New York: Chrysler's Jim Press arrives in Fiat 500
by John Neff on Apr 8th 2009 at 10:35AM 
Jim Press arrives in Fiat 500 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Marking the first time in a long time that an Italian vehicle other than a Lamborghini or Ferrari has appeared at a U.S. auto show, Chrysler Vice Chairman Jim Press showed up at his company's press conference this morning in a Fiat 500. "We're not announcing anything," he made sure to say as he exited the vehicle and took his place on stage to start the presser, though the act speaks for itself. Chrysler's future hinges largely on whether it can broker a partnership deal with Italian automaker Fiat before the government's newly imposed deadline that arrives in less than a month. Before he began reciting reassurances that Chrysler's OK to the crowd of journalist, Press remarked, "Wouldn't that make a great company car." Indeed it would, Jim.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
ken_aisin 10:39AM (4/08/2009)
Please don't put a Chrysler/Dodge badge on my Abrath 500.
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GOT 10:57AM (4/08/2009)
Agreed! I'll take and Abarth 500 in white!
Hope this pans out. I love the 500, but it's also sad that Chrysler couldn't get their act together and build the Hornet based on the 500 platform.
Jim 11:07AM (4/08/2009)
"Please don't put a Chrysler/Dodge badge on my Abrath 500. "
if a badge means that much to you, you weren't going to ever buy one anyway.
zamafir 11:39AM (4/08/2009)
I don't think you have anything to worry about. The smarting thing Fiat can do is absorb chrysler and just use them as a distribution outlet for fiat cars on the econo level and alfa on the luxury level. I'm sure they'll keep the one bit of chrysler that's worth anything, Jeep, but everything else has got to go. Unless someone has some reasonable argument how Chrysler can continue without new platforms et-al.
Frank 1:46PM (4/08/2009)
Yea, we all know those Ram, Journey, 300, and Charger sales aren't worth anything. Nor the new GC and 300/Charger waiting in the wings. Or the Phoenix V6.
/sarcasm
Harrison 8:27PM (4/08/2009)
It'll probably be the Fiat 500 imported by Chrysler ala Mitsbishi Colt of the 1980s.
Freshforged 11:34PM (4/08/2009)
"Hope this pans out. I love the 500, but it's also sad that Chrysler couldn't get their act together and build the Hornet based on the 500 platform."
who's to say this isn't still the plan? Of course the Hornet concept was much larger then the 500.
Tim 10:39AM (4/08/2009)
This is supposed to get us excited about a Chrysler-Fiat deal so we can throw more money at Cerberus. No Sale.
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Mazda FTW! 10:49AM (4/08/2009)
Thats one of looking at it.
Another way of looking at it would be that it might allow us access to some great European hardware while at the same time giving a safety line to Chrylser, one of America's car-makers.
I think America needs more positivity today. Instead of "oh thats my tax money" it should be "how can I help one of our national car-makers survive".
Don't bash me for it. I simply want to see a country I'm deeply fond about regain it's confidence.
Luis 10:56AM (4/08/2009)
I empathize with you Mazda, but I'd rather see our industry come out of this stronger with all the fat cut off - not propped up artificially with taxpayer loans that may not be paid back. Chrysler is not a viable company any longer. I'd rather see them liquidate and have their assets sold off at auction. If a factory or business entity is viable, you'll see Toyota, Hyundai, Fiat or Ford come in and buy it. Same goes for GM.
I'd rather have a really really strong Ford, Chevy and Cadillac than a solvent Ford, limping GM and shaky Chrysler continuing as is.
Jim 11:03AM (4/08/2009)
"I empathize with you Mazda, but I'd rather see our industry come out of this stronger with all the fat cut off "
walk through the halls of Auburn Hills. Chrysler has no fat left, and a lot of muscle has been cut away.
Jim 11:06AM (4/08/2009)
"I'd rather see them liquidate and have their assets sold off at auction. If a factory or business entity is viable, you'll see Toyota, Hyundai, Fiat or Ford come in and buy it."
No they won't, and I'm tired of the Internet Know-Nothings repeating this lie as though it was unassailable truth. Everyone has too much capacity, and given projections that vehicle sales are never going to return to what they were a couple of years ago, that will remain the case. Toyota, Hyundai, et al will not buy old plants that they can't use. Hell, Toyota has a multi-billion dollar plant they just built in Texas that they can't use to capacity.
If GM or Chrysler liquidate, the plants will sit empty for a few years until they're demolished and the land sold.
Jei 11:31AM (4/08/2009)
I think the govt has forced Cerberus to give up its financial stake (at least controlling stake) in Chrysler Corp as a condition to agree to provide additional bailout funds.
...in return, Cerberus may be able to completely write their Chrysler expenses off in their taxes....who knows. But Cerberus has to give up control of Chrysler and allow it to become a wholly-owned corporation again. No word if Daimler was required to relinquish any of their "worthless" shares in Chrysler.
Luis 11:50AM (4/08/2009)
There are still companies that want to expand here. Hyundai (which all of you LOVE for some reason) comes to mind. If Chrysler's factories are not worthy of buying, then they are not worthy of saving.
ehisforadam 1:10PM (4/08/2009)
It's not easy to localize a vehicle. So you have a factory, then you have to change the factory to build a new vehicle and get your supply chain going. Getting all the suppliers on board and tooling reading is a major expense, probably close to if not more an a factory itself. They may want to move production to NA, but if the economics of it don't make sense, then they won't.
Auto sales are down 40% across the board, who wants more factories when the ones they already have aren't running at capacity and are taking all kinds of extra time off?
Jim 5:02PM (4/08/2009)
"There are still companies that want to expand here. Hyundai (which all of you LOVE for some reason) comes to mind."
It doesn't matter. For one thing, many of these plants are in heavy union areas, and if Hyunyota were to buy up any of them you know they would be under intense pressure to have UAW represent the workers. And you and I know damn well they don't want that.
Second, the cost to renovate, re-tool and adapt these old plants for another manufacturer would probably run pretty close to the cost of just building a new factory.
"If Chrysler's factories are not worthy of buying, then they are not worthy of saving."
False dilemma.
Tim 10:42AM (4/08/2009)
Will he leave in disgrace?
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the_MVP_X 10:46AM (4/08/2009)
Ok, what's wrong with this image, except that really I don't like the 500.
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Ken Stamper 2:01PM (4/08/2009)
?
cxvargas 10:49AM (4/08/2009)
Bring the Abarth version of the 500 ASAP.
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