The minivan sales drop is unaccountable
Chrysler will idle the American minivan plant at St. Louis - “indefinitely” - starting October 31, because of falling sales. The Town & Country has fallen by 13% and the Grand Caravan by 35% in US sales - never mind that the Caravan is reportedly beating last year’s long-wheelbase sales, since it’s actual volume that keeps plants open, not carefully chosen comparisons. (Last year’s short wheelbase vans are also compared with Dodge Journey sales.)
First, let me say that the new Chrysler leaders had nothing to do with the dropping of the four cylinder, short wheelbase minivans, which would probably be flying off the shelves right now if they were available; nor were they responsible for frittering away development funds on some ideas which looked really cool to me, until, and let’s be honest here, I actually tried them out and decided they were cool, but not something I’d pay for.
But even with your choice of an engine as long as it has six cylinders, the long wheelbase as standard, and the weight of a vehicle which needs to achieve five star safety ratings while keeping the interior as quiet as possible, the minivan remains a very efficient vehicle for its size. Yes, it’s rated at 17 city, 24 highway - but you know, that’s not too bad. Sure, it could be better, but that would mean giving up a little acceleration and some more money, or perhaps some of features and creature comforts.
Still, it would do a heart good to see a diesel minivan right about now, and a four cylinder short-wheelbase mini with no frills aside from Stow ‘n’ Go. Maybe even with the Plymouth nameplate.
You could say this is another DaimlerChrysler parting gift. They chose to make the Dodge absolutely spartan in interior appearance, without price breaks. They chose to make the Chrysler more upscale in appearance without making it exclusive - since at similar prices, how many would choose the plain-jane Dodge? And of course as the single largest maker of minivans, even now, why would they press their volume advantage to make more minivan versions, when they could give us fewer options? There’s no AWD to compete with the “no sliding door” minivans from Ford and Chevy; there’s no lightweight version for gas mileage; there’s no electric version (as we had in some years past); and there is no diesel as they sell in Europe. There’s also no hybrid, though that would be handy.
Chrysler without its minivans. The idea seems crazy - but then, there was a time when Chrysler dominated the taxi and police car businesses; when they were the premier boat builder; when their rockets powered NASA into space; and when they dominated vans, too.
The good news is that while Chrysler may be losing minivans, and autoworkers may be losing their jobs (many permanently), there does seem to be a future, with small cars finally being engineered (again — they had plans when acquired by Daimler, but Daimler wanted small cars to be handled by Mitsubishi and/or Hyundai and/or Smart), and the bread and butter “family car” segment being re-engineered from the ground up. It’s just hard, sometimes, to see that bright future when there are so many storm clouds today.
Indeed, no matter how hard it rains, the sun always comes out eventually.
Well, not always… Atari seems to have disappeared, for example, along with Studebaker and Packard, among many, many, many others.
My son’s next van after his 1992 Plymouth Voyager with a 4 cylinder will be a Ford Transit Connect. He wanted to get another Mopar, but what’s left in the lineup? When Henry dropped the Model T my great-grandfather went to the new Plymouth brand that was just being introduced at that time. My grandfather worked for a Plymouth dealer as a mechanic during the depression. My father’s first car was a Plymouth as was his sister’s. My first car was a Plymouth as was one of my brothers. My other brother’s first car was a Dodge Dart, he always had to be different. My son’s first car is the Voyager. The name Plymouth is gone from Chrysler’s line up. Unfortunately the Plymouth philosophy needed to get the company through hard economic times is gone too.
Whole heartedly concur Pat.
The irony, Dave. Atari does still exist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari%2C_Inc_%28Infogrames%29
Yes, that’s irony. Stude and Packard and Cord and Duesenberg and the like are all gone, though.
Completely agree, Pat.
Looks like minivan sales went UP for Chrysler in June.
“Well, not always… Atari seems to have disappeared, for example, along with Studebaker and Packard, among many, many, many others.”
Dave, I’m trying to be optimistic here!! :)
It appears we (Chrysler) will be paying the price (alimony) for the Daimler marriage for quite some time to come. You, Dave, have tried to be very optimistic re; Chrysler’s relationship with Mercedes et al, and Chrysler’s future. I am becoming less so with each vehicle cut, no new model announcements, and lessening choice within the current lineup, ie SWB mini’s, dead magnums and pacificas, chopped crossfires, no diesel, even though their ‘partner’ has several available, and no attractive small or midsize cars. (I include the caliber and sebring/ avenger in that comment.)
That’s the first time I’ve ever been accused of being a “Mercedes sympathizer.”
Trust me Mrecedes is doing Chrysler a favor restricting supplies of their diesels to Chrysler. Look at the EPA numbers for the Grand Cherokee diesel and compare that to a Town and Country minivan. The Avenger is attractive to many people including me. It just needs some attention to details.
Certainly, let us not forget the disappearance of Plymouth, although that is not quite yet completely forgotten. It was that move that set Chrysler into the slide to where it is now. Accept it or not, there was a panache and a verve at the engineering/design end of Plymouth that could achieve some of the best vehicles around. By strangling that group with benign neglect, Chrysler at the Board Level kicked their own behinds, and were looking at the bottom instead of looking where production was. Re-introduction of the name with some very carefully chosen platforms already developed, along with reliable engineering into production would get Chrysler back into a plan for the future. As it is, continuous news of chopping, cutting, ending doesn’t belie the spirit of a once mighty giant in the world.
Well Curtis, I couldn’t agree more. The hundred’s (thousands?) of us who have begged Chrysler to revive Plymouth have been met with a stoney wall of silence. That should tell us Cerberus’ true attitude towards its customers and Chrysler. A sad day imho.
I thought Jim Press was at least considering bringing back Plymouth as a Brand or Model, where did that go?