BLK 6050

Chrysler cuts color selections:

Chrysler Group has informed its dealers that it will restrict orders for ten paint colors due a shortage of a pigment that is produced only by a factory located near the damaged nuclear power facility in northeastern Japan.

According to a memo issued last week by Steve Beahm, Chrysler’s v-p of U.S. sales operations, the restricted colors include brilliant black, blackberry, deep cherry red, redline , inferno red, bronze star, rugged brown, hunter green, ivory and billet metallic.

The pigment, called Xirallic, is made at a factory operated by EMD Chemicals, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, in Onahama. It’s used to add sparkle and intensity to a wide range of paint colors.

Merck, which is based in Darmstatt, Germany, says the plant is in the 28-mile evacuation zone established by the Japanese government. Company officials say they don’t know when workers will be able to reenter the plant and add that it will take four to six weeks after that to have the facility up and running again.

(*Given the uncertainly of the situration in Japan......it may be a long time before the plant reopens.....if indeed it ever reopens)

(*By the way, this is also affecting the other auto makers as well)