Chrysler has Ford in its sights to become Number Two

Quietly making its way around but increasingly being felt at the North American International Auto Show (NAIS) in Detroit, Michigan, is the buzz that Chrysler is poised to take the number two spot from the domestic Ford Motor Company.

How? In one word: Jeep.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Jeep’s success after a five-year downturn has prompted the smallest of the (once) Big Three to dramatically increase production while Ford continues to shrink. Under such conditions, Chrysler production will rise to 3.7 million units while Ford shrinks to 3.7 million.

Tom LaSorda, Chrysler’s president and CEO, has refused to speculate when Chrysler would overtakes its rival. He did not, however, dismiss the notion that the company will eventually do so.