http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=175

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Chrysler has built IMO, the best vehicles you can get out there. Try to match the engineering with Ford or GM. Anybody can see, and it always has been, that they only wait for Chrysler to release products, only to try and scam a copy for themselves. Its so obvious it sickening sometimes. My wife can even spot the clones now. Yet Chrysler are the ones in trouble here? How does anybody think the Japanese figured out how to make it work in the first place? Where did they get the technology? You guessed it. From a company such as Chrysler. There should be tariffs in place for foreign sales. We have to protect our/your economy first. Feed your family/city/state/country first. Its simple. The Japenese are doing it. I think the government should help Chrysler. Its their fault this is playing out like it is, they were told and lobbied many times over many years, “They did’nt listen”.
I know there is alot of hype right now about this, but I hope Chrysler pulls out of it unscathed,
and in its own entity.

It all started way back in 1975. Under the leadership of Lynn A. Townsend, Chrysler corp had sold off and closed a lot of outdated plants and such to cut costs. Townsend was a firm beliver in the big car big engine american car. He failed to notice that gas shortages and the price of gas had left these big old American icons, 300s, new Yorkers, and furys dead on the dealership lot. They made more then they could give away.

Under pressure from the board Townsend stepped down and gave it up to his second in command John Riccardo. Riccardo also had the big car mentality with a big engine gulping away at 8 mpg on the highway. He kept insisting the big car market would rebound. It never did recover. Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth were making cars that dealers could not sell. Then in the late 77′, 78′ recalls and poor construction hit the Chrysler brand hard. This was the end of the mighty 440 engine and the 400. The ever funny looking slant 6 and 318/360 engines would power ever larger and heavier cars. Resulting in even worse fuel milage. By the winter of 1978 Chrysler corp lots were full of unpopular and undesirable cars and trucks. This made matters worse as new for 1979 models hit the lots. Which were carry overs of the 1977 thru 78 models. At one point in 78 Chrysler was paying a million dollars a day to store the cars, that the factories kept churning out.

Chrysler was the third largest car company in the world, the storage cost combined with raising labor costs and undersiable models started to take its toll on the company. By the end 1979 Chrysler was faced with filing for bankruptcy. There was no way out now. The money was not there and domestic sales were down heavly. Around this time Chrysler board of Directors voted to bring in Fired Ford VP Lee Iaccoca to save the company. And many wanted to see Chrysler go away, mostly the GM and Ford folks as they know they would get the customers into there dealers.

Thru goverment backed loans, Lee working for a dollar a year, they pulled it off and returned Chrysler to being profitable again. Gone were the big cars, in with the new future style front wheel drive platforms, the mini vans, k-cars, more user friendly lite trucks.

Well fast forward to 1995, Lee is retiring and handing over his beloved car company to a close firend, Robert James Eaton. Robert was a very clever man. He knew the fun years at Chrysler was winding down as the new savior models, some entering there decade cycle was old and out dated. In his mind Chrysler corp would not make it thru another down turn like the late 70′s. It had to be sold to survive. He was saying this from day one as CEO, he spent the next three years secertly looking for a buyer. Then he was approached by a friend who was in good standing with Diamer AG. After several meetings with them, without the board knowing he was meting them. Robert did what he was best at, talking his way out of trouble and throwing dollar signs at the board of directors. The board took his proposal hook line and sinker.

Chrysler corp had roughly 57 billion dollars stashed away for a rainy day. Promises were made to the Chrysler corp board that most if not all would keep there jobs with this new Diamler Chrysler corp merger. Chrysler, thinking it was the right thing lobbied Congress hard to approve the merger as did Diamler, with its merger of eguals speeches. For the amount of 37 billion dollars Diamler picked up Chrysler and became DiamlerChrysler ag. Chrysler investors were left outside in the rain. There stockin Chrysler Corp now worthless and given a fraction of the new DiamlerChrysler ag stock. Which on it’s first day of trading started at 1.24 a share, Diamler Ag sharholders had there pockets lined from radeing Chrysler Corp.

It was problems from the start, Diamler quickly learned they knew nothing about runing a high paced, high volume American car company. What worked for Mercedes did not work for the old Chrysler Corp. In there minds Americans wanted less for more, they missed the parade on the first new model. And every other model they churned out. There answer was cheap plastic parts everywhere. They did it witht he new rams, 300s and charger. It was across the board. They looked good were selling fast, however cheapness finally ran off price savy cunsumers. And sells lagged, and it started to pull down Mercedes with it.

It was time to cut Chrysler loose. They had raided the patent office on several Chrysler corp patents, such as the HEMI name and R/T. And to this day they still recieve royalities off the name being used. They raided the Walter P. Chrysler museum for ideas as well. They thought since it sold good in the 60′s and 70′s it would sell good today. Some did and some did not, myself a lot of the car model names they dug up from the grave should have been left there. I like the new Challenger, but it must have been a slap in the face for the team to rehash an old car. Or as i say, ” Steal a fresh ideal”.

But Ford and GM both want to see Chrysler, in what ever form, go away for good. GM would do away witht he Ram pickup, the Charger and 300 would likely be left in place as it feels a mid car size void. The Sebring would be left alone and the Jeep brand would also be left alone. ALL others would fall under the Axe. John Snow and Quale wanted Chrysler for bargining for GMAC, a dead vision that they see as alive and well. So what would become of CHrysler Fininical? It would be renamed under there GMAC.

I have been inside of Chrysler for a long time and know the people i have talked about in this comment section. Chrysler needs to be Chrysler Corp again. I personally think the Goverment should purchase it from Cerebus. Not to long ago they took a bunch of bankrupt north eastern railroad companines and made them into CONRAIL Corp. Consolidated rail corp went from 1976 to 1999 under federal protection and financing. It was split up and sold in 99 between rivals North Folfk Southern Corp and CSX Corp. But Conrail still lives today, though in a much smaller form, and with its selling the Goverment made it crystal clear to the sellers, we will take it back if you think about messing it up again.