Interesting Chrysler CEO interview on NPR

[Tdbo]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
NPR makes me throw up.



Makes me do the spew too.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8

You always have an ignore button. Snarky is subject to interpretation, I wonder if every post you ever made was somehow audited if you could stand up to your own lofty ideals.

Your beliefs are not altered in any way by the comments of others, nor should you feel offended. It's a discussion forum, so people post what they want. And you are reading in way too much personal feelings IMO, as most of us do not intend to actually hurt you personally.


I don't know, I guess it depends on what standard you think I'm looking for. What I do know is that if someone posts an article from a source with which I'm prone to disagree, I wouldn't post some nonsensical reply saying "X makes me throw up" without regard to the actual piece in question. Who knows, I may even listen or read the article before making a comment. I wouldn't make some ad hominem comment just to whine about the source.

Yes, it's a discussion forum. That's not discussing, it spewing tripe in my book, and I think it qualifies as "snark" at a minimum by anyone being honest and reasonable. Sorry, that's how I feel. By and large the tone of this forum is pretty civil, and I hope it stays that way.

BTW, I also thought the news spot was pretty good, so thanks to the OP for post it.

 

[tenderloin]

Taxpayers still lost over ONE BILLION DOLLARS over the Chrysler bailout.

 

[stephen9666]

Thanks to the OP for posting this. There is some interesting stuff in the article.

Ignore the people trying to take the thread off topic, instead of judging the info on its merits.

Anyway, this is the interesting bit to me:

Quote:
MONTAGNE: Going back in terms of actually making the cars, did you bring over certain practices from Fiat that were clearly different from what you found in Detroit and at Chrysler?

MARCHIONNE: Yeah. The manufacturing processes here have been completely revamped. Back in 2005 I introduced a thing - which I don't mind saying this. I mean, we stole it, at least in its basic form, from Toyota. It's called World Class Manufacturing. I mean, it's this pretentious title for something which really involves the revisiting of the manufacturing processes of dedication to the removal of waste.

And that really changed the way in which the workforce interfaces with the product. I mean, we worry about ergonomics. We worry about the unnecessary expenditure of physical labor to make things. One of the things that unfortunately happens in organizations that become dysfunctional is that the very first thing to go is the amount of care and attention that you place on the workplace and the environment within which people work.

And so even though we were bust and we'd come out of bankruptcy we spent a lot of time and a lot of money redoing the workplace because we had to make the place livable. And that was the thing that I think Fiat was responsible for because it pushed it.


I'm definitely not in love with every Chrysler model, but they sure seem to have made big improvements.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: tenderloin
Taxpayers still lost over ONE BILLION DOLLARS over the Chrysler bailout.


Among many other billions to the point of numbness...

But back OT, I knew Chrysler was up to something when way back in 03 or 04 they hired a Toyota guy and put him in charge of QA on the Hemi development. It really elevated that engine to a much higher standard. The story is on Allpar.

Don't know where he was when they developed the Pentastar!

 

[The_Jake]

Originally Posted By: edwardh1
I like NPR,
and GM needed in the 70s and 80s to learn how to steal ideas faster (from Totota) like how to stop their engines from leaking oil.


Gasket and sealing materials used in automotive applications changed dramatically in the period from 1988-1992 on a global industry wide basis. The suppliers of gaskets are mostly responsible.

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: HawkeyeScott
.....Says some Chrysler (Jeep) models will never be built anywhere but USA.


Found this article from Detroit News interesting.

Quote:
Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said the automaker plans to build some Jeeps in China for the local market — and later, in Russia.

"As part of our global expansion of the Jeep brand, there are some cars — that because of the price position in the market — can never be made in the U.S. and exported," Marchionne told reporters on the sidelines of the North American International Auto Show. "We're going to be announcing the first step in the globalization of Jeep (in China). There's another one that's going to come in Russia. These things are part of a natural process of expansion."

Marchionne said he will keep "the pillar cars of the Jeep (brand) in the United States. Wrangler is one. The Grand Cherokee is another. These are things that need to be protected because they represent the best and the essence of Jeep. If you tell me I cannot make a Patriot somewhere else, I might as well go out of the market."