24 Years since 1979

[Kirby]

I think it is interesting to look back to the pivotal decision of our U.S. government to support 1.2 billion dollars in loans to a bloated and tottering Chrysler Corporation in 1979.

What was really achieved?
For a few years Detroit had some more jobs (now displaced all over the world), America had earned a small ammount pride in our ability to come back from the brink (it was, of course, our money being loaned), and Congress actually took a stand on something controversial. Not to mention that America found a REAL leader that was not afraid to attack the future (Mr. Iacoca).
Where are we now?
Chrysler as a corporation is no longer an American company, some wealthy Chrysler stockholders have been able to stay wealthy, and Daimler Benz calls the shots now from Germany.
They (now DCX)jettison jobs and companies as fast as you can say Heil! American Motors/Eagle Company - GONE, Plymouth Company - GONE. Now Chrysler itself is downsizing what little American workforce they have (what is happening to the Polish workers they imported to Alabama at 1/2 wages?), while the first of possibly many whole cars manifactured in Germany is rolled off the docks to be sold as Chrysler(Crossfire).

It is healthy to have perspective when we look at the present. I know it is hard for me to realize that buying Chrysler is no longer the patriotic choice, unless of course,you are a German national.

[TripleJackInGA]

I hear you can get a good deal on a Cavalier, Kirby.

[Kirby]

That is the same answer that the Chrysler guys are thinking: $cerw'em if they don't like us.

I am sorry you think that my post was about Chrysler Corporation or Daimler Benz alone, you have missed the big point, for your own pre-concieved idea. I understand how you feel, because you probably think that History was a subject in High School that you hated and never want to hear again. After all you were only 5 years old when all this happened.
Even though my post may not portray Chrysler or Daimler Benz in a good light, IT IS THE TRUTH, and as Jack Nicholson once said - most people "can't handle the truth". The rose colored glasses will come off through time anyway.

My preference is for "real discussions" not whitewashed, fluffy, lock step praise of how nice things are. My topics have been called booring, but I feel that the 100th message of how the upgrade kit is great begins to be tedious. I am happy for the guys that have knocked a 1/10th second off their 1/4 mile time, but I can't use that information in my daily life. The truth has great wisdom to offer, but it has warts, dents, and stains......please take the sugar coating off my conversations.

In the span of American History the resurection of the Chrysler Corporation was monumental for many reasons! I would hope that some readers would take the time to find out exactly what was going on in our great country at that time (depression not seen since), and what courage it took to make it happen or maybe respond and relate just how it was. Of course the story won't be fluffy and filled with how happy people are to have their new toys, but if you want to know a little piece of what this great country is built on, you may take the time to do a little computer search to find out what the "big deal" was when you were only 5 years old![]

[TripleJackInGA]

No Kirby, your preference is for 'fighting city hall'.I am convinced that while you have good intentions (I think), that you would go on and on no matter what the product, part, manufacturer or whatever. You're the person that really intends to do the right thing, but you not only beat a dead horse, you dig the horse up and beat it some more post-mortem.

[TripleJackInGA]

I'm not trying to 'stamp out' a topic, Kirby, but you do little more than complain when you post.

Don't feel sorry for me. I know more about Chrysler vehicles than you probably ever will, and ragrdless, I do not seek your pitty.

[GTSteve]

I don't always AGREE with Kirby. His posts often times come off as confrontational. I do however ENJOY the exchanges he initiates. I often wonder if he can really fight. LOL

This time, I agree with him.

[Kirby]

I had hoped that amongst the readers on this web site that there might be some people with more direct insight to this monumental piece of history that occurred in 1979. Most of the displaced auto workers were proud GIs coming home from putting their lives on the line in Viet Nam. (With a fair ammount of PT owners being around 50, we were about 20 years old at the time...Draft Age!)
Since this area of the website is titled N0N-PT discussions I was not expecting to puff up the latest hot rod gadget. I wanted to find some real, first hand experiences of how it was to survive the gas lines and rampant unemployment in the Detroit area in the 70s(other areas were hurting at that time also) and how it fealt to find that this country really did care if one piece dropped off the end of the earth.

[TripleJackInGA]

No, I read exactly what you posted, and what you posted was yet another slam of DCX in general, specifically the 'merger' with DaimlerBenz.
When I said I have a deep knowledge of Chrysler vehicles, by default I meant Chrysler history in general.The two go hand-in-hand, Kirby.
The instances you sight as being part of some heinous German conspiracy; the loss of jobs, the phasing out of AMC/Eagle and Plymouth, would have eventually happened regardless of who held the ownership papers to the company, if they wanted the company as a whole to survive.
AMC, which later became Eagle, two cars in their line, which is barely enough to justify having a seperate division, especially when both of the cars were mirrored by other divisions within the company.Sadly, the same fate befell Plymouth.Plymouth had only 3 cars (I think) plus the prowler at the time they gave up the ghost.And if you think it's just DCX doing this sort of thing, then I refer you to the decision of GM to phase out the Oldsmobile brand, even with very unique vehicles.My point here is that it is my belief that the loss of AMC/Eagle and Plymouth would have come in any event, and should have.It's better to shed a little then to have the entire company go under.
The job cuts would have come in any event.*EVERY* car maker has cut jobs in the US and/or sent them outside of the US.It's a simple numbers game.Sales took an absolute dive, along with the entire economy, after 9-11, which has been compounded by the steep rise in gas prices since about 2000.another reason you see so many jobs leaving the US, especially for Canada and Mexico is good old NAFTA. Why would any company with any brains pay a U.A.W. worker $35 per hour to assemble a car when he can get someone in Mexico to do the same thing for about half of that, *if* that much? Again, DCX isn't the only one doing it, Kirby.The great American Muscle Car, the Camaro (along with it's stable-mate from Pontiac) was built in it's final days not in the US, but in Canada.
Before you start making insinuations about things happening because of German ownership, I think you should do your research a little better in the industry as a whole, along with economic factors.None of what you attributed to DCX in your original post can be hung directly on DCX, or specifically the German arm of DCX.

[ptgt]

the big problem here is the killing of the autopact a few years back wich gave the imports a even playing feild in north america. no longer do they have to pay a terrif on vehicles entering the country.This moere than anything els is killing the northamerican auto makers. So the government kirby that you hold in such high regard for saving us 25 years ago is also responsible for killing us now. Thats the truth if you can handle it. The imports are and will take over here. It is only a matter of time. why because they are allowed to

[Kirby]

I am well aware of the economic factors at work here.
When someone fails to grow a company, they always blame "market forces", in lay tearms that means they didnt give the market what it wanted as much as their competitor.
The company would have died anyway was a phrase I am resurecting from 1979- it was said about the Chrysler Corporation ....until a man named Iacoca bucked the system and said: "NO!. Chrysler is dying because we aren't giving the buying public what it is asking for." Enter gas saving, part saving, efficient front wheel drive cars, minivans, innovations based on what buyers openly say they want.

Every car maker is NOT cutting jobs...Ford and Chrysler are, in a major way, GM too: but wait, is Daimler Benz laying off it's American workforce? How about Toyota? Nissan? Honda?

Where will the next true leader that has an ear to the marketplace and an understanding of the American people that can lead Chrysler back to profitability come from? Probably not from Germany. Innovation and market leadership has never been Daimler Benz forte. They have in general been able to be good followers and integrate proven technology, slowly.

Intransigent companies that can't or choose not to adapt to their market quickly face the possibility of being replaced. Chrysler Corporation has been running deeply in the red for over a year, extrapolate the data.
Toyota is doing fine, as is Honda, and actually Kia........it's not just a bad market. It's a bad market to be selling Chryslers now though, if you don't give away the farm with it.

As an astute businessman figure this one out:
Fire production workforce, and rather than reinvest those dollars in improving the company, give it all away in incentives. These tactics were used in the second world war by Japanese airplane pilots called "kamakazis".

Another business point: Henry Ford "gave away the farm" to his labor force. He new that workers with money would buy his product. They would also buy other products from businesses that would buy his product. See how it works? Those dirty UAW workers making all that filthy money is the foundation of our economy. When all those dirty workers and their exorbetant salaries go away, Just Exactly Who Is Supposed To Buy Our Products? The Japanese? The Germans? I hear that the economy of India is starting to pick up with all those new American jobs being exported!