Chrysler doesn’t do 4 cylinder cars well… at all.
Walter P Chrysler's great grandson "letter to the people, saving Chrysler, a call to action" is Chrysler at risk of going under?
- Thread starter wemay
- Start date
Slant 6 or the 440 there i fixed it.
It appears that the management at FCA/Stellantis agreed with you.
My counterargument: FCA was selling the base models here for < C$20K, and apparently making money.
Given that the competitors (Honda, Toyota, and Kia) are all very expensive* here, it seems there should have been room for Dodge/Chrysler to continue to sell the 5th-gen Grand Caravan, stripped to moderately equipped, for C$25K to C$35K.
* Kia Sedona - C$40K to C$53K
Chrysler Pacifica - C$54K to $75K
Toyota Sienna - C$49K to C$67K
Honda Odyssey - C$52K to C$62K
Given how few Pacificas I see here, I suspect people think 'For that price I can get a Honda or Toyota'.
Anything with the 2.5 was great. The "world" engine was solid as well. After the initial head gasket issues the 2.0 was good as well as the 2.4.
I think Mr. Walter may have a plan, or a crazy dream, for an automotive segment, perhaps exploring a new niche or something, and sees an opportunity to snatch up the Chrysler brand for a song.
Otherwise the timing is a bit odd if he just wants to preserve this brand, as it has been circling the drain for a long, long time and the damage is likely irreversible without a huge capital.
Otherwise the timing is a bit odd if he just wants to preserve this brand, as it has been circling the drain for a long, long time and the damage is likely irreversible without a huge capital.
The 2.2 as used in the K-cars also had a good reputation.
Way back when, there was speculation that Chrysler would lop a couple of cylinders off the 225 Slant Six to make a 4-banger.
The 150 Slant Four may have become a legend like its big brother.
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If someone made the mistake of appointing me CEO of the Chrysler brand, here's what I would do:
Expand into multiple segments that Chrysler hasn't sold in years/decades, but is available elsewhere in the Stellantis portfolio:
Mid size car - Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti trim with the standard seats, suspension and Turbo I-4 for a base car, and use the base V-6 from the Maserati Ghibli as the upper trim motor. No need to put the 500+ hp Alfa engine into the Chrysler mid size.
Compact SUV - Use the Alfa Romeo Tonale that Dodge stole, and work out the **** electrical gremlins that Dodge introduced.
Mid size SUV - Alfa Romeo Stelvio - same setup as the Giulia above. Maserati uses this as their Grecale currently, so more platform sharing across the brands.
Large SUV - Jeep Grand Cherokee. I'd use the Overland or Summit trims.
Executive size SUV - Jeep Grand Wagoneer Obsidian - Get that I-6 into more vehicles.
Minivan stays as it is.
But the most important thing is that the Bumper to Bumper warranty changes from 3 Year / 36k to 5 Year/Unlimited Miles.
You want sales to go up, give buyers a reason to buy Chrysler.
Give them vehicles in every popular product segment, and give them a reason to take a chance on a Chrysler branded product.
And so what if Chrysler steals some sales from Dodge, Alfa, and Jeep?
The transaction prices would be higher, which means better returns.
Selling an Alfa designed SUV as a Dodge product was such a stupid idea, I can't believe that was even a thing that happened.
Expand into multiple segments that Chrysler hasn't sold in years/decades, but is available elsewhere in the Stellantis portfolio:
Mid size car - Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti trim with the standard seats, suspension and Turbo I-4 for a base car, and use the base V-6 from the Maserati Ghibli as the upper trim motor. No need to put the 500+ hp Alfa engine into the Chrysler mid size.
Compact SUV - Use the Alfa Romeo Tonale that Dodge stole, and work out the **** electrical gremlins that Dodge introduced.
Mid size SUV - Alfa Romeo Stelvio - same setup as the Giulia above. Maserati uses this as their Grecale currently, so more platform sharing across the brands.
Large SUV - Jeep Grand Cherokee. I'd use the Overland or Summit trims.
Executive size SUV - Jeep Grand Wagoneer Obsidian - Get that I-6 into more vehicles.
Minivan stays as it is.
But the most important thing is that the Bumper to Bumper warranty changes from 3 Year / 36k to 5 Year/Unlimited Miles.
You want sales to go up, give buyers a reason to buy Chrysler.
Give them vehicles in every popular product segment, and give them a reason to take a chance on a Chrysler branded product.
And so what if Chrysler steals some sales from Dodge, Alfa, and Jeep?
The transaction prices would be higher, which means better returns.
Selling an Alfa designed SUV as a Dodge product was such a stupid idea, I can't believe that was even a thing that happened.
All they got to do is do a go back in time and make some of the good old cars they used to make, including some of the large trucks, of course using the old style and not modernizing it. Oh same power train too. 
Absolute great read. Loved it.
Nostalgia is not a good economic model to embrace. They could not even get those old power trains to pass modern day emissions which is why current tech is the way it is.All they got to do is do a go back in time and make some of the good old cars they used to make, including some of the large trucks, of course using the old style and not modernizing it. Oh same power train too.
Walt Whitman, right?
Which good old cars and trucks should they make? That is the puzzle. Pick, say a 1970 Dodge Dart or a 60s-era D100 truck and it'll sell OK.... For about a year. Then once the novelty wears off (and everyone who wanted one to re-live their teen years gets one) sales will drop like a rock. Even something "modern" like, say, the PT Cruiser was super red-hot popular for about a couple years before fell.All they got to do is do a go back in time and make some of the good old cars they used to make, including some of the large trucks, of course using the old style and not modernizing it. Oh same power train too.
If all the big ones wanted to they could, as long as they work together to do so.
That is daydreaming though.
Obviously Chrysler's been in a downward spiral ever since they axed the Slant Six.
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
There was a noticeable leaning of power at that point
A call to action for “the people.”
When a company is in trouble we (the people) all need to come together to help out apparently. But when we (the people) are on the sales floor or at the finance person’s desk asking for a reasonable deal we (the people) seem to be on our own then. No “we-ness” found there.
When a company is in trouble we (the people) all need to come together to help out apparently. But when we (the people) are on the sales floor or at the finance person’s desk asking for a reasonable deal we (the people) seem to be on our own then. No “we-ness” found there.
I agree with everything you said in that post, except this. The 200 was not a re-badged Dart. There’s 3 different “compact” platforms. A chassis that’s adaptable to many different vehicles from the Dart all the way up to the Pacifica, plus many Alfa models.
