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Chrysler closing west coast design center
Word just came down from on high that Chrysler will be closing its Pacifica Advanced Product Design Center in Carlsbad, California. We received word about the shuttering of Chrysler's West Coast design operations about 20 minutes ago, on a Friday night, so we're assuming that the Pentastar people were trying to fly this one under the wire.Regardless, the full release is available after the jump and, much like Nissan's recent departure from the land of fake-bakes and palm trees, it might not bode well for the future of Chrysler's stylist offerings, but it speak volumes about Cerberus' ongoing efforts to downsize the automaker's overhead. As always, we'll have to wait and see.
[Source: Chrysler]
PRESS RELEASE
Increasingly, we are leveraging resources worldwide, forming new joint ventures and alliances and consolidating operations in order to better achieve global balance and manage fixed costs. These moves are designed to help Chrysler become a more globally focused manufacturer, with design, engineering, sourcing and a local presence to serve local customers.
As such, we are closing the Pacifica Advance Product Design Center, consolidating the Advance Design function in Auburn Hills. Advance Design remains an integral part of our future design efforts, led by Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President -- Design.
These changes set the stage for Chrysler's future global growth efforts, which also include our intent to establish global expertise in design, engineering and sourcing through centers of excellence. These actions will help the Company meet its long-term globalization goals.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Taylor 10:51PM (3/07/2008)
Yet another smart move from Cerberus.../sarcasm
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zoomzoomr 1:17AM (3/08/2008)
Based on the incredibly dull trio of concepts at the 2008 NAIAS, and the uber-retro styling of the "new" Challenger, how could Cerberus justify Pacifica's continued existence? It doesn't seem that anyone in that advanced studio is actually working!
psarhjinian 1:56PM (3/08/2008)
Hey, did the Imperial, Nassau and Challenger come from these pens? If so, I don't know if I'd call this a bad move.
Taylor 2:26PM (3/08/2008)
I believe the Challenger did, not sure about the other two.
jim 10:58PM (3/07/2008)
When you're trying to avoid bankruptcy and maybe liquidation any cost is eligible to be cut.
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Ben 11:00PM (3/07/2008)
What's with the picture? Is the right side a half-finished model, and the left a later picture once they get the other half machined down?
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clayman 12:30AM (3/08/2008)
that's a mirror in front of the model. Usually, only one side is worked at a time. And it looks like it was done by hand. A machine is used later to balance the driver side over to the passenger side.
Ben 11:15PM (3/07/2008)
Ohh. I see it now. Thanks!
Azrael4h 8:13PM (3/08/2008)
Is this really a bad thing? I mean, yeah the same guys did the Challenger and Viper, but both of those cars pretty well are just modernized versions of existing, good designs. Every time they try to do something else, it sucks. Charger? Caliber? Compass? Sebring?
Sounds like it's a smart move, to cut out those responsible for dud after dud.
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clayman 12:34AM (3/08/2008)
interesting side note to this story:
Chrysler Pacifica was the only design studio in SoCal staffed by UAW clay modelers....
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Tool 1:02AM (3/08/2008)
Clearly the new New Chrysler needs to realign its design. However, I'm not sure that killing its So Cal design studio is the right answer.
Just take a look at the crap coming out the last few years and it is apparent that the design function at Chrysler is seriously messed up.
Beyond the 300C and Challenger (which is just a warmed over remake) there is little great design of this once great company. And even those models are not perfect.
Sad isn't it?
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sidguy 2:14AM (3/08/2008)
The problem with Chrysler Design hasn't been the Designers. It's with the absolute idiot Design Executive Trevor Creed. He has no clue about design, never has and never will. He's been a yes man to upper management, which is why the poor business leaders there have him in that position as their pawn. I know all the designers there. They are extremely talented, and all their designs get hacked to pieces as they go through to production as Trevor is too afraid to tell the business to spend the extra 3 cents per car on a better light bulb so the headlight cans don't have to be so large.
They have super talented engineers also, stow and go seating.. Hello that was revolutionary, but they MCM (decontent) every single little part of the car by the time it goes to production so you feel like the parts of your car were bought off the Wal-mart excess crap $1 aisle.
A designer at Chrysler said it best. "you can take Chrysler out of Hamtramck, but you can't take Hamtramck out of Chrysler."
Cerebus... if your listening, remove Trevor and put someone that knows design and has true car passion in his place.
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summazooma 10:00AM (3/08/2008)
sidguy---
AMEN!!!! to that...
Creed (he does have a great name, though) is one of the most humorless people in this industry... and, to think that he made his name with Interiors makes the latest Gloomy Gray Chrysler interiors even more embarrassing. Perhaps, the inspiration is the England of Creed's youth?
ronnie schreiber 6:38PM (3/09/2008)
Creed is the person responsible for greenlighting both the Jeep Patriot and Jeep Compass. I can understand wanting to amortize the Caliber platform, but who is going to buy a Compass wouldn't buy the 2wd version of the Patriot? I understand Chrysler's desire to sell Jeeps to folks who would never go off road but selling both of those cars makes little sense and Creed was bragging how it was his idea.
Du 8:26PM (3/09/2008)
Except Chrysler was in Highland Park not Ham town.
azzo45 10:29PM (3/12/2008)
AMEN! How the F*** Trevor Creed followed Tom Gale & his guys is one of the Design world's big mysteries!!!
Creed directed the abortion better known as the Imperial right in Auburn Hills. The 3,000+ miles between Carlsbad & Auburn Hills didn't slow him down from pi$$ing on anything cool Pacifica came up with. :( :(
Challenger showcar came from Pacifica Studio. Pacifica would usually do the "reach" designs then ship them to Auburn Hills. The SoCal deigns were not always the best, but it was good to have Designers in BOTH locations. Sad day for Chrysler.
Vincenzo 3:12AM (3/08/2008)
Do they have any plans to create a robot which can cut, carve, weld, and build auto designs sent to it from Photoshop?
Then I'll be able to draw my own original design, upload it to this robot, and get a car of my dreams.
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ckm 6:02AM (3/08/2008)
http://www.tarus.com/multimedia/tarus_5-axis_horizontal.mpg
cowboy bob 9:02AM (3/08/2008)
Actually, they do. You can now build real models by machines that can read digital input from your PC. Look out Sarah Conner.
RLQ 3:41AM (3/08/2008)
Cerberus lol
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