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Chrysler, already hurt by slow sales of its bread-and-butter pickups and SUVs, doesn't think things will improve any time soon. According to an email sent by CEO Bob Nardelli to Chrysler employees, he believes that sales will continue to spiral down the drain. So far, though, the third of the Detroit 3 isn't ready to announce any additional layoffs or plant closures. Chrysler must have had some really foresighted, or extremely pessimistic, people on the team who set early '08 predictions, as Nardelli claims that the company he's leading is still on track to achieve its goals.

Dodge has already shut the doors of its Saltillo plant in northern Mexico in an effort to "adjust" inventory levels of the current Ram pickup. The next vehicle set to debut for Dodge is the completely new Ram, which will appear just as gas prices have seriously trimmed truck sales. For Chrysler, the Hornet can't come soon enough.

[Source: The Detroit News, Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty]