Indie Auto reader George Denzinger submitted a follow-up letter to a previous one concerning the 100th anniversary of the Chrysler brand (go here).
First, thanks to Steve for posting my letter. I wanted to address a couple of things that people in the comments have noted my letter. Hondadriver (and others) noted that Stellantis has several vehicles that could be adapted to the U.S. market (if they pass FMVSS). I understand the turbulence of the market, the business with Carlos Tavares and the restructuring following that episode, but I do not feel a sense of urgency to conduct business in North America.
In addition, the announcement that Christine Feuell has left for personal reasons, leaves me in further doubt whether or not there’s plan for the Chrysler brand. Back in 2022, we saw the first images of the Airflow concept, which looked like a fairly attractive and reasonably close to production-ready vehicle. But the lack of progress on that vehicle signaled to me that there was no desire to make it happen, it almost felt like a vanity project instead of a roadmap to the future. Strike one.
A stunning concept car that didn’t go into production
The more recent Halcyon concept (see banner photo) was stunning. The car showcased several ideas that were wrapped in beautiful skin, and it wasn’t a SUV! It also went nowhere. Strike two.
What will be strike three for the Chrysler brand? Stellantis seems to replace leadership when attempting to cut costs in underperforming regions (North America has struggled with sales and profitability). It makes sense to reduce management layers and centralize decision making, also.
With the new CEO, Antonio Filosa immediately appointing Matt McAlear (who already has Dodge, RAM(!) and Alfa Romeo NA under his leadership, does this mean we will see a coherent strategy sometime soon for the Chrysler brand? There are indications of more integration with Dodge, which is logical. But if not, will Chrysler ride off into the sunset in the Pacifica?
— George Denzinger
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PHOTOGRAPHY:
- 2023 Chrysler Airflow — By Kevauto via Wikipedia Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Photo edited to lighten dark tones.
- 2024 Chrysler Halcyon — By HJUdall via Wikipedia Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Photo edited to lighten dark tones.
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I can’t see a future for Chrysler/Dodge. Even if they were able to create a blockbuster of 1964.5 Mustang status, they’ll need five years to restore the public’s trust in their quality and likelihood that they’ll be able to stay in business to support their cars.
Jeep will likely remain and they can take over all of the Ram trucks that they share bodies with now. That franchise is probably valuable enough for Stellantis to hang onto instead of selling. If Rivian gets stronger then maybe they’ll be able to buy Jeep down the road.
To be honest, I would not be surprised if GM buys Ford within the next decade. Neither looks to be in great shape. They get the F150 and Mustang that they can’t compete with, and whatever EV stuff Ford has. They can make it a boutique brand in the Pontiac/Oldsmobile space and finally kill GMC. May as well kill Buick too; no one would notice except the Chinese and they won’t miss it now that they’ve stolen all of the technology.
I have seen a lot more of those little Buick CUVs on the road recently. I am in Los Angeles area near Orange County. I had to look it up. I think it has a 1.2 liter engine and the price is right.