A once well-respected marque, the fate of Chrysler is increasingly in doubt. Last month, Carlos Tavares, the CEO of Stellantis — the Euro-American automaker formed from the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA — warned that some of its 14 brands could be abandoned if they don’t start delivering better sales and earnings. Chrysler is widely believed to be one of the most vulnerable divisions. But that’s really nothing new.
As it looks to potentially consolidate a list of 14 automotive brands, Stellantis could sell off its most exclusive, Maserati, due to weak sales, a senior official warned. That’s on top of several other brands which, Headlight.News reported last week, may be shuttered entirely.
Could Stellantis abandon one or more of its 14 automotive brands? In light of the automaker’s weak second-quarter earnings, that is a distinct possibility, warned CEO Carlos Tavares. But which of those marques are the most endangered? Headlight.News takes a closer look and a few seem ripe for the chopping block.
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares promises massive job cuts as Stellantis attempts to restructure its operations. Several plants and even the company’s HQ building in Auburn Hills are all potential targets for job cuts.
A software glitch preventing the rear view cameras from displaying images on the vehicle’s touchscreen necessitated a recall of 1.16 million Stellantis vehicles. The cameras are equipment on vehicles in the Ram, Jeep and Chrysler vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Stellantis faces challenges and has lost ground in the U.S. CEO Carlos Tavares acknowledged during Thursday’s “Investors Day” conference, putting some of the blame on his own shoulders. But the carmaker’s flexible strategy and new products offer hope for the future and protect the company’s profitability, he promised analysts and shareholders.
Each year, Mopar, the aftermarket business for Stellantis, puts together a special edition vehicle using components from its portfolio. This year the business unit took on the Jeep Gladiator for a limited run of 250 vehicles. Get details at Headlight.News.
In the wake of the mega-merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Paris-based PSA, Tim Kuniskis seemed the fair-haired boy, the American executive CEO Carlos Tavares could turn to when there was a problem to be solved. But Kuniskis unexpectedly announced his retirement Friday, with replacements named to take on his duties at Dodge and Ram.
Months after settling a crippling strike at its North American automotive operations, Stellantis faces the threat of another walkout, workers at a critical stamping plant in suburban Detroit giving union leaders the okay to shut down the facility if no agreement can be reached over health and safety issues. A walkout would also shutter key Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram assembly lines.
Stellantis is recalling nearly 285,000 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 models due to faulty airbags that can explode and throw shrapnel.
Chrysler — remember Chrysler? It’s a brand in desperate need of finding new product and purpose. With the debut of the Halcyon Concept the struggling automaker aims to give the world a sense of where it’s going. The all-electric show car offers an array of advanced technologies, from facial biometrics to fully driverless operation. It also turns to a potentially breakthrough battery technology that could be charged directly from the road, “allowing for unlimited range.” How much of that could wind up in production? More from Headlight.News.
It’s postwar America, and by the early 1950s, two-seat roadsters are everywhere. That trend leads Chrysler Corp. to develop one of its more successful models: the 1955 Chrysler C300. Check it out in The Past Lane.