobs, all along, plus we’re going to import more stuff than we had originally claimed. But we need to pretend to be surprised and claim that this wasn’t always planned.
The fact is that this company needs to shrink and that Fiat probably wants to use it in order to sell more cars built outside the US, but nobody wants to hear that. Before they can hope to gain market share, they will first need products, pricing power and an improved reputation. That’s going to take awhile.
OMG – Did Marchionne finally get behind the wheel of Sebring?
Ceberus had plans mainly to introduce rebadged models made by someone else. I’m sure the new Challenger and the Ram were nearly ready when Cerberus came on board.
What I don’t get is why he feels that there will be progress in 2010. Maybe in 2012 – but 2010 ain’t going to be pretty.
One more bit of proof (if anyone needed it) that Daimler Benz took over a fully functional car company with a full product pipeline and sold it (less R & D capability, which got flushed during the Daimler era) to Cerberus which evidently did not one bit of future product development during its, er, stewardship.
However, I have to believe that Marchionne had some idea of the true state of the product pipeline when he agreed to take control of the company. I think the plan is to pump out and sell the existing product as best you can until engineering and development can catch up. But a rush development job from Chrysler and Fiat – ya gotta worry about that.
Did anyone honestly believe Cerberus was going to ‘add value’?
Those guys are a bunch of bottom feeders who thought they got in cheap with Daimler paying them $1bn to take this garbage off their hands.
Name one Chrylser product you would buy at MSRP. Now another. Pretty hard huh?
I wouldn’t buy any car at MSRP, but I would buy a Nitro, Liberty, Ram, Grand Caravan, Avenger, Caliber, Charger, Journey, Patriot or Wrangler. I wouldn’t need a discount to “force” me to buy one.
I agree with dismantling the Chrysler brand, Chrysler should only be Dodge and Jeep.
I’d like the Grande Punto sold as is, 1.4L T-Jet (Turbo 120HP), 6 speed MT
Chrysler products are junk.
He is looking for more US Government money….
Short of importing some Fiats (even that takes time and prep work) NOTHING can be done that would impact 2010. A normal company has already finished its budget for 2010 by now …. Chrysler will present a revised BUSINESS PLAN in 11/09 … present, not decide, let alone implement ….
Mamma mia!
Did their big relevation come before, or after, they bought Chrysler?
Bertel Schmitt :
Dude, you need to tell me which companies you know that have group budgets/plans set for 2010 already… I need to go send out some resumés.