Dodge brand is on life support
 

As unthinkable as it might be, our beloved Dodge that has been producing cars since 1914 is on life support.

IF (big if) Chrysler survives this economic mess, it is clear that part of the restructuring of Chrysler will be to eliminate brands & duplicate products.

As an example, there is really no need for a Durango and an Aspen - when you've got Jeep.

There is no need for most of Dodge products - when they are re-badged Chrsylers anyway (or visa versa).

Just as the Prowler went being a Plymouth Prowler to a Chrysler Prowler, so too our Challenger might become the Chrysler Challenger.

I pray that Chrysler survives. It sucks to own a car with no dealer network with no warranty to stand behind our cars.

Our "lifetime" warranty is only as good as Chrysler's alive. Pretty unthinkable a few months ago - but now a possibility.

The good news, is that after three months of ownership of my '09 R/T - it still is an amazing car that draws huge attention everywhere I go.

No issues with my car, no rattles, great mileage for a HEMI engine, and outstanding comfort.

Can you spell B A I L O U T ? Boy does Chrysler need it bad.

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

The bail out was approved today. You can bet the bank that Congress and the Senate will not allow Chrysler to build Muscle cars with taxpayer money. The Challenger is no more and the Camaro shall never see more then one year if at all.

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

Fact or speculation Paladin..?? :eek:

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

Fact on the bail out but on the Musclecars, think about it. All the tree huggers in Washington think and live green.

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

I gotta agree, if the Government is gonna be giving out $$$, there will be conditions and strings attached, not good at all.

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

Gotta disagree. This"bailout" is not giving money to the companies but loaning them money. The US actually made money off of the last Chrysler bailout. This is an important distinction. The scary part is the warnings about not all three companies survivng. I am a strong advocate of an independent Chrysler. They also talk about using funds from the money for environmentally friendly cars.
But the fact is the Brampton plant sells all of the cars they make. Even with the slowdown they are selling Challys without even advertising. They have backorders for the Challys. The gov't is not going to close down profitable operations including the Brampton plant (even though it is in Canada).

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

This round of bailouts are just enough to get the big 3 through January. Then comes more begging.
If we just paid a rebate for everyone who purchased american we could start with kicks to the tax paying consumer that would allow the big 3 to pull out of this with ONLY the 15 billion borrowed so far.
if we do a complete bailout to the cost of 34B, I am done with our tax system

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

I laughed hard when Chrysler was asked why Ceberus, with 24 billion in holdings would not leaned a company it owns 80.1% the funds to stay afloat...

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

Actually, no bailout has been approved yet. Friday, the White House and and congressional Democrats were nearing an agreement on a bailout. Read your newspapers. ;)

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

You folks did not check the electric Hemi option when ordering? For shame :D

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

Dodge has been dead for a while now it is just that the wake is over now time to head to the cemetary to bury the Brand

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

Just posted on autoblog.com Not good for us FUTURE CHallenger owners !

Chrysler supposedly in 'chaos', suppliers could demand COD
Posted Dec 6th 2008 11:57AM by Chris Shunk
Filed under: Chrysler, LLC.

GM is getting the lion's share of the glaring national spotlight due to the immediacy of the company's cash crunch, but Chrysler's situation is easily just as dire. Employees at the Pentastar know this, as evidenced by the fact that a full 25% of its salaried workforce took voluntary separation packages to get while the getting is good. Those 5,000 people weren't just sitting around at Chrysler headquarters, though. They had responsibilities, and Automotive News and the Dow Jones News Service is reporting that chaos is settling in due to the personnel vacuum.

The report cites three sources with knowledge of Chrysler's supplier dealings as saying that suppliers are nervous about bankruptcy, and as a result may beginning to ask for cash on hand in return for parts. A Chrysler spokesperson called the 'chaos' term unwarranted, and said that the loss of jobs will help the company to "continue the transformation of our company." Mega-supplier Borg Warner, for one, told Automotive News that all of the Detroit automakers are currently paying their bills on time, and there have been no reports of Chrysler not paying any large suppliers.

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

Why would taxpayers want Dodge to stop building the Challenger?

It is not a 1970 model that gets 6 mpg. I averaged 21.2 on my last business trip and that included several stretches of 120+.


What is stupid is that I sold my truck that got 14 mpg and purchased a car that gets 21 mpg and had to pay the GAS GUZZLER TAX of $2,100. I could have purchased a new truck for half the cost of the Challenger and still only got 14 mpg and pay ZERO gas guzzler tax. The government CKMA!

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

Does "Unsafe at Any Speed" ring a bell..??

And how about "Ungreen at Any Speed"..?? Maybe Ralph is thinking about penning a new book..?? :eek:

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

I feel the same way....if the government becomes involved....there will be no future for the muscle car....it will be the second coming of the mid 70's...

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

The government will be involved or control might be the word Car Zar sounds like something they had in Russia, next year you can only buy black cars I hate to see it but It looks like it going to happen those of who have Challengers are lucky enjoy .

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

It’s all about perception…to the general public, ALL Challengers are big bad tire burning gas guzzlers…doesn’t matter if it’s an SRT8 or an SE…and it doesn’t matter if they get 10 + mpg or 25 + mpg…they look the same, so they are the same...to the general public it’s all about the name plate, not the actually car

(And, you of course know that if you are driving a Challenger you are helping to kill the planet)

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

As much as I want Chrysler to survive, I wondered why they were there with "hat in hand" for the bailout? They are the only privately held of the three and SHOULD be going to Cebreus for an infusion, not the taxpayer. Last thing we need is the Gov't "helping" these guys build cars...UGH. Yes. they are hurting financially, but Chrysler has many more options ($40 Billion worth) to explore.

Chrysler/Cebreus should have used this opportunity to differentiate themselves as the one U.S automaker not asking for a bailout -substantial public relations move...especially since they will see the smallest portion of any bailout money anyway. Cebreus is just too greedy not to pass up a hand out.[:@]

BTW if the current bill passes w/ White House additions, it would include a "Auto Czar" to oversee the Big Three, with one charge being to "assist" in merger opportunities among the three. Here goes the whole GM/Chrysler deal again...

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

Please bow your heads as we say a little pray for Dodge:

Yea, though I drive through the valley of Dodge Shadows and death, I shall fear no evil, for thou art with me. Earth to earth. Ashtrays to ashtrays. Rust to rust. Peace be with you old friend. We hardly new you.

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

I agree I think the Camaro will be too late to survive. I also read that Chevy is cancelling some future Vette releases sad. Car Zcar, oh boy, when has the Government ever taken control of something and not screwed it up! Question-what happens if the worst comes to pass with the money spent on extended warranties etc. Do we get refunds or how would they handle those situations?

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

For sure the goverment screw's up most everything they try and control . Let's pray that Dodge , Chrysler and the rest of the American car company's survive. GM rep told me in 84 He hoped I never purchased a GM car again . I had a 83 Monte Carlo SS . Only after the factory engineer's that designed the car . At a Super Chevy at Indy . Looked at all the repair's the car had under warranty and needed fixing again . Ordered the zone rep to fix anything I said. I sold the car about two years later as I couldn't get parts . And have not purchased a GM since. And they wonder why they are in trouble. This is the 5th new Chrysler or Dodge I have owned. And love it .

RE: Dodge brand is on life support
 

This was posted by someone on the MML (Mopar Mailing List), thought it was interesting...

Subject: Chrysler Can Stand Alone

Sure would hate to think the "experts" in Congress (many of whom do not
drive themselves anywhere, or have their Lexus or Prius back home) would think
Ma Mopar could not survive if given a chance would chance to find this out.
"A legislator who fails to seek and hear the truth is as surely damned to
defeat as a blind man in battle".

Numbers show Chrysler can stand alone as an automaker
December 7th, 2008 by Bill Cawthon
Bob Corker, a Republican Senator from Tennessee which is home to a
growing number of automotive facilities, echoed a statement made by a number of
pundits and analysts about Chrysler. In hearings on Capitol Hill, Senator Corker
said: "There's no future for the company as a stand-alone."
Perhaps Senator Corker and the talking heads haven't looked at the numbers
that Chrysler has racked up in spite of one of the worst sales years in recent
memory.
As of November 30, 2008, Chrysler LLC has sold more vehicles in the
United States than any automaker except General Motors, Toyota and Ford. As of
the end of November, Chrysler's three brands had sold 1,363,309 passenger cars
and light trucks. This is especially impressive considering that from May through
August, Honda outsold Chrysler. In September, October and November,
Chrysler came back to pass Honda; not just in monthly sales, but in sales for the first
eleven months of 2008.
With 736,844 cars and trucks sold through the end of November, Dodge is
the sixth-most-popular brand of light vehicle, behind Toyota, Chevrolet, Ford,
Honda and Nissan. Dodge outsells Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Hummer, Lincoln,
Mercury, Pontiac and Saturn and all other import brands.
Chrysler LLC outsells all the European brands combined. Dodge, by itself,
outsells Hyundai and Kia combined.
Chrysler LLC sells more minivans in North America than any other
manufacturer. General Motors and Ford both dropped out of the minivan
market after years of trying to compete with Chrysler.
Chrysler LLC sells more SUVs and light trucks than any import manufacturer,
including Toyota.
The Jeep Wrangler outsells all conventional sport-utility vehicles except
the Chevrolet Tahoe