Brouhaha over embargoes leads to reveal of Chrysler's auto show lineup
This week we attended media events put on by Ford and General Motors called "backgrounders" that give select journalists a preview of what will be shown at the upcoming 2009 Detroit Auto Show. We signed non-disclosure agreements and agreed to embargoes, so we can't tell you what we learned or saw. Assuming the embargoes aren't broken, these events give us the ability to produce thorough, thoughtful posts on the previewed vehicles when they finally debut in early January.
Chrysler held a backgrounder for journalists this week too, today in fact. Despite being invited by Ford and GM to their backgrounders, our request for an invite to the Chrysler event was repeatedly denied by Rick Deneau, the automaker's Director of Product and Brand PR/Communications. Autoblog, Jalopnik and a number of other blogs were blocked from the event, and the reasons given are varied but seem to revolve around a misnomer that blogs can't be trusted.
Well, Mr. Deneau got his wish and banned blogs from today's proceedings, but that didn't stop all the pertinent information from getting out anyway. Jalopnik cites four journalists who attended today's Chrysler backgrounder as saying that the Chrysler vehicles and concepts scheduled to debut during the remainder of this year's auto show season (Detroit, Chicago and New York) are nothing more than "smoke and mirrors" and putting "lipstick on a foam pig." You'll find a list of what leaked out after the jump, all of which may have remained under wraps had Chrysler not decided to piss off the motoring press.
2009 Detroit Auto Show
- Jeep Patriot EV, fourth member of the ENVI division's EV family
- Dodge Ram HD
2009 Chicago Auto Show
- Dodge Ram Chassis Cab trucks
2009 New York Auto Show
- Redesigned 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Beyond
- Redesigned 2011 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger with all-new interiors
[Source: Jalopnik]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Keith 5:40PM (12/17/2008)
WAY TO GO BLOGGERS!! I love it! Stick it to Chrysler. Hey, now you can add another cartoon to the 'before congress' panel. LOL ;)
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geo.stewart 5:45PM (12/17/2008)
personally, I like the 'beyond'.
If that is not the poster child for eternal optimism, I dont know what it.
zamafir 5:49PM (12/17/2008)
So chrysler failed to invite automotive blogs to a meeting regarding a huge heap of fail? Sounds like a brilliant decision on their part. I'd hate for the embargo to brake on the lucid 2011 redesigns. Hell anything past 2009 is a lucid dream as far as chrysler is concerned.
BigWill 6:12PM (12/17/2008)
Anything past 2011 for Chrysler is lurid dream not a lucid one.
Carguy 10:59PM (12/17/2008)
Rather, anything past 2008 is a wet dream...
Soccer Mom 5:40PM (12/17/2008)
It is hard to imagine Chrysler bringing up anything groundbreaking or simply new. EVs - I believe it when I see in dealer's showrooms. For now, it's just prototype disconnected from financial reality. Interiors - the same thing.
Chrysler managed to get itself in a dump with the worst vehicle line up imaginable at the worst possible time. It is hard to believe that Chrysler will survive even with the bailout money - the sales of new vehicles will not be the same for years to come, and Chrysler will have a smaller piece of a shrinking pie, which makes piece even smaller.
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Judy Zik 10:49PM (12/17/2008)
The EV's are a joke. Anybody can build an EV version of any vehicle in their garage. In fact there are tons of companies out there that will convert your vehicle to an EV. What we need to see as an actual production ready EV and real plans from Cerbyler to produce it and sell it at a price a customer can afford. Anything else really is just smoke and mirrors. Automakers have been parading around vapourware cars like this for years. I guess it's cheaper than actually producing concept cars for all new models you might actually build. It is a pretty sad indication of just what is left in the Cerbyler pipeline.
Coming soon. The Jeep Wrangler Warp Drive Concept.
ronEbear 5:41PM (12/17/2008)
SOoo, exactly how is Chrysler changing its business model to become a viable automotive manufacturer in order to secure loans from the U.S. government? I think it`s time to kill off the .5 of the Detroit 2.5.
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Luke 5:44PM (12/17/2008)
Bravo, AutoBlog! Make 'em pay! Doesn't look like they're paying too steep a price as they don't have much to hide...!
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andy 5:48PM (12/17/2008)
does it matter, they just announced a cease production as of Dec 19
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robert 5:55PM (12/17/2008)
So you're saying that you're revealing the "new" Chrysler products because Chrysler didn't let you not reveal them?
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MajorGeek 6:05PM (12/17/2008)
No, they were not invited, hence they did not sign a Non Disclosure Agreement. They can leak whatever they get. The NDA is a way to get this information to them in advance, so they can prepare proper, informed articles when the information is officially released rather then have hastily written stories, with inaccuracies, published. Of course, all this shows is that it leaks anyhow.
Nick 5:57PM (12/17/2008)
I really, really hate Chrysler. It could be that they make such a poor product their own hedge fund won't loan them money, the fact that my rental Dodge Caliber is *that* bad, or stories like this, but I really think of the big 3 domestics Chrysler deserves to go under.
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chris 8:43AM (12/18/2008)
Can anyone blame them, this site is one of the most hatefull and hate filled i have ever read about a car company.
Be carefull what you wish for people around the world, one goes they all go, just ask Toyota. All the parts suppliers are intermixed togother,one goes it drags them all with it.
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MajorGeek 6:01PM (12/17/2008)
It's a sad day. As a consumer, small business owner and taxpayer we have Ford not wanting money at this time and getting lots of great press including the Fusion and F150 truck of the year to name a couple. GM, who already upped the pricetag, now is delaying the Volt... again. Not like they can get a car to market in under 5 years anyhow. Dodge is showing off foam models, adding EV to a really crappy truck and refreshing current garbage, although I wonder why it took so long to add retro cues to the Charger?
Bottom line for me? These guys are playing politics and business as usual while begging for a bailout. Let them sink because they continue to show, on a daily basis, that they have no interest in becoming a profitable company.
Screw em.
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davew 6:24PM (12/17/2008)
Point 1: Calling the Charger or the 300C crap when they are the best full sized cars on the road does nothing more than display your ignorance. Point2: cheering on the death of an American icon because they don't make micro cars nobody wants to buy now except a small cadre of enthusiasts and eco freaks is economic treason. Point 3: I bet most of you posting on this blog don’t pay more than a grand or so in Fed taxes excluding S.S. Your money at best, probably covers the fuel for one F-18, so stop whining about your little pittance of tax dollars.
MajorGeek 6:35PM (12/17/2008)
"Point 1: Calling the Charger or the 300C crap when they are the best full sized cars on the road does nothing more than display your ignorance."
Yeah, real ignorant. I have driven them. Not all that impressive. Frankly, I rented a 300c because I loved the looks and we thought it was crap. My wife liked the Charger, till she drove it. Too big. Too bad that everyone else was, and is, building mid sized and smaller cars.
"Point2: cheering on the death of an American icon because they don't make micro cars nobody wants to buy now except a small cadre of enthusiasts and eco freaks is economic treason."
What an icon have to do with it? The Chrysler of today is not what it once was. Oh, I own a Viper and 08 Challenger and have had about 10 Chrysler products in the past 8 years. I am a Dodge guy, too bad they can't compete anymore. RJ Reynolds and cigarette companies were icons too.
"Point 3: I bet most of you posting on this blog don’t pay more than a grand or so in Fed taxes excluding S.S. Your money at best, probably covers the fuel for one F-18, so stop whining about your little pittance of tax dollars. "
What a weak ass thing to say. You might click my name, read my posts and know who I am rather then guess, point a finger and walk away all superior. I also own a H2, Grand National, Honda Civic and a Harley. In the last couple of years buying those cars (2 civics this year alone) I probably paid out 20k just in vehicle taxes. My business taxes are my private business, but lets just say your way off.
Your points are nothing more then finger POINTing and ignorance, exactly what you accused me of.
Carguy 11:06PM (12/17/2008)
Both the 300c and the Charger are based on a MERCEDES platform. Yes, the E-Class of the 90's. They didn't design it, they inherited it.....
010111 5:04AM (12/18/2008)
"Both the 300c and the Charger are based on a MERCEDES platform. Yes, the E-Class of the 90's."
incorrect. using some MB components does not mean it is using the 90s E-class platform wholesale. another auto urban legend no one bothers to fact check for themselves before spouting it as fact.
let me guess... you also think the Nova didn't sell well in spanish speaking countries?
Sandeep 6:07PM (12/17/2008)
Sounds like how Chrysler wouldn't give Top Gear the Challenger because of how they abused their cars (most likely, do to Clarkson's truthful review of the Sebring convertible).
Great plan, Chrysler! At least AB didn't have to waste its time at the backgrounder of a soon-to-be-dead company.
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