Didn't mean to start a fire storm here but as I said in another post I will tell you all what I hear when I hear. The rep was feeling pretty sure of no V-6's on the first run and the low numbers are to keep demand high just like the Jeep Unlimiteds. They will probably anounce higher #'s but find a part like the Jeeps that will slow production and cause a huge demand. With the Jeeps they say that they ran low on hard tops and front differencials and that is why they are in high demand. Same thing with the Challenger they will find a part that is in short supply.

 

The hardtops became an issue later in the run(maybe sounds like dealer bs)
The jeep problem was purely too many orders and the factory unable to keep up. One of the jeep sites had the orders vs production posted.
Stupid thing is I can have a Rubicon in 10 mins. But I hate red.

 

I'm not sure that Chrysler new if the Unlimited would be accepted by the loyalists and they underestimated demand. The Challenger is a different story since people have been waiting a long time for something like this from Chrysler.

 

A 12,000 car run makes no sense to me from a corporate stand point.

First, Dodge has to know that their first year will the best chance they have of selling a lot of units -- especially with the Camaro coming out in '09. Given the types of sales that Ford has had with the Mustang and the falloff after the first year, why limit the numbers? Dodge's own experience with the first generation Challenger bear this out as well.

Second, Dodge has to make a lots of cars to make a good profit off Challenger. A $30-40k car is not going to generate a big profit for challenger. It's one thing to make a lot of money off the Vette or the Viper, but a pony car has to make up the margin off of volume.

Last, it may be a dealer's dream to have a limited number of cars to mark up way above MSRP - but it's not the auto maker's. An auto maker is going to want to put a car in everyone's hand that wants one and that can afford one. Leaving money on the table by having limited production to be soaked up by dealers markups isn't going to make the new owners of Chrysler very happy.

Now maybe a 12k car run this fall and another larger run next spring makes some sense, but were starting to talk about '09s now - which again to my first point just seems like they are shooting themselves in the foot.

Anyways my $0.02.

 

I think you make lots of great points. One year of advance sales against the Camaro means you take buyers out of the mix in 2009. The more you sell the better. THis is why the Mustang marketing campaign is amp'd up right now. They see competition on the horizon.

More units means more traction for Chrysler. Anything under 50,000 would have me head scratchin. They can sell that number in no time.

 

I agree. That is the only common sense approch to sales. Why wait for more competition.

 

I'd love to think that logic would prevail, but from the company that just finished building up a huge backlog of cars that people didn't want, I wouldn't be too surprised if they failed to build one that everyone did want.

 

What car are you talking about? Please dont say the unlimited wrangler.

 

Thor i have to agree. Chrylser is going to keep production numbers small in 08 and wait for the Camaro to come out in 09 before they increase production. It is the Chrysler way.

 

This might clear up some misinformation that is out there, or maybe just confuse the situation even more, this was the press release at the Steam Whistle Brewery in downtown Toronto this past spring. They had announced what their intentions are for the Brampton plant and the Dodge Challenger for the car buying public, us. Check it out.[sm=ts.gif] This is the first document I have ever scanned and uploaded to a website, so if it is to small I appalogize.

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