End of Chrysler brand?

[MoparDave]

What I got out of all that was. NOT real clear on "Chrysler" or just the badging and shifting the product to dodge. 300 is done to push charger sales. Uncertainty for Dodge and product. production of Ram trx with the hellcat motor to aggressively compete against the ford raptor, Ram mid size truck announcement to compete with Colorado and ranger. Ram 2500 to announce at NAIAS 2019 to be a big deal for the HD segment. expanding jeep and jeep sales segments. North American Fiat is going away. NO diesel car production. Viper to return with the Hellcat/demon engine platform 2020?

[captcolour]

Ford is stopping production of all cars except the Mustang. They will continue to produce mustangs, SUV's and Trucks. I doubt dodge will kill the charger, it is the best selling car in its class. Also, I don't believe they will kill the challenger as well as it is a high seller compared to the mustang and Camaro. American Automotive Company's are shifting towards Trucks, SUV's, and "Muscle cars". By muscle cars I mean cars built to look badass and sound badass (however, the modern day challenger really can only be classified as a muscle car, the Camaro/mustang are more sports cars).

I guess we will see.  If they kill the LX platform, it will kill the 300, Charger and Challenger.  IMHO, they won't gain a whole lot by just killing the 300; they will have to kill the platform to make a difference (i.e. take cost out).  I'll try to find out more the next time I'm in at FCA headquarters. 

[IRON MAN]

I'm hoping Chrysler Fiat responds to the 2019 rear engine corvette with an AMX/3  and renames it AMX/4. After all, the AMX/3 was made in Italy during the late 1960's, and Chrysler Fiat owns the rights. The AMX/3 below took best in class at Pebble Beach a couple years ago.

[RUNCHARGER]

That car looks just great today.

[Brads70]

That car looks just great today.

That was a great design!

[cudabob496]

But they made the famous K cars!!!

[Morty426]

Is this a non-story?

[RUNCHARGER]

I think they played it down but it's pretty clear that it won't be long. I don't like it but I predict they will run the rest into the ground, spin-off Jeep and "Ram" and it will be all over. It might take the next economic downturn but maybe their mismanagement will force it before then. I wish Iacocca could have gotten back in charge when he made his play, things would have been a lot different. We were lucky to have enjoyed the new Challengers and Chargers though.

[Speedemon75]

https://www.motor1.com/news/243813/chrysler-dodge-to-continue/

Confirmed today that Chrysler and dodge will continue to exist, at least for 5 more years with dodge continuing to be performance based!

[Morty426]

I think they played it down but it's pretty clear that it won't be long. I don't like it but I predict they will run the rest into the ground, spin-off Jeep and "Ram" and it will be all over. It might take the next economic downturn but maybe their mismanagement will force it before then. I wish Iacocca could have gotten back in charge when he made his play, things would have been a lot different. We were lucky to have enjoyed the new Challengers and Chargers though.

Iacocca ordered all the AMC parts destroyed.  Do he is no savior. 

There are plenty of ways to save Dodge and Chrysler. 

[captcolour]

https://www.motor1.com/news/243813/chrysler-dodge-to-continue/

Confirmed today that Chrysler and dodge will continue to exist, at least for 5 more years with dodge continuing to be performance based!

This still fits what I am hearing about the current LX platform being extended until 2022/2023.  That means parts we are supplying materials for won't change, which means no refresh.  Refresh was scheduled for as early as 2018 (that prompted all of the 'cuda talk a few years back).  Refresh was pushed to 2020, and then to 2022/2023. So yes it will be around for another 5 years, but likely nothing new or refreshed coming out.  Unless something drastic happens, don't see the names hanging around after production stops for the current LX.

[RUNCHARGER]

Dodge kept their pickup platform from 1972 until 1993. It was a really bad decision, the only thing that saved them were terrific engines and an outlandish, trendsetting restyle in 1994. When a company is near the end the bean counters keep taking cash out of the company and don't reinvest. You can get away with old platforms for a year or two but you end up with completely outdated products and you lose a ton of customers that may use 3 or 4 products in the same household. So that one old product costs you losing 3 or 4 sales to a different supplier.

[RUNCHARGER]

Another technique that uses little logic is putting the Hellcat engine in everything. For one thing a specialized powerplant llike that can become outdated overnight so the razzle dazzle is gone. The other thing is the automakers need to make their CAFE or whatever it is called these days. You need a good, basic product on the showroom floor that goes out the door in volumes, like a Neon, VW bug, minivan or whatever. These clowns need to come up with a new idea rather than an SUV or pickup truck. A fresh new idea is overdue and the manufacturer that comes up with it is going to do great. FIAT obviously doesn't have what it takes to come up with that idea.

[Morty426]

Another technique that uses little logic is putting the Hellcat engine in everything. For one thing a specialized powerplant llike that can become outdated overnight so the razzle dazzle is gone. The other thing is the automakers need to make their CAFE or whatever it is called these days. You need a good, basic product on the showroom floor that goes out the door in volumes, like a Neon, VW bug, minivan or whatever. These clowns need to come up with a new idea rather than an SUV or pickup truck. A fresh new idea is overdue and the manufacturer that comes up with it is going to do great. FIAT obviously doesn't have what it takes to come up with that idea.

I see just more sticker engineering from them.  Change the hood and the stickers and WOW - a new model 

They could fix it by making things people want or the could fix it by going into the niche models that everyone else is ignoring.